Legalizing Marijuana

Name Course number Instructor’s name Date Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana has been illegal in the US from the 1930s. Medical marijuana has been legalized in some parts of the US such as California and Colorado (Kamin, 2012). Many more American citizens advocate for its legalization for medical purposes (Cohen, 2010). Additionally, a 2003 study reported that out of every five Americans, two of them would like the government to treat it like alcohol, regulate it, make it taxable and only make it illegal for children. Other studies show that almost 100 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 years have used marijuana (Nadelmann, Gutwillig, & Davies, 2012). Besides this prominent figures in the US such as AlGore, Bill Bradely and John Kerry, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are also guilty of smoking Marijuana (Nadelmann, Gutwillig, & Davies, 2012). Despite the statistics and the general support for its legalization, it remains a dangerous addictive drug with the potential to enslave the users. Addiction is one of the primary reasons why it should not be legalized. There is an increasing prevalence of marijuana addiction among adolescents and adults in the US (Budney, Roffman, Stephan, & Walker, 2007). Many people question the existence of marijuana dependence and clinical studies have shown confirmed that it exists and has harmful effects for the users albeit less severe as compared to other drugs and substances. Nine percent of its users become addicted, half of those seeking treatment for marijuana dependence are under 25 years and it is reported to affect 4.3 percent of Americans. Those seeking treatment normally experience withdrawal syndrome when they stop. Additionally, the youth users are at increased risk of dropping out of school, delinquency, engaging in risky sexual behavior leading to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, lowered educational and occupational aspirations and they also engage in criminal behavior leading to legal problems (Budney, Roffman, Stephan, & Walker, 2007). Another reason why marijuana should not be legalized is that it causes impaired judgment. One of the commonest effects of marijuana is that it impairs the user’s cognitive abilities. The cognitive abilities include the short-term memory, concentration, ability to process information to inform correct judgment. It is reported that one of the withdrawal symptoms of marijuana is loss of memory that can continue for as long as six months (Maisto, 2010). It is also commonplace for marijuana users to be unable to form new memories and balance. They may also experience hallucinations, delusions and lose their sense of identity. These factors are controlled by the tetrahydrocannibol (THC) a component in the marijuana that is important for one’s judgment. This is because it controls memory, coordinated movement, thought, concentration, time and depth (Maisto, 2010). When the user’s judgment is impaired, they are unable to have accurate discernment while driving. This causes many accidents because apart from being unable to concentrate and think clearly, they are also unable to control the vehicle due to the inability to coordinate their movemen...