Pro Legalization of Marijuana in the United States Essay -- essays res

With all of the complex issues facing the nation today, it seems as if the legalization of marijuana is being set on the back burner of legislation. There are so many opinions, sides, and overall arguments for and against it that many vote seeking politicians and policy makers have put up a strong resistance to this issue. In this paper I will illustrate the reasons why I think marijuana should indeed be legalized and also the arguments from people who disagree and feel that it should stay an illegal drug. Marijuana has been around for centuries. It comes from the species of plant Cannabis Sativa, and is used for things other that its renowned drug form, such as rope, clothing, medicines, and oils. Other common names for it include weed, pot, grass, reefer, and bud. The drug was actually not outlawed in the United States until the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, which made the possession and sale of the plant illegal. A large part of the original fear and misrepresentation was due to ethnic and racial concerns of the southwestern U.S. Large immigrant populations moved into the area and introduced pot as a recreational drug, similar to the use of alcohol or tobacco. The xenophobic reaction caused the initial rejection of the drug and led to its outlaw in 1937. Since that time, government and society’s ignorance have kept the drug illegal. In a nutshell, there are many substantial reasons why the use of marijuana should be made a legal drug. Some of the reasons I will be discussing to support my argument are crime reduction, government benefits, medicinal benefits, lack of evidence to support harm, and constitutional rights. First and foremost is the issue of one’s constitutional right. Even if a drug is shown to be ha... ...here have been no recorded deaths as a result of marijuana use, unlike alcohol or tobacco, and most doctors will agree it is safer to use. Its recreational use would not stimulate more crime as some would try to argue. Marijuana being illegal essentially has no validity at all. So, because of all the positive aspects, marijuana should definitely be legalized in the U.S. Bibliography 1. Bonnie, Richard & Whitehead II, Charles H. â€Å"Marijuana Conviction: History of Marijuana Prohibition†. New York: Open Society Institute, 1999. 2. Bender, David. â€Å"Drug Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints†. New York: Green Press, 1994. 3. Goldberg, Raymond. â€Å"Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Drugs & Society†. New York: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc., 1993. 4. Randall, Robert. â€Å"Marijuana Rx: The Patients’ Fight for Medicinal Pot†. Thundermouth Press, 1998.