Arguments Concerning the Legalization of Marijuana Responses

There has been much discussion in regards to the legalization of marijuana. The past 50 years there has been much disdain for the psychoactive drug, stemming from fear. Fear that who consume it will be harmful to others and to themselves. With the turn of the 21st century, the debate has softened a bit and can become much more of a discussion than in the past. Marijuana should be something legal for those to enjoy, recreationally or medicinally. Take alcohol for example. There are many reported deaths or accidents throughout the year with this substance and it is legal for any one over 21. Why can’t this be the same with marijuana? Anyone of age who can serve in a war or buy a harmful substance like alcohol should be able to buy something that has been proven to be harmless like marijuana.

R2

In a libertarian standpoint, marijuana should be legalized. Libertarians think that there should be a free market in psychoactive substances. Their main view is that you should be able to live your life however you want. Laws or people should not stop you if you are not hurting anyone else. It is your body and you choose what you want to do with it in your lifetime. This is all as long as you do not violate others’ choices or property rights. For those reasons, I think that in this view and standpoint, marijuana should be legalized. It already is in spots in the United States because of the recognition that it does more harm making this drug illegal than there is actual harm from its consumers. This sounds like a very logical ethical reasoning. It does not cause harm, is becoming legal in different places, and makes people happy. There is no reason that it should not be legal ethically. Some do not agree with drugs or alcohol because of their religion or just their views, but why stop others when it does not affect you? Speaking of alcohol, libertarians believe that the drinking age should be brought down to 18. Why can you vote at 18, but not drink? This causes people to drink illegally before they are 21 and abuse the privilege when they turn 21. If it is normalized, there could be better relationships with alcohol. Hard drugs are also supported by many libertarians who think that people should be able to do what they want with the substances, as long as they hurt no one but themselves.

R3

I do believe that marijuana should be legal in all fifty states. Especially with the most recent CBD craze, I have seen a huge positive outcome from a medical and pain management standpoint. My parents have used CBD oils and products to help with some of there joint pains as well as other forms of pain and they have told me that it has been incredibly helpful for them. Even now, professional sports are allowing players to use marijuana. The UFC has allowed it in out of competition and MLB has taken it off the banned substance list. From a utilitarian I do believe that it should be regulated and not a free market. I don’t think it needs to be as strictly regulated but needs to be a little bit regulated because you don’t want kids and other people to be able to obtain it easily. The main reason why libertarians think there should be a free market is because they really believe in living life and doing things that you want to do. There are a lot of health benefits to marijuana that can help with pain management and on top of it, it doesn’t have addictive properties. That is why I think alcohol and cocaine don’t really apply to this. Both can do lasting damage to your body and can be very deadly. I still think that there are many more positives to legalizing marijuana over a lot of other things.

R4

I would say that when speaking of just marijuana I would have a libertarian view on the issue. I believe that it should be legal and there and there is not a lot that would make me be opposed to people doing it. I do not do it. I have heard though that the effects of it are not like being super drunk or anything crazy and judgement is not impaired. I also have heard so many great things on medical marijuana for individuals of all ages. I believe it should be legal and I do not honestly know what the age limit should be but I suppose since it is 21 for cigarettes than maybe make it the same age for marijuana. The only exception of course would be for medical reasons. I think that this is one of those things that is not putting a lot of others at risk around them so they should be able to make the choice for themselves. I definitely do not think that this argument applies to other substances. I am against legalizing other recreational drugs such as cocaine and opioids. Those alter a persons way of thinking and I believe that it can cause a lot of harm to ones self and others around very easily. I definitely would agree with the utilitarian theory on all other drugs because I do not think that legalizing these would be for the greater good. I think it would do the opposite and ruin a lot of relationships and could cause a lot of individuals to wind of up possibly dead.