Marijuana vs Cigarettes argumentive essay?

Question

What would be some strong arguments reguarding this issue? I believe both are horrible for you....BUT....if cigs should be legal so should marijuana..I DONT smoke either, but I hate the fact that tabacco companys are allowed to kill 1000's of people daily...ONLY because the US cant tax marijaua because of illegal trade?

Answer 1

They both suck. You could tax either. Marijuana could just as easily kill 1000s daily - just legalize it and see!

Answer 2

The US government could legalize and tax marijuana. Nothing is stopping them, except maybe public opinion and perception. A common argument I hear is, cigarettes are bad for you, alcohol is bad for you, marijuana is bad for you. Two out of those three are legal, and we all agree they're bad for you, why legalize a third?

Studies have shown that mairjuana is less harmful than cigarette smoke. Some studies (which I think are BS) say that marijuana smoke is more likely to cause cancer, however I think those studies fail to consider ammounts of tobacco or marijuana smoked by an average user. I might smoke 20 cigarettes in a day, I will never smoke 20 joints in a day. Another study showed that marijuana seemed to make cancer more benign and less likely to become malignant.

Answer 3

I totally agree with you. What's good for one is good for the other. I believe both should be banned. How many more people have to die for cigarettes to become illegal? They are taxing smokers every chance they get as if sin tax has become Americas answer to deficits. Marijuana was once legal and it had to come to a point when we said it just wasn't safe anymore. Why haven't they banned cigarettes are they any safer than anything else?

Unfortunately, I smoke both ;-) but I'm also all for a ban on them. So I don't think my opinion is biased.

Answer 4

Money.

-Reduces a lot of law enforcement needs...police don't need to concentrate on busting pot users/dealers..(The US spends
-You CAN tax the sale of it...generates tons of state/federal revenue
"...an estimated $7.7 billion in government expenditures on prohibition enforcement would be saved if marijuana were legalized and an estimated $6.2 billion would be gained if marijuana was taxed the same rate as alcohol or tobacco, which would total an estimated $14 billion annually..."

-Eliminate the black market for it (unless you're selling it legally at exorbitant prices)
-Reduce/eliminate profits to organized crime groups

-Teens who are forced to go to drug dealers for their pot fix come in contact with harder drugs as well...legalizing and having a MJ exclusive shop keeps people away from harder drugs on the street

-People won't get gunned down for trying to rip someone off, etc....it's government backed! (This is assuming there's some sort of regulation and measuring quality system)


And, as the kicker...
-Alcohol is legal,and so are cigarettes. Alcohol kills 100,000 a year and can lead to death simply from intaking too much. It is IMPOSSIBLE to overdose on marijuana, needing around 40,000 times the amount used to get high. You'd pass out before that!
"Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, responsible for roughly 5 million deaths each year... Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the US. Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking. "

No one dies simply from smoking marijuana. Excluding stupidty (DWI, jumping off bridges...things people don't normally do...and can still do with alcohol...?) there are zero MJ related deaths a year. (SEE BELOW)

Be careful with an argumentative though, because it can easily be argued that there have been no linfelong, large studies of marijuana use and if it can cause cancers like cigarettes (and alcohol...the liver)

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

I would have to say a higher percentage of people per capita get cancer from tobacco than marijuana. For one you can't smoke as much weed as tobacco. Second there have been some studies that marijuana kills potentially malignant cells and even inhibits tumor growth. Third tobacco constricts small airways while marijuana constricts large airways. Smoking any carbon based life form isn't good for you, but we are supposed to live in a free country where we allowed to do as we please as long as it doesn't harm others. Nope my bad we live in a republic where the majority are allowed to bully the minority .

