Case For Legalizing Marijuana Essay Research Paper

Case For Legalizing Marijuana Essay, Research Paper

What Is Marijuana.

Marijuana, a drug obtained from dried and crumpled parts of

the ubiquitous hemp plant Canabis sativa (or Cannabis indica). Smoked

by rolling in tobacco paper or placing in a pipe. It is also otherwise

consumed worldwide by an estimated 200,000,000 persons for pleasure,

an escape from reality, or relaxation. Marijuana is known by a variety

of names such as kif (Morocco), dagga (South Africa), and bhang

(India). Common in the United States, marijuana is called pot, grass,

weed, Mary Jane, bones, etc. The main active principle of cannabis is

tetrahydrocannabinol. The potency of its various forms ranges from a

weak drink consumed in India to the highly potent hashish. The

following consists of pure cannabis resin. Marijuana is not a narcotic

and is not mentally or physically addicting drug. One can use mild

cannabis preparations such as marijuana in small amounts for years

without physical or mental deterioration. Marijuana serves to diminish

inhibitions and acts as an euphoriant. Only once in a while will it

produce actual hallucinations. More potent preparations of cannabis

such as hashish can induce psychedelic experiences identical to those

observed after ingestion of potent hallucinogens such as LSD. Some who

smoke marijuana feel no effects; others feel relaxed and sociable,

tend to laugh a great deal, and have a profound loss of the sense of

time. Characteristically, those under the influence of marijuana show

incoordination and impaired ability to perform skilled acts. Still

others experience a wide range of emotions including feelings of

perception, fear, insanity, happiness, love and anger. Although

marijuana is not addicting, it may be habituating. The individual may

become psychologically rather than physically dependent on the drug.

Legalization Of Marijuana

Those who urge the legalization of marijuana maintain the drug

is entirely safe. The available data suggested, this is not so,

Marijuana occasionally produces acute panic reactions or even

transient psychoses. Furthermore, a person driving under the influence

of marijuana is a danger to themselves and others. If smoked heavily

and a great deal of consistency, its use has been clearly associated

with mental breakdown. In many persons who smoke chronically, the drug

reinforces passivity and reduces goal-directed, constructive activity.

The chronic use of pure resin (hashish) has been associated both with

mental deterioration and criminality. One of the major complications

of marijuana use is the tendency on the part of some users to progress

to more dangerous drugs. Users in economically deprived areas usually

go on to heroin, whereas more affluent individuals tend to move from

marijuana to more potent hallucinogens such as LSD. There is no

established medical use for marijuana or any other cannabis

preparation. In the United States, its use is a crime and the laws

governing marijuana are similar to those regulating heroin. Many

authorities now urge that the laws be modified to mitigate the

penalties relating to conviction on marijuana possession charges.

The Case For Legalizing Marijuana Use

The United States stands apart from many nations in its deep

respect for the individual. The strong belief in personal freedom

appears early in the nation’s history. The Declaration of Independence

speaks of every citizen’s right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of

happiness.” The Constitution and Bill of Rights go further, making

specific guarantees. They forbid the government to make unwarranted

entry into dwelling places. They forbid seizure of personal property,

except when very clear reasons are approved by the courts. They allow

every citizen to remain silent in court when accused of a crime. Legal

decisions have extended these rights, so that every citizen may feel

safe, secure, and sheltered from public view in the privacy of his or

her home.

The Right To Privacy

In recent years, Americans have referred to privacy as one of

the basic human rights, something to be claimed by anyone, anywhere.

United States citizens feel strongly about this and often tell other

countries that they must honor their people’s claims to privacy and

personal freedom. Foreign leaders often disagree. They resent what

they deem arrogant meddling by the United States. Leaders of the

Soviet Union, for example, regard individual privacy as trivial when

compared to the needs of the state. If the United States is to be

persuasive in promoting freedom in other parts of the world, it must

respect the privacy of its own citizens. Sometimes it is hard to do

this because what goes on in people’s private lives may seem

offensive. But, according to U.S. traditions, there is a strong case <

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