Legalization of Marijuana

Legalization Of Marijuana

Marijuana is a preparation of the Cannabis plant used as a psychoactive drug. It is often used for its mental and physical effects, such as the feeling of being high or stoned. The drug was made illegal in the year 1937 under the Marijuana Tax Act and has been a Schedule 1 drug since then. But this law was made out of spite, lack of information and needs to be changed. Marijuana needs to be legalized for both recreational and medical use in the United States. It is not as harmful as we make it out to be and the stigma should be demolished.

Often times people who use marijuana use it to help with medical problems. For example it can be used as a pain reliever just like Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, etc and you cannot become addicted to the act of smoking weed like you can with popping pills. Also in those who suffer from cancer can use marijuana like chemotherapy, Marc Howard in Ten Health Benefits Of Marijuana he says, “There is a chemical found in marijuana that has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Researchers believe the process is that cannabidiol turns off the Id-1 gene.”(2) Unlike chemotherapy however it does not cause hair loss, nausea, or any other symptoms. People who are suffering from mental health issues use marijuana to help with the symptoms. For example, those with PTSD use it to keep them relaxed and calmed, others who have anxiety to keep from having panic attacks, it can also help stabilize the emotions of those with BPD.

Some studies have been done showing that marijuana legalization links to a lower crime rate. Studies done in states that have legalized medical marijuana showed that the crime rate did not grow and that it dropped which could be due to the legalization. “The central finding gleaned from the present study was that MML is not predictive of higher crime rates and may be related to reductions in rates of homicide and assault.” (Morris RG, TenEyck M, Barnes JC, Kovandzic TV, 3.) A big part of legalizing marijuana would be the number of people ler out of prison for nothing more than the possession of marijuana. Often when people think of somebody going to jail for this drug they think it is drug dealers and drug