Marijuana has been outlawed on the national level in the United States since the 1930s. Since its illegalization, marijuana has been researched heavily by scientists and a lot of new information has been discovered about the psychoactive drug. Marijuana has been found to have medicinal properties that could help millions of people who suffer from a variety of health problems. Many of these health problems are being treated by prescription opioids, which are a type of drug that acts on the nervous system to relieve pain. While opioids are great at relieving pain, they have an extremely high potential for addiction and withdrawal symptoms for the users. Millions of Americans who are prescribed opioids become addicted to them. Opioid addiction is a serious problem in the United States, and often times opioid users’ addiction leads to overdose or even death. Marijuana has been found to have similar pain relieving properties as opioids, but marijuana is considered by many scientists as a safer alternative to opioids, mostly because of its low potential for substance abuse. Enough research has been done on marijuana that proves it can be used medicinally. Many researchers also found that the negative side effects associated with marijuana use are not nearly as damaging to the body as the side effects associated with opioid use. Marijuana legalization would not just help those with medical conditions; it would benefit everyone in the United States because of job growth and the additional revenue it would bring in to the government. The United States government needs to reconsider the illegalization of marijuana. The benefits marijuana brings to society outweigh the negatives enough for it to be legalized. 

Every year opioids are prescribed to millions of Americans to treat pain. WebMD states that “opioid drugs work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord, and other areas of the body. They reduce the sending of pain messages to the brain and reduce feelings of pain” (1). There are many different types of prescription and non-prescription opioids such as codeine, hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, and heroin to name a few. Opioids have an extremely high potential for addiction. In 2015, there were an estimated 2.6 million Americans that were addicted to prescription pain relievers (Oliver). In that same year, prescription opioids and heroin were involved in nearly 30,000 deaths across America (Oliver). John Oliver also found that “75% of heroin addicts used prescription opioids before turning to heroin.” Opioid abuse not only leads to addiction, but can lead to very serious side effects on the bodies of those who abuse them. “Repeated opioid use was noted to be associated with increased prevalence in reduced kidney function. In addition, prescription opioid use was noted to be associated with higher albuminuria when compared to non-opioid users” (Mallappallil 2). According to Eric Patterson, the long-term effects of opioid use include nausea and vomiting, abdominal distention and bloating, constipation, liver damage, brain damage, development of tolerance, and dependence. With over 250 million different prescriptions for opioids being written every year in America alone, this is not a small problem (Oliver). 

To understand the benefits of marijuana, one must first understand how marijuana effects the body and brain. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug that has a variety of effects on the human mind and body. It is most commonly consumed by smoking, but it can also be ingested through foods. Marijuana contains over 60 different cannabinoids; these cannabinoids work by binding to different receptors on the brain and therefore make the user feel “high.” The two main cannabinoids in marijuana are delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the chemical in marijuana that gets the user high and CBD is “a potent anti-inflammatory and pain reliever” (Graves 66). After the user inhales the smoke of marijuana, the different cannabinoids enter the bloodstream and attach to receptors in the brain which causes the “brain cells to release the chemical dopamine” (Cox). The effects of marijuana are felt almost immediately after inhaling the smoke. According to Jill Vargo Cavalet, some of the positive effects marijuana has on the body and brain are euphoria, increased appetite, relaxation, laughter, and talkativeness. Some of the negative effects are anxiety, dizziness, dry mouth, impaired motor function, and perceptual altercations (Vargo Cavalet). Marijuana is also known to provide significant pain relief to the user, which is one of the main reasons why marijuana is starting to be used as medicine. The pain relief that marijuana provides could make it a safer alternative to prescription opioids.

