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"Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit... unnatural?" (Bill Hicks) Cannabis/marijuana is currently illegal in the United States, as it is in most countries worldwide. Although it is currently illegal, there are many organizations pushing to legalize the drug along with some progress made in Oregon, South Dakota, and California. Police waste countless time on marijuana busts when it is not considered worse than cigarettes or alcohol. Marijuana can also be legalized for medicinal purposes. Advocates of the legalization of marijuana argue that legalizing the drug would better the nation in many aspects.
Marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes. AIDS patients may use it to acquire an appetite and to relieve pain. Marijuana can also be used in other medical cases such as the eye disease glaucoma, where it lowers intercellular pressure. Advances of medicinal marijuana have been made in Oregon. According to the Oregon Health Division, a person who has a registry identification card issued by the Oregon Health Division and that person's designated caregiver may possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for medicinal purposes. There have been many studies on marijuana to determine its’ effects on someone’s health. Moderate use of marijuana is said to have little to no effect on the lungs. The smoke from marijuana is very similar to cigarette smoke; both have many carcinogens and irritants.
Marijuana greatly negatively impacts the judicial system. Marijuana is against the law, but how effective are the marijuana laws? According to the Drug Policy Alliance by John Morgan, marijuana arrests in the United States doubled between 1991 and 1995. In 1995, more than one-half-million people were arrested for marijuana offenses. Eighty-six percent of them were arrested for marijuana possession. Tens of thousands of people are now in prison...