Legalizing Marijuana Annotated Bib

Running Head: LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA 1

LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

5

Legalization of Marijuana

Shondella Barkley

Rasmussen College

07/30/2017

The legal use of marijuana has been around for thousands of years as a medicine, religious, and the recreational drug throughout the world. Currently, it is being utilized by several youths and adults both for the medication purposes, socializing, obtaining high, and for the reduction of distress. It is used has impacted human lives in a lively way. Despite the fact that marijuana is an illegitimate drug, an estimated number of citizens do not cease from accessing marijuana. Even though marijuana interferes with their natural brain roles such as reminiscence, the coordination, learning and the capability of solving issues, letting it to stay illegal results in no distinction in application, except inflicts other relevant concerns that have to be addressed urgently (Campbell, Jean, & Nathan, 2017).

Purpose Statement

Many people are of the opinion that the legalization of marijuana is likely to elevate the chances of the drug falling into the hands of the kids and its use may progress to the use of heroin and cocaine. The scope of this paper is, therefore, to provide an argument based on the positive and the negative impacts most so regarding the medicinal use of marijuana. Explanation on how it marijuana legalization might affect the users is provided. Also, the paper provides the best solutions towards the negative impacts associated with the legalization of the marijuana.

Problem

According to the definition by the Controlled Substances Act, the classification of marijuana as Schedule I drug. Some individuals are suffering from the debilitating illnesses like AIDS wasting, nausea due to treatment using chemotherapy approaches most in people with cancer diseases, rheumatoid arthritis. The claim from these people is that the use of marijuana has some palliative impacts. Nevertheless, there is little information regarding the use of marijuana to prove these allegations. Those who support the use of marijuana argue using the folk legend and the history concerning its use as for the reason of its legitimacy (Choo, Benz, Zaller, Warren, Rising, & McConnell, 2014).

Legalization of marijuana due to its medical benefits is believed to be appropriate due to its effectiveness in the treatment approach. It is believed that marijuana is beneficial medically when it comes to therapy treatment. It has proven to be useful for treating certain severe illnesses whereby the other recommended and legalized therapeutic mechanisms have not been effective. Other therapy treatment approaches also come with the intolerance side effects thus questioning the effectiveness of those approaches when compared to the use of marijuana which has never indicated signs of intolerance side effects (Hall & Megan, 2017).

The individual opposing this argument is of the opinion that allowing the use of marijuana for the medical reasons (for palliative therapy) is likely to force the users to engage in illicit drug use. These people also argue that it is a gateway where people have more chances of using other hard drugs in the name of the medication. The opposing individuals based their argument on the officially authorized status of the marijuana and the harms associated with its use. Medically, the predicaments of marijuana legalization are critical since if it is confirmed to be a soothing medical treatment, then the re-examination of the marijuana status would be necessary. For example, if Congress decides to reassign it to a Schedule II drug, there will be a possibility of its regulation and taxation.

The use of marijuana is detrimental and addictive, and it result in riskier drug use. Legalization may also result in the adoption of the conviction that the leisure use of the marijuana is all right thus encouraged to be suitable for the health of human being. Legalization of the marijuana requires a pattern of shift in thoughts concerning the categorization of illegal or legal drugs, and this will need a comparable modification in judgment on what is suitable recreational drug use. However, until such a time when there will be a scientific proof that reasonable and sensible management can be implemented for the delineation of the legal use of marijuana for the medical purposes, therefore, it will be challenging to change the mind of those supporting and those against the legalization of marijuana (Monte, Richard, & Kennon, 2015).

Solutions

The solution that I might suggest about the above-mentioned problems that are associated with the legalization of marijuana is to carry out scientific research. The research should be able to determine the medical benefits of marijuana as well as the conditions for which it becomes palliative. Another solution is the establishment of the effective controls for the regulation of the marijuana use most so for the medical purposes. This is important in preventing the entry of marijuana into the illegalized marijuana market (Choo, Benz, Zaller, Warren, Rising, & McConnell, 2014).

Another solution is the appropriate punishment for the illicit recreational use of the marijuana. This is necessary for the protection of the individuals who need drugs for the medical motives. It is clear that the unreliable proof regarding the authenticity of the marijuana use for the medical purposes is not sufficient to be able to transform the categorization of the medical marijuana from Schedule I drug to Schedule II drug. Marijuana meant for medical should be scrutinized scientifically just like any other drug that is proposed for the medical treatment instead of making it legal for use as a medicine as a result of the popular will (Monte, Richard, & Kennon, 2015).

It is evidence that the mindset of the Congress is a key obstacle most in the issues that relate to marijuana. Their mindset interferes with the progress towards the scientific study on marijuana. There is a need to have a practical controlled cooperation. The raised concerns regarding the claims that legalizing marijuana might cause an increasing recreational use to have to be tackled. The present legislation in every state that permits medical utilization of marijuana has some unclear language that makes enough control of the drug to be challenging. This leaves the patients, physicians, and the suppliers of the marijuana to be the most vulnerable groups when it comes to the issues of prosecution.

Conclusions

I do believe that the legalization of marijuana use with a motive of promoting is for the medical use is not morally legitimate. There is a need for scientific research to be done without first legalizing it. The evidence that is available about the detrimental impacts of the marijuana use outweigh the anecdotal proofs as a analgesic medical treatment. The dangers that the legalization of marijuana can bring to the public prevail over the advantages to be gained by fewer individuals. However, this is not meant to rule out the benefits that can be got by the people suffering from terminal illness. It is necessarily beneficial if the evaluation of the marijuana drug can be carried out. The evaluation must focus on its use before the broad medical use.

References Campbell, W., Jean, T., & Nathan, C. (2017). Support for marijuana (Cannabis) Legalization: Untangling age, period, and cohort effects. Collabra: Psychology, 3 (1). Choo, E. K., Benz, M., Zaller, N., Warren, O., Rising, K. L., & McConnell, K. J. (2014). The impact of state medical marijuana legislation on adolescent marijuana use. Journal of Adolescent Health, 55 (2), 160-166. Hall, W., & Megan, W. (2017). Has marijuana legalization increased marijuana use among US youth? JAMA pediatrics, 171 (2), 116-118. Monte, A. A., Richard, D. Z., & Kennon, H. J. (2015). The implications of marijuana legalization in Colorado. Jama, 313 (3), 241-242.