Should Marijuana Be Legalized

Pro"s arguments in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana greatly overstate the case. First, pro claims that marijuana is not addictive. According to Psychology Today* the most that we can say is that marijuana is not as addictive as some other substances. Between 10 to 30% of regular marijuana users develop dependency. 9% develop a serious addiction. Comparatively, only 23% of heroin users develop an addiction. While it is true that marijuana is not as addictive a heroin, that is not the same as saying that it is not addictive. Second, it is true that since marijuana was legalized in Colorado crime in Denver, the state"s largest city, has decreased by roughly 10%**. However, a large part of that drop can be attributed to the fact that an activity which was once illegal has been legalized. If theft were legalized we would also see a decrease in illegal activity because an action which was once a crime would no longer be considered illegal. Beyond this, it is difficult to give the legalization of marijuana full credit for the decrease in crime. For instance, homicide in Denver has decreased by almost 50%. It would be an extremely difficult to make a case that a full 50% of homicides in Denver were marijuana related. Third, anorexia has nothing to do with appetite. It usually centers around body issues in which a person feels hungry but chooses not to eat. Increased appetite through drug use or medication is not considered a valid treatment for anorexia.*** Beyond all this, there are some strong reasons for keep marijuana illegal for the time being. First, legalization is likely to increase overall marijuana use. This is bad for the country. Even if we ignore the negative effects of marijuana, I think that we can all agree that recreational marijuana has little to no positive effects on a person. Increased availability of marijuana would not benefit the country overall. Second, we have yet to have a long-term test of the societal effect of legalizing marijuana. Yes, crime has decreased in Denver. However, the legalization is less than a year old. Before we should even consider the success or failure of this experiment, more time needs to pass. To base any action on the results we have seen thus far would be exceedingly premature. Finally - I grant that I am going out on a limb with this last one but I think that there is some truth here - it is unlikely the marijuana sellers will suddenly become model citizens. Selling marijuana is not a crime of convenience. To sell marijuana regularly requires a consistent choice. However, small time dealers will not be able to compete in the long run with major corporations that see the money making potential of selling marijuana. When these small time dealers find that they cannot compete it is unlikely that they will find honest work. They will more likely move on to a different form of illegal activity. There will always be people out there willing to ignore the law to make a quick buck. I want that person selling marijuana. While they are harming society, if they were not selling marijuana then they will most likely be doing something that is even worse. While recreation marijuana use might not be as destructive as some other kinds of illegal activities, on the whole legalizing recreational marijuana at this point in time would be the wrong choice for our country. *Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com... **Source: http://rt.com... ***Source: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org...