Marijuana Legalization in the United States

 

Introduction
Marijuana is one of the most commonly used and abused drugs in most parts of the world; in the United States, medical marijuana is legal and available across twenty-three states (Balbuena 7) Marijuana’s growing acceptance has seen an increase in its calls for legalization. In terms of possession, distribution, and cultivation, the legalization of cannabis, or marijuana as it is commonly known, for medical and recreational use varies by region. Marijuana is regarded as something dangerous that poses a threat to the life of those using it. Based on its medicinal benefits and economic values, marijuana has proven that its positives outweigh its negatives.


Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana
Legalizing recreational marijuana proposers argue that it helps raise the country’s economy, create many employment opportunities, and free police resources. The marijuana proponents propose that regulating its use will lower crimes on the streets and put the drug cartel out of business. Making the use of marijuana safe by conducting testing, labeling, and packaging it in a child-proof way makes it less harmful than alcohol, and those of legal age should have access to it if they want to use it (Henchman 2). Opposers to the decriminalization of recreational marijuana legalization still contend that marijuana usage is harmful to the user’s mental and physical health, so it should remain illegal.

Legalizing marijuana boosts the economy’s growth as marijuana is said to bring in three times more tax revenue than alcohol; legalizing marijuana has one of the fastest-growing market values since its demand is high (Papava et al. 5). The marijuana industry, both medical and recreational, in the United States of America estimated that by the year 2025, it could surpass twenty-four billion dollars value in revenue (Balbuena 7). Tourism, real estate, food transport, and construction industries are some of the beneficiaries of marijuana legalization. The legal marijuana industry contributed about seven billion to the economies of the states that have allowed the use of marijuana, as well as millions of dollars in federal taxes collected by the marijuana industry.

Decriminalizing marijuana reduces the use of marijuana among teenagers; in those states that legalized marijuana, the rate at which young people use it has significantly decreased while the number of adults using marijuana has gone up (Armstrong 34). Marijuana being legal means that it is off the streets and only sold to adults with an identification card, ensuring that teenagers have no alternative way of accessing the drug. Traffic has decreased by 11% on average in states that have legalized marijuana, meaning that expanded access to marijuana increases public safety (Daniller 5). Road accidents and arrests for driving under the influence are at a low and are predicted to continue decreasing when and if marijuana is legalized all over the country.

Marijuana also has medicinal value significant in various treatment procedures such as cancer treatment, nausea treatment, and vomiting, a common side effect of chemotherapy during cancer treatments (Tawfik 2). Marijuana helps reduce chronic pain, treat muscle spasms – among those with sclerosis, and reduce anxiety. Marijuana is an anti-depressant and is used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The legalization of marijuana will significantly help dismantle the black markets. It is said that marijuana helps regulate diabetes, weight loss, regulate seizures, and treating inflammatory bowels; some of these claims are scientifically proven, while some are still under study. Over a few past decades, it was so hard to get a hold of marijuana was not and getting it easy unless you knew somebody.’ Most of these dealers are connected and funded by terrorists and use the black market to profit. Legalizations of marijuana render the black market irrelevant since marijuana gets sold by anyone licensed by the government (Daniller 5). There are increased crime levels and gangs affiliated with marijuana selling; legalization brings excellent relief and gets them off the streets for the sake of peace-loving citizens