Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized
Willie Nelson once said, “I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?”
Marijuana has been a plant for longer than any human has been alive. Civilizations have used marijuana for hundreds of years for hundreds of purposes. But ever since the 1970’s when growing or having possession became illegal marijuana has been looked down upon by a majority of people living in the United States. Just because it’s illegal doesn’t give someone the right to look down upon you for doing a drug that’s been here longer than we have. I’m not saying just because a poppy plant has been here since before us that you should go overdose on a bunch of opium or any other drug that causes you to want more and more. That’s not healthy by any means. But with marijuana there are no adverse harmful side effects that would cause one to fear for their life or to become addicted.
First I will talk about some of the side effects of Marijuana. Immediate effects of smoking marijuana are minimal. A person’s heartbeat may increase by twenty to fifty beats more per minute. One’s eyes may become red, and time seems to creep by.
Now we will look at how medical marijuana is used in today’s society. Medical Marijuana uses are more beneficial than people think. The Medical Marijuana Program (MMP) was established to provide a medical marijuana identification card for qualified patients. To obtain a Medical Marijuana card it costs $100 to apply, and you must have a doctor note recommending it for medical use and show proof of residency in that country. Marijuana is an illegal drug, but someday marijuana may help you.
With the use of medical marijuana tumor growth is reduce dramatically. It also significantly reduces the ability for cancer to spread. Research shows that in cannabis, cannabidiol helps stop the spread of breast cancer. This does the same this as chemotherapy, but without the pain and unpleasant side effects. Marijuana can’t cause any permanent mental illness. Today marijuana is stronger than it was back in the 70s but it is not anymore dangerous. Less than 1% of people who smoke marijuana become dependent on it, and it is very unlikely to become addicted.
Smoking tobacco is more harmful to your lungs than smoking marijuana. It only takes a couple inhalations of marijuana smoke to become high. Let’s say you’re addicted to cigarettes and smoke a pack a...