Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere: Thesis Statement

Smoking marijuana has become common since legalization, with public usage commonplace in many places. According to Harvard Health Publishing, Marijuana is legal in 29 states; about 85% of people support legalization, and several million people use it. ('Medical marijuana - Harvard Health,' 2022). It is not a small number. The question is, is Marijuana an addictive substance or not? How do we keep it out of the hands of teenagers? What benefits does it have? Or should Marijuana be legalized? These are general and even vague questions for many people because most people use cannabis for recreational purposes rather than medical treatment. Therefore, from an economic and medical perspective, cannabis brings many benefits, such as helping economic growth, creating many jobs for people, and being a good pain reliever. However, from a human and social perspective, legalizing Marijuana may not be an option worth considering because of its harm. It affects people physically and mentally; moreover, it causes many accidents. I think the use of Marijuana should be highly regulated and controlled to avoid unintentional mental and physical injury.

Let's first talk about the effects of cannabis on society. People argue that Marijuana helps relieve stress and anxiety. It is just a fallacious claim for legalizing Marijuana (Moore and Parker). They offer false and purported arguments to mislead listeners into believing that cannabis can effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder. However, in practice, the legalization of Marijuana has led to its widespread and indiscriminate use. According to the CDC, about 48.2 million marijuana users, 18% of Americans, are using it in 2019. Currently, 3 out of 10 people use it. It shows that the proportion of marijuana users has skyrocketed, leading to deaths from cannabis-related accidents, more than doubling from 9% in 2000 to 21.5% in 2018, and the Cannabis and alcohol-related death rate also from 4.8% to 10.3% ('Car Crash Deaths Involving Cannabis on the Rise | SPH,' 2022). So legalizing Marijuana shouldn't be an option in the first place.

The use of alcohol and tobacco costs this country billions of dollars every year and destroys many lives. Marijuana may be a revenue source, but it causes more harm than good. Our society has significant issues with managing the health issues associated with drugs already legal and used recreationally. We should not create yet another legal pathway for the self-destruction of our citizens. Have we learned nothing from the examples in these other industries? Socially we cannot afford to legitimize another harmful recreational drug.

Next, we will talk about the physical and mental effects of cannabis on people. One of the other general and vague reviews about legalizing Marijuana is that cannabis can help patients battle cancer. I think this is more of a subjective opinion than an objective opinion because people using cannabis believe that cannabis can help with cancer treatment, such as helping them relax and feel better. However, no detailed and accurate documents or studies document whether cannabis has anti-cancer, tumor-treating, and immune system-benefiting effects. All we know is the harmful effects of cannabis on human health. According to CDC, smoking Marijuana has been linked to respiratory diseases, especially of the lungs, such as chronic bronchitis, suppressing the immune system and increasing the likelihood of respiratory infections. According to the National Library of Medicine, there were 79 cases of lung cancer and 324 cases of control. Lung cancer risk increased by 8% for each year of joint smoking (Respir). And this is only part of the harmful effects of Marijuana on the body. In addition, it also increases blood pressure and heart rate and reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, leading to dizziness and lightheadedness. And also, according to the CDC, using Marijuana early in adolescence is more likely to lead to testicular cancer.

Besides the harmful effects of Marijuana on the body, it also causes many problems for the user's mind. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, high doses of Marijuana every day can cause anxiety, confusion, disorientation, and hallucinations. Marijuana users have a higher risk of temporary psychosis than non-users; it also causes depression. In addition, it also causes short-term memory impairment, impaired attention, judgment, and other cognitive functions ('Is there a link between marijuana use and psychiatric disorders? | National Institute on Drug Abuse', 2022).

The prevalent attitude that Marijuana is harmless Is a dangerous misunderstanding of the risks. Marijuana may seem harmless to many users in the short term because of its sedative properties. The short-term effects may not be obvious, leaving a false sense of security, but they can be psychologically addictive and cause a life imbalance and cancer in the long run. Although not physically addictive, there is evidence of a strong psychological addiction which can be much harder to treat. We do not need to encourage the usage of another recreational drug that harms people. There may be isolated use cases for Marijuana, but total legalization is a mistake.

There appear to be some medical benefits from Marijuana usage that need extensive study. I do not wish to ignore positive use cases for the drug. Cancer patients have reported appetite returning after chemotherapy which is critical to their survival. The most common medical use of Cannabis in the United States is pain management. Although cannabis is not strong enough to relieve pain in patients with pre-and post-operative trauma, it is effective for patients with chronic pain, especially the elderly. According to Harvard Publish Health, Cannabis effectively alleviates the pain of multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain in general. In addition, instead of taking heavy daily pain relievers that will affect the liver, some cancer patients turn to cannabis as an alternative. It can help them ease the pain, relax, and be calmer. My brother-in-law is an example. He has had thyroid cancer for almost 15 years and has undergone countless back surgeries. He had to take opiate painkillers in heavy doses every day for extended periods. The doctor advised him to limit his heavy use of painkillers as they could damage his liver function. Instead of suffering the pain that torments him physically and mentally, he turned to Marijuana. He said that it works great, he feels relaxed and the pain is also greatly reduced after using it. More importantly, he was able to stop taking opiates such as Hydrocodone and Morphine. Moreover, he also did not have liver problems due to taking too many drugs. Therefore, there is evidence that cannabis is remarkably effective for pain relief and improved mental health from a medical perspective.

