Headlee 1 Ethan Headlee English 2010 April 15, 2013 Report w/ Position Legalization of Marijuana Introduction Drugs have

been a part of American culture for thousands of years. Over the years the types of drugs used have changed and so have the levels. Originally, the states reserved the right to regulate drugs and their availability and other health concerning activities, but as the number of interpretations of the constitution increased, so did the legal and rights aspects to drugs (Foner). Now in the twentieth century, many people are changing the way they use drugs and views on legalized drugs that have been marked illegal, particularly marijuana. The Debate There has been an ongoing debate on the legalization of Marijuana. I see three sides. One side is to legalize marijuana. Another side is to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. The last side would be to not legalize marijuana. All three sides have many arguments, but some have progressed more than others. Last November, the American people voted on this issue in some states. Colorado and Washington voted for the legalization of marijuana, but not for medical purposes only. Some states have already passed laws legalizing medicinal marijuana, but now someone can get marijuana for nonmedical purposes in Colorado and Washington.

"Legal History of Cannabis in the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 Dec. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

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Medical Marijuana Marijuana was used for medical purposes at the time it was discovered by the Chinese. There are many articles and studies that have shown the effects of marijuana on the sick and the ill. It can be used for helping to treat many things from migraines to helping those with Tourettes syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Bud, Monterey. "Will The Feds Doomed Logic Kill A Maryland Medical Marijuana Bill." Marijuana.com. N.p., 8 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

Headlee 3 Some moms are now saying Marijuana completely transformed very dangerous pregnancies into more enjoyable, safer, and healthier gestations (Hildebrandt). She goes on to say the following: Along the way, I discovered the benefits of using marijuana to treat other disorders. At times, I have been plagued by migraines so severe I would wind up in the emergency room. I would receive up to 250 milligrams of Demerol and sometimes, when Demerol failed, even shots of Dilaudid. Thanks to my sporadic use of marijuana and a careful dosing regimen, I have not been to an emergency room in more than three years. (Hildebrandt) More and more people are seeing these benefits, so more and more states are legalizing or considering legalizing marijuana for medical uses only.

"Can I Possess Medical Marijuana in All 50 States? January 7th, 2010." Medical Marijuana Blog RSS. N.p., 7 Jan. 2010. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

Headlee 4 Effects of Marijuana Although studies show that medical marijuana is useful in some cases, studies also show that there are many bad effects. Smoking marijuana is clearly detrimental both physically and mentally. The effects of one marijuana joint on the lungs are equivalent to four cigarettes, placing the user at increased risk of bronchitis, emphysema, and bronchial asthma. The active ingredient in marijuana remains in the brain, lungs, and reproductive organs for weeks. Marijuana weakens the immune system and regular use can disrupt the menstrual cycle and suppress ovarian function. Regardless of socioeconomic status, prenatal use of marijuana by the mother appears to reduce significantly the IQs of babies. Marijuana impairs short-term memory and ability to concentrate when its young users are in high school and college. And marijuana use diminishes motor control functions, distorts perception, and impairs judgment, leading among other things to increased car accidents and vandalism. (Kleber) The use of Marijuana is not only harmful to the person using it, but it can be harmful to others involved. Smoking marijuana can make driving dangerous and while under the influence of marijuana, we could potentially have some of the same problems we are having right now with drinking and driving. Car accidents resulting in major injury or death could increase. Potential Effects on Legalizing Marijuana Legalization could include the ability to tax the marijuana and potentially help our economy.

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"Tobacco News." Tobacco News RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

Another good effect could be eliminating the hundreds of thousands of arrests every year for marijuana use. The government arrests over 700,000 Americans, more than the population of Wyoming, for marijuana possession every year. These new convicts are driven from their jobs and families, and pushed into a prison system that turns first-time offenders into hardened criminals (about.com). People say that getting arrested for marijuana is cruel and unnecessary and that marijuana be legal because alcohol and Tobacco are legal and they are worse for the body. The negative effects of marijuana also have to be taken into consideration. One negative effect of marijuana is that any change in the legal status of marijuana, even if limited to adults, could affect the prevalence of use among adolescents. For example, tobacco and alcohol products, both legal for adults 18 and 21 years of age, respectively, are the psychoactive substances most widely abused by adolescents (Joffe). Also, until marijuana is legal in every state, the border patrol between states could be increased making sure no one is buying marijuana in one state and then going to another state with it. This puts police back with the responsibility of patrolling and regulating marijuana.

