The legalization of drugs has been an issue in society for quite a long time. People who are for and against the legalization of drugs can be very opinionated in their beliefs. Often times, some of these people on both sides of the argument can even be considered extremists. These disagreements vary quite a bit across the spectrum. Milton Friedman, someone who is for the legalization of drugs, argues that "A user must associate with criminals to [sic] get the drugs, and many are driven to become criminals themselves . . ." (569). On the contrary, drugs can cause very serious health problems and due to their destructive nature, they can destroy not only the user, but their family and loved ones as well. Milton 's point reinforces the idea to make drugs legal. However, to make drugs legal can have serious problems. Health concerns, for instance, can be a major factor if we decide to legalize drugs. There are also major benefits to make drugs illegal. I stand against the idea to make drugs legal; it can lead to harmful consequences and regret. My friend who had tried marijuana for the first time, did not have a satisfying experience afterward. He had non-stop panic attacks, which made him worry about everything. Almost any kind of drug can have adverse effects on people which are major health concerns to worry about. Pregnant women that use drugs like cocaine or heroin have already hindered or even caused death to the life of their child. Children exposed to drugs in
Within the last 50 years, drug legalization has been a very hotly debated topic in the United States society. It almost seems that every "street drug" was once legal, but banned soon after its introduction in society. Illegal substances that one sees today were once synthesized and created by chemist such as LSD, ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine, and etc., and at some point used for medical reasons, however during many circumstances were deemed illegal by the government due to detrimental effects after prolonged usage. William Bennett's "Drugs: Should Their Sale and Use Be Legalized" targets the general American public into understanding the societal importance of upholding the nations
Marijuana has been deeply studied in the past few decades and has shown scientist many things that weren’t evident before. Marijuana has been linked to many health issues good and bad. It has shown to reduce stress and anxiety, help with headaches, lower blood pressure and one of the most evident and positive health affects is that it has been shown in many studies to stop and even kill cancer cells in the body. There are however negative effects that have been looked into and studied by scientist. These include, blocking memory formation, psychosis, and an increased risk of depression while using marijuana regularly. Not everything revolving around marijuana is a “health issue” though, the biggest reason that people use marijuana today is because it simply makes people feel good. That is a positive effect.
For many people, the thought of making drugs easily accessible for consumption by the masses may be frightening. After all, we have drug laws in place because they have the potential to be harmful. It also may not be difficult to imagine that it could very well be subject to failure due to a numerous amount negative externalities that may occur. Our nation has been engaged in a war on drugs for several decades now. The effectiveness of this war, however, is a topic that has continuously been debated. Some argue that universal legalization of drugs, an alternative that has never been tried, may have a greater benefits when compared to the present state of the war on drugs. On the other hand, the opposition believes that legalization would only pave the way for a vast amount of crime and many wasted resources.
In the United States’ experience, decriminalization arguments are typically employed as a rhetorical and political tool by advocates attempting to pry open the door to full legalization. Both decriminalization and legalization of illicit drugs would increase their use, along with their associated health and social costs. Unless advocates of decriminalization, or of outright legalization can establish that more drug use is a net good for society, both arguments are
Marijuana can be very harmful. If this drug is misused, then there can be serious side effects. Marijuana can also be very addicting, and can lead to
A great deal of people are involved with marijuana. Marijuana affects people differently. This drug can cause serious health issues and also other problems. “According to the Mayo Clinic, marijuana contains between fifty percent and seventy percent more carcinogens than tobacco smoke
There always seems to be debate on whether the decriminalization of drugs would be of great public interest. It is a very important and controversial issue that has many people wondering if legalizing drugs would be a right move or not. In the article, “Decriminalization Would Increase The Use and The Economic and Social Costs of Drugs” by David Mineta, Mineta argues about why drugs should not be decriminalized and how keeping illicit drugs illegal outweigh the possible negative consequences of legalizing these substances. Mineta himself writes that, “Our position is simple and evidence-based: both decriminalization and legalization of illicit drugs would increase their use, along with their associated health and social costs” (Americas Quarterly). According to Mineta the decriminalization of drugs will only allow more people to become addicted causing more health and social costs because seen as they will be more widely used. (Americas Quarterly)
The debate over the legalization of drugs continues to disturb the American public. Such an issue stirs up moral and religious beliefs, beliefs that are contrary to what Americans should believe. I ask all of you to please keep an open mind and hear me out on this very controversial subject. All of us have in some way or another been affected by drug, whether it is a family member or the economic burden on society. Americans often take at face value the assumptions that drugs cause addiction, which leads to crime. This is true but abundant evidence exists to support the view that legalizing illicit drugs can help solve the drug problem in America.
