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Mackenzie Gurka

Dr. Sterling

ENGL 1302

April 17, 2017

Cannabis Controversy

Morals determine ones opinion on what should and should not be legal based on the

reward or consequences of an action. Therefore, legalizing marijuana is an issue that is

controversial to the public because there are pros and cons to the available options. While some

people are for or against it, there are also people who feel mixed emotions regarding it, or have

no opinion. These opinions form around prior experiences involving someone who experienced it

directly, or from secondhand information. Regardless of how the individual feels about the topic,

people agree that the subject matter needs consideration for a solution that respects the needs of

everyone. The most successful way to meet the wishes of everyone, and find a compromise, is to

listen to what each side says, then find a resolution to the issues each side has.

For a large portion of American history, marijuana use sparked mixed feelings and

conversations that lacked of knowledge for what the plant was. Currently, states with liberal

marijuana laws involving a citizens access to the drug now resembles the early twentieth

century. Cannabis, along with opiates and cocaine, were available at drug stores as the product

hashish, and was common as an ingredient in medicines. While often used as medicine in a

liquid form, the practice of smoking it was mostly unknown until Mexican immigrants

introduced it. That may have influenced the publics opinion of it due to anti-Mexican

xenophobia. The Pure Food and Drug was the first attempt at federal regulation in 1906. Through

the success of the alcohol prohibition, temperance campaigners began turning attention toward
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opiates and cocaine. Between 1914 and 1925 when 26 states passed laws prohibiting the plant

with little legislative debate (Siff).

Often, media portrayals had a strong part in shaping the debate of drug use. People take

the words of politicians, and advocacy groups that supported them, rather than a professionals

opinion. Newspapers published stories about the threat of narcotics addiction and depicted

marijuana as the drug of murder, torture, and hideous cruelty. The fact that marijuana smoking

was a habit of immigrants and the lower class played a role in its prohibition. Views of drugs

changed in the mid-1960s, with an expansion of marijuana use among youth. In the 1960s, the

public conceded the criminal penalties for youthful marijuana use were too severe. By 1967,

mainstream voices of Life, Newsweek, and Look magazines questioned why the plant was illegal

at all (Siff).

Many who are pro-legalization claim that marijuanas benefits exceed its risk. One

possible outcome of legalizing marijuana is that it could lead to raising revenue in the form of

taxes for the drug. In Colorado, analysts advocate the tax because it could raise millions of

dollars each year. The justice system would also be more effective because more money would

focus on serious crimes instead of marijuana. Arrests for marijuana possession, or use, take up

52% of drug arrests, and while sources show black and white people use pot at around the same

rate, black people are almost four times more likely to face arrests for it (Marijuana Arrests by

the Numbers). If marijuana became legalized, there would be at least a slight change in the

number of people getting charges that are racially biased. Another benefit would be that the

people would have more safety controls so that they know what exactly they are using, which

would decrease the number of people hospitalized, or dead, because of other substances. There

would also be more access as medical use for illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis.
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Another point that people bring in this topic is that, if the person is 18-years-old, it is legal to buy

cigarettes, which have a higher risk of illnesses with no health benefits. Does it make sense to

allow oneself to buy this dangerous, addictive drug, but condemn the other?

However, people who are against marijuana legalization worry that the risks of marijuana

being legal outweigh its benefits. Marijuana is an addictive drug and many specialists have

firsthand seen that long-term use can lead to an addiction. A tenth of its users experience a

developed dependence over time, and lead to withdraw symptoms. Low to moderate doses alter

the users perception enough to cause traffic accidents. A study shows that weed is one of the

most used illegal drugs found in impaired drivers (19 Primary Pros and Cons). If marijuana

gets legalized more children would get a hold of the drug. While people who are pro-legalization

claim that it is a harmless activity, second hand smoke could harm the people around users. It

causes health issues involving lung cancer, risk of heart disease. Another issue is that, there is a

link between marijuana and mental illnesses, but it is unknown if this is due to causation or

sufferers using the weed to moderate symptoms

Despite differences in opinion, people can agree that they want what is best for everyone.

Since both sides of the issue do not want individuals to get hurt, they both could agree on

restrictions to marijuana usage. While people can make the decision to use it or not, as with other

drugs like alcohol or tobacco, there should be an age limit for when this is legal. Therefore, the

usage of it should have a base age, such as 21, and the public use should have a restriction to

certain areas, like smoking areas. Actions, such as fines and other punishments, would deter

failure to meet those requirements. With the legalization of marijuana, treating it like any other

legal drug is optimal.

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Works Cited

19 Primary Pros and Cons of Legalizing Weed. NYLN.org, NYLN.org, 23 June 2015,

nyln.org/19-primary-pros-and-cons-of-legalizing-weed. Accessed 11 Apr. 2017.

Marijuana Arrests by the Numbers. American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties

Union, www.aclu.org/gallery/marijuana-arrests-numbers. Accessed 11 Apr. 2017.

Siff, Stephen. The Illegalization of Marijuana: A Brief History | Origins: Current Events in

Historical Perspective. The Illegalization of Marijuana: A Brief History | Origins:

Current Events in Historical Perspective, The Ohio State University and Miami

University, May 2014, origins.osu.edu/article/illegalization-marijuana-brief-

history/page/0/1. Accessed 11 Apr. 2017.