The Illegal Use of Drugs - Case Study Example

Legalization of Marijuana Drug addiction is one of the leading enormities that a big faction of the world population suffers from and became a focus of concern that has come under many discussions and arguments on drug legalization in many parts of the countries. However, in some circumstances, few drugs provide a great source of help to the human community in healing from a disease. Amongst these drugs, Marijuana is one popular name that is subject to disputes and controversies in the current time of period in Unites states of America. Some schools of thought believe that Marijuana should come under legalization whereas some consider that it shall not (Connolly, pp. 5-6). According to various research results and studies, the fact has come under evidence that United States is one of the countries where the illegal use of drugs are rapidly escalating especially amongst the young generations and marijuana is undoubtedly and considerably the most universally used illegal drug. In addition, studies also show that Marijuana is a drug that has come under illegal use in several other nations of the world as well. According to statistics of various research studies, the piece of information illustrates the reality that with the use of legal and illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco more than half a million people depart from their lives on yearly basis (Goode, pp. 15-20). The history of marijuana dates back to several thousand years, but it is a drug that gained popularity in the latter half of 1900s in United States when people were not aware of the fact that drugs brings damage to a very high extent to the humans and their organs. Although, with the passage of time people have become knowledgeable and aware of the destructive effects of it, yet they have an ignorant behavior towards the drastic consequences and are using it frequently. (Connolly, pp. 7-9). Marijuana is a term that has many alternative names that includes pot, weed, cannabis, hash, dope, bud, green, smoke and many more. Studies have revealed the fact that there are several uses of marijuana as it can come under use for medical purpose for the treatment of various diseases, but many people even consume this drug for their pleasure and enjoyment. Due to the recognition that marijuana has gained, the studies conclude the statistics and records that it generates more revenue and turnover in a year than that of important consumer crops and the illegal trade of marijuana augments the profits to a substantially considerable level. In addition, with respect to its production, it comes under thought and reflection by the economists to be in the top rating cash crop of many states of the country (Connolly, pp. 8-11). It has come under view and observation for many decades that drugs have left an indelible imprint on the lives of individuals and have left societies on whole touched with its drastic impacts. Drug consumption has been one of the significant and vital concerns for civilizations and countries throughout decades. Although the use of marijuana throughout the world since a vast period has come under extensive surveillance, yet the legalization has always been a prime concern of argument. When the topic of legalization of drugs comes to focus and debate, there will always be different and diverse perspectives of the inhabitants of the countries, where few people speaks in favor of the subject and few others will oppose it (Gerber, pp. 77-80). People want to make marijuana legal in Unites States due to scores of reasons and believe that it is harmless, useful, productive and worthwhile to use in the medical field as a medicine or remedy. One of the biggest support reasons of legalizing marijuana is that it will dwindle and bring decline to aggression, assaults, and coercion with the people who get involved in the dealing of marijuana as these traders of drug will lose their business (Cermak, pp. 211-213). In addition, this will benefit the manufactures that produce marijuana under better conditions and processes, as dealers would directly purchase the drug from them without the doubt and uncertainty of having contaminated, toxic and lethal drug. If marijuana comes under legalization, government departments can supervise and regulate the trading of this drug effectively and the unessential and dispensable fights and disputes between the traders will come to halt. The illegal actions and activities that couples with the distribution will also fade away and the drug addicts will get a freedom of survival within the community and neighborhood rather than a life of disgrace and concealment (Cermak, pp. 212-215). The people in favor of legalization of marijuana also quarrel that this drug is of immense help to cure and restore the health people suffering from the incurably ailing diseases as it has come under substantial reality through several researches. Marijuana arouses and increases the hunger and desire for food of the patients who suffer from syndrome such as AIDS, which help them to fight against the hazardous and lethal effects of the disease (Mack & Joy, pp.86-95). Furthermore, marijuana also helps the glaucoma victims and patients from losing their power of vision as studies have unveiled the information that the glaucoma patients after consuming marijuana have become safe to great extent from getting unsighted (Mack & Joy, pp.124-128). Moreover, cancer patients who undergo the treatment of chemotherapy and radiology face a common problem of utter nausea and marijuana reliefs the pain and eradicates this nausea problem in them (Mack & Joy, pp. 95-100). Proofs of studies also provide with the detail that smoking marijuana decrease and lessen down the muscle contraction, pain or misery from the spinal cord injury and numerous tissue damages. With the revealed facts from studies, the doctors and general practitioner prescribe smoking marijuana as it contributes to the relaxations and remedy from several pains and enormities that includes headache, depression, restlessness and unrelieved pain. Therefore, with these benefits that marijuana endow with makes it considerable and significant for use as a prescribed drug for medical use (Mack & Joy, pp.77-85). According to the perceptions and views of many people, marijuana can help in rising and boosting economy of the country when legalized, as people would have the freedom to buy it in the form of smoke, thus leading to increase in sales that will eventually enhance and