Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized
Looking at the news paints a clear picture of marijuana: addictive, dangerous, and a plague to society. Where exactly do these stigmas come from? Marijuana, also known as weed or cannabis, is a psychoactive drug used for medical and recreational purposes. Medical purposes include treating seizures, chronic pain, and Crohn’s disease. Recreational usage is done for the purpose of getting high: an altered state of conscious perception. Getting high does have its side effects, which include impaired motor skills, increased heart rate, and lack of concentration. The drug is placed on the schedule one drug list, a list where all drugs are considered to have the highest addiction potential. Looking at its current …show more content…
Compared to today’s most used drugs, marijuana has a very low addiction rate. The Food and Drug Administration must rethink its policies if cocaine, a drug with a higher addiction rate than marijuana, is considered schedule two and “less addictive.” Current drug placings are based off incomplete studies done in the 1900s and do not reflect today’s showings. If marijuana should be placed on the schedule one drug list, research needs to be done to prove that marijuana is dangerous. How can tobacco be a legal drug when it is one of the most addictive drugs in the world? Opposers argue that while marijuana may not be addicting, it is a gateway drug to more illicit drugs. This is not true. More than half of American adults have tried cannabis and an overwhelming majority do not go on to try harder drugs. Further drug usage is caused by a person’s feelings rather than a drug controlling them. This evidence and the accounts of cannabis users rejects the belief that marijuana is just the start of a downward spiral into drugs. Law officials must put an end to these myths to scare off potential users. The argument that marijuana hooks its users is no longer effective and science shows …show more content…
In a study done by the Drug Policy Alliance, the organization found that during the first year of the implementation of Amendment 64, Denver experienced a 2.2% decrease in violent crime and an 8.9% reduction in property crime rates. The Colorado Department of Public Safety reported a 6% violent crime rate decrease statewide from 2009-2014. The Drug Policy Alliance also noted a 10% decrease in violent crime rates in Washington from 2011-2014. This decline can be connected to the falling power of the black market and cartels. Taking power away from the black market provides safer opportunities for both users and non-users. Anti-legalization advocators fear that legalizing marijuana will only make communities more dangerous. However, statistics are pointing the other direction. According to marijuanamoment.com, Teen usage has dropped year after year in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and the District of Columbia. Dispensaries mean that marijuana sellers don’t have to do illegal dealings. Less illegal dealings means less violent encounters. However, newlift.co finds that legalizing marijuana has lead to an increase in cannabis-related arrests in states where it is legal. To lower the number of cannabis users indicted on charges, states must take California’s lead and reclassify cannabis offenses and sentences. Reclassification offers a new starts for those who have been indicted on charges before legalization.
Looking at the news paints a clear picture of marijuana: addictive, dangerous, and a plague to society. Where exactly do these stigmas come from? Marijuana, also known as weed or cannabis, is a psychoactive drug used for medical and recreational purposes. Medical purposes include treating seizures, chronic pain, and Crohn’s disease. Recreational usage is done for the purpose of getting high: an altered state of conscious perception. Getting high does have its side effects, which include impaired motor skills, increased heart rate, and lack of concentration. The drug is placed on the schedule one drug list, a list where all drugs are considered to have the highest addiction potential. Looking at its current …show more content…
Compared to today’s most used drugs, marijuana has a very low addiction rate. The Food and Drug Administration must rethink its policies if cocaine, a drug with a higher addiction rate than marijuana, is considered schedule two and “less addictive.” Current drug placings are based off incomplete studies done in the 1900s and do not reflect today’s showings. If marijuana should be placed on the schedule one drug list, research needs to be done to prove that marijuana is dangerous. How can tobacco be a legal drug when it is one of the most addictive drugs in the world? Opposers argue that while marijuana may not be addicting, it is a gateway drug to more illicit drugs. This is not true. More than half of American adults have tried cannabis and an overwhelming majority do not go on to try harder drugs. Further drug usage is caused by a person’s feelings rather than a drug controlling them. This evidence and the accounts of cannabis users rejects the belief that marijuana is just the start of a downward spiral into drugs. Law officials must put an end to these myths to scare off potential users. The argument that marijuana hooks its users is no longer effective and science shows …show more content…
In a study done by the Drug Policy Alliance, the organization found that during the first year of the implementation of Amendment 64, Denver experienced a 2.2% decrease in violent crime and an 8.9% reduction in property crime rates. The Colorado Department of Public Safety reported a 6% violent crime rate decrease statewide from 2009-2014. The Drug Policy Alliance also noted a 10% decrease in violent crime rates in Washington from 2011-2014. This decline can be connected to the falling power of the black market and cartels. Taking power away from the black market provides safer opportunities for both users and non-users. Anti-legalization advocators fear that legalizing marijuana will only make communities more dangerous. However, statistics are pointing the other direction. According to marijuanamoment.com, Teen usage has dropped year after year in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and the District of Columbia. Dispensaries mean that marijuana sellers don’t have to do illegal dealings. Less illegal dealings means less violent encounters. However, newlift.co finds that legalizing marijuana has lead to an increase in cannabis-related arrests in states where it is legal. To lower the number of cannabis users indicted on charges, states must take California’s lead and reclassify cannabis offenses and sentences. Reclassification offers a new starts for those who have been indicted on charges before legalization.