Legalization of Marijuana

Topic: Legalization of Marijuana

General Purpose: To provide information on the dangers behind marijuana legalization, such as
negative effects on families.
Specific Purpose: To inform listeners how the legalization of marijuana will increase crime
rates, and drug abuse and addiction problems.
Thesis Statement: There are many reasons why marijuana should not be legalized for
recreational usage.

Introduction
Quite recently, along with his associates, Justin Bieber filled the private plane with quite
a lot of smoke of marijuana for the period in a flight early in February that the pilots had to don
oxygen masks. When the plane landed at a small airport of New Jersey, it was met by federal
authorities. Justin Bieber and associates received treatment filled with embarrassment.
Recollecting, few days before the Justin Biebers case, Snoop Dogg lit up in his Australian hotel
room, enough smoke was created that firefighters rushed to investigate. This is smoke of
Marijuana, but where is it taking us?
They say marijuana is a helpful medicine. They say it makes you calm down and feel
good. They also say that it isnt as dangerous or harmful as alcohol and other drugs. Those are
some reasons why they want to legalize marijuana. But are they right? What do you think?
Should intake of marijuana be at all legalized? The most rational answer is No, it should not be
and I have all reasons to support it. Marijuana is ought to stay illegal in the United States because
if it is legalized, more people will smoke it, causing extremely negative effects on health and
families. Marijuana is a topic of significant public discourse in the United States, and even when
we have done it several times, we have not been able to reach a conclusion backed with coherent
grounds. There are several reasons why marijuana should not be legalized for recreational usage.
I hope that each one of you would be convinced that there is more harm in marijuana legalization
than benefits, if any.
Problem
Marijuanas harmful impacts are numerous, and most of them adversely and directly
impact the health and fitness. I am sure that all of us here are afraid of falling sick to something
that is extremely painful and distressing. It would surely put your thoughts against marijuana
legalization, knowing that the immediate effects of taking marijuana include rapid heartbeat,
disorientation, and lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. All
of these medical conditions are certainly the ones, which we pray that we keep away from. And
the issue does not end here. Marijuana intake causes change in the sperm cells structure, leading
to its deformation. Believe it or not, the fact is that even small amounts of marijuana can cause
temporary sterility in men and it can also upset a womans menstrual cycle. As per several
scientific studies, THC, on the of most active cannabis ingredient stays in the body for several
weeks and you would be surprised to know, sometimes longer. THC causes disruption in nerve
cells in the brain affecting memory.
We have all, at some time, read and spread the word of Saying no to tobacco, but do
you know that the smoke from Marijuana contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances
as compared with smoke from tobacco. Hence, if tobacco is a strict no-no, I would leave it on
you to decide a word of caution for Marijuana. If marijuana is legalized, there would be increase
in the number of users of marijuana. Currently, there are 15.2 million users of marijuana as
compared with 129 million users of alcohol and 70.9 million users of tobacco. Various studies
show that here is great occurrence of drugged driving resulting from use of marijuana. Therefore,
there is immense violation of law in the acts and situations that occur because of marijuana
intake.
The impact on the physical health, that I have shared till now, are certainly grave, but the
list is not exhaustive. The drug can affect more than your physical health. Australian studies,
conducted in 2008, associated years of marijuana intake abnormalities in brain. It has been
proven in several researches that the mental functions of people who have smoked a lot of
marijuana tend to be diminished. Smoking marijuana during pregnancy may affect the baby's
growth and the development of his nervous system. Studies have shown that children who were
exposed to marijuana during pregnancy sometimes have problems focusing their attention and
solving problems. This devastating intake does not remain a choice after a certain time, but leads
to addiction.
The vast majority of cocaine users (99.9%) began by first using a gateway drug like
marijuana, cigarettes or alcohol. One study found that youth (12 to 17 years old) who use
marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than kids who do not use pot, and that 60% of
the kids who smoke pot before the age of 15 moves on to cocaine. Kids, most likely do not have
enough money of their own to pay for marijuana when it becomes a chronic habit, so to pay for
what they need, they may steal and lie about it. Some teens take money while others steal items
from the house to sell to get money for marijuana.
The addiction of marijuana leads to extreme conditions, which demonstrate and support
that there are enormous reasons that marijuana should not be legalized at all. Over and above
these, Marijuana is currently the leading cause of substance dependence other than alcohol in the
United States and is the drug that is abused most commonly all over the world. The people
supporting the legalization of its intake, for general use or even for medical reasons, are unable
to recognize that the highest marijuanas cost are not connected to its prevention; but are rather
the costs that result from the use of marijuana.
Solution
Marijuana is an addiction that people realize is a grievous experience. But do you think it
is wise to experience it on your own or in his case, we need to learn from the experience of the
unfortunate ones, who did not stop or refrain, when they should have. Joyce, 52 and a writer in
Manhattan, started smoking pot when she was 15, and for years it was a pleasant escape, a
calming protective cloud. Then it became an obsession, something she needed to get through the
day. She found herself hiding her addiction from her family, friends and co-workers. It really
would be worst situation, would it not be? And then you want to go back. Is there a way out?
Nothing else, but giving up its intake. And then, giving up is not as easy as it sounds. She tried to
stop, but was anxious, irritable, sleepless and lost. At one point, to soothe her cravings, she took
morphine that she found at her dying fathers bedside. She almost overdosed. Later, she was
admitted to a treatment center, where she finally got freedom from the curse. I am sure that no
one here would ever like to dive into the ocean filed with curse brought by Marijuana. The irony
is that, we are still discussing its legalization. A legal regulated market for all adults would also
solve this problem. By removing medical status as a precondition for legal marijuana use, we
will eliminate ambiguity while continuing to protect those individuals who use marijuana to treat
their illnesses.

