Exploratory Paper

The issue that I plan on researching for my paper is the legalization of marijuana in the United States. In almost every single part of the United States it is illegal to possess, grow or smoke marijuana. However in some places you can possess small amounts of it in certain places. It is also allowed to be used with prescription by cancer patients. In northern California growing medical marijuana is legal, in fact it accounts for almost two-thirds of their economy. Yet the federal government has yet to put in laws that would legalize Marijuana nationally in the United States, even though our neighbors in Canada have.
Legalizing marijuana appeals to a very wide audience. Even though it is illegal, marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs in the U.S. It is not restricted to certain age groups, marijuana users range from the middle school students to grandparents. The marijuana users would like it to be legalized to get rid of the current punishments that are associated with getting caught using marijuana. These proponents feel as though there is no need for the government to put constraints on marijuana because it is not a drug that kills people as opposed to cocaine and heroin. However there are still very many who believe that marijuana should stay illegal because it is a hallucinogen drug that is mind altering. Opponents feel that if marijuana is allowed to be legalized then the flood gates could open up for other drugs as well.
There are three main positions in the issue on legalizing marijuana. They are the supporters for legalizing all drugs, who feel that the government should not limit what they chose to do with their own lives. Supporters for legalizing all drugs think that they should regulate what they put into their bodies, not the government. Then there is the middle, supporters who just want marijuana legalized. They believe that marijuana is not harmful and should be allowed to be smoked as freely as tobacco. And finally there is the side that doesn’t want to legalize marijuana at all. Not only do they feel like marijuana should not be legalized because of the fact that it is a hallucinogen, but also because it could open the flood gates to other drugs to be legalized as well.
I personally am interested because the legalization of marijuana is one of the issues that I feel affects my peers and I the most. I favor the government to legalize all drugs. If they did that than they could tax them to help the economy, but also because I feel like it should be the individuals decision to what they put into their bodies.