The legalization of cannabis could potentially help ease the opioid epidemic in the United States. As stated earlier, marijuana has pain relieving properties thanks to its many cannabinoids. Marijuana could replace opioids as a safer alternative to relieving pain if the United States government legalizes it. One of the main reasons marijuana is a safer alternative to prescription opioids is that it has much lower chances for addiction and it is nearly impossible to overdose. “A fatal marijuana overdose in humans would take 40,000 times the amount of THC that it took to get them high in the first place” (New Health Guide). There are minor symptoms of marijuana withdrawal, which include anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and irritability (Vargo Cavalet 42). In contrast, the withdrawal symptoms of opioids are agitation, anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, to name a few. The withdrawal symptoms of opioids are much more severe than those of marijuana. Marijuana usage has much less negative effects on the body too. The only real health risks associated with marijuana are “abnormalities in two brain regions that are important in emotion and motivation,” and there is strong evidence “that smoke from burning cannabis is carcinogenic” (Nemko). Compared to the potential of kidney failure and brain damage associated with opioids, the negatives of marijuana are not all that bad. Not only is marijuana less addictive and less damaging to the body, it is also shown to decrease the usage of opioids. “A University of Michigan study recently found that patients using medical cannabis to control chronic pain reported a 64% reduction in their use of opioids,” and several studies “including one published in JAMA, have shown that the number of opioid overdoses are as much as 25% lower in states where medical marijuana is legal” (Graves 63). A study conducted by Alex H. Kral and numerous other scientists also found that “the mean and median number of times using opioids in the past 30 days were significantly lower for people who used cannabis than those who did not use cannabis.” Marijuana is a much safer drug than the opioids that millions of Americans are prescribed every year, yet it is still made illegal by the United States government.

Marijuana can not only be used as an alternative to prescription opioids, but also to treat other medical conditions. Take little Charlotte Figi as an example; Charlotte had her first seizure when she was just three months. “The seizure lasted about 30 minutes. Her parents rushed her to the hospital” (Young). That seizure was not the last one either, and for five years Charlotte had to live with “having 300 grand mal seizures a week” (Young). Doctors had no idea what was wrong with Charlotte, and they prescribed a little child heavy duty medications such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines (Young). Charlotte’s heart had stopped a number of times and her mother had to do CPR until an ambulance would arrive. It had gotten to the point where doctors “had even suggested putting Charlotte in a medically induced coma to give her small, battered body a rest” (Young). Charlotte even lost the ability to walk, talk and eat (Young). Charlotte’s mom had decided to try marijuana as a last resort to helping her little daughter experience a normal life. Charlotte got a dose of cannabis oil twice a day in her food and the results are incredible. “Today, Charlotte, 6, is thriving. Her seizures only happen only two to three times a month, almost solely in her sleep” (Young). Thanks to cannabis, Charlotte can finally live a normal life and doesn’t have to take dozens of medications that were taking a heavy toll on her body.  This is just one of the many example of people who have benefitted from cannabis.

As scientists continue to study the effects of marijuana, more information will continue to get released about its ability to help treat certain medical conditions. There has been evidence that marijuana can offer therapeutic benefits for conditions like Glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer (Vargo Cavalet 44-45). Although cannabis cannot outright cure these medical conditions, it can make life much easier for the patient who suffers from them. Cancer patients who are treated with chemotherapy are forced to deal with crippling nausea that makes it difficult to do just about anything. “Because of marijuana’s cannabinoid receptors that govern food intake, marijuana stimulates appetite which makes it useful in reducing chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting” (Vargo Cavalet 44). People suffering from arthritis have to do deal with constant pain in their joints. A recent study of “58 patients using the derivatives of marijuana found they had less arthritis pain and slept better” (Christensen). Patients who suffer from HIV/AIDS “benefit from marijuana use through improved appetite, weight gain, lessened pain and improved quality of life” (Vargo Cavalet 44).

The legalization of marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington have benefitted the economies and have led to increased job growth. In Colorado alone “legal weed created 18,005 full-time jobs and added about $2.4 billion to the state’s economy,” and “Every dollar spent in the industry generates between $2.13 and $2.40 in economic activity. Only federal government spending has a higher multiplier” (Pyke). Only one year after marijuana’s legalization in Colorado, there are already billions of dollars in revenue being generated by the industry, and marijuana is already one of the leading sources of revenue in Colorado. In Arizona, there is a legislation proposal that would put a 15 percent excise tax on Marijuana sales. This legislation proposal “would likely generate over $114 million in new tax revenue” (Pyke). That’s money the government can use to put in to schools, public transportation, and other spending that benefits the public. If marijuana has provided so many benefits, then why is it kept illegal by the United States government?