Drugs are a very big problem in the world and many deaths are caused by the wrong use of drugs, overdose and suicide. Everywhere you look people are affected by them and a lot of discussion over the drug issue occurs daily. Most of the people tend to drugs because they want to change something about their lives. They think drugs are a solution, so they use it as a way to escape from their problems or to relax or to just fit in the society. But eventually, the drugs become the problem. And the consequences of drug use are always worse than the problems one is trying to cope with them. Many people today calling for the legalization of the drugs especially the most widely used prohibited substance in the United States – Marijuana. People don’t
The Americans that do not oppose drug legalization stand firm on the belief that choosing to use drugs is a personal choice that one should not be punished for. If one does choose to do drugs it is a lifestyle choice that they have chosen and locking someone away in federal prison for simply living a certain lifestyle seems to be an unfair punishment. Those fighting for legalization think that drug use should be a civil liberty (Drug Legalization). Former Seattle Chief of Police, Norm Stamper, stated “in declaring a war on drugs... we’ve declared a war on our fellow citizens” (qtd. in Drug Legalization). Many of the American’s wanting drugs legalized, do believe that the choice to do drugs is a bad decision. Though they argue that there are many Americans that have experimented with drugs and no one should be sent to federal prison for simply making a bad decision (Johnson). As well as those who are for drug legalization, those against it also believe that doing drugs is a lifestyle choice, but not a civil liberty and those who do choose to do drugs should be punished. If drugs were legalized they would be much more present, which would most likely lead to more drug abuse. Drug abusers not only hurt themselves, but they hurt their families, friends, communities, and the American society as a whole (Drug Legalization). Drug abuse takes tolls on the health and wellbeing of the user
“Smoking marijuana can irritate the lungs and lead to breathing problems like cough, excess mucus, bronchitis, and the worsening of conditions like asthma and cystic fibrosis, but it is not clear if smoking marijuana is linked to lung cancer.” (Marijuana: Health Effects of Recreational and Medical Use). “Marijuana used during pregnancy can harm a baby’s brain development” (Marijuana: Health Effects of recreational and Medical
Drug legalization is an enduring question that presently faces our scholars. This issue embraces two positions: drugs should not be legalized and drugs should be legalized. These two positions contain an array of angles that supports each issue. This brief of the issues enables one to consider the strengths and weakness of each argument, become aware of the grounds of disagreement and agreement and ultimately form an opinion based upon the positions stated within the articles. In the article “Against the Legalization of Drugs”, by James Q. Wilson, the current status of drugs is supported. Wilson believes if a drug such as heroin were legalized there would be no financial or medical reason to avoid heroin usage;
I, like the vast majority of people, disagree with proposition that drugs should be legalised. Accepting this act would be the same like taking money from people for killing them. We don‘t need legalisation, we need to fight against it, try to save people who are standing on the edge of a precipice, not to push them from it.
Over the years, drug abuse has been a rising problem in almost every country in the world. Day by day more people are involved in this endless cycle of drug craving, money shortage, and drug related crimes. Congressmen and politicians of United States, seeing this unstoppable crime wave which is about to spread throughout the country, begin to address various kinds of possible solutions to end this crisis in the most efficient and effective way. As discussed in Alan M. Dershowitz's "The Case for Medicalizing Heroin" and Charles B. Rangel's "Legalize Drugs? Not on Your Life," the most popular proposition set forward by growing number of leaders now is to legalize the use of drugs; but will it help solving the problem or make it even worse?
Drugs and Legalization Since early on man has been interested in the consumption of substances that altered the mind or ones feeling. The consumption of substances can be broken down into legal and illegal substances. The question is, who are we to label certain substances illegal and prohibit others from using them by creating penalties for their use? If the importation, sale and use of drugs were legal, the open competition would eliminate the profitability of drug dealing. Without the economic incentive to commit violent crimes, the violence of drug dealing would be dramatically reduced.