Marijuana Made Legal

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. This paper explores three areas of controversy: the claims that marijuana is "dangerous and addictive," that marijuana is a "gateway" drug; and that decriminalization would lead to increased use.

From the Paper:

"The Drug Enforcement Administration (Marijuana, the Facts, 2001) argues, among other things, that marijuana leads to crime. To support this assertion they claim that 40% of males arrested for crimes have marijuana in their blood at the time of arrest. However, this fact does not show any causal relationship. The same males may also have tested positive for alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, but we do not claim these substances "cause" crime. Correlated information does not prove cause. The same source also states that THC content in marijuana has risen dramatically in recent years, thus, making it more dangerous. But this is really an argument for legislation to legalize. The THC content could be controlled, as alcohol is controlled in beer, wine, and whiskey, if marijuana were legal. Although the "drug warriors" claim that marijuana is "dangerous and addictive," no one has ever died from using it, and there is no known level where an overdose could happen. "

More papers on Marijuana Made Legal:

• Persuasive Essay # 50202 : "Legalization of Marijuana"
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• Persuasive Essay # 113746 : "Marijuana and Reasons for its Legalization"

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