The Actual Harm of Marijuana Tobacco can cause lung diseases, and alcohol can cause liver damage. And those are not the only effects that those drugs can have. Both drugs could lead to death, but both drugs are legal. “Repeal Prohibition, Again” by The Editorial Board of The New York Times argues that the federal government should legalize marijuana, emphasizing that its risks are far less great than legal drugs such as, tobacco and alcohol, and also that it is creating criminals. Based on “Marijuana Should Be Legal, but …” by David Sheff, marijuana should be legalized as it is not a criminal issue, and in addition, it discusses the ineffectiveness of the illegal status of marijuana and instead argues for the possible precautions to be taken
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Not all drugs should be legalized, but marijuana should be because as of now it is treated incorrectly as a criminal issue, and if it is treated as a health issue it could benefit …show more content…
According to The Editorial Board of The New York Times, “There were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession in 2012, according to F.B.I. figures, compared with 256,000 for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives” (1). The arrests for marijuana exceeded the arrests for cocaine and heroin, which are classified as narcotics otherwise known as “hard drugs”. The health effects of hard drugs are far more serious than that of marijuana, and respectively the legal punishment should match that. Sheff writes “Take a child who does what so many kids do these days: she’s with friends, someone hands her a joint, and she tries it. Now she’s broken the law” (3). This ruins people 's futures and more so than the supposed health risks since there could be potential preventative measures taken such as campaigns. Also stated by Sheff, “(Following the model of alcohol, the Times advocates a prohibition of sales to people under 21, but that ignores the research that shows that the period of adolescent brain development doesn’t end until the mid-20s)” (2). In this case, marijuana is no worse than alcohol. Arguably, alcohol is a more dangerous drug than marijuana, yet alcohol is legal. Prohibition of sales to people under 21 does not justify its use since adolescent brain development lasts until the
Not all drugs should be legalized, but marijuana should be because as of now it is treated incorrectly as a criminal issue, and if it is treated as a health issue it could benefit …show more content…
According to The Editorial Board of The New York Times, “There were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession in 2012, according to F.B.I. figures, compared with 256,000 for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives” (1). The arrests for marijuana exceeded the arrests for cocaine and heroin, which are classified as narcotics otherwise known as “hard drugs”. The health effects of hard drugs are far more serious than that of marijuana, and respectively the legal punishment should match that. Sheff writes “Take a child who does what so many kids do these days: she’s with friends, someone hands her a joint, and she tries it. Now she’s broken the law” (3). This ruins people 's futures and more so than the supposed health risks since there could be potential preventative measures taken such as campaigns. Also stated by Sheff, “(Following the model of alcohol, the Times advocates a prohibition of sales to people under 21, but that ignores the research that shows that the period of adolescent brain development doesn’t end until the mid-20s)” (2). In this case, marijuana is no worse than alcohol. Arguably, alcohol is a more dangerous drug than marijuana, yet alcohol is legal. Prohibition of sales to people under 21 does not justify its use since adolescent brain development lasts until the