Stigma Of Legalizing Marijuana Essay

Despite the stigma, Marijuana is not a “bad” drug, considering its value beyond recreational use. Marijuana has been looked at as a “bad” drug for years and was even considered a Schedule One drug. On the other hand, the plant itself has more uses than it’s given credit for, but due to it being Schedule One, many states banned it from being legalized. The stigma surrounding marijuana has even led to the discrimination against people who use it. Marijuana should be able to be used without the abuse or judgment that often occurs. Marijuana is only considered a “bad” drug because of stigma, in reality it’s one of the same things that is used regularly by humanity. That doesn’t mean that everyone is smoking weed everyday, but like many other

While this is true, it’s the misuse of marijuana that leads to the dangers being emphasized. While the misuse of marijuana may not be the same as the misuse of alcohol, there can be many harmful factors. “Marijuana use commonly causes altered sensory perception. It can induce temporal distortions, making time seem to pass more slowly”(Article one). This can be dangerous, because if the user tries to drive with altered vision they could more easily crash, which is also dangerous to others on the road. Another concern that many have with marijuana is thinking that it’s a gateway drug, however in article four it states, “Most people who use marijuana do not go onto use other, ‘harder’ drugs.” This is due to the fact that weed produces the high that most people look for when they do drugs. On the other hand marijuana is not a physically addictive drug, which eliminates the factor of withdrawal that comes along with drugs such as heroin or methamphetamine. Marijuana being a physically addictive drug is one of the common misconceptions that many believe, however, it can be mentally addicting. One of the more dangerous things that goes hand in hand with marijuana is where it’s obtained, because in so many states it is not legalized people have to obtain it underground. This can be dangerous because if the bud comes laced with something else, then the user can become addicted to another drug, or even harmed by it. “Legalization allows consumers to purchase cannabis and cannabis products from licensed vendors regulated by the government, a safer alternative to acquiring them from the underground market.” (Article one) If the government made marijuana legal on the federal and state level, then those who use it would be able to acquire it from safer places, which reduces many of the harmful factors, especially it being laced with