LIST me ALL the REASONS WHY marijuana should be or shouldn't be LEGALIZED?

Question

BEST GETS ten points!!

Answer 1

I actually wrote an essay about this. Here it is:

Legalization of Marijuana

Blunt, Tustin, Swag, Muggle, Tray. What’s this? A listing of some unfortunate last names? No, these are just some of hundreds of terms referring to marijuana, the most commonly used (illegal) drug. Perhaps because of my laidback attitude and “peculiar” political views, many ask whether I’ve partaken of the laughing grass. But I maintain that I’m not personally acquainted.

However, regardless of my lack of personal gain through the legalization of marijuana, I support it. The “war on drugs” as we know it is the longest lasting and most shrewd disservice that our society has suffered in the past century. The majority of injuries that our country sustains at the hands of soft drug use stems from the very fact that it is illegal. You’ve heard all the reasons why marijuana use should be swiftly and soundly prosecuted:

A) Only lowlifes use drugs anyway. They should be punished.
B) It’s a gateway drug that leads to the use of harder drugs.
C) Violent crimes and deaths result from drug trading and dealing.
D) Marijuana is more harmful than cigarettes and alcohol.
And the rally cries ensue. “It doesn’t matter how much money we have to spend! We will win the war on drugs!!”

No one will ever win the war on drugs, and we don’t really need to. Here’s why:


"Only lowlifes use drugs anyway. They should be punished."

Before proceeding, abolish the image that comes to mind when you hear the term “pot smoker”. Some fit that image; many do not. And many who do fit the bill, in fact do not use drugs. Not all marijuana users are “lowlifes”, and there is no way to tell whether someone uses just by looking at them. On the contrary, I know loads of individuals who are familiar with the practice, including close friends, honor students, professors, successful business people, and the sons of school board members. These are people who work hard, make healthy contributions to society, and periodically smoke a joint. We all know them, whether we realize it or not. Indeed, joysticks aren’t just for slackers.

In fact, the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that almost 100 million United States citizens have tried marijuana at some time in their life. That’s around half of citizens between age 18 and 65. 25 million had used in the past year, and 15 million in the past month. (“How Many People Use Marijuana?” 1) In reality, I believe these numbers are higher, as not everyone is willing to admit to criminal action.


"Marijuana is a gateway drug that leads to the use of harder drugs."

Take a few moments to recall the people you know who’ve tried marijuana, or use it regularly. Now think of those who have become regular users of cocaine or heroin. Could you think of any? I couldn’t, and I’ve crossed paths with hundreds of marijuana users.

On December 3rd, 2002, a study was released which was published in the December issue of the British Journal Addiction. Its findings starkly contradict the widely accepted “gateway drug” theory. One executive director of the study stated, "Statistically, for every 104 Americans who have tried marijuana, there is only one regular user of cocaine, and less than one user of heroin. For the overwhelming majority of marijuana smokers, pot is clearly a 'terminus' rather than a gateway." (“Marijuana Not a Gateway” 1)

Even the small amount of involvement with heavier drugs that stems from the use of marijuana could be almost entirely avoided. Users come into contact with hard drugs through their newly found connection with the black market. Once introduced to this underground world, a slew of possibilities arise that would never occur if John and Jane Doe could buy their weed at the corner store. Also, tax revenues could be used to help fund our society, instead of illegal operations. Does that sound disgusting? It already applied to the sales of alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, even pornography.


"Violent crimes and deaths result from drug trading and dealing."

We’ve all heard horror stories of children being gunned down because they walked down the wrong ally and “knew too much.” And two blocks away there are black market collectors knocking on the doors of those who haven’t paid, settling the debt in blood. I lived in a place where this happened on a regular basis. My ex-fiancé’s best friend was shot by a dealer, and I was the bearer of that bad news.

So how could I possibly be in favor of legalizing marijuana? Simple. Almost all of that pain and suffering and death could be avoided by bringing marijuana into the fair trade market of the United States. If these transactions weren’t taking place illegally, in back allies and empty stairwells, thousands of lives would be spared.

