Opposition Against Legalization of Marijuana

 
In as much as the legalization of marijuana boosts the economy’s growth, the contrary is legalizing marijuana may create a steep cost for taxpayers in the society that may outweigh marijuana’s tax revenue. The long-term effects resulting from prolonged use of marijuana harms more than the user; the cost of using marijuana to the society includes paying for the addiction treatment for those lacking insurance. There would be high crimes in society as people are willing to do anything to sustain their addiction; making marijuana legal would be putting a more harmful and destructive substance in our society’s hands.

Decriminalizing marijuana increases teenagers’ chances of use with harmful results; the number of 13–17-year-old using marijuana in states that have legalized marijuana is high. (Armstrong 34). Marijuana poses a considerable risk for young people since their brains are not fully developed- A person’s brain does not completely mature until they are 25 years old, which is four years past the age one is considered an adult in the states that have legalized marijuana (Ghosh et al 23). Marijuana could cause impaired short-term memory, low concentration, attention span, inability to solve teenagers’ problems, and significantly interfering with their education.

There is an increase in traffic accidents that often lead to death when marijuana decriminalization happens; legalizing marijuana is equivalent to allowing the use of a product that is likely to put more impaired drivers on the roads, worsening a situation already worse (Wong 449). The traffic safety foundation stated in its report that there had been an increase in fatal road accidents that involved marijuana after being legalized in some states. Marijuana can impair the driver’s vehicle control and judgment, endangering the driver’s safety. Using marijuana before taking control of the steering wheel increases one’s chances of being involved in an accident.

Conclusion
In conclusion, marijuana use for recreational purposes may have socially beneficial effects, such as lifting criminal justice policies that come with a high social and public cost. Legalizing marijuana and having it used for recreational purposes will prove to have unfavorable health effects; the drug itself is addictive and has withdrawal symptoms. Marijuana should not be legalized as this will facilitate an increase in crime, cause health and mental problems in society. Smoking marijuana affects the respiratory system of the user; continued use of marijuana increases the chances of one suffering from lung cancer in the future; marijuana also affects other body organs such as the reproductive system. The drug is also addictive as there has been a sign of withdrawal systems in people. From the discussion above, marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes. However, the legalization of recreational marijuana use should be undertaken with proper policies.

Works Cited
Armstrong, Malcolm. “Cannabis Act Memorandum.” Available at SSRN 3187771 (2018). Web.