This was one of the narrative outlines I used for my paper before I started doing more focused research. I ended up needing more topics for content, but I felt this one reflected my general opinion well enough.
With
the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act and later the 1970 Controlled Substance Act, usage
of marijuana was prohibited in the United States on a federal level. In the
last few decades the debate over its legalization has heated to a boil,
resulting in several states granting various amounts of leniency and legality
to its use. In my opinion, this move towards legalization is ultimately a
positive trend that serves a public good.
Contrary
to popular argument, I believe that marijuana use does not diminish public
virtue. THC, the mild psychedelic compound in cannabis, is a depressant drug,
meaning that it tends to decrease the activity of the user rather than increase
it. One of the effects is similar to alcohol in that it tends to reduce social
inhibition, but the biological mechanism does not impair judgement so much as
it enhances the perception of pleasure from certain activities. People who are
“high” on marijuana will tend to engage themselves in some low-intensity social
or personal entertainment activity; they are usually more interested in keeping
the peace than causing disruption. An increase in public use will likely not
result in more violence or social unrest, and since the drug is not inherently
addictive and supply is in no shortage, there is no incentive for aggressive
competition based on personal interests.
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