Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana essays

Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana essays One question that has troubled Americans for a long time is: "Should the use of marijuana be legalized?" Some say yes, while others say, no. According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, marijuana is defined as "the dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate hemp plant that yield THC and are smoked in cigarettes for their intoxicating effect" (Merriam Webster 1). Owning marijuana has been a crime since 1937 when Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act. However, the drug was still frequently used. Here we are years later, still without an agreeable answer to the question. Legalizing the use of marijuana would have many medical benefits, economical benefits, and would decrease the incidence of crime. There are others who disagree. These people feel that legalization would lead to the formation of other habits and to health problems, such as, the use of a harsher drug and to psychological and personality problems that can come from using marijuana. These individuals feel that the negatives of marijuana use far outweigh the positives, and feel that the use of marijuana should remain illegal. To some people, marijuana is considered a "gateway" drug. Legalizing marijuana would lead to the use of other, much more harsh drugs. From the book Drugs, Teens, and Recovery, Lauren, a teenager that got mixed up in drugs describes how she got involved with marijuana, then with cocaine. She says, "I was ten, in the fifth grade, the first time I smoked pot. I liked pot a lot better than drinking because it was easier. I loved it. Pot and alcohol, that's all I needed. I didn't want to get into anything else". She continues, "About this time, I started getting obsessed with cocaine and thinking about what the high would be like". Just like Lauren people can start off with just smoking marijuana but they would get the urge to try something a little bit stronger (Cheney, 46). Marijuana usage has many medical benefits. It becam...