Argumentative Essay on Marijuana Legalization

Introduction

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a drug that has many helpful uses for the people. Marijuana is thought to be a medicinal plant that can act as a remedy for a wide variety of mental problems including depression, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease. It is also an energizing drug that makes people work with little stress. Ironically, Controlled Substances Act (CSA) has classified marijuana as Schedule 1 substance implying that it has high abuse rate and is illegal. There has been a hot debate and even legal lawsuits seeking to legalize marijuana in the entire United States. Because of the several benefits marijuana has for people such as improving mental health, energizing sports people and its medicinal value, it is imperative that the Congress legalizes it by establishing a legal framework to control its planting, proper processing, and trading.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Marijuana helps people in improving their brain health. Marijuana can potentially guard individuals against Alzheimer's disease (Swartz 3). Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia affecting more than five million Americans, and it has been ranked sixth among the leading causes of death among the United States citizens. For many years, medical researchers have been looking for ways to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Marijuana contains tetrahydrocannabinol and other compounds which can help in removal of amyloid beta from the brain nerves and cells (Swartz 3). Amyloid beta is a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease; therefore, its elimination prevents the development of the disease. Likewise, marijuana reduces chances of depression and depressive disorders as well as seizures and epilepsy among the users (Medmar medical). Thus, marijuana can help people avoid mental problems that usually lower quality of life.

Also, marijuana helps athletes and other sports participants to "get in the zone" or have enough energy to exercise and participate in the game. Many of the athletes and sports persons have used weed to help in training hard every day and also to recover from muscle inflammation and other injuries (Swartz 5). Marijuana contains cannabidiol, which is anti-inflammatory thus relieving muscle inflammation and healing injuries. Therefore, marijuana can help sportspersons recover from injuries and focus on their thorough training to realize good results.

Moreover, marijuana is of great medicinal value to human beings. Marijuana has a natural role in pain modulation, control of memory and pain. Drugs made from marijuana (cannabinoid drugs) exhibit therapeutic value in the treatment of symptoms such as control of nausea and vomiting, pain relief and appetite stimulation (Joy et al. 4). When cannabinoid drugs are used, they result in psychological benefits such as sedation and anxiety reduction (Joy et al. 4). Also, pharmaceutical marijuana has been found to help mitigate side effects of many medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis (Smith 2). These potential benefits are good for enhancing an individual's health.

Conclusion

Marijuana should be legalized as it is helpful to the people. Marijuana is a drug with positive mental effects such as preventing Alzheimer's disease and depression. It is also an energizing substance as well as pain relief that helps athletes and sports people recover from injuries and muscle problems as quick as possible so that they can focus on training for good results. Further, marijuana has medicinal values with positive therapeutic effects as well as mitigating side effects of a wide array of medical conditions. Through the Congress, marijuana can be legalized by the establishment of cannabis board to oversee planting, processing, trading, and use of the substance. The board shall regulate its use to ensure that people do not abuse so that dependency on the substance is mitigated.

Works Cited

Joy, J. E., S. J. Watson Jr, and J. A. Benson Jr. "Marijuana and medicine: assessing the science base. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1999." (2017).

Medmar medical (n.d). Medical marijuana; benefits-risks. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiSq_7mqY3aAhWiYJoKHUYXDb0QFghJMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedmarmed.com%2Fpdf%2FMarijuanasideeffectsandbenefitsriskve4_3.pdf&usg=AOvVaw18lVZcaTEs6iZHcjc3PxiU

Smith, Dave. "'Medical'Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization." International Business Times.

Swartz, Anna. Marijuana's effects on the body, brain, heart and sperm: All your weed questions answered. McLean Hospital