2008 Woodie Awards
Should Marijuana be legalized?
Another student's support...
Tony Brino
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: opinion
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According to The Lancet, one of the oldest peer-reviewed medical journals in the world: "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or tobacco."
Each year in the United States, there are roughly 400,000 deaths from tobacco use and 50,000 deaths from alcohol use. There has never been a single death attributed to marijuana use. It is impossible to overdose on marijuana. Marijuana is not physically addictive like nicotine, nor does it kill brain cells like alcohol. The British medical journal New Scientist reported in March of 2002 that a single glass of wine impairs driving more than smoking one joint of weed. In 1985 the state of California did a study of over 300 drivers in fatal accidents, focusing only on drivers who tested positive for THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) but no other drug. These drivers were found half as likely to be responsible for the accident as those who were substance free. Within that study, people who never smoked the plant caused more accidents than those that did. Marijuana has been used for centuries as a medicine. Certain cultures used the drug in spiritual customs. Marijuana as a pain killer for cancer and AIDS patients is proven to be more effective and much safer than any chemically manufactured pharmaceutical.
According to the US government, 20 million Americans have smoked pot in the last year and 11 million do so regularly, despite the illegality of the drug. Why is this drug illegal? Why are 11 million people considered criminals for smoking weed recreationally? Because the government says it is bad for society? What else has a negative impact on society? Alcohol and tobacco lobbyists give millions of dollars to politicians and the industries contribute even more to the economy in advertising and sales. These two drugs are legal because they make rich men wealthier. Gambling, which causes many social problems- addiction, poverty, crime- is legal because it creates revenue. Companies and industries that pollute and destroy Mother Earth are allowed to do so because they influence government with money. Drug companies that manufacture Valium, Vicoden, and Oxycotton- basically legal and just as addictive forms of heroin, spend billions in advertising and lobbying. The National Rifle Association has a huge influence on government and politicians, particularly Christian conservatives. Firearms kill 85 people every day in America. Yet an individual who smokes a joint is considered a criminal.
Each year in the United States, there are roughly 400,000 deaths from tobacco use and 50,000 deaths from alcohol use. There has never been a single death attributed to marijuana use. It is impossible to overdose on marijuana. Marijuana is not physically addictive like nicotine, nor does it kill brain cells like alcohol. The British medical journal New Scientist reported in March of 2002 that a single glass of wine impairs driving more than smoking one joint of weed. In 1985 the state of California did a study of over 300 drivers in fatal accidents, focusing only on drivers who tested positive for THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) but no other drug. These drivers were found half as likely to be responsible for the accident as those who were substance free. Within that study, people who never smoked the plant caused more accidents than those that did. Marijuana has been used for centuries as a medicine. Certain cultures used the drug in spiritual customs. Marijuana as a pain killer for cancer and AIDS patients is proven to be more effective and much safer than any chemically manufactured pharmaceutical.
According to the US government, 20 million Americans have smoked pot in the last year and 11 million do so regularly, despite the illegality of the drug. Why is this drug illegal? Why are 11 million people considered criminals for smoking weed recreationally? Because the government says it is bad for society? What else has a negative impact on society? Alcohol and tobacco lobbyists give millions of dollars to politicians and the industries contribute even more to the economy in advertising and sales. These two drugs are legal because they make rich men wealthier. Gambling, which causes many social problems- addiction, poverty, crime- is legal because it creates revenue. Companies and industries that pollute and destroy Mother Earth are allowed to do so because they influence government with money. Drug companies that manufacture Valium, Vicoden, and Oxycotton- basically legal and just as addictive forms of heroin, spend billions in advertising and lobbying. The National Rifle Association has a huge influence on government and politicians, particularly Christian conservatives. Firearms kill 85 people every day in America. Yet an individual who smokes a joint is considered a criminal.