Legalization of Drugs

There are many pros and cons for the legalization of drugs. Currently our country is going through a change. State by state marijuana is being legalized for medicinal use. The first of which was California where pot has been legal for over ten years, and is on the brink of legalizing it for recreation. The state that has most recently passed the law is New Jersey. Although legal there are no dispensaries open at this time. It is useable, but there is no where to get it.

Marijuana has many medical uses. Most common of which is its ability to get rid of nausea (McQuay). This is why many cancer patients use pot products during chemotherapy. It is also an active pain reliever, and since pain and emotion travel through the same nerves in the spine, it can be used as an anti-depressant. In some cases it can be a substitute for a alcohol addiction and is less damaging to the body. In patients that self-medicated themselves with marijuana they found a decrease or elimination in the side effects from alcohol (Lenza).

Even with its benefits pot has obvious cons. Marijuana is sometimes viewed as a gateway drug to more dangerous drugs. Although it is used as medicine, some people enjoy and begin to crave the high. While the medicinal benefits will always remain from its use, the high will eventually decrease. When the high is gone those who crave it tend to find new ways to get high. As in New Jersey, it is often difficult one legalized to initiate the distribution of marijuana. In California it has become difficult to manage and more people have access to the drug legally than necessarily require the drug for health reasons.

Medicinal use is by far the best benefit from a doctor's viewpoint, but there are other benefits as well. Every year thousands of people are put in are arrested and put in jail for drug related crimes. illigal drugs are sold on the street raising the crime rate. when drugs are legalized they can be sold in stores eliminating the crime of distribution. Along with distribution, there are acts of violence and gang related crimes that all revolve around the illegal drug trade. Once legal the demand for the drug on the street will drop along with the crime.

In most instances the legalization of marijuana to be a positive outcome. Although there are cons, the legalization of pot should and has proved to be a success. President Oboma himself, unlike his predecessor, looks the other way instead of raiding each state for the drug (Woodward).

Cohen, Peter. "Medical Marijuana 2010: It's Time to Fix the Regulatory Vacuum." Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics Fall 2010: 654-666.

Lenza, Michael. "Toking Their Way Sober: Alcoholics and Marijuana as Folk Medicine."