The major topic of debate in the United States is not only who is going to be elected as the next president, but also marijuana legalization. As one of the most controversial topics of this time, the legalization of the currently illegal drug has raised many questions. Why should it be legalized? What might happen if it is legalized? Who will be affected by the legalization? How will it affect the country as a whole? As these questions have been discussed, another more pressing question has surfaced: What will be the long- and short-term effects of users of this drug? In this essay, I will explain why marijuana should be legalized, what impacts legalization may have, and how it could improve our country.
Prohibiting marijuana has more costs …show more content…
As a result of reducing the amount of illegal activity, legalization would help remove the unsafe environments in which children can be in direct contact with black market activity created by the illegal distribution of drugs. Legalization would also take care of the consequences of possessing small amounts of marijuana that cause criminal labeling. The primary issue with criminal labeling associated with marijuana possession is that arrests stay on records for years, crippling prospects for jobs, loans, housing, and benefits. By legalizing marijuana, the criminalization of possessing marijuana is removed and reinstates the possibilities of good jobs and nice homes to people affected by prohibition. (Hajizadeh, …show more content…
Epilepsy, pain from AIDS, nausea from chemotherapy, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, and muscle spasms related to multiple sclerosis have been effectively treated using marijuana (Poindexter, 2014). According to Jennifer Welsh and Kevin Loria, co-writers of “23 Health Benefits of Marijuana” for Business Insider, cannabinoids are able to control epileptic seizures by binding to the brain cells that control excitability and regulating relaxation. Cannabinoids like THC in marijuana are able to help other diseases, such as Crohn’s Disease. These cannabinoids seem to help regulate bacteria in the digestive organs and help the function of the intestines, issues of Crohn’s Disease that are aided by medical marijuana. Welsh and Loria continue on to claim that marijuana also decreases the pressure inside the eye, which can slow the progression of glaucoma and help in the prevention of blindness. Marijuana has also been proven to aid in reducing nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite as a result of chemotherapy (Welsh, 2014). These are only a few examples of how medical marijuana would potentially be used and how it can help alleviate the pain of some diseases while reversing the effects of
Prohibiting marijuana has more costs …show more content…
As a result of reducing the amount of illegal activity, legalization would help remove the unsafe environments in which children can be in direct contact with black market activity created by the illegal distribution of drugs. Legalization would also take care of the consequences of possessing small amounts of marijuana that cause criminal labeling. The primary issue with criminal labeling associated with marijuana possession is that arrests stay on records for years, crippling prospects for jobs, loans, housing, and benefits. By legalizing marijuana, the criminalization of possessing marijuana is removed and reinstates the possibilities of good jobs and nice homes to people affected by prohibition. (Hajizadeh, …show more content…
Epilepsy, pain from AIDS, nausea from chemotherapy, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, and muscle spasms related to multiple sclerosis have been effectively treated using marijuana (Poindexter, 2014). According to Jennifer Welsh and Kevin Loria, co-writers of “23 Health Benefits of Marijuana” for Business Insider, cannabinoids are able to control epileptic seizures by binding to the brain cells that control excitability and regulating relaxation. Cannabinoids like THC in marijuana are able to help other diseases, such as Crohn’s Disease. These cannabinoids seem to help regulate bacteria in the digestive organs and help the function of the intestines, issues of Crohn’s Disease that are aided by medical marijuana. Welsh and Loria continue on to claim that marijuana also decreases the pressure inside the eye, which can slow the progression of glaucoma and help in the prevention of blindness. Marijuana has also been proven to aid in reducing nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite as a result of chemotherapy (Welsh, 2014). These are only a few examples of how medical marijuana would potentially be used and how it can help alleviate the pain of some diseases while reversing the effects of