Although most Americans are in favor of legalizing marijuana, there are still opponents to marijuana legalization. Many opponents of marijuana legalization will point out the negative effects of marijuana. There have been a couple of studies that have found negative effects on the human body. Some of the main psychoactive effects marijuana has on the body are impaired motor function and relaxation. Opponents argue that if marijuana is legalized, more workers would be “more likely to suffer from the poor memory, reduced motivation and emotional problems,” (Nemko) which would therefore have a negative effect on the economy. Marty Nemko, the author of the time article Legalize Pot? You Must Be High, interviewed an assembly line worker in a Ford plant in Michigan. The worker said that “workers would routinely be high on marijuana and pull such pranks as deliberately dropping a bolt into a car so that, when driven, the car would rattle” (Nemko). Ever since the legalization of marijuana in states like Colorado, more and more employers are reporting workplace incidents involving marijuana use. But when the marijuana industry has created over 18,000 new jobs, and generated over $2.4 billion dollars in Colorado alone, then it’s difficult to see how marijuana has a negative effect on the economy. Work places can also monitor the behaviors of employees to look out for signs of an employee who is intoxicated by marijuana and place restrictions on its usage.

Many studies conducted on marijuana have also found that the “respiratory effects of marijuana smoke are similar to those seen with tobacco: cough, dyspnea, wheezing, bronchitis, and hoarseness.” (Vargo Cavalet 40). Opponents question why the government would legalize a drug that has similar effects on the lungs as tobacco, which is a drug that is known to cause lung cancer. Marijuana doesn’t have to be smoked for the user to receive its effects. An oil-like substance can be extracted from the plant that still contains all the psychoactive and therapeutic properties. This oil can be put into foods and eaten to receive all of its effects. The effects take longer to kick in, but they last longer too. 

Opponents also argue that if marijuana becomes legal, then children will be able to get a hold of the drug much more easily. A Duke University study found that “people who began smoking marijuana heavily in their teens lost an average of 8 points in IQ between age 13 and age 38” and a University of Maryland School of Medicine Study found that regular marijuana use during adolescence may permanently impair cognition and increase the risk for psychiatric diseases (Nemko). Kids actually have easier access to marijuana now than if it were legalized. Most of the marijuana in the United States today comes from illegal smugglers outside of the U.S. According to Ioan Grillo, the U.S border control has been seizing smaller quantities of marijuana since 2011. Because marijuana is starting to become legal in some states, less people are buying the drug illegally. That means the smugglers profits will fall and will have no reason to smuggle weed in to the United States anymore if people can just purchase it legally. In states where marijuana is legal, the legal age to purchase marijuana is 21. Minors can’t purchase marijuana from dispensaries and it will be harder for them to purchase the drug illegally because of the decline in smuggling. 

The United States government needs to reconsider the illegalization of marijuana. The therapeutic benefits that marijuana provides helps so many people who suffer from medical conditions like arthritis, glaucoma, and many more. States where cannabis has been legalized have not only seen an increase in job growth, but also an increase in revenue to the states governments. Marijuana has the potential to replace prescription based opioids because of its pain relieving properties. The fact that opioids can get prescribed to people, but not cannabis, is sickening. There are so many drugs out there that can do so much more damage to the human body that are legal. Alcohol, for example contributes to thousands of deaths in the United States every year because of overdose and drunk driving, which is something you cannot say about cannabis. When a majority of people in the United States support marijuana’s legalization and it is still not legalized, there is a problem that needs to be resolved. There is still hope though; as more states legalize the herb, other states will see the positive impact it brings and follow in their path. The fight for marijuana legalization has been a long one, dating back to the 1930s when it first became illegal. But soon the fight will be over and the entire United States will benefit from marijuana’s legalization.