heighten the economy. Furthermore, the lands destroyed by deforestation can come under use for cultivating marijuana crops, hence, providing numerous people with work and employment and working towards the betterment of the country’s economy (Gerber, pp. 135-140). Several other benefits are present that marijuana hemp can provide with, since it has the capability to make profuse amount of paper in contrast to the regular trees and comparatively marijuana hemp requires much less time for its growth. This would also help the rare and dying out species to survive in this globe with the forestations, as it will restore their habitats. Other uses of hemp can also contribute in economic enhancement and development as it can embrace and incorporate the production of daily use commodities such as oil, clothing, soaps, butter, and rope (Gerber, pp. 140-150). The citizens of United States also argue, protest and criticize that many of the deadly, hazardous, perilous and unsafe drugs such as cocaine, heroin and morphine come under legal use. On the other hand, the government officials has prohibit the use of marijuana even for medical purpose at the same time when studies and researches have proven it to be dangerous to a smaller extent than that of those mentioned and carrying medical significance. According to a former surgeon who is a supporter of legalizing the marijuana drug states that the consumption of drugs that are legally available includes smoking cigarettes, in taking nicotine and others are more risky than that of marijuana (Cermak, pp. 52-57). The U.S. denizens come under treatment and punishments like criminals and officials arrests them when they have the possession of marijuana. In addition, people also face the consequence of trial punishments; even they have to pay a big amount as fines, where in some circumstances the officials may take hold of their home and other assets, or cancel, invalidate their driver’s license and in worst cases, they may lose their jobs (Mack & Joy, pp. 156-160). While looking at the other end of the spectrum, loads of human populations are against the subject of legalization of marijuana in United States. Following to their viewpoints and concepts one of the major drastic impacts of smoking marijuana is that it is a basis that intensely damage the respiratory system of the marijuana-smoking people. It is due to the reason that marijuana smoking is very similar to the tobacco cigarette smoking that makes the smoker subject to deadly and painful sufferings including damage of air passages, swelling and inflexibility of certain parts of the lungs, and shortness of breath (Mack & Joy, pp. 38-45). The marijuana smoke completely comes under filling with the toxic and harmful materials that when compared to tobacco cigarettes contains amount of substances, which equals to more than ten cigarettes. Studies also reveals the fact that marijuana smokers get more harm to their lungs as they have prolonged inhaling process in comparison to cigarette smokers and hold on to more smoke in their lungs along with profound inhaling habit (Mack & Joy, pp. 40-48). Another major cause that prevent the people to be in favor of marijuana use in a legal way is that according to their perspectives the prohibition will lead the populace especially the young generation to get less engaged in drugs. Moreover, with the consumption of marijuana will lead the youngsters to involve in strong and harsh drugs that are more harmful for an individual as it comes under consideration as a cornerstone to the drug use. However, studies have exemplified the results that it is creating a negative impact and people are more getting wrapped in this activity as the marijuana trader is not concerned with the age of an individual, rather he just focus on earning money. Therefore, the education, knowledge, awareness and alertness would affect the consumption of the drug for the entertainment purpose (Gerber, pp. 35-40). According to the personal approach of few people, the individual using marijuana drugs illegally may get him entail in other inhuman actions such as rape or killing as they then do not care for breaking any rules or laws. This will as a result increase the crime rate in the country and people will get more fear free from all authorities, thus will lead to personal destruction as well (Goode, pp. 50-55). One of the foremost strong opposition views is that it with the prevalent and extensive use of smoke marijuana will more affect and cause harm to the bystanders as it raises the probability of the passive smokers to experience more damage and spoil from the smoke inhaling that pass out in the process of smoking. Therefore, it results in more loss and adversity to the health of surrounding people as the damage of smoke intake by the bystanders’ put them at a higher risk than smokers (Mack & Joy, pp 60-65).  It can come under well conclusion that drugs have always left a drastic impact on the human life and the society on whole as well, but with the increasing awareness, it can come under sayings that few of the drugs have a hidden capability to provide assistance to human life in many ways. From all the mentioned point of views and perceptions that the people hold, a greater part of the U.S. population are in favor and support of the fact that marijuana should come under legalization for the medical use. Despite being a drug, marijuana and hemp holds a great deal of advantages and benefits that it can provide to innumerable people as a cure and remedy in many diseases. In addition, it cannot only help in the improvement, enhancement and growth of the country’s economy but it will also lead to peace and harmony with less criminal activities. However, when looking at the other perspective of the people who are in opposition to the legalization of the marijuana drug believes that it has a more harmful effect rather than being a medicine. Since the chances of people, getting into criminal activities increase, and subsequently it harms the neighboring people and society on whole. Works Cited Cermak, Timmen, L. Marijuana: whats a parent to believe? Hazelden Publishing, 2003. Connolly, Sean. Marijuana. Black Rabbit Books, 2006. Gerber, Rudolph, Joseph. Legalizing marijuana: drug policy reform and prohibition politics. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Goode, Erich. Marijuana. AldineTransaction, 2009. Mack, Alison, Joy, Janet, Elizabeth. Marijuana as medicine: the science beyond the controversy. National Academies Press, 2001. Read More