Why America Should Not Legalize Marijuana

First let me begin by stating that this is not an argument about whether or not marijuana, compared to other drugs is especially dangerous. My partner Kinsey will discuss the health problems in more depth. But after smoking a few joint with friends on the couch the only immediate danger is killing off every last munchie in your house and forgetting to prepare your communications project due the next day.

This debate must focus on whether America needs another easily accessible, commercialized and habit-forming drug in its already overmedicated society.

I can tell you right now, WE DO NOT.

Let us weigh the price of legalization against the detrimental cost to our countries future, our youth.

If marijuana were legal it would greatly increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of children. Items like cigarettes and alcohol are banned from kids, this is because the majority of kids don't exhibit the same reasoning, responsibility, and judgment of an adult, they do not think about long-term health consequences.

Their undeveloped bodies are not equipped to handle the intake of these substances. This is even truer of the chemicals found in marijuana. Developing brains and bodies can be dealt serious blows by the use of marijuana. People, any time you make something legal, you increase the accessibility to children. All too often kids and teenagers get their hands on alcohol or cigarettes. We CAN NOT let the same thing happen with marijuana.

I’d bet we have all heard the age-old health class line “Kids marijuana is a gateway drug which leads to harder, more dangerous highs”, whether you took this warning to heart is irrelevant the statistics show its truth.

 One study found that kids 12 to 17 years old, who use marijuana during this developmental stage are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than kids who did not use pot, in addition 60% of the kids who smoke pot before the age of 15 move on to cocaine later in life. Furthermore Yale conducted a similar study, which can be found in the Journal of Adolescent Health, showing that alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana use is associated with an increased probability of men, 18 to 25 abusing prescription drugs. For women of the age, only marijuana use is linked with a higher likelihood of prescription drug abuse.

Since Holland has made cannabis legal, not only has marijuana use increased but Heroin use has tripled in that same time frame. Plain and simple marijuana is a gateway drug, and this gateway should not be legal to use.

When discussing the legalization of marijuana, a valuable comparison can be made to gambling. Once the government became a beneficiary of legal gambling they began to encouraged and promote gambling, overlooking it as a problem behavior.

Legalized gambling has not reduced illegal gambling in the United States; in fact, it has only increased. Legal gambling comes with taxes and is regulated while illegal gambling is not. Legal gambling sets the stage for illegal gambling just the way legal marijuana would set the stage for illegal marijuana trafficking to thrive. The gambling precedent suggests strongly that illegal drug suppliers would flourish by selling more potent and tax-free marijuana products outside of the legal market.

Legalization of marijuana for either medical or general employ would increase marijuana use rather than reduce it and this would lead to increased rates of addiction and long term use among youth and adults. Laws and regulations are made to protect the wellbeing of its people, legalizing marijuana contradicts this preconception, damaging our public health and setting back the progress of our nation.

Reducing marijuana use is essential to improving the nation’s health, education, and productivity. 

                                                                 

       Ever since a child my parents have told me that I should become a lawyer, that my perseverance and passion to argue was relentless. I had a lot of fun preparing and presenting this debate, even though I am for the legalization of marijuana. The research I did opened my eyes to a collection of facts and statics that I have found shocking, and made me think twice about daily smoking. Reflecting back I should have prepared a more solid conclusion rather than a slue of negative cannabis facts, however I feel that Kinsey and I built a strong case. I wish we were able to vote before and after the debate because I truly believe my side swayed the majority of the audience. 

      In terms of my up and coming presentation I plan on focusing again on my passion, the great outdoors. I am currently doing research on the Monkey Wrench Gang and history of the national parks.