NobleNote 1

NobleNote English Composition 1 26 April 2013

Final Research Paper Marijuana Legalization

As it stands, recreational and even medicinal applications of marijuana are

forbidden in most states. As someone with a strong ideological belief in liberty, I
am
disappointed in the strict measures the law has put in place against certain substa
nces,
most notably the plant Cannabis. Cannabis, whose dried leaves are referred to as
marijuana, is considered an illegal substance by the United States government. Whil
e I
also believe other illegal substances should be decriminalized and regulated, I bel
ieve
marijuana holds prime importance. It is by far the least harmful and most beneficia
l of the
declared illegal substances. Many Americans would agree, as according to a poll by
Pew Research Center, 52% are in favor of marijuana being legalized.

My stance on marijuana is that it should be legalized and regulated for both

recreational and medical use. In several states already, marijuana is available for
medicinal purposes, with uses of easing anxiety, relieving nausea, and stimulating
appetite. According to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), Marijuana is a
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Schedule 1 controlled substance. Schedule 1 substances are defined as having: “...a

high
potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United S
tates,
and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical
supervision.”. Placing marijuana in this Schedule contradicts evidence that proves
otherwise, as marijuana has found medicinal use in 15 states so far.

My hope is that the DEA reschedules marijuana to either a Schedule 2 or Schedule

3 substance, so that marijuana will be allowed for medical use in all states. The m
edicinal
applications of marijuana are due largely in part to Cannabidiol, or CBD, a compoun
d
derived from the Cannabis leaves. CBD is what causes the alleviating effects that j
ustify
marijuana’s use as medicine. There has also been research done by scientists at
California Pacific Medical Center that indicates CBD may be useful in cancer treatm
ent. It
is the psychotropic effects of the drug, caused by tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, t
hat has prevented marijuana from becoming more commonly accepted.

Marijuana definitely has its medicinal uses; even though THC is derided for its
psychoactive properties, its vomitinhibiting properties are helpful in treating can
cer
patients and sufferers of eating disorders. Beyond it’s medical purposes, however,
marijuana is commonly smoked recreationally. Despite the harsh laws in most states
against possessing and using marijuana, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration reports that, in 2010, 6.9 percent of the US population, or
17.4
million Americans, used marijuana. According to their research, this number has inc
reased
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since 2008. The continued and increasing use of marijuana strongly indicates that
marijuana prohibition is a futile measure.

We know from American history just how ineffective prohibition is. In the 1920’s,
after the Eighteenth Amendment took effect, alcohol still continued to be produced,
circulated, and consumed, despite being banned. Some Americans even took to making
their own alcoholic beverages, through various means. It wasn’t until 1933 that the
prohibition was repealed by the Twentyfirst Amendment. One of the largest flaws of
prohibition is the thriving black markets they create. Even with the outlawing of a
product,
consumers will still demand it and seek it out, even through illegal means. Such wa
s the
case 90 years ago, and such is the case today. Marijuana availability remains stron
g, undefeated by its outlawing.

Due to the illegality of marijuana, research on it is stifled, preventing studies t

hat
could find safe and practical medical applications. Furthermore, the use of medical
marijuana is denied to those whom it could possibly assist. Banning marijuana has s
o far
been fruitless, as the black market continues to make money from the American publi
c. If
marijuana were to be legalized and regulated, the government would be able to tax s
ales,
creating a large new source of revenue. Furthermore, with marijuana availability ma
naged
by the government, its safe and healthy use could be encouraged, preventing drug ab
use from occurring. In their current state, illegal drug-
related laws are ignorant of freedom and personal liberty.
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The freedom to use and possess marijuana should be a guaranteed right. It should
be up to the individual, not the law, on what substances they should expose themsel
ves to.
Even if a certain substance is harmful to the user, that does not validate outlawin
g it.
Regulating such substances is fine, and I agree that it is necessary, but not allow
ing them
completely is going too far. The government should stay away from making moralistic
decisions, and allow people to make these choices for themselves. That doesn’t mean
the
government shouldn’t encourage and discourage certain behaviours, as they already d
o, but it does mean that they shouldn’t set those recommendations in stone.

Opponents of marijuana legalization prefer that it and other illegal drugs remain
illegal, criminalized substances. Among the most commonly spread arguments for keep
ing
these drugs illegal are about how harmful they are to users. As stated earlier, the
active
component in marijuana, THC, is primarily responsible for the psychoactive properti
es of
the drug. THC causes the feelings of euphoria and relaxation associated with being
“high”.
However, in addition to these soothing effects, which are considered beneficial, TH
C can
also impair certain functions of the brain. It disrupts coordination and balance, h
indering the
user’s performance of various tasks, such as learning, maintaining balance, and rea
cting to events.

Large doses of the drug, especially when consumed rather than smoked, can cause
psychosis, resulting in delusions, hallucinations, and even “a loss of the sense of
personal
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identity”. Marijuana’s effects on memory go even further, as evidenced by animal st

udies
involving rats. Exposure to THC on the rats was found to cause problems with learni
ng and
memory tasks. Continual exposure to THC was shown to be similar to the effect that
aging
has on nerve cell loss. This means that THC causes memory ability to degrade faster
than normal. It is likely that the loss in memory ability is only in the short-
term, but there is a
possibility that the deteriorating effects on the brain will build up over time, ca
using longterm cognitive harm.