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Americas Views The views on legalizing marijuana have drastically changed over the years. Gallup reported this month that, for the first time, 50% of Americans think marijuana should be legal; in 1970, just 12% were for legalization. While less than one-third of voters 65 and older favor legal pot, the number rises to almost two-thirds among voters 18 to 29 (USA Today).

Schimberg, Joshua. "A Community of Cannabis Connoisseurs." Weedist. N.p., 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

Conclusion Marijuana is the most popular and most used recreational drug and legalizing it is one of the most controversial issues in todays world. Marijuana for medical use, marijuana for everyday use and no marijuana are compelling arguments and show the good and bad effects marijuana can have on the body, the economy, and on the government. Its an issue

Headlee 7 that is going to be talked about for years and years and the decision is not going to satisfy everyone. Position My position on legalizing marijuana is the same for all illegal drugs and it has been that way for years and I never plan on changing my stance. I believe marijuana should be illegal. Its very unhealthy for our bodies and it puts our brain into a mind set in which we can not think for ourselves. This unclear mindset turns into unclear actions, which can ultimately injure or kill another human being. One might argue that it has purposes for medical use, but does it really? It might work for some, but it has not worked for enough people to make it an accepted medical use on a national level. What are accepted on a national level are the negative effects it has on the brain, heart and lungs. The negative effects it has on the brain include distorted perception, memory and learning problems, loss of coordination, and trouble thinking. If this drug is legal then there will be people on the streets and driving vehicles who have very little coordination, distorted perceptions, and trouble thinking. I personally dont want to be driving next to someone on the freeway that cant see or think straight. The effects it has on the heart are just as bad. It increases your heart rate and reduces your blood pressure. Researchers have found that because of this combination of increase heart rate and lower blood pressure, a users risk for a heart attack is four times higher within the first hour after smoking marijuana. It also affects the lungs. It can cause obstructed airways, lung infections, and chest illnesses. You might say that since alcohol and tobacco have some, if not all of these negative effects on the body and they are legal, so marijuana should be too. Thats the exact opposite way we should be looking at it. I dont want there to be another drug out there that people can get these negative side effects

Headlee 8 from. I dont want there to be more mindless, uncoordinated, learning disabled, distorted, heart attack and lung infection prone people walking around the streets or driving in vehicles. These people, while they are high, do not benefit the community, their families, their friends, or their careers. It destroys their bodies, and in some cases their families or careers. Marijuana is also known as the gateway drug. Most people who now or have had serious addictions to cocaine, heroin, and meth started out with marijuana. So you can predict that if marijuana becomes legal then there will be a lot more users who will go onto meth, heroin, and cocaine which are all extremely dangerous drugs. People may consider marijuana a soft drug and say its not as bad as other drugs, but marijuana is usually the source of the problem with these hard drugs. It needs to be stopped at the source and that means marijuana needs to be illegal. I know that wont stop everyone from using it, but it will sure stop a lot more than it would if it was legal. Also there have been many researches that have shown the association with marijuana use while pregnant and deformities or disabilities in newborn infants. At that point you have taken your freedom to choose and have dealt the consequences of that choice onto an innocent child. You have taken away that childs free agency and no one has the right to do that. People may say to make it legal but not let pregnant mothers smoke it. I would ask them the question, how well has that turned out with alcohol and tobacco? That same rule is on alcohol and tobacco, but pregnant women are drinking and smoking all the time. My neighbor has mental problems that she has had to deal with her entire life all because her mother was drinking while she was pregnant with her. My neighbor never chose to have this disorder, her mother chose for her. Legalizing marijuana could increase the number of these infants who are born with unwanted disorders or deformities that their mother gave to them with

Headlee 9 absolutely no right to. The line needs to be drawn. For me it is very clear and it should be for you as well. Marijuana should and needs to be illegal. The negatives very much out weight the positives. Marijuana needs to be illegal not only for our own sake, but for the sake of our children and other generations to come.

Headlee 10 Works Cited Foner, Eric, and John A. Garraty. "Drugs." The Reader's Companion to American History. Dec. 1 1991: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Feb 2013. Head, Tom. "8 Reasons Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized." About.com Civil Liberties. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013 Hildebrandt, Erin. "Medical Marijuana." Mothering. May/June 2004: 52-61. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Feb 2013. Joffe, Alain, and W. Samuel Yancy. "Legalization Of Marijuana: Potential Impact On Youth." Pediatrics 113.6 (2004): e632-e638. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Kleber, Herbert, and Joseph A. Califano Jr. "Legalization: Panacea or Pandora's Box?." World & I. Jan. 2006: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Feb 2013. "Pot for Medical Purposes? Sure. For Getting High? No." USA TODAY. 30 Oct 2012: A.10. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Feb 2013.