Noura Mahmoud
Status Report
Give the PRO and CON arguments for the issue.
Pro:
1) Prohibition of Marijuana has minimal benefits and may itself cause substantial harm. The marijuana legalization, replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation, would save $7.7 billion per year in state. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as $6.2 billion annually.
2) Annual American deaths caused by drugs report show that number of death cases by Marijuana is zero. It does not cause serious health problems like those caused by tobacco or alcohol, which are legal (e.g., strong addiction, cancer, heart problems, birth defects, emphysema, liver damage, etc.). Death from a marijuana overdose is impossible. In all of world history, there has never been a single human death attributed to a health problem caused by marijuana.
3) Like any substance, marijuana can be abused. The most common problem attributed to marijuana is frequent overuse, which can induce lethargic behavior, but does not cause serious health problems.
4) Marijuana can cause short-term memory loss, but only while under the influence. It does not impair long-term memory.
5) Marijuana does not lead to harder drugs. Marijuana does not cause brain damage, genetic damage, or damage the immune system.
6) Unlike alcohol, marijuana does not kill brain cells or induce violent behavior.
7) Respiratory health hazards can be totally eliminated by consuming marijuana via non-smoking methods, i.e., ingesting marijuana via baked foods, tincture, or vaporizer. A 1997 UCLA School of Medicine study conducted on 243 marijuana smokers over an 8-year period reported that there are no differences were noted between even quite heavy marijuana smoking and non-smoking of marijuana."
Cons:
1) Continuous long-term smoking of marijuana can cause bronchitis and the chance of contracting bronchitis from casual marijuana smoking is minuscule.
2) Long-term...