Weed, cannabis, marijuana; call it what you want, but changing the name does not change the truth.
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Marijuana is an illegal drug in forty out of the fifty states, but in ten states, it is legal for recreational usage. Marijuana is destroying people and disrupting nations.
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In this world, everyone wants more money; and so, the government is trying to make Marijuana legal for recreational use in more states. Marijuana is killing thousands of people and people can not be trusted to use it safely. Marijuana should not become legal in any more states.
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Deaths induced by Marijuana do not only affect the person who dies but hundreds of others as well. When someone dies, it is as if the sun has set so that it will never rise again. When someone dies because they overdosed on a drug, “the beauty and the wonder and the music [spills] out [as] shards of broken glass. What [is] left [is] messy, dangerous, and broken,” the articles, “The Impact of Death on Life” states.
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The death of one person from overdosing on marijuana can result in thousands more. Those who knew them or were close with them, are deeply affected by their death and their lives change forever, all because of preventable death.
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Deaths induced by marijuana are never going to be eradicated, but they can be prevented and they can decrease.
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Furthermore, due to the side effects of marijuana usage on the brain, such as impairing judgment and motor coordination, car crashes have increased significantly. According to the NIDA, National Institute on Drug Abuse, statistics show that “crashes are up as much as 6% in Washington, Oregon and Colorado, compared with neighboring states that haven't legalized recreational use of weed.”
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Car crashes are deadly and often, not only the drivers are killed, but the passengers too. The victim of a car crash could be a young child who has done no wrong. Car crashes kill the people who are responsible for the future, and marijuana-related accidents can be prevented and people can stay safe; but, only if marijuana is made illegal. The death of one can spiral into the death of thousands, but when these deaths can be prevented, they should be.
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No matter what promises people make, they cannot be trusted to use marijuana safely and responsibly. People have a tendency to make promises that they cannot keep, especially when it comes to things like substance abuse. People want marijuana to become legalized for recreational purposes and they promise to use it responsibly but ”marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the U.S. and around the world. Those who support its legalization… fail to recognize that the greatest costs of marijuana are not related to its prohibition; they are the costs resulting from marijuana use itself,” the article, “Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana” reads.
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Believing people when they claim they will use drugs responsibly is a mistake. Marijuana is addictive because it contains a chemical called TCH, tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is responsible for all of the negative side effects of marijuana, and it is what makes it so addictive. Once someone tries marijuana, they want more and their promise to use it responsibly is broken.
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Although the country has high hopes for producing revenue, the money being made is actually being lost because people use marijuana irresponsibly. According to Nina French, writer for Occupational Health and Safety, in Denver County, there were a “documented 56,522 total crimes… after the November legalization of recreational marijuana.”
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The detrimental economic side effects of legalizing marijuana do not compensate for the positive economic side effects; crime does not pay, it never has and it never will. Larceny, one of the oldest crimes of all could cost someone thousands and thousands of dollars in debt, all because someone who was under the influence of marijuana committed a crime. Crime rates may go down if marijuana is not legalized or if it is made illegal in states where it is, and this is a chance that needs to be taken. While legalizing marijuana may appear resolute, when seen with clarity, it is quite detrimental.
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Drugs and overdoses and deaths are dividing people and destroying relationships. Marijuana is not only killing people who abuse it, but innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lives are at stake because people want another drug to become legal for recreational purposes so they can indulge in the pleasure of abusing it.
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As a society, people need to earn trust before they can make promises, especially promises that involve addictive substances. Substance abuse is not something that people can beat around the bush. Substance abuse is a serious issue that needs to be taken into consideration before a decision like legalizing marijuana is made.
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People already live in a world of horrors where every day could be their last, but keeping marijuana illegal, could give people the promise of having one more day.
Works Cited
Berke, Jeremy, and Skye Gould. “This Map Shows Every US State Where Pot Is Legal.”
Business Insider, 4 Jan. 2019,
www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1.
Bradford, Alina. “What Is THC?” Live Science, 18 May 2017,
www.livescience.com/24553-what-is-thc.html.
French, Nina M. “Get Out Your Checkbook: What Legalized Marijuana Is Going to Cost.”
Occupational Health and Safety, 1 Sept. 2017,
ohsonline.com/Articles/2017/09/01/What-Legalized-Marijuana-is-Going-to-Cost.
spx?Pge=1.
NIDA. "Marijuana." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 25 Jun. 2018,
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana. Accessed
10 Feb. 2019.
“The Impact of Death on Life.” What's Your Grief, 26 June 2018,
whatsyourgrief.com/the-impact-of-death-on-life/.
“Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana.” CNBC News, 19 Apr. 2010,