dofa12+-+DO+-+Dayton

A Paper By Dayton Olsen

Picture someone in your head. Picture them just sitting on a bench by the sidewalk. Now picture them smoking marijuana. Your opinion of them changes doesn’t it? This is a reaction most people have when they see or hear about someone smoking. They judge people simply based on the false stereotype that this “crime” represents in our society. For nearly all marijuana smokers, it is a victimless crime. But the rest of the world sees only what they choose to see, which is the one sided argument and false claims brought on by the government and higher authorities. The problem with this fragile topic is that the real truth is hidden from people, and marijuana is used as a scare tactic, tuning people against the use of marijuana. The real truth behind all this is that if the true facts are distributed, then the false statements opposing marijuana can be proven wrong. One of the most commonly heard arguments is that marijuana is too highly addictive. However, it is a scientifically proven fact that marijuana is less addictive than tobacco or alcohol. Even caffeine is more addicting than it. Another false accusation is that marijuana causes lots of death. More scientific evidence shows that is physically impossible to die from an overdose of marijuana. Sure, you can be killed from something like driving under the influence of it, but you can die driving under the influence of alcohol as well. Marijuana can cause bronchitis is used long term, but then again, so can tobacco. So if all these other legal drugs are more dangerous than marijuana, why is it that marijuana is illegal? There is also the issue that is rarely touched upon when debating over marijuana. This is the impact that it has on the lives of everyday Americans. Since 1990, over 5.9 million people have been arrested for possession of marijuana. Let us not forget that these “criminals” are people too. They go to work, support a family, and make an honest living just like you. And in an instant, they are taken from their families and treated like animals just because of their recreational drug use. A person is arrested every 45 seconds for charges of marijuana. It is obvious that there will never be an end to the buying and selling of marijuana, so why not just legalize it and end the whole thing now? There is an endless list of upsides to the legalization of marijuana, the most obvious being its medical uses for cancer patients. But if it is legalized, police and court resources would be greatly freed up for more important matters, other than the usual “teenage drug bust”. The FDA could regulate the quality and safety of the drug, just like they do with all tobacco products. And if it is legalized, there is no doubt that is would be sold in stores, meaning that drug dealers (including some terrorists) would lose all or most of their business. It is proven that marijuana does not cause drain damage, genetic damage, or damage to the immune system, which is often what people accuse it of doing. While all this may be hard to believe, all of it is true. Average citizen’s rights are being taken away by the government by not allowing marijuana to be sold and distributed regularly. They inject fear and false theories into our children’s minds about this drug, lying right to our faces. It is time to start questioning this abusive authority and learn the truth about actual effects of marijuana, and realize that is does not turn people into the criminals we are told they are.