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Pros and cons of Legalizing Marijuana

Should Marijuana be legalized in the US? This question is usually received with mixed reactions from people. For some, it has more pros than cons whereas for others it is vice-versa. Here's a look at some of the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana...

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has raised the issue of legalizing marijuana. According to him, the taxrevenue collected from legalizing marijuana would be enormous. Marijuana or cannabis refers to 'n' number of preparations of the cannabis plant, which are intended to be used as a drug by humans. Many organizations have been pushing the government to legalize marijuana. Some insist that marijuana has more medical advantages than hazards, while others think it has long-lasting effects on brain and body. Here are some reasonable points supporting the legalization of marijuana. Pros of Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana is no more harmful than tobacco or alcohol, if taken in moderate quantities. Tobacco and alcohol are both legal and widely used in the US, and are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If the abuse of marijuana is harmful, isn't the abuse of tobacco or alcohol equally life-threatening? Would you want the government to limit how much alcohol or tobacco you take? Marijuana has medical benefits in relation to diseases like cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma. It is especially helpful in the treatment of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Hats off to states like California that have initiated the move to legalize the drug, at least for medicinal purposes. Crime and violence in the US has increased due to the illegal selling

and buying of marijuana. Legalizing it would end the need for indulging in criminal behavior. Also, drug related disputes will come to an end and drug mafias would lose their significance. Police can then concentrate more on serious crimes. Marijuana is one of the most popular agricultural products in the US. According to an estimate by Californian authorities, annual marijuana sales in the state could be worth 14 billion dollars, and new tax revenues from legalizing marijuana could well exceed 1 billion dollars, just in California. Imagine what the revenue will be if it is legalized in the whole of US! Cons of Legalizing Marijuana Many Americans think that the use of drugs is morally wrong, because religious codes prohibit the use of intoxicating substances. Therefore, legalizing marijuana would be like legalizing something considered to be immoral. Marijuana is believed to be a stepping-stone drug that can eventually lead to addiction to heroin, cocaine, and other harder drugs. Passive smoking is harmful, and secondhand smoke from the use of marijuana increases the chances of others suffering the damage by inhaling the smoke. Some believe that legalizing marijuana may increase crime as people involved in illegal trade of the drug are also involved in other crimes. They consider that society is safer with marijuana offenders incarcerated. Myths and Facts Marijuana is addictive.: Status: Myth It is a general misconception that most people who smoke marijuana get addicted. It is non-addictive and most people smoke marijuana only occasionally. Marijuana is the most illegally-used drug and therefore around 750,000 to 800,000 people are arrested every year for sale/manufacture/possession of the drug. Status: Fact About half of the illegal drug arrests in the U.S. comprises of marijuana arrests.

 Marijuana affects memory and reasoning. Status: Myth Marijuana temporarily affects the process of thought and perception. During the period of intoxication, a person has slow stimuli and gets back to normalcy once the effects are gone. Marijuana is helpful in treating many medical problems: Status: Fact Marijuana helps in reducing the nausea induced by cancer chemotherapy, arousing appetite in AIDS patients, and reducing muscle spasticity in people suffering from neurological disorders. It has been proved scientifically that marijuana is retards sexual development in children. Status: Myth There are no evidence that prove this statement. It has no impact on sex hormones and therefore marijuana has no effect on the sexual growth of males and females. Prohibiting marijuana is, without a doubt, an unwarranted intrusion of government into personal freedom. Merely on the pretext that intake of marijuana is morally wrong, the government can't intrude into the freedom of people. Marijuana, like alcohol, cigarettes, and sex, is one of life's little pleasures for some people, something that makes life worth living. People may get pleasure from coffee, donuts and pizzas, but even they can be harmful if not taken in moderate quantities. All this does not mean that we should give up all these things (coffee, pizza, etc.,) for the rest of our lives!