Getting high legally?

Summary of those who say YES:

·       Close to 100 million Americans have tried it at least once

·       With nearly 700,000 arrests costing between 10-15 billion in costs weed is overly harshly punished

·       Judge Young was quoted saying “marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.”

·       The notion of weed being a gateway drug is wrong. It is wrong to think that just because someone tries weed that they will then smoke crack or something else

·       You cannot overdose on weed and only a few of the lung cancer cases are because of weed smoking.

·       Many places have already voted to legalize it for medical use.

·       America could make huge profits from it, it may help those in pain, and it has less traumatic side effects when compared to alcohol and tobacco.

Summary of those who say NO:

·       Weed is currently a schedule 1 drug meaning that there is no known medical value and that it’s highly addictive.

·       Obviously drug use would increase significantly

·       We will never be able to tax the drug to the point that kids and teens cannot afford it.

·       Weeds role in the ER has tripled in the past decade

·       Only 6% smoke weed on a regular basis illegally of course.

Reflection:

            After extensive testing of course if we can honestly say that there is some medical use in weed then I see no issue with making it a schedule 2 drug. However, just like pain pills are stolen and then abused among other prescribed drugs, we would have to find a better way for patients to use. Merely picking a bottle of weed up at cvs pharmacy will only lead to an increase in theft and robbery’s.

            Of course the fact is there is no known way to ensure that those in which are not prescribed weed will not somehow get their hands on it. However, when compared to other commonly abused drugs like loratabs, oxycotin, and valium. A person stealing someone’s medical weed would in fact be safer in their illegal abuse of the drug. Therefore, assuming that there is some medical value, the positive medical usage, the profits that would be made, and the minimal danger if the drug is stolen and abused, I conclude weed should be Legalized for medical use only.