Legalized the Drug

Thirty-three states currently have medical marijuana legalized and ten of those states have also legalized the drug for recreational purposes. Imagine your state legalized marijuana both medically and recreationally. The gas stations start stocking the drug. Your best friend’s anxiety improves. Your wife starts to sleep all night. Your brother becomes financially stable with no more smoking tickets. Your cousin finally isn’t scared to get the much-needed drug abuse help. Should marijuana be legalized? Of course, it should be legal. Marijuana can help improve the health care pathway, benefit the US economy and help solve other issues. These benefits from legalizing marijuana give justification for the legalization of the drug for those who are at least eighteen or need it medically. On July 4, 1776, America and its people earned their freedom. Part of being a free citizen in America is being part of democracy.

So if people are the voice of the country, why isn’t medical and recreational marijuana legal with the majority agreeing that it should be? According to a video by the New York Times in 2018, about 85% of adults believe medical marijuana should be legalized. Not only do most adults agree with legalization, but about 67% of adults also believe the risks of the drug don’t outweigh the benefits of the medicine. The majority of people also think recreational marijuana should be legalized. According to the Gallup Organization, about 61% of people think the drug should be legal. This number isn't biased to a specific gender or ethnicity though. About 64% of men and 57% of women agree with pleasurable pot. The percentages for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics are also all over half. So with a clear majority advocating for putting the pot into play in a place known for giving the people say in politics, why is it still illegal in the majority of states?

Medical marijuana, which is only currently legal in 66% of the states, has been proven to have many positive health advantages. Cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid in weed, which doesn’t get the user high has been proven to have many concrete benefits. First off, CBD has been proven to be good for its anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. CBD is also able to reduce anxiety, insomnia, and symptoms due to multiple sclerosis. The drug has also been known to help with childhood epilepsy. Nate Diaz, a professional mixed martial artist, used CBD to treat some of his symptoms of concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Another chemical in marijuana that is known to have healing powers is Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration and used to help people with nausea and decreased appetite. Mike Graham, a patient with a bad case of degenerative spine disease began to take medical marijuana when doctors offered him 14 different medications that came with the risk of paralyzation or weed. After he began to take three to four puffs of the drug twice a day, he was able to get off all but one of his medications. The six-foot-tall man went from 135 pounds to 250 pounds and is still continuing to gain appetite.

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