Free Essay Example on Legalization of Marijuana

Introduction

The debate on legalizing cannabis Sativa, commonly known as marijuana, remains a matter of contention in many countries worldwide. Countries like Japan and Cameroon do not allow the cultivation, sale, and consumption of cannabis. However, countries such as the Netherlands, Canada, Israel, and the U.S. continue to push for this substance's legality. Proponents of this view and recent research manuscripts provide some level of evidence to justify the need to legalize the use of marijuana. The traditional perception is that marijuana is a narcotic drug with many negative implications for consumers. However, proponents argue that marijuana has several medical benefits, such as relieving pain in patients. Additionally, marijuana seems suitable for recreational purposes, just like tobacco and alcohol. The ability to relieve neuropathic pain, treat diseases such as cancer, and provide pleasure to consumers constitutes why governments should legalize marijuana.

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Arguments for the Legalization of Marijuana

Medical Benefits

There is an argument that Marijuana helps in the relief of chronic neuropathic pain, particularly in people infected by HIV and AIDS. Hall, Wayne, and Michael Lynskey (17) report that the THC component in cannabis decreases chronic pain, such as back pain and accident-generated pains under controlled conditions. Noteworthy, during diagnosis, medical practitioners encounter the challenge of handling patients in pain. Essentially, if cannabis can help in stomaching this medical problem, then it is reasonable to argue that it is therapeutically beneficial and deserves legalization. On the same note, a study from the United Kingdom revealed that by using cannabis, about 14-18% of M.S. patients experienced a reduction in pain symptoms and relief from spasticity and insomnia (Hall, Wayne et al. 20). Imperatively, chronic pain is commonly experienced by patients suffering from ailments as HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer as well as post-traumatic pains. Chronic pain drains patients' hope for survival. Therefore, governments should legalize cannabis to help in alleviating such problems.

Another medical reason why legalizing marijuana is essential is that it helps to treat diseases such as cancer. According to Hall, Wayne, et al. (24), cannabis is recommended by medical practitioners in the U.S., mainly because it helps in managing cancer symptoms. Some of the symptoms associated with cancer include chemotherapy-induced nausea, muscle wear and pains, vomiting, and low appetite for food. For instance, the lack of appetite culminates in muscles getting wasted, and the immune system becomes weaker. It is important to note that cancer is a treatable condition that primarily requires eliminating the mentioned symptoms. Although there are only a few clinical trials of cannabis on cancer, marijuana components: nabilone, and synthetic THC are considered suitable in chemotherapy processes. Cannabis also contributes to the treatment of HIV/AIDS by reducing mass muscle wastage by suppressing cutaneous inflammation. Furthermore, numerous recent studies show that marijuana contributes to the improvement of Parkinson's disease (Wayne et al. 23). Based on these medical reasons, it is necessary to legalize marijuana.

Recreational Benefits

There are different activities that people engage in as a way of enjoyment, particularly during leisure time. Some play games, some go swimming, and some smoke tobacco and drink alcohol. Importantly, tobacco and alcohol are legally recognized by the governments, but some governments prohibit the use of marijuana. However, in the proponents’ view, marijuana must also be legalized as a recreational component for two reasons. Firstly, legalizing marijuana helps reduce social pressure for the currently few users, which improves the societal attitude towards it as a form of recreation (Madras 15). In light of this observation, such an environment increases the recreation options, besides alcohol and tobacco. Additionally, people will willingly seek medical advice if cannabis affects them during leisure consumption. This confidence helps in eliminating the fear of conviction. Secondly, legalizing marijuana will likely help governments effectively regulate the production, sale, and consumption of marijuana. Notably, the government can dictate the quantity of THC content in cannabis and eradicate black markets. This step ensures that the marijuana people consume for recreation is safe.

Counter-Argument

The evaluation of the proponents’ views demonstrates why the legalization of marijuana is necessary. However, marijuana is a narcotic drug with numerous psychoactive components that result in unusual behavioral changes among the users. Cannabis smoke contains carcinogenic ingredients such as tar, which affects consumers' brains. According to Wayne et al. (11), these components result in a lack of concentration and poor visibility among drug users. As such, cannabis is one of the primary causes of highway accidents. For example, “in the U.S., (2013), 62.6% of fatally injured drivers were tested for drugs, and more than one-third (34.7%) were positive for cannabis” (Wayne et al. 13). The use of cannabis affects people's psychomotor skills, hence leading to memory instability. The psychoactive problem mentioned, among other adverse outcomes such as addiction, indicates that legalizing marijuana is not a good idea.

Conclusion

The discussion shows that marijuana has medical and recreational benefits; hence, governments should legalize it. From a medical perspective, marijuana helps relieve chronic neuropathic pain in patients suffering from ailments such as HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Additionally, cannabis is useful in treating some diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease, as it helps suppress and eliminate symptoms. Also, marijuana is beneficial as a recreational drug just like tobacco and alcohol, as its use eliminates black markets and reduces social pressure on the current few consumers. Since the benefits of using marijuana outweigh its rebuttals, governments should legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes.

Works Cited

Hall, Wayne, and Michael Lynskey. "Evaluating the public health impacts of legalizing recreational cannabis use in the United States." Addiction 111.10 (2016): 1764-1773.https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43374799.pdf

Madras, B. K. "Update of cannabis and its medical use. Report to the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence." (2015). https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/6_2_cannabis_update.pdf