Do You Feel The Federal Marijuana Laws Should Be Changed?

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Do you feel the federal marijuana laws should be changed?

Different states of America have legalized the use of recreational marijuana, while others are still debating over the status of legality. Some states have legalized the use of medical marijuana. Recreational use of marijuana was introduced to the US by Mexico, where its usage is linked to the criminal and anti-social behavior. The federal government has still prohibited the use of marijuana in all the states. Despite the federal regulations nine states in the US have voted to legalize the planting and growth of marijuana. The Many consider that status marijuana is still legal in the US not do to the harmful effects that are often associated to it but due to the moral and public perceptions of violence and crimes that are associated to its usage. For many years the majority of the US citizens considered the use of marijuana immoral and thus the support regarding the criminalizing the marijuana were in majority. But the sentiments regarding the legalization of marijuana have increased by the 20 points in a small period of one decade ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"OW2m5SkX","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Galston and Jr)","plainCitation":"(Galston and Jr)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1780,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/WFHSG6CY"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/WFHSG6CY"],"itemData":{"id":1780,"type":"article-journal","title":"The New Politics of Marijuana Legalization:","page":"17","source":"Zotero","language":"en","author":[{"family":"Galston","given":"William A"},{"family":"Jr","given":"E J Dionne"}]}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Galston and Jr)

According to report the proportions of the Americans who consider it immoral have dropped from 50 percent to 32 percent in a small period of seven years. The majority opinion is shifting towards the legalization of the drug. According to a survey in the married couples with children the support for the drug,, legalization is declining and this pattern can be observed in all the millennials when they enter parenthood. Conservatives are the strongest opposition of the legalization. Understanding the difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana is essential in understanding the consequences of legalization on the states and the public. Medical marijuana is used in certain drugs to control the symptoms of certain diseases. FDA does not approve the use of this plant the medical drugs but it is used in the different medicines in the states where its use is legalized by the local governments. Marijuana has two important components THC and CBD. THC is the psychoactive chemical in the drug that is responsible for producing the high state in its user while CBD does not contain psychoactive chemicals. Medical marijuana has high levels of CBD. However, recreational marijuana contains the high levels of the THC that puts its users in the high state. This high state is associated with the hallucinations, increased fear, and anxiety and stated of panic that results in behavioral problems in the users. Its short terms effects include the inability to think and solve problems, influence overreactions, poor judgment, and memory but in long term, its regular use can lead to memory loss and changes in brain structure that causes depression, and psychosis ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"qfVbnQdl","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Recreational Marijuana FAQ\\uc0\\u8221{})","plainCitation":"(“Recreational Marijuana FAQ”)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1783,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/QA2SVZIS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/QA2SVZIS"],"itemData":{"id":1783,"type":"webpage","title":"Recreational Marijuana FAQ","container-title":"WebMD","abstract":"Learn how recreational marijuana use can affect your health. And find out if it's addictive.","URL":"https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/recreational-marijuana-faq","language":"en","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,11]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Recreational Marijuana FAQ”).

Legality of marijuana is associated with the freedom of choice. And is linked to the legal status of drugs like alcohol and cigarettes. If the drugs are legal then the marijuana can also be declared as legal by the federal government. Due to this popular opinion the states that have not legalized the status of marijuana as legal they have decriminalized it.

In my opinion, the federal laws regarding the marijuana need to change not because they are exploiting the freedom of choice but due to other important factors excluding the debate over its ill influences over the health of its users. In the present state even after the legalization of marijuana in the various state of American, it cannot be transported to the other states of America due to the federal laws. But this issue with the illegalization is still not stopping the drug dealers from transporting it to the various states. Alone in 2017, around 70,237 people in the US died due to illegal drugs use ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"cCkE7G6e","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Annual Causes of Death in the United States\\uc0\\u8221{})","plainCitation":"(“Annual Causes of Death in the United States”)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1773,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/ZV6HNXWM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/ZV6HNXWM"],"itemData":{"id":1773,"type":"webpage","title":"Annual Causes of Death in the United States","container-title":"Drug War Facts","abstract":"Accurate, reliable data on drugs and drug policies including full source citations.","URL":"https://www.drugwarfacts.org/chapter/causes_of_death","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,11]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Annual Causes of Death in the United States”). The illegal distribution the drugs makes it difficult for the federal government agencies to control its usage. Legalizing the different forms of marijuana will allow the government to keep a check on the distribution of the drug. Often minors are sold the concentrated form of drugs by the drug dealers that causes more threatening effects on health than the regular recreational form of marijuana.

Many states like Oregon are planting marijuana plants in large amounts for the export to the other states. This industry has been part of this state’s identity long before it was legalized. Every year more than 1 million pounds of the weed goes in waste in Oregon due to federal state laws. These laws are affecting the economic state of this state and many others like it. Currently, the state has 1 million pounds of unsold cannabis. Its price in Oregon has reduced to $7,000 while in the New York it gets sold for $20,000. The status of the legalization has turned into a political problem ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"jQ9NFTyZ","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Stickles)","plainCitation":"(Stickles)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1777,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/BTC79966"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/BTC79966"],"itemData":{"id":1777,"type":"webpage","title":"Oregon has 1 million pounds of unsold cannabis, and it reveals the state's marijuana-surplus problem","container-title":"Business Insider","abstract":"The oversupply of cannabis in Oregon is driving prices down. The state's limited-access problem is putting the local marijuana industry in jeopardy.","URL":"https://www.businessinsider.com/why-oregon-has-1-million-pounds-of-unsold-cannabis-2019-4","author":[{"family":"Stickles","given":"Abby Tang","suffix":"Jennifer Lee, Nisha"}],"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,11]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Stickles).

Despite public opinions are changing regarding the status of the marijuana Federal government is still not considering the legalization of the drug. In my opinion, legalizing marijuana and opening the borders for export will even benefit the US in the long run by improving its economy. Also, the federal state will be able to control the illegal smuggling and distribution of drugs. New policies regarding the distributions of the drug will ensure that it is distributed in the right formation that is healthy for the use.

Works Cited

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY “Annual Causes of Death in the United States.” Drug War Facts, https://www.drugwarfacts.org/chapter/causes_of_death. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

Galston, William A., and E. J. Dionne Jr. The New Politics of Marijuana Legalization: p. 17.

“Recreational Marijuana FAQ.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/recreational-marijuana-faq. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

Stickles, Abby Tang, Jennifer Lee, Nisha. “Oregon Has 1 Million Pounds of Unsold Cannabis, and It Reveals the State’s Marijuana-Surplus Problem.” Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/why-oregon-has-1-million-pounds-of-unsold-cannabis-2019-4. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.