Reasons why Marijuana Should be Legalized in the US
Reasons why Marijuana Should be Legalized in the US
Every year without fail, millions of people in North America light up and smoke marijuana. Correspondingly, every year, billions of tax dollars are wasted on fighting a futile war against an inevitable activity that is much less detrimental to our society than the war itself. The legalization and careful government regulation of marijuana would be beneficial to our society, saving taxpayers money and eliminating the few risks that accompany marijuana use. This is because the health and social dangers to society are very minimal, and the economic advantages of legalization would reach into the billions of dollars given proper government regulation.
Marijuana is very different from harder drugs. That is, marijuana use comes largely without the ill effects of such drugs as cocaine, heroin, and to an extent, tobacco. Unlike tobacco, heroin, and cocaine, marijuana is not physically addictive, and there is no possibility of an overdose. The primary effects of marijuana are an increased sense of well being, relaxation and euphoria. Contrary to common belief, marijuana does not kill brain cells, and the study that originally indicated this has since been discredited by numerous and more wide-ranging studies. British, Canadian, and American commissions have all concluded that the individual and social risks associated with marijuana use are small. It is true, however, that marijuana smoke inhaled through a 'joint' or marijuana cigarette contains as much as four times more 'tar' than smoke from a regular cigarette. Some may argue that this fact alone should be enough to sustain the laws as they are. On the contrary, the vast majority of the estimated twenty million Americans who smoke marijuana every year smoke less than once a week. (According to www.norml.org) In addition to this, all of the 'tar' in marijuana smoke can be removed if it is smoked in a hookah or vaporized as it is in many of the coffee shops or hash bars in Amsterdam. The research of S. Szara author of The Pharmacology of Marijuana concludes, "[occasional use] does not lead to detectable physical or mental health consequences." Those opposed to legalization may also argue that allowing what they deem as a 'step up drug' will only cause the numbers of heavy drug users to skyrocket. However, research has failed to show that marijuana is any more of a 'step...