Of course, in addition to the mental effects of marijuana, there are also physical
effects to mention. Of particular note is the increased heart rate experienced shor
tly after
smoking, partnered with the physical symptoms of bloodshot eyes, and dry mouth/thro
at.
Heart rate can increase by up to 50%, or even 100%. The increased heart rate has ri
sk of
causing heart attacks, especially in those who are more susceptible. Another hazard
associated with marijuana smoking is of course the smoke itself, which irritates th
e lungs.
This highly increases chances of respiratory illnesses. Smoking marijuana may lead
to an addiction, thus further harming the user even more.

Another widespread argument against marijuana is the allegation that it is a

“gateway drug”. Opponents of marijuana use believe that becoming a marijuana user m
ay
encourage one to try out other, more dangerous illegal drugs. A study has indicated
there
to be a correlation between marijuana use and later use of other, harder drugs, suc
h as
cocaine and heroin. Data indicates that marijuana users are 85 times more likely to
begin
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using other drugs, than those who do not use marijuana. According to the hypothesis
,
marijuana is the starting point from which delving into other illicit materials beg
ins.
Opponents of marijuana legalization fear that marijuana being legalized will lead t
o the use of drugs that are far more dangerous.

Rather than maintaining the simple opinion that marijuana use should be
discouraged, many opponents believe those who possess marijuana should be
imprisoned for their offenses. Under current law in most states, merely possessing
marijuana is viable for at least a misdemeanor, but in most cases, a felony. Either
can
result in Incarceration or a fine against the offender. It is the view of many that
jail time for
drug offenders is necessary. It creates a threat of real punishment that discourage
s drug
offenders from committing crimes. Furthermore, some believe they should be imprison
ed
because some drug offenders can pose a violent threat to the public. They should be
disciplined, both for their own good and the good of the public.

I don’t believe the downsides of marijuana can be denied. Like many other
substances, particularly other drugs, marijuana has various risks associated with i
t,
especially since it is usually taken by smoking. Much like tobacco, marijuana smoke
is
harmful to the smoker’s lungs, and some data even indicates that it is more harmful
. In
contrast, however, a recent 20 year study by the University of California and the
University
of Alabama suggests that marijuana use is less harmful than tobacco exposure. It wa
s
found that lung function, measured by air flow rate, decreased with increased expos
ure to
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tobacco, while it actually increased with exposure to marijuana. It is very importa

nt to note,
however, that typically a tobacco smoker will smoke many more times a day than one
who smokes marijuana, who may smoke only a few times a month.

Despite this discrepancy between samples, the findings still have use. Low to
moderate exposure to marijuana is proven to be safer and even healthier than typica
l
tobacco exposure. Still, undoubtedly marijuana becomes more dangerous with the more
heavier doses the user exposes themselves to. By moderating their usage, a marijuan
a
smoker can maintain a healthy and responsible lifestyle. This logic is important, a
s
practically every substance is harmful if taken in large amounts. It is smoking lar
ge doses of
marijuana which leads to abuse. It is vital that marijuana users know to moderate t
heir
exposure, so as not to harm themselves. If the right precautions are taken, marijua
na can be just as safe as other, legal substances.

In opposition to marijuana’s use, both safe and otherwise, are proponents of the
“gateway drug” hypothesis. While the gateway hypothesis holds some credence, I don’
t
believe it to be an accurate theory. People getting interested in other illicit sub
stances after using another is a no-
brainer, really. It doesn’t prove much that someone taking a
psychoactive drug may try others. It just makes the statement that there is increas
ed
likelihood of getting into other drugs if you are already into one. The moralistic
use the
gateway hypothesis to argue that marijuana is bad, because it leads to using hard d
rugs.
They miss the point, because if they believe hard drugs are bad, then they should f
ocus on
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them rather than the relatively harmless drug that is marijuana.

Speaking of the relatively harmless drug that is marijuana, it is a sad fact that s
o
many are imprisoned over it, most for the nonviolent crime of marijuana possession.
According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), In 2010 around
571,000, or onefourth of all incarcerated inmates in America were nonviolent drug
offenders.This number is up greatly from 1980, when it was just onetenth. As I have
described my stance before, I am in favor of completely decriminalizing marijuana,
so that
people no longer have to suffer over such trivial matters. I oppose the nonviolent
being
criminalized and imprisoned, thereby marring their lives and causing distress to th
eir
families. Criminals are being created out of ordinary people who don’t harm others.

There are simply not enough adequate reasons as to why marijuana should remain
an illegal substance. Amassing evidence, along with growing support are both in fav
or of
decriminalizing and eventually legalizing marijuana, so that it may be available bo
th
medicinally and recreationally. As a country founded on the basis of freedom, we sh
ould
have been at the forefront of this endeavor. Now, it is our turn to follow the lead
s of other
countries, such as Uruguay and Canada, and even two of our own states, Washington a
nd
Colorado. Marijuana’s potential benefits greatly outweigh its risks, and I believe
science can further lessen the risks, given the opportunity to perform research.
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Works Cited

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