The United States should NOT Legalize Marijuana

As the resolution states, "The United States should", we are analyzing a decision that is to made by a government. As the goal of a government should be to protect its people, whatever decision they make should uphold this philosophy. Basically, any decision made by a government should minimize harm, and thus, any decision that causes harm is not correct. That being said, I stand firmly resolved that the United States should NOT legalize marijuana. CONTENTION 1: Marijuana Is Harmful As I stated earlier, a government should not make any decision that has harmful effects. As marijuana is a harmful substance, the decision should be made NOT to legalize it. The National Institute for Drug Abuse explains: Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. In fact, heavy marijuana users generally report lower life satisfaction, poorer mental and physical health, relationship problems, and less academic and career success compared to their peers who came from similar backgrounds. For example, marijuana use is associated with a higher likelihood of dropping out from school. Several studies also associate workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover. (1) This statement from the NIDA clearly demonstrates some of the harmful effects of marijuana. Additionally, marijuana has also been proven to cause cancer. The Foundation for a Drug Free World elaborates: Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke. One major research study reported that a single cannabis joint could cause as much damage to the lungs as up to five regular cigarettes smoked one after another. Long-time joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract. (2) As these studies have been proven, it cannot be denied that marijuana has harmful effects. As such, the governing body of the USA should decide not to legalize it. CONTENTION 2: Legalizing Marijuana leads to Public Safety Issues Legalizing marijuana would make it more prominent. This cannot be denied. If the access to anything is easier, its prominence would be increased. Marijuana has also been the cause of several DUI incidents. Similar to alcohol, it impairs a drivers judgement and increases the likelihood of an accident. The following incidents is an example of this: Courtney Manning's death was one of three marijuana-related DUI fatalities in the Santa Cruz County this year, according to the CHP. (3) NORML has also made the following statement: Survey data indicates that approximately 112 million Americans (46 percent of the US population) have experimented with the use of illicit substances. Of these, more than 20 million (8.3 percent of the population) self-identify as "current" or "monthly" users of illicit drugs, and more than 10 million Americans say that they've operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of an illicit substance in the past year. These totals, while far from negligible, suggest that the prevalence of illicit drug use among US drivers is far less than the prevalence of alcohol among this same population. (4) This statement directly addresses the concern I express in this argument. 10 million people have operated a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana. And it is NOT yet legal. So it must be assumed that if it were to be legalized this number would go up. This causes a direct threat to the safety of everyone on the road. Any government trying to protect its citizens should recognize this and make sure NOT to legalize marijuana. CONTENTION 3: Legalizing Marijuana Would Increase the Illegal Use of Marijuana As evidenced by Colorado, legalizing marijuana comes with certain bi-laws restricting the amount any person can carry and grow. If we compare marijuana to gambling, we see a trend. Since the legalization of gambling, illegal gambling has increased. CNBC makes the following statement: Legalized gambling has not reduced illegal gambling in the United States; rather, it has increased it. This is particularly evident in sports gambling, most of which is illegal. Legal gambling is taxed and regulated and illegal gambling is not. Legal gambling sets the stage for illegal gambling just the way legal marijuana would set the stage for illegal marijuana trafficking. The gambling precedent suggests strongly that illegal drug suppliers would thrive by selling more potent marijuana products outside of the legal channels that would be taxed and otherwise restricted. If marijuana were legalized, the only way to eliminate its illegal trade, which is modest in comparison to that of cocaine, would be to sell marijuana untaxed and unregulated to any willing buyer. (5) This article describes not only how legalizing marijuana could lead to an increase in its illegal use, but also that its illegal use could become more dangerous. If it were made more potent, the cancer-causing agents would increase, its negatives impacts would increase as well making it even more dangerous. Both of these are reasons that a government should make sure that it stays illegal. For these reasons and many more, I urge an affirmative vote. ==================================== Evidence: 1 - http://www.drugabuse.gov... 2 - http://www.drugfreeworld.org... 3 - http://watsonville.patch.com... 4 - http://norml.org... 5 - http://www.cnbc.com...