Holmes 1

Brooklyn Holmes
Ms. Parker
English Core B
April 3, 2015
Should Marijuana be legalized in the USA?
For many decades, the legalization of marijuana has been on the minds of many Americans. It is
a drug made of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant that affects the central
nervous system as a hallucinogen and as a depressant. Today, over 200 million people are using
Marijuana illegally. Marijuana should not be legalized in the United States because its a highly
addictive substance and it significantly damages bodily and mental functions. Furthermore, the
legalization of marijuana would result in a huge increase of the use and distribution of marijuana.
Marijuana is a highly addictive drug. Often times its affects are compared to the effects of
tobacco and alcohol but studies have shown that it can be up to three times more addictive than
both tobacco and alcohol and can lead to life long addictions. According to Roger Roffman, a
counselor for marijuana addicts, [the] typical [marijuana] subject an adult who voluntarily
sought support had first smoked pot at age 15, first used daily at 19, typically was high for six
hours a day, had been using daily or near daily for 10 years and had tried seriously to quit six
times. (Roffman). Today, about 2.7 million Americans over age 12 are dependent on marijuana,
according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Out of all those that have done
marijuana, about nine percent of them will become addicted to marijuana. The number goes up
to about one in every six people among those who start using marijuana as teenagers and up to
25% to 50% among those who smoke marijuana daily (Fazio).

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Because of the addictive affects of Marijuana it should not be legalized. If it were to be
legalized there is no telling how many people could end up hopelessly addicted to something
they could. Not everybody has the means to provide for this addiction so it often ends in theft
and an increase in black market distribution. So if these things were to continue, our society
would be even more negatively affected. Furthermore, Instead of aspiring to get a college
education or start a family many people are already to dependent on marijuana to do anything but
constantly use it. This can often lead to driving while under the influence of drugs which leads to
car accidents that not only affect the driver, but others who may have gotten seriously injured or
even killed. So in order to preserve not only the rights of the user, but the rights of everybody,
marijuana should not be legalized.
While many argue that marijuana helps people medically, marijuana has proven to cause
the body and mind much more harm than help. Heavy cannabis use in adolescence causes
persistent impairments in neurocognitive performance and IQ, and use is associated with
increased rates of anxiety, mood and psychotic thought disorders." (Bennett). . Physically,
marijuana can impair short and long term memory, slow reaction time, increase the risk of a
heart attack, and result in birth defects, strokes, and damage to respiratory and brain functions
(Hawkins).
With the affects it can have on our bodies and minds, if marijuana was legalized the
incoming generation would become guinea pigs for any and all of side effects we are currently
unaware of. Also, because of the drastic affects it can have on people under the age of 25 our
society would become dumbed down. We should be constantly striving to improve ourselves and
our abilities to do well in every aspect of our lives, but by using marijuana our abilities to fulfill
our potential is threatened. While marijuana might help in some medical cases, it mostly causes

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harm to both the body and mind. So why would we want to legalize something that has so many
more negative affects than positive.
Legalizing marijuana would only make it cheaper and easier for adolescents and adults to
access, which would only increase the amount of users and people who become addicted to it.
Based on the experience elsewhere, the number of [marijuana] users will double or triple. This
means an additional 17 to 34 million young and adult users in the United States. (Evens). Right
now, marijuana costs about four times what it would be if it were sold legally. These high prices
are often what keep teenagers away from this highly addictive drug. Legalizing it would only
allow teenagers to buy it cheaper and more frequently (Drug Legalization). Furthermore, the
increase of legal users does not mean the amount of illegal users and distributors will decrease.
In fact, unless we can completely get rid of taxes the illegal distribution of drugs wont stop, even
if it becomes legal (Hawkins).
Overall, marijuanas negative affects out weight the positive effects by a long shot. While
many can argue that its their choice or they can decide fro themselves if they want to take
marijuana, their decision does not only affect them, but everybody around them, too. Not to
mention how addicting it can become and the harm it brings to the users body and mindespecially in people under the age of 25. Legalizing marijuana would only result in more
teenagers and adults using without getting rid of the illegal distribution that is already happening.
While legalizing marijuana sounds great at first, it would prove to have many detrimental affects
on society.

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Works Cited
Bennett, William J. "Opinion: Even Lady Gaga Knows Pot Is Not Harmless - CNN.com." CNN.
Cable News Network, 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 03 Apr. 2015.
Drug Legalization. "Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized." Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Gale Library, 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Evens, David G. "Marijuana Legalization's Costs Outweigh Its Benefits." US News. U.S.News &
World Report, 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2015.
Fazio, Sara. "Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use." NowNEJM. The New England Journal
of Medicine, 5 June 2014. Web. 03 Apr. 2015.
Hawkins, John. "John Hawkins - 5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal." Townhall.com.
Town Hall, 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 03 Apr. 2015.
Roffman, Roger. "Marijuana's Addictive Risk Shouldn't Be Ignored." Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 03 Apr. 2015.