Have you ever wondered why alcohol was legal but marijuana wasn’t? With all of the negative effects that alcohol causes, and all of the benefits marijuana brings, why would marijuana be illegal? I am here to tell you why marijuana should become legal in the United States. Alcohol has many side effects that include slurred speech, drowsiness, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, distorted vision/hearing, etc. Long-term effects of alcohol can also include car crashes, sexual assault, on-the-job injuries, health problems, and can affect your loved ones.
Overall, nothing good can come from consuming alcohol. “After a drink is swallowed, the alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the blood (20% through the stomach and 80% through the small intestine), with effects felt within 5 to 10 minutes after drinking. It usually peaks in the blood after 30-90 minutes and is carried through all the organs of the body.” (Alcohol Org.) This can cause liver and kidney damage. Marijuana’s side effects include dry mouth, dizziness, increased appetite, and can also affect your mood.
Long-term effects of marijuana include potential opiate abuse, greater chance of being unemployed, impaired thinking, and poor school performance.
Marijuana also has major health benefits. Some include treating glaucoma, reverse carcinogenic effects of tobacco, helps control seizures, decrease in anxiety, slows progression of Alzheimer’s, relieves arthritis discomfort, soothes people with parkinson’s, etc. Alcohol does not have any health benefits. Marijuana is only legal in 25 states and is said to grow into more within the next presidential election. Most states, however, have it legalized for medical use only.
Both alcohol and marijuana have negative side effects, but there is nothing positive when it comes to alcohol. Many people have different opinions on both of them. Because alcohol is legal and marijuana isn’t, most people believe that alcohol is “better”. Many scientists are trying to figure out what other ways marijuana can be used for medically. “As for marijuana, whose legalization for medical uses has been a matter of strong public policy debate for years, there is ample evidence that beneficial compounds can be found in the plant.” (Live Science). Scientists around the world are looking for the key ingredient in the substance that has such a positive effect on many diseases and illnesses.
Marijuana Use Should Be Made Legal in America. (2022, Sep 27). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/marijuana-use-should-be-made-legal-in-america/