Legalize It?
By Staff Writer
Jasmine Davis
Today there is much controversy over whether or not marijuana should be considered illegal or not throughout the United States. It is only medically legal today in 15 states, not including Massachusetts. Just the past year New Jersey and DC legalized it for medical uses. Although it is only prescribed for medical reasons there are many who use it day to day just for their own pleasure.
Marijuana as well as other drugs have been illegal for almost 100 years now. It was banned in 1937 and since then over 20 million Americans have been arrested and incarcerated off of marijuana crimes. It is said to be the most common drug in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that state laws that allow medical marijuana cannot overrule federal laws that prohibit it.
According to an article on how marijuana became illegal on brucealanblokc.com, the very first attempts to make it illegal were in 1914 with the Harrison Act. It was an act that began with taxing cocaine and opiates. The federal government was trying to prohibit people from using it and figured that by taxing the drug it would be harder to acquire. After the Harrison Act was established, medical doctors argued that marijuana gave the “negroes super powers” and led them to rebel against their white owners.
In 1972, the US Congress placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act because they considered it to have “no accepted medical use.”.
According to medicalmarijuana.proscons.org, those that support marijuana legalization argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions.
Those that oppose the idea argue that it is too dangerous to use, lacks FDA-approval, and that various legal drugs make marijuana use unnecessary. They say marijuana is addictive, leads to harder drug use, interferes with fertility, impairs driving ability, and injures the lungs, immune system, and brain.
In 2009, after the United States plummeted into a recession, President Barack Obama talked about the legal matters of marijuana. The question purposed to him, was whether or not legalizing marijuana would help the economy and pay back the war damages. According to cbnnews.com, the President answered by saying, “The answer is, no, I don’t think that it is a good strategy to grow our economy.”
That same year, a CBS News poll showed that 38 percent of Americans favor legalizing and taxing marijuana, while 58 percent want it kept illegal. “I’m not a smoker but I feel marijuana should be legal in American. Just for the simple fact that America is freedom of expression,” says Max Sullivan.
Brittany Jenkins commented by saying, “For medical stuff it should be legal because it can help like the pains go away, but like for teenagers I don’t think they should be smoking marijuana.”
In my opinion marijuana should be illegal. For someone who knows the risks and consequences of using it, I wouldn’t recommend it for a medical reason or anything of that nature. There is a reason why we have other prescription drugs that actually help when we’re sick and marijuana doesn’t do much for you, but provide possible memory loss, loss or gain appetite and cause drowsiness. Your body will feel like it’s completely failed and I don’t understand how it would possibly be prescribed in a medical emergency.
“Marijuana is bad drug and it causes damage to your brain cells and makes you slow,” says Tavie White who has admitted to smoking marijuana from the ages of 12 to 16. He says it wasn’t good from him to smoke but it made him relax from the stresses he faced as a young child. He goes on to say the decision to smoke marijuana should be the user’s choice.
Overall the uses of marijuana aren’t good and should remain illegal. Government’s officials are still trying to find ways to reduce the use the marijuana and other drugs in the United States. Many have speculated that the prohibition of marijuana could go against constitutional laws. Some people feel they shoud be allowed to smoke marijuana because of freedom of speech and individual rights that are promised to them through the constitution.
You can’t teach children drugs are bad and then switch it up and tell them it’s okay to use it if a doctor prescribes it. Sending people mixed signals never got them anywhere in life.
Marijuana as well as other drugs, have been illegal for almost 100 years now. It was banned in 1937 and since then over 20 million Americans have been arrested and incarcerated off of marijuana crimes. It is said to be the most common drug in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that state laws that allow medical marijuana cannot overrule federal laws that prohibit it.
According to an article on how marijuana became illegal on brucealanblokc.com, the very first attempts to make it illegal were in 1914 with the Harrison Act. It was an act that began with taxing cocaine and opiates. The federal government was trying to prohibit people from using it and figured that by taxing the drug it would be harder to acquire. After the Harrison Act was established, medical doctors argued that marijuana gave the “negroes super powers” and led them to rebel against their white owners.
In 1972, the US Congress placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act because they considered it to have “no accepted medical use.”.
According to medicalmarijuana.proscons.org, those that support marijuana legalization argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions.
Those that oppose the idea argue that it is too dangerous to use, lacks FDA-approval, and that various legal drugs make marijuana use unnecessary. They say marijuana is addictive, leads to harder drug use, interferes with fertility, impairs driving ability, and injures the lungs, immune system, and brain.
In 2009, after the United States plummeted into a recession, President Barack Obama talked about the legal matters of marijuana. The question purposed to him, was whether or not legalizing marijuana would help the economy and pay back the war damages. According to cbnnews.com, the President answered by saying, “The answer is, no, I don’t think that it is a good strategy to grow our economy.”
That same year, a CBS News poll showed that 38 percent of Americans favor legalizing and taxing marijuana, while 58 percent want it kept illegal. “I’m not a smoker but I feel marijuana should be legal in American. Just for the simple fact that America is freedom of expression,” says Max Sullivan.
Brittany Jenkins commented by saying, “For medical stuff it should be legal because it can help like the pains go away, but like for teenagers I don’t think they should be smoking marijuana.”
In my opinion marijuana should be illegal. For someone who knows the risks and consequences of using it, I wouldn’t recommend it for a medical reason or anything of that nature. There is a reason why we have other prescription drugs that actually help when we’re sick and marijuana doesn’t do much for you, but provide possible memory loss, loss or gain appetite and cause drowsiness. Your body will feel like it’s completely failed and I don’t understand how it would possibly be prescribed in a medical emergency.
“Marijuana is bad drug and it causes damage to your brain cells and makes you slow,” says Tavie White who has admitted to smoking marijuana from the ages of 12 to 16. He says it wasn’t good from him to smoke but it made him relax from the stresses he faced as a young child. He goes on to say the decision to smoke marijuana should be the user’s choice.
Overall the uses of marijuana aren’t good and should remain illegal. Government’s officials are still trying to find ways to reduce the use the marijuana and other drugs in the United States. Many have speculated that the prohibition of marijuana could go against constitutional laws. Some people feel they shoud be allowed to smoke marijuana because of freedom of speech and individual rights that are promised to them through the constitution.
You can’t teach children drugs are bad and then switch it up and tell them it’s okay to use it if a doctor prescribes it. Sending people mixed signals never got them anywhere in life.
No Comments