Argumentative Essay Example: Marijuana Should Be legalized in the US

Marijuana is a substance produced by drying the blossom of either of the two species of the cannabis plant, which are the Cannabis sativa and the Cannabis indica. The substance has been used for centuries by about 45 percent of the American adults (DiNitto & Choi, 2011). Marijuana has been used as a medicine, an herb, rope making hemp as well as a recreational drug. Before the 20th century, the use of marijuana had been unregulated, and it formed a component of most medicines manufactured in the US. However, the lack of regulation has been reversed recently, with an effort to ensure that the use of marijuana is made illegal in the US. Even though the opponents of legalization quote various disadvantages of the substance, I believe that the advantages of marijuana outweigh its disadvantages. The paper succinctly gives a justification as to why cannabis should be legalized in the US.

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Firstly, the opponents feel that smoking marijuana is immoral and goes against the societal norms. The fact that the society views marijuana smoking to be something which is not in accordance to the set rules in the community makes the opponents feel that marijuana, just as abortion, should be made illegal. They, however, fail to realize that illegalizing the substance, based on the societal believes would be an infringement on the rights and freedom of the individual user. The societal norms should not be in any way used to violate some human rights. In this sense, therefore, marijuana use should be legalized to ensure that everyone's right to choice and personal liberty is respected.

Secondly, the opposing side argues that the use of marijuana has adverse health effects on users. They quote conditions such as hallucinations and mood swings as some of the impact. They, however, forget that substances such as tobacco, which has more drastic effects on health have been legalized. Moreover, scientific research has not established concrete impact of marijuana on users' health. In contrary, marijuana has been found to be a cure for various chronic illnesses such as the cirrhosis, Alzheimer, and cancer among others. The drug should, therefore, be made legal for easier access.

Additionally, those behind the ideology of illegalizing marijuana feel that the cost of dealing with the chaotic, violent users of marijuana is high, not putting to details the cost which would be incurred if the authorities were to deal with the sellers in the black market after illegalization. Moreover, the legalization of the use and the sale of marijuana shall highly contribute to the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) in every state. To avoid the loss in revenue, therefore; the use of marijuana should be made legal in all the states in America.

Lastly, marijuana can be used for recreational purposes as it helps in the reduction of anxiety and stress. Additionally, marijuana relieves pain, as it works better than opioids. As opposed to other hard drugs there are also no withdrawal symptoms when one finally decides to stop using marijuana.

In conclusion, it is right to note that legalization of marijuana in the US would be more beneficial than making it illegal. Even though the opponents believe that marijuana has cons which should be used as the guideline to make it illegal, it is clear that the advantages of marijuana are far much distinctive and outweighs the disadvantages. Marijuana should therefore be, made legal in the United States.

Reference

DiNitto, D. M., & Choi, N. G. (2011). Marijuana use among older adults in the USA: user characteristics, patterns of use, and implications for intervention. International Psychogeriatrics, 23(5), 732-741.