Reasons not to legalize marijuana
COMPOSITION II / EN-1420
Module 6 – Final Paper
Come on have some fun and relax. Take a long drag on a funny little cigarette, chill for a while. Float in the sky like a bird and land on a cloud. BAM! You crash into a brick wall. Because its illegal.
Several people say that Marijuana is a new fade. I disagree. The first direct reference to the use of marijuana was documented in China, in 2737 BC. The Chinese Emperor Shen Nung determined after using it as a social drug, it worked as a medication for pains in the joins, when taken it as a tea and smoking. As a recreationally drug it spread to India were the Muslims too used instead of alcohol ...view middle of the document...
But not like other states have opened it up. Unlike Colorado, Oklahoma does not have a Medical Marijuana Program.
Conditions to qualify for the Colorado program are as follows: cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, persistent muscle spasms, multiple sclerosis. Each state differs to what it will use it for. Currently, there are four types of state programs that determine whether medical marijuana is legal.
Side effects of marijuana
Lung – a New Zealand broad study found that one joint has the same effects as smoking 2.5 to 5 tobacco cigarettes and complains of wheezing, coughing and lung congestion
Brain - brain scans on long-term marijuana users and compared them to the brains of people who had never used the drug. The marijuana users showed structural changes that were similar to changes found in people with schizophrenia.
Birth Defects and Risk – Research indicates that babies affected by prenatal marijuana use show lower birth weight, poorer eyesight and a higher incidence of a defect in the heart. These babies also have a higher risk of developing asthma, chest infections and breathing problems.
Stomach and intestines - Heavy marijuana use has recently been identified as the cause of severe stomach pain, vomiting and nausea that no drugs or treatment will alleviate. The only remedy has been to spend hours in a hot bath or shower. Some people will literally spend days in the shower, trying to relieve the pain. When they stop using marijuana, the condition finally ceases.
Mind - According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, marijuana produces distorted perceptions, poor coordination, difficulty thinking or problem solving and problems with judgment, learning and memory. These changes can increase one's risk for accident or injury, or for injuring another person. (Tagliaferro)
As pointed out earlier, there is not a Food and Drug approval for marijuana use.
THE LAW
There are many that want marijuana to be legal for medical reasons and private use. And others that want it banned for life. Besides the twenty three states and the District of Columba, members of the federal government wishes to make it legal. (MJNN HEAD LINE NEWS) In February 2013 a motion has been set in place to remove marijuana from the federal legal substance list by Rep. Polis, Jared.(Rep. Polish, 2013) No dission has been bad on it as to date.
However, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug, i.e., having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use.
Penalties
Oklahoma has not decriminalized marijuana as of yet where the State of Colorado has. We will soon see how the penalties are great and different from state to state. Oklahoma law states: possession of any amount (first offense) is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine to be determined by the judge. Diversion is possible to substitute for the...
