Estrella Bull - My Blog

When people think of marijuana some consider it to be a gateway drug to cocaine and heroin. However marijana is no more harmful then alcohol or cigarettes. According to the Prestigious European Medical Journal "The Lancet", "Marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning and about 400,000 deaths are caused by tobacco smoking marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death on overdose" ("About Marijuana" par 2). According to Alcohol and Drug Abuse they day that long term regular users may have health problems, (par 4). However, in 1995 "The Lancet", "The smoking of cannabis even long term is not harmful to health" (Jones, 154). Marijuana should be ligalized for purposes of medical and research, there is no real evidence that marijuana is toxic, marijuana is a natural substance and many people could benefit from marijuana being legalized.
Legalizing marijuana could benefit our governmant, such as saving millions of dollars that they spend to keep marijuana off the streets, the government could tax the marijuana and use that money to educate as a prevention for teenagers like the tobacco and alcohol ads. According to Normal "enforcing marijuana prohibition cost taxpayers an estimated $10 billion annually and results in the arrest of more than 754,224 people about 89 percent of those people were arrested for possession only the other 93,640 people were charged with sale/manufacture ("About", par6)". As you can see from all these arrest that marijuana prohibition causes more problems than solves, thousands of these responsible marijuana users lives are ruined by this. However others say that by legalizing marijuana will not cut down on all crime because it is similar to alcohol and there is crime related to alcohol. The Author George Wright, "Counter Point: Legalizing Marijuana No Benefits From Doing So" the reason for the govenment not wanting to legalize marijuana is because it's another harmful substance that is addictive like alcohol and tobacco(par 11). William F Buckley,1983 Quotes: "The anti-marijuana campaign is a cancerous tissue of lies, undermining law enforcement, aggravating the drug problem, depriving the sick of needed help, and suckering well-intentioned conservatives and countless frightened parents" (Jones, 122). As you can see this has been going on for decades, if the government would step up and legalized marijuana and regulate the purity of the substance that will help keep marijuana pure and natural and less harmful, by the government taxing marijuana they will generate revenue and benefit in the savings of millions of dollars each year they spend keeping marijuana off the streets. Most importantly marijuana will be avaiable to those people who need it medically.
Marijuana for medical purpose is the most important reason to have it legalized. Researcher Veronica Campbell, while doing research with THC she learned that when treating the young neurons with THC they died while on the other hand treating the mature ones it help the survival of these neurons, she also mentions that there is more research to do to develop a drug with aproper dose and for a specific age of the patient(Fields, par 2,6). MarijuanaToday.com states: marijuana has been a valuable aid in treatment to Cancer Chemotherapy, Aids, Pain and Muscle Spasms, and Glaucoma(par 1). Marijuana aids to these medical sysmptoms and there is still more research to do. There are people we know close friends, loved ones that could benefit with the use of marijuana while having cancer treatment or other illness and most of these people are dying so it humane to let these people suffer when there is a treatment to aid them in different ways. These are reasons why marijuana should be legalized for medical and research purposes and people should have a choice medically and non medically, marijuana is a natural substance it is better for you than tobacco or alcohol it needs to be regulated and controlled by the government like alchol and tobacco and thy could benefit from it.

Works Cited
"About Marijuana - NORML"
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws NORML 2009, 10 Nov, 2009 <http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=730>

Fields, R. Douglas "Marijuana Hurts some, Helps Others"
Scientific American Mind 20.5, 2009 17. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection.
EBSCO.Web 6 Nov, 2009
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=4&hid=2&sid=1402504c-ce4c-4726b148-5f...>

Jones, Nick "Spliff A Celebration of Cannabis Culture"
Forword by Howard Mark First published in Great Britain in 2003 by Collins & Brown Limited

"Marijuana" Division of Alchol and Drug Abuse
National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1984. 6 Nov, 2009
<http://www.well.com/user/woa/fspot.htm>

"Pro's of Marijuana Legalization - Marijuana Today"
MarijuanaToday.com Copyright 2001 - 2009. 2 Nov, 2009


Wright, George "Counterpoint: Legalizing Marijuana: No Benefits From Doing So"
Legalization of Marijuana; 2007. 5 Nov, 2009
<http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=0&.rand=55b8eqq855h3p>