Marijuana Should Be Illegal - Essay Example

Marijuana should be illegal Introduction Over the recent past, debates in support and against legalization of marijuana have arisen. These debates have been based on past and current methodical investigations. Arguments in support of illegalizing marijuana are based on the negative health outcomes linked with smoking marijuana particularly in regard to mental health, influence on individual conduct and way of thinking, and social effects. In this regard, smoking marijuana should be illegal. However, it is worth noting opposing arguments that associated marijuana with mitigating some negative effects related to health. This paper explicates the reasons why marijuana should be illegal. Reasons for illegalizing marijuana Before expounding on the reasons for illegalizing marijuana, it would be important to delineate the proportion of individuals in the U.S. who use marijuana. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, approximately 17 million individuals in the U.S. reported to have used marijuana in a span of 1 month in a study conducted in 2010 (n.p). Based on results from this study, the Office of National Drug Control Policy also noted that approximately "374,000 people entered an emergency room annually with a primary marijuana problem" in the U.S (n.p). Though a number of States in the U.S. have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use, findings from the study cited by Office of National Drug Control Policy (n.p) showed an increase in the rate of marijuana usage among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years by 0.6 percent between 2008 and 2009. Marijuana is associated with numerous negative effects on the health of users. For instance, the Office of National Drug Control Policy asserts that marijuana is associated with addiction, psychological problems, elevated levels of anxiety, melancholy, withdrawal from reality, delusion, slowing of brain activity, and loss of memory (n.p). Other effects outlined by the Office of National Drug Control Policy include "Respiratory illness, poor motor performance, and impaired cognitive and immune system functioning" (n.p). In ethical terms, it is immoral to legalize any substance that puts the health of the general population at risk. In this respect, marijuana should not be legalized. In further explicating health effects of marijuana, Rich and Alexander (para. 3) notes that proponents of marijuana legalization argue that it helps cancer patients to counteract the effects of chemotherapy such as nausea. On the other hand, facts cited by the Office of National Drug Control Policy shows that smoke from marijuana contains elements with the capacity to cause cancer (n.p). This means that as much as smoking marijuana mitigates the effects of chemotherapy, it further increases the risk of developing other types of cancers. In this respect, arguments presented by supporters of marijuana legalization are not substantial and it ought to be illegalized. The second reason for illegalizing marijuana relates to social costs. In arguments presented by Rich and Alexander, supporters of legalizing marijuana argue that since tobacco and alcohol are legal, marijuana ought not to be sidelined (para. 3). Their arguments are based on the conjecture that the effects associated with alcohol consumption and tobacco smoke are equally dangerous. Despite illegalizing possession and use of marijuana in many States, millions of people report to have used it. This arouses debates among the proponents of legalization that the government ought to benefit from what is already in the market. A methodical investigation conducted by a Canadian economist in the year 2004 and cited by Rich and Alexander estimated that the U.S. government could collect an additional $2 billion in taxes annually if marijuana was legalized (para. 20). On the other hand, the Office of National Drug Control Policy notes that marijuana contains 50 to 70 percent more cancer-causing agents than tobacco smoke (n.p). Arguments that the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana smoke are equally dangerous have therefore been invalidated by evidence or research. Individuals in support of legalizing marijuana have also failed to consider the social effects of alcohol and tobacco in their arguments. In a study conducted in 2007 and cited by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, levies or excise duty accumulated by the U.S. Federal government from alcohol amounted to $9 billion while those amassed by the State governments amounted to $5.5 billion. In comparing these levies with social costs, the Office of National Drug Control Policy asserts that the total amount of levies collected by both the Federal and State governments "Are less than 10 percent of the estimated $185 billion in alcohol-related costs to health care, criminal justice, and the workplace in lost productivity" (n.p). On the basis of the health effects associated with marijuana and the social effects of alcohol, it is justifiable to construe that legalizing marijuana will increase financial burden on the society in terms of social costs. In a study conducted by Rhode Island Hospital, there was no substantial evidence to prove that legalization of medical marijuana is linked to increased rates of usage in adolescents (68). In other words, this study showed that