Visualization
The power of bringing a change a positive change, rests with us. Awareness and actions
derived therewith can do wonders in preventing the intake as well as legalization of marijuana.
The consequences of marijuana intake should be shared with all, and anyone who we know
smokes should be stopped by providing with correct information. A petition should be signed for
a state senator to stop the bill going through to legalize it. This petition should include the details
and the impact that the public feels would be posed by smoking marijuana.
Action Step
I would not say that no steps have been taken to make people aware of the adverse
impacts of marijuana. Understanding that these reasons are enough to advise the non-legalization
of marijuana, there are several initiatives taken to prevent and restrict use of marijuana. Regulate,
Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 would allow anyone 21 years of age or older to possess,
process, share, or transport up to one full ounce of marijuana for personal consumption.
Individuals could possess an unlimited number of living and harvested marijuana plants on the
premises where they were grown. Consuming it under the age of 21 is not legal. There are
various non-profit organizations that have taken measures to bring awareness in people
pertaining to the harmful consequences of marijuana intake. However, these measures as well as
regulations are all fruitful if the actual consumers give it up or the ones, who believe that its
legalization should take place, give another thought.
As for now, what we can do it to sign and get signatures for the petition. It is significant
that the awareness is spread out and the results are achieved. We can join the NGOs, which
discuss and spread awareness to pull people from marijuana intake and obviously, we can evade
its intake before preaching giving it up.
Conclusion
The points discussed in relation to marijuana legalization till now including the harmful
impacts of marijuana, adverse aspects to be faced by people with marijuana addiction, various
reasons support the idea that marijuana should not be legalized, as well as initiatives that have
been taken by organizations for enhancing awareness in citizens to avoid marijuana, all are the
evidences that suggest that legalizing marijuana would serve little purpose other than to worsen
the states drug problems addiction, violence, disorder, and death. In short, no state will likely
be allowed legalizing marijuana on its own, with such serious, negative cross-state spillover
effects. I am sure that you must be wondering that why people are at all in favor of legalizing
marijuana intake because no reason can justify movement towards consumption that worsens the
situations. Avoiding marijuana certainly leads to better life. Since legalization of marijuana for
medical or general use would increase marijuana use rather than reduce it and would lead to
increased rates of addiction to marijuana among youth and adults, legalizing marijuana is not a
smart public health or public safety strategy for any state or for our nation. If I have been able to
convince you against such a measure, I believe that I have done my part and would expect this to
be spread further by you so that we are all able to contribute towards a better U.S. and a better
world.