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Another typical benefit that cannabis brings is boosting the economy and creating many jobs. The legalization of Marijuana in 29 states has created a new thriving industry. Many states now have a new revenue stream that helps with ever-increasing budgets due to the taxation of the Marijuana industry.

In states where the cannabis market is taxed, tax revenue has skyrocketed. Example 'The City of Oakland, California, collected $1.4 million in taxes from medical marijuana dispensaries - nearly 3% of all sales from business taxes. Colorado collected $5 million in taxes. ' Sales tax from the medical marijuana business in Oregon raised approximately $6.7 million in taxes that it used to pay for other state health programs ('The Economics of Marijuana Legalization,' 2022). These things drive economic growth, and the revenue from the cannabis tax can drastically improve the financial stability of cities and states.

In addition, cannabis creates many jobs for thousands of people across the United States. It helps reduce poverty and hunger and reduce the situation of homeless people in the United States. According to Forbes, the cannabis industry currently supports 428,059 full-time jobs in the United States, adding 32,700 jobs in 2019 and 77,300 jobs in 2020. The industry added 107,059 cannabis jobs in 2020, up to 33% in just one year. During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 is the fifth year in a row the cannabis industry has shown an annual employment growth rate of 27% or higher (Herrington, 2022). It shows that the economic and employment potential for legal cannabis is quite bright.

Legalizing Marijuana is a complex and challenging social and economic challenge the United States should examine carefully. There are both positive and negative impacts to weigh. There should be a separation between recreational use and medical use. People should exercise moderation in using Marijuana. Recreational use should not be allowed. We do not want to message our children that Marijuana is anything but a harmful drug when used outside of medical reasons. It will reduce the number of new users who believe it is not harmful because it is now legal. It will help to limit the rampant and uncontrolled use of cannabis. Moreover, it will help reduce social evils, traffic accidents, and acts of violence in public places.

In states where Marijuana is legal, there should be an increase in funding to enforce the laws that protect children from access to Marijuana. There should be significant consequences to providing access to minors. Public utilization should be banned and significant fines imposed if caught violating this law. State governments need to prepare themselves for the increased health challenges and budget for additional treatment facilities for substance abuse issues.

.I firmly believe many people use and abuse cannabis for recreational purposes without knowing the potential risks. Before legalization, the general attitude has been it is just a harmless plant. With legalization, many people who previously would never consider its usage now are assuming it's safe because of the change in legal status. Public awareness programs will help educate people.

In conclusion, from the analysis and research results, we can see that the legalization of Marijuana is still a controversial topic. But one thing we cannot deny is that exposure and the socialization of Marijuana usage are increasing. Whether it is useful or harmful depends on the user's intended use and control. We cannot say that it is completely harmful, nor can we say it is completely helpful because those are flawed judgments from a subjective point of view. Taking any drug has certain effects on the human body. It can help control the disease but can also cause different side effects. I hope the state government where Marijuana is legal will tighten and limit marijuana use, especially in public places. As for the medical benefits of cannabis, we should encourage extensive research into the validity of these benefits. Usage should be allowed with overwhelming evidence that it is helping patients with pain management and appetite. The United States should not legalize another drug for recreational usage. Additional resources should be made available to enforce laws that protect children from exposure to drugs.

Reference:

1. The Economics of Marijuana Legalization. (2022). Retrieved 5 May 2022, from https:www.debt.orggovernmenteconomics-marijuana-legalization
2. Is there a link between marijuana use and psychiatric disorders? | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Retrieved 5 May 2022, from https:nida.nih.govpublicationsresearch-reportsmarijuanathere-link-between-marijuana-use-psychiatric-disorders
3. Herrington, A. (2022). New Cannabis Jobs Report Reveals Marijuana Industry's Explosive Employment Growth. Retrieved 5 May 2022, from https:www.forbes.comsitesajherrington20220223new-cannabis-jobs-report-reveals-marijuana-industry's-explosive-employment-growth?sh=12cae9ea23f2
4. Car Crash Deaths Involving Cannabis on the Rise | SPH. (2022). Retrieved 4 May 2022, from https:www.bu.edusphnewsarticles2021car-crash-deaths-involving-cannabis-on-the-rise#:~:text=The percent of crash deaths,4.8 percent to 10.3 percent.
5. Is there a link between marijuana use and psychiatric disorders? | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Retrieved 5 May 2022, from https:nida.nih.govpublicationsresearch-reportsmarijuanathere-link-between-marijuana-use-psychiatric-disorders
6. Medical Marijuana - Harvard Health. (2022). Retrieved 5 May 2022, from https:www.health.harvard.edublogmedical-marijuana-2018011513085The
7. Economics of Marijuana Legalization. (2022). Retrieved 5 May 2022, from https:www.debt.orggovernmenteconomics-marijuana-legalization#:~:text=The report also found that, billion in savings and income.