legalizing marijuana did not lead to an increase in the number of people using the drug. However, the Office of National Drug Control Policy delineates opposing evidence. A report compiled by the Rand Corporation and published by the Office of National Drug Control Policy shows that legalizing marijuana will subsequently lower its price and thus lead to elevated levels of usage (n.d). According to the Rand Corporation, the cost or price of drugs such as marijuana remain elevated due to its illegitimacy. In other words, inability to access the drug translates to lower rates of usage. What this means is that legalizing marijuana will broaden and ease its accessibility and hence result to its abuse. In this regard, possessing and smoking marijuana should be illegalized. According to the perspective of proponents of legalizing marijuana noted by Rich and Alexander, "Much of the opposition to legalizing marijuana has to do with the perceived immorality of marijuana use" (para. 2). In delineating this viewpoint, these proponents fail to clearly articulate their facts to discredit assertions that smoking marijuana influences peoples thoughts negatively. Individual accounts and past research shows that smoking marijuana is indeed linked to negative behavior. For instance, Meyer argues that marijuana was associated with rebellion as early as 1960s (4). According to him, individuals who rebelled their parents in the 1960s smoked marijuana. In other words, marijuana smokers were disobedient, unruly, and defiant. The categorization of marijuana as a Schedule I drug in 1937 was founded on the association of marijuana with perilous conduct such as murder, robberies, and madness (Rich and Alexander, para. 12). This shows that smoking marijuana and defiance are interlinked and hence ought to be illegalized. Conclusion In conclusion, the effects of marijuana on health, influence on conduct, and social cost necessitates its illegalization. In terms of health, marijuana causes addiction, psychological problems, elevates the likelihood of depression, anxiety, and withdrawal from reality. Though proponents of marijuana legalization argue that it mitigates the effects of chemotherapy, studies have associated it with increased likelihood of developing other kinds of cancer due to high levels of carcinogens. Proponents also argue that legalizing marijuana will benefit the society in term of taxes, and the effects of alcohol and tobacco smoke are as dangerous as effects of marijuana. In this regard, they argue that smoking or possessing marijuana ought to be made legal. However, studies have shown that social costs associated with these substances surpass the gains from these taxes. Other elements that necessitate illegalization of marijuana include negative influence on behavior and the fact that legalizing it will increase its accessibility and hence lead to its abuse. Annotated Bibliography Meyer, Charles R. "The marijuana debate. Editors Note." Minnesota Medicine 1 April 2014: 4. EBSCO. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. In this article, Meyer contrasts how issues pertaining to marijuana were viewed in the 1960s as compared to the present . Additionally, Meyer outlines the proportion of States in the U.S. that have legalized the use of marijuana, those that have legalized it for medical use only, and States that have legalized its usage in adults above the age of 21. Meyer, in this article, also explicates the reasons why MMA Board opted not to support decriminalization of marijuana in Minnesota. Office of National Drug Control Policy. "Marijuana Legalization: A Bad Idea." Executive Office of the President Oct 2010: n.p. EBSCO. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. The author of this report gives statistical information in regards to the usage of marijuana in the U.S. The author also explicates the techniques implemented by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in a bid to mitigate or reduce marijuana usage. Subsequently, the author outlines the reasons why marijuana ought not to be legalized including; effects of marijuana on health, how legalization would lower its price and thus increase its usage, elevation of social costs, and consequences on the criminal justice system. Rhode Island Hospital. "RIH physician finds legalizing medical marijuana does not increase use among adolescents." Rhode Island Medical Journal 1 May 2014: 68. EBSCO. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. In this medical journal, Rhode Island Hospital reviewed data retrieved from high school students to ascertain whether legalization of medical marijuana has an effect on the rate of usage among adolescents. In supporting their findings, the authors also cite literature from recent research showing that legalization of medical marijuana does not lead to increased usage among high school students. Rich, Alex K, and Alexander Stingl. "Legalization of Marijuana: An Overview." Points of View 2005: n.p. EBSCO. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. The authors of this article expounds opposing views in current debates in support and against legalization of marijuana. Secondly, the authors give legal definitions of terms relating to the use of marijuana such as possession, prohibition, and schedule I drugs. Thirdly, Rich and Alexander outlines the history of laws associated with marijuana. Read More