Marijuana should be legalized

I believe that Pro has the full burden of proof, as he is making a claim against the status quo. However, I will provide contentions of my own. And just to prevent unwanted semantics, I will provide a denotation for 'marijuana':"the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as a narcotic or hallucinogen. " (1)NEGC1 CancerScientific studies have come to the consensus that marijuana is a carcinogen viz. it causes cancer. It has proven to be a difficult assertion to conclude, however Cancer Research UK have deduced that it modifies the p53 gene. Please observe:"One of these carcinogens is benzyprene. Benzyprene is in the tar of both tobacco and cannabis cigarettes. We know that benzyprene causes cancer. It alters a gene called p53, which is a tumour suppressor gene. We know that 3 out of 4 lung cancers (75%) occur in people who have faulty p53 genes. The p53 gene is also linked to many other cancers. " (2) Moreover, Jann Gumbiner, Ph. D. , who is a licensed psychologist and clinical professor at the University of California (3) came to a similar rendition:"one of the most potent carcinogens in tobacco smoke, benzo(α)pyrene, is present in even greater amounts in marijuana smoke"These two sources are ratified by (5)(6)(7). All in all, I have presented a preponderance of evidence that marijuana causes cancer. C1 Health DetrimentsNot only does marijuana cause cancer, it also causes countless health detriments. "research shows that approximately 20% of regular pot smokers (and it only takes 3 to 4 joints a day) complain of chronic bronchitis, coughing and excess mucus" (8)In comparison to smoking, marijuana smokers inhale "5 times the amount of absorption of carbon monoxide and four to five times more tar being retained in the lungs. " (4)It modifies the brain: " studies show structural changes in brain regions such as the nucleus accumbens after exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabino" (9)"We collected high-resolution MRI scans on young adult recreational marijuana users and nonusing controls and conducted three independent analyses of morphometry in these structures: (1) gray matter density using voxel-based morphometry, (2) volume (total brain and regional volumes), and (3) shape (surface morphometry). Gray matter density analyses revealed greater gray matter density in marijuana users than in control participants in the left nucleus accumbens extending to subcallosal cortex, hypothalamus, sublenticular extended amygdala, and left amygdala, even after controlling for age, sex, alcohol use, and cigarette smoking. Trend-level effects were observed for a volume increase in the left nucleus accumbens only. Significant shape differences were detected in the left nucleus accumbens and right amygdala. The left nucleus accumbens showed salient exposure-dependent alterations across all three measures and an altered multimodal relationship across measures in the marijuana group. These data suggest that marijuana exposure, even in young recreational users, is associated with exposure-dependent alterations of the neural matrix of core reward structures and is consistent with animal studies of changes in dendritic arborization. "(9)Marijuana is known to cause:"rapid heart beat, disorientation, lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. Some users suffer panic attacks or anxiety. " (10)High potency cannabis contributes to phsychosis (11). It can cause depression: "an association exists between early exposure coupled with continued use into adult life and increased incidence of MDD in adulthood. "(12)"Marijuana overactivates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of these receptors. This causes the "high" that users feel. Other effects include: altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors) altered sense of time changes in mood impaired body movement difficulty with thinking and problem-solving impaired memory" (13) (14) s://d14rmgtrwzf5a. cloudfront. net. .. ; alt="Image of a cross section of the brain with marked areas that are affected by THC. " /> It lowers the IQ of children: "people who started smoking marijuana heavily in their teens and had an ongoing cannabis use disorder lost an average of eight IQ points between ages 13 and 38. The lost mental abilities did not fully return in those who quit marijuana as adults. " (15)Users also report less academic and career success. For example, marijuana use is linked to a higher likelihood of dropping out of school (16). It is also linked to more job absences, accidents, and injuries. (17)ConclusionI have displayed that marijuana causes cancer, and poses as a serious health detriment to its users. I have presented a cumbersome amount of evidence why marijuana posits bad health effects, and why it should remain banned is axiomatic. I ask voters to keep in perspective that Pro is the one to show that despite these health risks marijuana should be legalized. AFFA1 Restricts personal freedomWe could argue that all laws restrict personal freedom, and that no laws should remain. My opponent argues that governments become tyrannical by restricting the people's freedom, but this logic could be used to eradicate virtually all laws in existence. A2 Marijuana is less dangerous than the drugs that are already legalThe first source my adversary uses to corroborate this assertion commits the "appeal to extremes fallacy". It deduces that:"when it comes to the likelihood of a person dying due to consuming a lethal dose". Therefore, marijuana is only safer in special situations -- when a person consumes too much of either substance, alcohol is more dangerous. This is an appeal to extremes fallacy, as it is only synthesized upon a person consuming too much. .. Bare in mind, too much of anything is bad. The second source constructs its pretenses upon the: "lethality of the recreational use of 10 common drugs". Lethality is only one variable. I have shown marijuana to pose serious health detriments to its users. Likewise, the third source does the same: "Using a novel method to measure the risk of mortality associated. .. " Mortality is only one variable. Nevertheless, even if Pro's affirmations are correct in every possible aspect, he presents a false dichotomy. His logic is that the only outcome should be that if marijuana is safer than other drugs, then it should be legalized. No. This isn't the only possible rendition. His logic could equally present an argument in which marijuana is still illegal, but he is trying to make the other drugs illegal. He must present why the first outcome takes precedence. A3 Marijuana Prohibition is not the answer and makes the situation worseHow so? Pro's logic is that because marijuana is often purchased illegally then it should be legalized to reduce illegal purchasing. That logic can be used to legalize every illicit drug, including cocaine, methamphetamine etc. He opines that legalizing it would "hurt these drug cartels and lower crime in general". I agree, it would hurt drug cartels. But notice, it wouldn't completely eradicate them. They would still exist. Marijuana is only one drug that they sell, along with many others. And as far as crime goes, only one source you presented mentioned it, and it says: "“Prohibition made the gangster not just well paid, but well liked,” McWilliams said. It took significant organization to bootleg the quantities of alcohol people desired. The result was organized crime, which didn’t differentiate between petty crimes like transporting liquor and real crimes like violence, murder, and theft. " This doesn't really conclude that legalizing marijuana would create a safer environment for people. Sources in comments