Marijuana is grown and used all over the world. Even though it is prohibited in most of the United States, use has been prevalent for decades. In 1996, 32% of people had admitted to trying marijuana at least once (Joy 137). Many states allow medical use of the drug and two states have recently legalized recreational use. So why is it illegal in the rest of the country? There are numerous statistics to back up the benefits of legalization and the idea continues to gain popularity. Marijuana should be legalized throughout the United States based on the benefits that it presents.
One of the main reasons to legalize marijuana is for its medical purposes. Marijuana has proven medical benefits for a wide range of diagnoses, from very serious to …show more content…
Taking a prescription for one problem often causes another problem, leading to yet another medication to offset the effect. Furthermore, some people simply cannot afford to go to the doctor regularly to obtain those prescriptions. Being able to purchase marijuana legally would provide easier access to treatment without having to plan and pay for office visits. When using marijuana for common problems, such as headaches and sleep aids, a prescription should not be needed. Marijuana should be as easily accessible as any other drug store remedy.
Considering all of the beneficial properties of marijuana, it is also important to realize how safe it is proven to be compared to substances that are already legal. There are no known cases of marijuana deaths and it is thought to be nearly impossible to overdose from its use. In Marijuana: Not Guilty As Charged, David R. Ford uses this quote from the 1995 Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse, A lethal dose has never been established since no deaths directly related to the action of marijuana have been reported. Research with mice indicates that for a human weighing approximately 154 pounds a lethal dose of marijuana containing 1% THC would be 15 pounds smoked or 30 pounds eaten-all at once. (Ford …show more content…
It would be beneficial to both consumers and the economy as a whole. The wide range of medicinal uses are impressive and legalization would make it more easily accessible to those it could help. Compared to already legal drugs and addictive substances, marijuana poses far fewer risks and is already statistical proven to be safer. Legalization would keep consumers out of unsafe conditions and risky situations that arise from illegal purchase environments. Police would be able to invest more of their time addressing more pressing issues and crime rates would become lower. To boost the economy, it would create a new job market and help the struggling farming industry. Also, the sales could be heavily taxed at both the federal and state levels. With such a wide range of positive outcomes and the fact that marijuana is already medicinally and recreationally accepted in multiple states, with proven success rates, there really is no reason that the rest of the country should not adopt those same
One of the main reasons to legalize marijuana is for its medical purposes. Marijuana has proven medical benefits for a wide range of diagnoses, from very serious to …show more content…
Taking a prescription for one problem often causes another problem, leading to yet another medication to offset the effect. Furthermore, some people simply cannot afford to go to the doctor regularly to obtain those prescriptions. Being able to purchase marijuana legally would provide easier access to treatment without having to plan and pay for office visits. When using marijuana for common problems, such as headaches and sleep aids, a prescription should not be needed. Marijuana should be as easily accessible as any other drug store remedy.
Considering all of the beneficial properties of marijuana, it is also important to realize how safe it is proven to be compared to substances that are already legal. There are no known cases of marijuana deaths and it is thought to be nearly impossible to overdose from its use. In Marijuana: Not Guilty As Charged, David R. Ford uses this quote from the 1995 Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse, A lethal dose has never been established since no deaths directly related to the action of marijuana have been reported. Research with mice indicates that for a human weighing approximately 154 pounds a lethal dose of marijuana containing 1% THC would be 15 pounds smoked or 30 pounds eaten-all at once. (Ford …show more content…
It would be beneficial to both consumers and the economy as a whole. The wide range of medicinal uses are impressive and legalization would make it more easily accessible to those it could help. Compared to already legal drugs and addictive substances, marijuana poses far fewer risks and is already statistical proven to be safer. Legalization would keep consumers out of unsafe conditions and risky situations that arise from illegal purchase environments. Police would be able to invest more of their time addressing more pressing issues and crime rates would become lower. To boost the economy, it would create a new job market and help the struggling farming industry. Also, the sales could be heavily taxed at both the federal and state levels. With such a wide range of positive outcomes and the fact that marijuana is already medicinally and recreationally accepted in multiple states, with proven success rates, there really is no reason that the rest of the country should not adopt those same