Assignment 1.2: Conflicting Viewpoints Essay – Part II

Conflicting Viewpoints Essay - Part I

Heather Daniels

Professor Lillian Sconiers

April 15, 2018

I chose to write about Recreational Marijuana as my approved topic from the www.procon.org website. The topic asks the question, “Should Recreational marijuana be legal?” My position on this issue is that it should definitely be legalized. I agree with many of the arguments that were listed on www.procon.org. College graduates make more money than their non-degree holding counterparts. The first argument states that recreational marijuana boosts the economy, which we all need, worth rising everything and jobs at a scarce. One of the biggest pros that has come from the legalization debate is that of increased tax revenue. To illustrate the point, legal sales of cannabis products amounted to $996 million in 2015. That’s almost a billion dollars spent! And the tax revenue collected off those sales was equally as staggering—$135 million. That money can be used to fix roads, fund public projects, improve schools, hire more police and firefighters…the list goes on and on. This will dismantle the black market. For decades, the black market was really the only place to find marijuana. Sure, your friend’s brother always seemed to have some on hand, but where did he get it from? Chances are he knew someone who knew someone who knew someone who was a drug dealer or involved in organized crime. Some of those drug dealers and mafioso even had ties to terrorist organizations in other countries. The legalization of marijuana either put them out of business or made them go legit. Now, the black market is almost completely gone. Cannabis dispensaries are registered with the state. They are regulated. They are taxed. And that’s good news for everyone involved…except the bad guys.

In contrast many people feel negatively about the legalization of marijuana especially for recreational usage. One reason might be the fact that marijuana is addictive. Scientists are still divided on the subject of addiction. Some claim cannabis is not as addictive as harder drugs like crack and meth. Others claim, one in ten marijuana users develop dependence over time. They point to the fact that stopping marijuana cold turkey will lead to withdrawal symptoms like irritability and anxiety. The same, however, could be said of cigarette smoking (which is legal). More study will need to be done to determine if marijuana is truly as addictive as the opponents of cannabis legalization claim.

Another con can be related to second hand smoking. We’re all familiar with the debate involving the negative health effects of second-hand smoke from cigarettes. The same debate swirls around cannabis smoke. Could second-hand smoke from marijuana cause non-smokers to have lung problems? Can they accumulate THC in their bloodstream? Will they experience a contact high? These questions are still being studied to determine the efficacy of the opponents’ claims.

Lastly, decreased mental health. Opponents of legalized recreational marijuana like to point to studies that show that marijuana smokers suffer from everything from restricted blood flow to the brain, to memory loss, to the increased likelihood of schizophrenia and depression. But science is still not completely certain about these assertions. The schizophrenia and depression issue is particularly cloudy because researchers don’t know if the drug itself triggers the problem, or if cannabis users use the drug to alleviate and deal with the symptoms.

References

https://marijuana.procon.org/

Daily Health Alerts in Natural Health, News & Articles. The Benefits of Medical and Recreational Cannibis. https://dailyhealthalerts.com/the-benefits-of-medicinal-and-recreational-cannabis/

FRANCIOSI, A (2017). 12 Pros & Cons Of Marijuana Legalization. https://honestmarijuana.com/legalization-of-cannabis-pros-and-cons/

Marijuana Legalization and Regulation http://www.drugpolicy.org/issues/marijuana-legalization-and-regulation