The argument that marijuana should be illegal because of violent drug crimes becomes even more ludicrous when one looks at the amount of violent deaths brought about through the use of legal drugs. In 2001, there were 17,448 drunk driving deaths. The number has been increasing since 2000. (“Drunk Driving Deaths Rise” 1) Also, alcohol is present in more than 50 percent of all domestic violence incidents. In fact, in a 1993 study of more than 2,000 American couples, domestic violence was almost 15 times higher in households where husbands were described as often drunk, as opposed to never drunk. (“Domestic Violence and Alcohol” 1) And as if that weren’t enough, alcohol is a factor in 68% of manslaughters, 62% of assaults, and 54% of murders and attempted murders. (“Children of Alcoholics” 1) How’s that for perspective?


"Marijuana is more harmful than cigarettes and alcohol."

Beyond the myth that marijuana is behind more violent deaths than alcohol, there is the falsehood that marijuana is more dangerous to one’s health than legal drugs. In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words (“Real Story About” 1):

http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/death/real-story.htm
(Study by Center for Disease Control)

As anyone can plainly see, the number of deaths induced by legal drugs far exceeds those resulting from illegal drugs. Even more telling, the number of deaths caused by marijuana may be far lower than the number displayed, as it includes deaths induced by all illegal drugs—not only marijuana.

Everyone knows that cigarettes and alcohol are detrimental to a large percentage of Americans’ health, and almost everyone has a family member who’s died from one or the other. But I don’t even know someone who knows someone who’s died from marijuana use. However, the majority of people still believe it is logical to have legalized alcohol and cigarettes, and not marijuana. Through investigation though, it is clear that such an outlook does not divulge itself from reason.

Rather, it is a quarter century of anti-drug campaigns browbeating Americans into believing that happy grass is inherently tied to all evil, which allows such an illogical approach to a problem to continue. The “war on drugs” is a joke. I’ve never heard someone cite their reason for not using marijuana as having anything to do with an ad or a campaign. And I’ve also never heard someone say that they don’t smoke weed because it’s illegal. When someone doesn’t use marijuana, it’s because they don’t want to. And when someone does, an illegality won’t change that fact.

Taxpayers have put far more into the drug war than it has returned. Clearly, attempting to suppress marijuana use does not work. Evidence quite boldly suggests that keeping it illegal causes more problems than it solves. So what have we got to lose? Legalizing marijuana is at least worth a try.

As a closing thought, I leave you with one final visual. Be sure to note the scale of each line, as the information is even more staggering than it appears at first glance:

Study Compiled by 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Heath and 2003 ONDCP National Drug Control Strategy:
http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/fed-data/new-use.htm
(“Federal Drug War Spending” 1)



Works Cited:

“Children of Alcoholics: Important Facts.” www.athealth.com. 01 Nov. 2004. .

“Domestic Violence and Alcohol and Other Drugs.” www.health.org. Spring 1995. 01 Nov. 2004. .

“Drunk Driving Deaths Rise.” www.cbsnew.com. 22 Nov. 2002. 01 Nov. 2004.
.

“Federal Drug War Spending vs. New Use Rates.” www.briancbennett.com. 01 Nov. 2004. .

“How Many People Use Marijuana?.” www.briancbennett.com. 01 Nov. 2004. .

“Marijuana Not A Gateway To Hard Drug Use.” www.norml.org. 03 Dec. 2002. 01 Nov. 2004. .

“The Real Story About Drug-Induced Deaths.” www.briancbennett.com. 01 Nov. 2004. .

Answer 2

Pro's...
trivial compared to the drugs today used in society
less overcrowded jails
rather someone drive on it than alcohol
Con's..
the government will tax the heck out of it
children will try the illegal drugs first instead
the smell reeks

Answer 3

The government would make quit a lot of money off that and maybe lower our taxes and cut out the street corner back stabbing drug dealers. Legalize it!!!!!!

Answer 4

Getting high is fun and less dangerous than getting drunk, though I enjoy both.