Marijuana is the third largest used drug in America. Alcohol takes 1st place honors while tobacco takes 2nd place.According to NORMAL ( A group working to reform Marijuana laws) 740,000 people were arrested last year for some type of Marijuana violation. 87% (over 658,000) were charged for possession only while the remaining 13% (91,000) were for sale/manufacturing charges. Those figures are higher then all the violent arrests made for murder,rape and robbery combined. The cost to taxpayers for all of those arrested is 10 billion dollars.
So if you are not one of the 25 million people who have tried Marijuana in the past year or one of the 14 million people who smoke it regularly than you may just be asking why? Why do people smoke marijuana?
Well there are many many reasons but let's just go with a Top Ten list you probably won't see on Letterman any time soon.
Now these 10 reasons are not in any type of particular order but I love Letterman and have always wanted to do the top ten ( but then again these aren't funny)
10.Marijuana as Medicine
9.For the effect of the THC (the main ingredient in marijuana)
8.To release the anxiety,stress,fear,pain or anger related to personal,psychological or some family issue.
7.Popular culture endorse use
6. Low perception of harm
5.The opportunity of it presents itself
4.Peer, family or role model presents itself
3. Because they were born with or develop certain personality dimensions such as unconventionality, which make marijuana use non-taboo.
2.Curiosity
1.To relax
Now there are many reasons besides the ones previously discussed that are added to why Marijuana should be legalized such as the government has no right to forbid a person to do there body harm and if they do laws should be in place to limit how much a person a person eats or laws should be in place prohibiting bungee jumping. I do not really agree with it and think we are maybe reaching pretty high (no pun intended) but none the less it is an opinion. I don't really know where I stand on this whole issue because of three things. 1. According to the National Geographic Channel or maybe Discovery Channel Yes drug crime and arrests have declined in Colorado but and a very big BUT gang violence has tripled. So I think we do need to remember We are taking away a huge amount of income from a very violent type of people and groups who are not going to sit back and watch. I'm not saying we need to replace there income but we should be prepared and ready for that reaction.
2. We need sometimes to get back to basics or just not jump on the first good looking solution and I say this in the effect to here we are again doing what I call the casino solution. We saw what a few casinos did for the purses of local govt in the effect of taxes being paid and suddenly casinos are everywhere. Its by no means a Vegas or Atlantic City thing anymore. I do believe that casinos do great things pay taxes,create many temp and permanent jobs and they are good employers but do we need one on every street corner.Some casinos will not survive and what will the local governments and state governments do then. Major gaming companies are selling off properties now. So we need more research and education and maybe should watch Colorado for a bit.
3. The Gateway Drug Theory. I know a lot of people say and think this is a bullshit theory and at one time I also believed that but for me, this addict it is true. I started out with alcohol and marijuana when I was younger and I eventually moved on to other drugs which I considered to be "Hard Drugs" and I also considered Marijuana to be a bullshit drug or a drug for wimps. When I first thought I just might have a drug problem I began the "Marijuana Maintenance Program" I had the wonderful idea of I'll just smoke pot and quit the other drugs. This idea at the time made total sense to me cheaper, not as bad as those other drugs plus everybody does it right? WRONG within a week all I accomplished was now I was doing two drugs and it was costing me even more. OK then I'll just drink right? WRONG now I'm doing three drugs (yes alcohol is a drug) and it costing me way too much money. Guess where I ended up Back to what I was doing before but even more because I needed to get that high from doing 3 drugs. It was a non winning situation I knew that. Did it stop me though? NO.
So for this addict that has this disease no matter what I can't do any drug. Maybe you can smoke a joint here and there and it will never lead you to where it brought me but believe me if someone could have said you have this disease called addiction I may have never picked up and you can't tell me its genetics cause it isn't with me. So do I Believe the Gateway Drug Theory? For me yes I do. I have to ask what about other people that have this disease that never let's you know until you try. I wouldn't wish this upon anyone. So how many others could this be a gateway.
My opinion is something very simple and is the answer I know I have to many things before I jump into many things. Education. Teach the people. Research so more education can be taught. Is there an answer? I don't know but maybe with some more research and education a few lives might be saved or we continue to do what we always do as a society and get what we want when we want it now and learn our lessons as we always do "on the fly" at no matter what cost. Have a great day
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