Answer 6

there is worse results using marijuana as apath to using drugs but i agree about cigarettes I dying a slow death because of cigarette smoking I have COPD and am on oxygen 24/7 have been in and out of the hospitial 6 times the last two years if I had known about them what I know now I would have never touched the first one yes they should be outlawed but you dont use another drug just because one is legal and the other is not. thats like putting another pistol againsr you head just because the first one missfired

Answer 7

Here are some 'facts' you may not know ...
George Washington's MAIN SOURCE of income was from the Hemp plant ... cannabis sativa. I was the ONLY plant grown from which they could make 'strong, stable' rope at the time.
Marijuana was 'legal' in this country until Prohibition ended. Many people took to 'smoking pot' during Prohibition to 'get high' and the 'liquor producers' wanted the 'money' so marijuana was made 'illegal.'
There are MANY OTHER THINGS that can be 'done' with the marijuana plant ... it make wonderful 'soft' but extremely STRONG fiber that can be made into 'rope' or CLOTHING. It feels 'softer than cotton' when it's new and it 'keeps' that softness throughout its LONG LIFE ... It can even be made into a 'rubber-like substance' and used as the soles of shoes!
Basically, tobacco has only 'two uses' ... it can be smoked (or inhaled as 'snuff' or chewed) or it can be 'grown' as a 'nice smelling flower' (yes, you CAN dry those leaves and smoke them ... they're 'hybridized' but are still useable, just 'smaller' than the larger tobacco grown to make cigarettes.)
Tobacco is 'highly taxed' at the RETAIL LEVEL, but the 'growers' of the plant are the MOST HIGHLY SUBSIDIZED IN THE U.S. even now, when the government 'knows' that using tobacco can KILL YOU.
Tobacco kills THOUSANDS every year. Marijuana doesn't kill anyone ...
Okay, I do smoke tobacco, and I only 'very rarely' smoke marijuana ... and 'take it' now ONLY for 'acute pain relief' ... I have smoked it 'recreationally' in the past, though. I 'learned' the facts I've just quoted to you from my GRANDMOTHER ... I'd been 'busted' for having some 'pot' and was 'sent' to my Grandmother's house for two weeks ... presumably to get the 'lecture' of my life. I was TERRIFIED ... until Grandma 'took me for a drive' and ASKED ME IF I HAD ANY, and when I said no, she went out and bought some (from and old grade school friend of mine she'd 'reaquainted herself with' when she did a 'blood mobile' at the prison he was incarcerated in) and we smoked it together. I had to 'swear to God' that I would NEVER tell my mother about Grandma's 'pot smoking' ... but she'd done just that during Prohibition, and wanted to do it with me.
So ... tobacco is a 'health hazard' that can cause cancer and 'other respiratory diseases' not just to those who smoke it, but those who must 'breathe' the second hand smoke.
Marijuana induces 'lethargy' so people don't 'work as hard' ... but that is the ONLY 'bad effect' it has. Most people can NOT drive under the 'influence' and those who do are usually still 'straight enough' to drive safely ...
So WHY is 'tobacco' legal and 'marijuana' illegal? Because tobacco doesn't 'get you high' but it is TREMENDOUSLY ADDICTIVE ... but 'pot' was made illegal so the liquor manufacturers could 'get rich' after Prohibition ended. BOTH are 'supported' by the U.S. government ... it's 'sad' but it's 'the whole truth' ...

Answer 8

Actually, if the US allowed marijuana sales, it could be taxed. The illegal trade in anything cannot be effectively taxed, so it is nit that particular thing that keeps pot illegal. The issue is drugs in general and there is no clear cut way to compare and contrast illegal drugs with legal ones, either than all are drugs and some are legal and others are not. The legality of one does not argue for the legality of another.

Answer 9

if THEY COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY SO THEY COULD TAX MARIJUANA, AND KEEP YOU FROM GROWING IT, IT WOULD ALREADY BE LEGAL! just like they did with alcohol after prohibition they put a large tax on liqueur and throw you in jail for ,not for selling it, but for not collecting the tax!

Answer 10

weed is illegal also cause they wanted to send mexican back to their country back in the day, and weed is at least usefull and can be use for medical reason, cigarettes dont do ****