According to FBI data, there is an arrest every forty five seconds involving marijuana. To put that in perspective, there are around 800,000 arrests every year, and 90% of those are for possession alone. The legalization of marijuana has become a major topic of discussion in the United States with over 50% of all Americans believing it should be legalized (ACLU). So, is it fair to ask why is this plant illegal considering it has potential medicinal value, and there has never been an overdose on it. In the upcoming election five states will have a vote to decide if marijuana will be allowed recreationally. This obviously shows the American public is at least open to the idea of allowing marijuana to be used recreationally. The biggest reasons
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Opponents of legalization believe marijuana could be a gateway to more dangerous drugs. Some medical experts also point out that marijuana might not actually be as safe as many people think.
Before going into detail it’s important to understand the history of marijuana, especially in the United States. The first written records of marijuana date back 4,000 years ago to Asia. It was primarily used for religious and spiritual purposes to help in meditation and calming one’s mind. It was also thought to have medicinal value at this time because of the pain relief it brought to people who ingested it. Over time it was spread across the world and was used recreationally in India, and later through out the Middle East due to …show more content…
If marijuana was legal today that would stop 800,00 people from being arrested annually. This would stop families from being torn apart. Also many users believe marijuana to be a harmless plant, so shouldn’t they get the choice if they want to use it and expose themselves to the potential health risk? Marijuana laws have repeatedly been called racist with some evidence to back it up. A study done by the ACLU shows that African Americans are four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession (Wing). If the government cannot carry out a law in a fair way, then why bother to have it. Marijuana is also the same class as other drugs such as LSD, ecstasy, and heroin. All of these drugs possess far more danger and higher addiction rates than marijuana, yet marijuana is considered the same level of risk by the federal
Opponents of legalization believe marijuana could be a gateway to more dangerous drugs. Some medical experts also point out that marijuana might not actually be as safe as many people think.
Before going into detail it’s important to understand the history of marijuana, especially in the United States. The first written records of marijuana date back 4,000 years ago to Asia. It was primarily used for religious and spiritual purposes to help in meditation and calming one’s mind. It was also thought to have medicinal value at this time because of the pain relief it brought to people who ingested it. Over time it was spread across the world and was used recreationally in India, and later through out the Middle East due to …show more content…
If marijuana was legal today that would stop 800,00 people from being arrested annually. This would stop families from being torn apart. Also many users believe marijuana to be a harmless plant, so shouldn’t they get the choice if they want to use it and expose themselves to the potential health risk? Marijuana laws have repeatedly been called racist with some evidence to back it up. A study done by the ACLU shows that African Americans are four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession (Wing). If the government cannot carry out a law in a fair way, then why bother to have it. Marijuana is also the same class as other drugs such as LSD, ecstasy, and heroin. All of these drugs possess far more danger and higher addiction rates than marijuana, yet marijuana is considered the same level of risk by the federal