Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

The state of California recently had the issue of whether or not to legalize all forms of marijuana use as a ballot measure during the last election. At the ballot box, people seem either too embarrassed to admit their support, or those that supported the measure to legalized Marijuana did not show up and vote.

Personally, I hate drugs—cigarettes, alcohol (in excess … okay, I like a glass of wine) cocaine, heroin, Methamphetamine, etc... I even have a hard time taking pain medication when it is prescribed by my doctor. I can’t stand drugs because I find it upsetting to see people lose control. But people that are legitimately ill should have the right to chose to receive medicinal marijuana over codeine if they so chose. Especially, if the positives outweigh the risks, of which there are few with respect to marijuana.

First of all, citizens should question the government’s decision to label marijuana as a schedule one substance. Labeling marijuana as a schedule one substance means that the drug is of the highest level of concern. In other words, it causes great amounts of damage. That make marijuana equal to heroin by drug standards. Sadly, when we made this a schedule one substance, all scientific research in the US stopped. This means we don’t know the benefits or downfalls of marijuana because we are not allowed to test it. You will notice almost all testing has been facilitated in Europe, except for one known test by the University of Buffalo on the effects of marijuana on male sperm. That test was done in 2003 by people known to be smokers, not because they distributed or did actual scientific tests on the drug itself.

Here is my argument. In hospitals, you are given several types of drugs, (oxycontin, morphine, codeine, etc.) to help with pain. But the use of medical marijuana is an absurd possibility? I’m stumped. I’m floored as to why we put so much emphasis on marijuana in the United States, when it comes to its medical uses, when Morphine is basically a legal form of heroin.

Now, if you talk to my friends and family you will know that I personally hate the smell and use of this drug because I don’t like anything in excess. I am also not much for having my control taken from me. But how many times have hospitals sited an overdose of marijuana as a cause of death? They don’t, because people don’t overdose on marijuana. They just act stupid, much like when they drink alcohol.

We label pot as the gateway drug, the worst drug out there. I would actually argue that alcohol is the gateway drug and we all know how outlawing alcohol went over in America.

But, what about under a doctor’s care? What about if you’re in extreme amounts of pain and can’t eat? When is it okay to use marijuana, if ever? I live in a community that smokes pot. The bay area is known for its hippies. But how many people out there, outside of the bay area, smoke marijuana? I am actually a minority in my town because I dislike marijuana. Am I wrong? Do I take this too seriously? I think it does make people lazy, it causes fertility problems in men and women, but so does alcohol, and that is legal.

Should marijuana be sold in stores like cigarettes? Can this actually be regulated? I don’t know. What I do know is this, we know there are things about Marijuana that help people who are sick. Shouldn’t they be allowed to take a drug with fewer side effects, a drug they can’t overdose on, to make their life better, or at least less painful?

About Author:

I am Matthew Evans and I want to show people how beautiful and interesting our world is. I am a coach, spinpalace canada reviews writer, and travel blogger. In addition, I really like to read new information about psychology and world history. I hope that my knowledge will help me understand people and make their lives better.