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Essay about Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized

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Marijuana's illegalization has always been erroneous. Early in the 1900s, a surge of Mexicans immigrated to the U.S., and the marijuana they brought with them was quickly associated with them. In the 1930s, tensions between white Americans and Mexican immigrants were heightened due to the Great Depression, and the use of marijuana was ultimately prohibited for the general public in 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act ("Marijuana Timeline"). By the 1960s, marijuana became a symbol of counterculture, and the government stopped any research involved with its properties. In 1971, President Richard Nixon began the "War on Drugs," and marijuana was dragged into it. Nixon assigned a commission to review the danger marijuana possesses, and the …show more content…

Studies by the British Medical Association and World Health Organization have concluded that medical marijuana could be used to treat symptoms of certain diseases (Koch). Due to the extensive testing that these two organizations did and the fact that they are very reputable, there is enough evidence that medical marijuana should be used to help patients. Since marijuana is readily available, and there is research to confirm its medical uses, there is no reason not to use it. Opponents of the use of medical marijuana argue that it could have unintended societal consequences. Robert L. DuPont of the National Institute on Drug Abuse argues that teen attitudes to marijuana are linked to medical marijuana laws, and that medical marijuana would "normalize drug use" ("Teen Drug Use"). This is not true. The Institute of Medicine was asked to conduct a study on medical marijuana by the White House. The IOM concluded that, among other things, the use of medical marijuana would not increase recreational usage rates of marijuana (Koch). Since this organization is clearly reputable, there is enough evidence that the legalization medical marijuana wouldn't affect the general population's use of marijuana in any way. Since DuPont also didn't provide any evidence for his claim, it can be dismissed. Due to the evidence provided, it is clear that marijuana has positive health benefits. In addition, marijuana should be legalized because its illegalization

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