Marijuana Legalization

First to answer Pro's 1-5; 1 & 4) There are over 10,000 scientific studies that prove marijuana is a harmful addictive drug. There is not one reliable study that demonstrates marijuana has any medical value. The harmful consequences of smoking marijuana include, but are not limited to the following: premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, a number of mental disorders including depression, hostility and increased aggresiveness, general apathy, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, and impairment to the immune system, death. The Food and Drug Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U. S. Public Health Service have rejected smoking crude marijuana as a medicine. Medical marijuana has been promoted for "compassionate use" to assist people with cancer, AIDS and glaucoma. Scientific studies show the opposite is true; marijuana is damaging to individuals with these illnesses. In fact, people suffering with AIDS and glaucoma are being used unfairly by groups whose real agenda is to legalize marijuana. AIDS: Scientific studies indicate marijuana damages the immune system, causing further peril to already weakened immune systems. HIV-positive marijuana smokers progress to full-blown AIDS twice as fast as non-smokers and have an increased incidence of bacterial pneumonia. Cancer: Marijuana contains many cancer-causing substances, many of which are present in higher concentrations in marijuana than in tobacco. Glaucoma: Marijuana does not prevent blindness due to glaucoma. Marijuana is currently up to 25 times more potent than it was in the 1960's, making the drug even more addictive. Major medical and health organizations, as well as the vast majority of nationally recognized expert medical doctors, scientists and researchers, have concluded that smoking marijuana is not a safe and effective medicine. These organizations include: the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, National Sclerosis Association, the American Glaucoma Association, American Academy of Opthalmology, National Eye Institute, and the National Cancer Institute. In 1994, a U. S. Court of Appeals ruled that marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug: highly addictive with no medical usefulness. The court noted that the pro-marijuana physicians had relied on non-scientific evidence. Pro states marijuana is safer or better than alcohol, but legalizing marijuana would add a third drug that combines some of the most serious risks of alcohol AND tobacco making it twice as dangerous. Marijuana offers both the intoxicating effects of alcohol and the long-term lung damage of tobacco. 3) Your correct. No need to police dead people. Rest assured that with legalization those cops can eat doughnuts in peace! Unless the doughnut man is on drugs too. .. 2 & 5) As for its effect in the economy, marijuana expenses society in terms of employee productivity, public HEALTH CARE COSTS (why should the non-drug users have to pay too? This proves it does bring harms to others making their "right" to smoke marijuana disappear) and accidents. Legalization would further hurt the economy causing poverty across the U. S. 3) Your correct. No need to police dead people. Rest assured that with legalization those cops can eat doughnuts in peace! Unless the doughnut man is on drugs too. .. I offer a source proving my points; . http://www.usdoj.gov...... AND Some arguments other than 1-5; Its the govt. 's job to protect its citizens, that is why it was ruled illegal. This doesn't take away one's "rights" Think of how many people die of cancer accelerated AIDS etc from marijuana, or get mental disorders. If marijuana was legalized the easy access to it would multiply the amount of these effects, soon It will be as common as chewing tobacco once was, and children will look upon their role models thinking they should do the same. This could threaten our very existence. In the long term legalized marijuana would be worse than the next WWIII. _________________ As a counter resolution for those of you who like them, the USFG should put more money into finding/creating a replacement for drugs, that has the nicotine in which we crave but the dangers non-existent in hopes of making the full transition from drugs yet keep people happy, because people don't care if its marijuana or twizzlers so long as it has the nicotine. This would save millions and bolster the economy's employees, health care costs, etc. I conclude for this round. Thank You! Thank you for opening this debate.