Why do people take hard drugs like pot, cocaine, and so on? Heck, I do not know. Some might want to be a rebel like Justin Bieber, be cool, grow up, and/or find a loop hole through troubles. Well, let us just say hard drugs are in the bad things to do category. Like Marijuana, for example, a more current social issue if this drug should be legalized or not. Well, I know that answer. Marijuana is a no no and should not be legalized.

To begin with, I feel some people do not realize the consequences of this drug. People say this drug is just like or even less harmful than tobacco. As if this may seem like a probable or true statement, Marijuana can do so much more damage than cigarettes. Marijuana can give lung cancer by being smoked in a joint (a pipe) just like a cigarette. Cannabis (marijuana) also has the chemical delta 9- tetrahydroca nabino, also known as THC (Barbour 14). In the Marijuana plant, the amount of THC is basically the amount of high the person will get off this plant. Too much THC gives paranoia, which ruins your brain.

Also, Marijuana has long term affects such as the user’s future being foggy, the perception, memory, and judgment can be destroyed in the mind. This drug kills your immune system that is good cells that help your body fight germs. Once that protection of the immune system is gone, you will be exposed to sickness all around you because you will not be protected. Short term affects include temporarily bloodshot eyes, dry mouth, and/or raised heartbeat (Sanna, 43). So this dangerous drug that slowly destroys people should be legalized so everyone shall have full access to it? There are stories of kids that had their life ruined from marijuana because of the harmful use that is addicting. If a harmful drug is addicting it should not be used. The user will keep using it and have the drug keep ruining their body. And Obama said himself he did not view Marijuana as dangerous as alcohol. Boy was he wrong. He even admitted to using marijuana in his youth (Hefler). The effects of marijuana is to harmful and should not be legalized.

Moreover, Marijuana is used as medical treatment. Marijuana can help with nausea, vomiting, weight gain by increasing appetite, decreasing pressure in one’s eye caused by glaucoma, and much more (Sanna 73-74). This treatment can work just as well as painkillers or better (Sanna, 73). Right now there is a mandatory minimum sentence for medical use in twenty four states (Sanna, 74). Marijuana should only be legalized for medical purposes such as a use for patients that need a painkiller and so on. Fourteen states possess and use marijuana for medical use already. Doctors can prescribe a minimal amount for patients to be safe. Other than medical use, marijuana should not be legalized. If used in another way, Marijuana is really detrimental.

As of now, there are strict federal laws enforced with fines and punishments in jail. The first offense of Marijuana is a year in prison or a one thousand dollar fine. The second offense is fifteen days of a minimal amount in prison and a two-thousand five hundred dollar fine. More use after the first and second is three months to three years in prison with a fifteen thousand dollar fine. Dealers of sixty thousand kilograms sold, or more get the death penalty (Sanna 65). Even more use of Marijuana after the first couple offenses are very firm. More use equals more life in prison (minimal of five years), and fines vary from 250,000 to 14,000,000 dollars! This law against Marijuana is just for the protection of people. People should take Marijuana seriously and know that it is not just like a cigarette. It is much worse! That is why the government takes the law against marijuana so seriously. Marijuana users tend to be younger in teen range and that is very dangerous when the brain is developing (Sanna, 43). Youths seem to have better hold to Marijuana because it could help them feel cool in school or make them feel better when they are upset. The dealers manipulate ignorant children to make them believe Marijuana is okay. Then their friends think it is okay because their other friend is doing it. Depression is contagious mi amigo. The fines keep rising because of the dangers of Marijuana.

Moving on, some people want to have Marijuana for economy reasons. Marijuana will have a big boost on the economy (Barbour, 26). Colorado, a state that already legalized Marijuana, is expected to inject two hundred eight million dollars into the economy this year. The money is mostly taxes which is 28% increase to the economy (Hefler). Although Marijuana will help the struggling economy, it will also help ruin, damage, and/or kill people. This drug cannot be legalized just for the economy to boost when there are way too many dangerous effects of this drug (Sanna, 43). Prohibition needlessly destroys the lives and careers of literally hundreds/thousands of good, hardworking, productive, people each year (Barbour26). That last sentence is a false statement. If Marijuana is legalized, there will be some dealers to get a lot of money and profit from this drug. But, hundreds and thousands of people are not going to be dealers that get millions of dollars. There would be a couple best seller profit makers like there are a couple brands for cigarettes. Marijuana would be a beneficial drug for America, but would be harming badly the individuals of this country. The drug is not worth it.

Furthermore, long ago when Jamestown made tobacco, the colonies also made Marijuana for medical use. The Americans notice the Hispanics were smoking Marijuana up. Jamestown was like, “What!?!” In 1619, later that year they bandwagon the Mexicans and smoke Marijuana as well. As soon as the Americans found out the horrible affects of Marijuana, They enforced a law against it in 1937 and made people have no possession or any use of Marijuana (Sanna 81-82). Before 1937, Marijuana was freely bought, sold, and smoked in the United States. Marijuana was easy to grow and sold (Rich). Marijuana shot the economy up and was pennies on the pound Pierre says. But, the law made Marijuana prohibited and it should stay that way. If anything, Marijuana should use be legal for patients that need painkillers because any other use is dangerous. That is how it was in the first place!


To put a lid on this container, Marijuana should not be legalized. Marijuana is destructive and should only be legalized for medical purposes if so. Marijuana is very damaging. Even though Marijuana can help the economy, Marijuana is not worth it to legalize. The effects are just too harmful. Say no to Marijuana legalization!