We all know that conventional wisdom tells us that...

We all know that conventional wisdom tells us that marijuana is illegal because it is a drug that can cause harm to you and those around you. But then why do so many people smoke marijuana? Why does California pass a law saying that having 28.5 grams, or one once, is a misdemeanor? Why did Colorado pass a law stating that the use of recreational marijuana was legal? I think that marijuana should be legal in the United States to use recreationally for many different reasons, such as economic benefits, health benefits and it is a better drug than those that are currently legal. The first of which is because it is safer than most drugs that people are already allowed to use, such as alcohol cigarettes. In an article written by CNN’s Dan†¦show more content†¦Although marijuana is a hallucinogen it does not have a highly addictive characteristic like other hallucinogens. In 2004 the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that its short term effects include, but are not limited to: blood shot eyes, dry mouth and increased heart rate. Its long term effects include, but are not limited to: lower testosterone levels in men, and higher testosterone levels in women. When you compare this to other drug’s side affects you see that they are not so bad. The second reason would be to use it as a form of medical treatment. In Blurred Boundaries: The Therapeutics and Politics of Medical Marijuana, by Cr. J. Michael Bostwick, it is said that the body has a set of receptors, called endocannabinoid system, that â€Å"extends far and wide within the body as a physiologic modulator not only of the central nervous system but also of the autonomic nervous system, immune system, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive system, cardiovascular system, and endocrine network†(Bostwick, J.). This implies people with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder would be the best suitors for marijuana’s medical applications. A little girl in Colorado named Charlotte Figi was diagnosed with a genetic disease, known as Dravet Syndrome, in which she had multiple spasms that lasted many hours. By the time she was three months she had seizures that lasted for thirty minutes, and at the age of two sheShow MoreRelatedProposal Fo r Legalizing Industrial Hemp2349 Words   |  10 Pagesgovernment, in all its wisdom, treats hemp and marijuana in the same manner. Despite one offering no psychoactive effects (hemp) and the other offering psychoactive effects (marijuana), both are against the law. Several states have passed laws to allow the growing of hemp; however the federal government has stood firm on the ban for decades, and continues to do so. The time has come for the feds to update obsolete polices and get a dose of reality; it’s time to legalize industrial hemp. Did you know IndustrialRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 PagesOxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Copyright  © 2003 by Ennis Barrington Edmonds The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or underRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesStates. 2. Information services— United States—Management. I. Moran, Barbara B. II. Title. Z678.S799 2007 025.1—dc22 2007007922 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright  © 2007 by Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007007922 ISBN: 978–1–59158–408–7 978–1–59158–406–3 (pbk.) First