Marijuana use, medically and recreationally, should be decriminalized and legalized worldwide. Marijuana, otherwise known as kush, pot, or weed refers to the dried stems, flowers, and seeds from a cannabis plant. Marijuana contains a mind-altering chemical called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The chemical is found in resin produced by the leaves, and primarily in the buds of the plant. It is native to Central Asia and India, and has been used for medical, recreational, and entheogenic purposes for centuries. Some short term effects of marijuana include altered senses, such as seeing brighter colors, euphoria, changes in mood, and increased appetite, but the main reason so many people use it is for the calming and therapeutic effect.

Medical marijuana has been legalized in 36 states in the U.S. for those who are at least 21 years old, and has been proven to give sick patients pain relief, relaxation, and control of nausea. Still, many places in the world have strict laws against the medical use of marijuana like China, India, Russia, Egypt, and many more. Mexico, for example, allows only medical use of marijuana and a THC content of less than one percent. Some patients in extreme pain or on their deathbeds just want to feel at ease. Marijuana helps slow things down and making it illegal for sick patients to use it, seems quite unfair to me considering there are other drugs similar to it that are already provided at hospitals.

Marijuana should be legalized throughout the world. Even though some states and territories have legalized the use of Marijuana, it is still against the federal government and that needs to change. Marijuana dispensaries often prosper due to the popularity of the drug. With these companies succeeding, by paying their federal taxes and receiving investment opportunities, the cannabis industry has contributed millions of dollars to the local economy. If marijuana was legalized everywhere, the numbers would just keep climbing and dispensary owners would not have to fear for their lives that the federal government will come and take away all their profit and life’s work. It benefits the government, the owners, and especially the customers. I see no reason to keep strict laws against the use and selling of marijuana.

If people are against using marijuana, they can simply refrain from using it. There is no need to put others down for their choices, as all different types of people use the drug, nor is there a reason to ban all citizens from the use of it. Some concerns people may have with legalizing marijuana are health concerns that could become more frequent with people like impaired memory, delusions, and psychosis. Those concerns typically only happen to the brain when someone has been using marijuana a lot from a very young age before the brain develops fully. By legalizing marijuana everywhere for those of age, the side effects are a lot less likely to happen because the brain is developed. Additionally, people will always find a way to get their hands on drugs, especially marijuana. Many loopholes have been dug and with or without the law, marijuana will continue to be bought and used across the world. It would be much safer and easy if the laws against marijuana were abolished.