Why Marijuana Shouldn’t be legalized. Marijuana has long been around for centuries. The long and varied history of Marijuana use dates back to 1500 BC (Brief History of Marijuana). In the 1970s, many places in the United States started to abolish state laws and other local regulations that banned possession or sale of cannabis. The Federal Government classified cannabis as a Schedule I drug according to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which classified cannabis as having high potential for abuse, no medical use, and not safe to use under medical supervision. In Today's society, the use of Marijuana is viewed differently than in the 1970's. Society has acquired the theory that
Marijuana is not a threat to society and that it's use should be decriminalized. The issue of legalizing the possession, sales and transportation of marijuana to where there would be no criminal violation of marijuana being used in any manner, presents negative results. First of all, the legalization of Marijuana would pose a negative impact on today’s youth. As it is already, today’s juveniles are exposed to many drugs and substances in their high school and possibly Jr. high also. Many youngsters fall for the substances causing them a disruption in their school studies. To make matters worse, Marijuana will affect student's health. There are also
Robles: 2 a number of side effects of smoking Marijuana that we do not take into light. These effects are in our body where you cannot see them and very rarely would think about doing any kind of damage. The legalization of Cannabis will make the drug more readily accessible to juveniles. "In today's society, research done by organizations such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), shows that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug among everyone in society, including juveniles.” (David Yeates) Most adolescent's do not foreshadow the negative effects Marijuana cast on their lives and therefore need guidance to stay drug free. In addition, the legalization of Marijuana will drastically affect the criminal justice system in the U.S. The laws against the use of Cannabis hold as a deterrence for the people. If these laws are eliminated, not only will Marijuana be more abundant but also so will other drugs. Decriminalizing Marijuana will create a breakout in other narcotics resulting in more people defying the law. Instead of reducing prisoners this will augment the number of drug charged related prisoners. “While not all people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs, so there is more of a risk that a marijuana user will be exposed to and urged to try more dangerous drugs.”(DEA).(Andres Christopher) People have a basic right to make choices for themselves as long as their actions do not harm others. Following this further, the decriminalization of Cannabis will negatively affect our country's future.