Weed should be completely legalised in the United Kingdom

Marijuana is less harmful then legal drugs? Interestingly enough tobacco—commonly considered a [legal] drug which is very harmful to the body—is less potent then marijuana. Marijuana is a stronger carcinogenic then tobacco, and countless studies find marijuana smoke is so toxic it severely hurts the immune system. THC, the main chemical in marijuana, does a good job at suppressing peoples immune systems [1]. Alcohol is actually good for the body in low doses, and reduces the risk of heart disease, strokes, gallstones, diabetes, and death from a heart attack. Two drinks a day give substantial benefits to the heart. Due to the fact marijuana hurts T-cells, and weakens the lungs, risk of lung infections raise for those using marijuana. Any amount of marijuana increases the risk of heart attack (it raises heart rate), and in the long-term cause birth defects. Now, I agree alcohol is an awful substance, in the short and long term. But marijuana is much worse in that perspective. For example, alcohol (even when consuming a lot of it) is easily and quickly broken down, however marijuana chemicals reside in the body for long periods of time. Alcohol is healthy at a low dose; marijuana is unhealthy in all doses in the long and short term [2]. My opponent has argued the only reason tobacco has not been banned is because it leads to economic benefits. Sadly, this fact is untrue and unsourced. Global studies have found tobacco lowers worker productivity and is holding down economic growth. Smoking costs the world 1-2% of the worlds GDP and has killed 1 billion people in this century. My opponent’s argument is laughable; I doubt the increased revenue outweighs a 2% decline in economic growth. This data invalidates my opponent’s position [3]. I ask my opponent to elaborate. It seems as though he is arguing the drug war funds drunkards, which makes little sense as drug prohibition has been decreasing usage and, therefore, lowering business to drug dealers [1]. Marijuana is addictive, I don’t think even the most passionate legalization advocates can deny this fact. Research clearly shows if you begin using marijuana as a teenager, addiction rates range from 25-50%, much higher then other drugs. Twin studies find a twin that uses marijuana early on has more problems and addictions in life then the twin that abstains from marijuana use until an older age (or abstains from it fully). People trying to quit marijuana have similar symptoms as those on other drugs (like alcohol). They have cravings, sleep disorders develop, anxiety, increased aggression, irritability, these symptoms are similar to nicotine withdrawal [4]. ===Effects of legalization=== a. Increased use “In 1975, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the state could not interfere with an adult’s possession of marijuana for personal consumption in the home. The court’s ruling became a green light for marijuana use. Although the ruling was limited to persons 19 and over, teens were among those increasingly using marijuana. According to a 1988 University of Alaska study, the state’s 12 to 17-year-olds used marijuana at more than twice the national average for their age group. Alaska’s residents voted in 1990 to re-criminalize possession of marijuana. By 1979, after 11 states decriminalized marijuana and the Carter administration had considered federal decriminalization, marijuana use shot up among teenagers. That year, almost 51 percent of 12th graders reported they used marijuana in the last 12 months. By 1992, with tougher laws and increased attention to the risks of drug abuse, that figure had been reduced to 22 percent, a 57-percent decline.”[5] “Legalization would decrease price and increase availability. Availability is a leading factor associated with increased drug use. Increased use of addictive substances leads to increased addiction. As a public health measure, statistics show that prohibition was a tremendous success.”[6] b. Effects of the increased use “[A]rrests for driving under the influence of drugs rose 46 percent for adults and 71.4 percent for juveniles.”[1] Interestingly enough, due to worker productivity falling due to increased use, it is highly possible the economy would suffer (like what is happening for tobacco). Statistics also show areas where marijuana is legal, like Netherlands “coffee” shops, those areas are safe havens for criminals, and since the ability to sell marijuana was allowed in the Netherlands crime has increased. Due to the fact marijuana increases the inability to think properly, it is possible those on marijuana are more likely to commit crimes. Regardless, most criminals test positive for the drug. Further, increased use would also increase the use of other drugs, as a RAND study notes, “a 10-percent decrease in the price of marijuana would increase the prevalence of cocaine use by 4.4 to 4.9 percent.”[7] As stated, legalization would lower cost. So unless my opponent concedes cocaine should also be legalized, he has essentially endorsed raising cocaine usage rates too. CONCLUSION: My opponent’s case is extremely weak and the arguments against legalization are stronger. 1. http://www.sarnia.com... 2. http://www.heritage.org... 3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com... 4. http://www.drugabuse.gov... 5. “Speaking out against drug legalization”, DEA, fact 6. 6. http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu... 7. http://www.rand.org...