Marijuana Legalization Debate Essay

One of the most hotly debated topics in the United States for the past few decades is the legalization of marijuana. Those opposed to legalization of marijuana often cite concerns about negative side effects on physical and mental health, legalization increasing usage, and lack of substantial research on the medicinal benefits of marijuana. In contrast, those who support legalization believe that marijuana has specific medical uses based on research, has less negative side effects than many legal drugs such as alcohol, and decriminalization will lessen the burden on the police and the economy. Marijuana legalization is a necessary step for the United States government to take in order to provide relief for ill citizens, to prevent lives from …show more content…
Alcohol is a legal drug that has many negative health risks such as overdose from binge drinking, liver disease, interaction with other drugs, the death of brain cells, addiction, and many other threatening issues. In comparison, marijuana is linked to short term loss of coordination and balance, possible issues with reproduction, worsening psychiatric issues, bronchitis, and impairs brain development in youth (Brownstein, 2014). Current research shows that alcohol is more threatening for the health of citizens than marijuana in both long term and short term side effects, but alcohol is still less demonized than marijuana. Alcohol is seemingly legal because of how entrenched the substance is in nearly every culture around the world despite the negative effects of overconsumption outweighing substances such as marijuana. The CDC reports that 88,000 deaths per year in America can be linked to alcohol consumption while it is much harder to come across deaths linked to marijuana issues (Brownstein, 2015). Marijuana should be classified in the same group as alcohol and tobacco based on comparable health risks alone because the only aspect of marijuana that is more dangerous is the legal