Benefits and Downfalls of Legalizing Marijuana

Marijuana use is a tricky subject for many individuals. Some have known individuals whose usage was the beginning of a spiral of drug use while others have known individuals who have had a straightforward, healthy relationship with marijuana use. According to the textbook, the initial banning of marijuana was done through illegitimate means and with a strong agenda attached to it (Henslin, 2020 p. 94). Personally, I believe that if a substance such as alcohol can be legalized, then I believe that marijuana can and should be legalized as well, especially in the medicinal arena. One of the benefits to legalizing marijuana would be creating a more open environment for educational programs to discuss how to use marijuana responsibly, which is not as possible when the drug is illegal. An additional benefit to legalizing marijuana would be opening up local police forces to utilize their efforts, funds, and time on more pressing and dangerous drugs, crimes, and investigations. In addition to this, legalizing marijuana creates a different market for generating revenue for local and state funds, which, if done right, has the potential to go right back into the community. Additionally, marijuana use may be a safer alternative to certain opioids. While there are negative social problems linked to marijuana use (Henslin, 2020 p. 96), these negative social problems haven’t been identified as in a cause-and-effect relationship. Proverbs 31:6-7 (New International Version, 2011) says, “Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” From this verse and other examples in the Bible, it is clear to see that it is okay for there to be a physical product that provides physical relief from ailments, aches, and pains. In conclusion, while there may be many reasons for legalizing marijuana use that are linked to primarily politics, it seems to me that there are plenty of positive reasons for marijuana use to be legalized. It is important to note that my advocation for legalization is not ignoring the negative consequences that have been linked to marijuana use, but I believe that society will adapt to offset these consequences through programs, education and more. References Henslin, J. M. (2020). Social Problems: A Down-to-Earth Approach. (13th. ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-InternationalVersion-NIV-BibleLinks to an external site. Reply: 250 words There are benefits and downfalls of legalizing marijuana, but I believe there are more benefits rather than downfalls for why we should legalize marijuana. In many studies, marijuana has been found safer than alcohol, yet it is not legal while alcohol is. Law enforcement spends unnecessary time and effort trying to stop people from having marijuana. There are so many other crimes that we consider worse that they could be using these resources for. Legalizing marijuana will make it harder for school aged students to gain access to it because of restrictions and age criteria. While marijuana is legalized, there are no restrictions on it, people will buy and sell it with whomever they can get access to it. Whereas if it was legalized there could be restrictions on who could buy or sell this product. “A 2012 survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found 40% of high schoolers reported knowing a student who sells cannabis at school — while under 1% know a peer who sells alcohol.” (Top 10 Reasons to End Marijuana Prohibition, 2022) I believe there are many medical benefits to marijuana because it helps to ease pain and is better for our bodies than some prescription medication is. If legalizing marijuana for recreational use is still a debate, it should at least be legalized for medicinal uses. It can also be more affordable for those who do not have good insurance to cover their prescriptions. One of the downfalls of marijuana is that it can become addictive to those who abuse it. I do not believe that this is a good enough reason to not legalize it because there are many things that a person can become addicted to. “Recent research shows that between 3 percent and 9 percent of marijuana smokers become addicted to cannabis, or THC.” (Henslin, p. 95) We have learned that not legalizing it will not stop people from using marijuana, they will still find a way to get access to it. I believe that when a person is told they cannot do something, it makes them want to do it more. I believe that is one of the contributing factors to why marijuana is so popular right now. As Christians, we should not be engaging in this kind of activity but legalizing it or not, this will not stop those who want to from doing so. “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” (Holman Bible, 2018, 1 Cor. 6:19-20) I believe that the debate of legalizing marijuana is based on politics. References Top 10 Reasons to End Marijuana Prohibition. (2022). MPP. https://www.mpp.org/issues/legalization/top-ten-reasons-to-end-marijuanaprohibition/ Henslin, J. M. (2019). Social Problems: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/books/9780135256855Links to an external site. Holman Bible. (2018). HOLY BIBLE : the csb study bible for women. Reply: 250 words