Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

Words: 507
Pages: 3

For my eighth grade debate class, I was assigned to choose a topic of controversy and argue a side of it. Raised by traditional parents with even more traditional values, I viewed recreational marijuana use as the wrongest of wrongs and set out to disprove any arguments for the legalization of marijuana in my debate essay. Not too long into my research did I realize that I could not write that paper, so here I am three years later writing a paper arguing, not against, but for the legalization of marijuana. The thing is, the benefits of marijuana far outweigh any negative side effects, and its being illegal is an example of big government excessively intervening in the people’s lives.

The largest misconception labels marijuana as the “gateway drug,” claiming that its legalization will lead to further problems and more drug use. This claim is made in regards to hardcore narcotics such as cocaine and heroin, which marijuana is nowhere near as potent as and is falsely compared to. Many point to the negative side effects of being “high,” the temporary fogginess that accompanies smoking marijuana and affects motor coordination and short-term memory, much like being drunk. This is a valid claim, but is it really a strong enough claim when alcohol, which is legal, presents similar, but just as, if not more, serious side effects?
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Two active chemicals in marijuana, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), exhibit medicinal applications, including impacting the brain in various ways and relieving pain. Medical marijuana has been used to treat and prevent glaucoma, control epileptic seizures, decrease anxiety, slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s, and protect the brain after a