Legalization of marijuana Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Legalization of marijuana - Research Paper Example However, there is very little evidence to prove the claims of negative effects of Marijuana on a person. The purpose of this paper is to discuss both sides of the issue while championing the side of legalized Marijuana sale and use based upon factual evidence from highly reputable newspaper and similar sources. Let me start off this discussion with the beliefs of the naysayers. Marijuana has always been listed as an illegal drug. This classification means that Marijuana, even when used for medical purposes will cause an addiction among its users. More so if people are allowed open access to the drug from an early age. Those who are opposed to the legalization of Marijuana continue to do so even if there are claims of medical benefits from its use. According to these people, there have not been any significant clinical studies to prove that the plant actually has any medical benefits that will aid a patient during his healing process (â€Å"In Our Opinion: Marijuana Should Not Be Mad e Legal†). So their argument is that the claims of medicinal use for the plant are baseless and are merely debate points that the supporters of the legalization of Marijuana use in a futile attempt to get Marijuana declared legal, at least for medicinal purposes. The opinion of the naysayers is that even as a medicinal drug, Marijuana has the ability to have debilitating effects upon the user. In the Netherlands, a study showed that 50 % of the patients with psychosis are Marijuana users. While there is a 4.5 chance that heavy users will develop psychosis. Even as the medical content of Marijuana, known as CBD or Cannibol shows some promise of being an effective medicinal tool to some extent, it is important to remember that Marijuana is still considered a criminal drug and as such may cause serious side effects (â€Å"Marijuana Shouldn't be Legalized†). Due to the ease that accompanies the cultivation of Marijuana, it is readily available, which is the major factor in the drug being the most highly abused in the United States. It is this sort of addiction that produced a great cost that resulted in the prohibition of Marijuana. Readily available information dictates that: Marijuana is currently the leading cause of substance dependence other than alcohol in the U.S. In 2008, marijuana use accounted for 4.2 million of the 7 million people aged 12 or older classified with dependence on or abuse of an illicit drug. This means that about two thirds of Americans suffering from any substance use disorder are suffering from marijuana abuse or marijuana dependence (â€Å"Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana†). . Contrary to the opinion of those who support the medical legalization of Marijuana, the drug can actually be more dangerous than the cure. Since Marijuana actually contains a higher level of toxins than regular cigarettes due to the pure form that it is smoked in, a single joint can have the same harmful effect as smoking five cigarette st icks. It also activates cancer causing agents within the body of the user in the case of non-cancerous users. Aside from the fact that Marijuana is a carrier for the Kaposis Sarcoma disease, regular pot users also find themselves with a higher rate of lung destruction that a regular cigarette smoker (Enyart, Bob â€Å"Why Marijuana Should Be Illegal†). The prohibition of