The
legalization of drug is quite controversial issue in the U.S. in recent years. I
have heard a lot about it every TV news and internet news. It is so much
popular in every state. In the U.S. twenty three states and the District of
Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. However, among
those states, four states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana
for recreational use, and the rest are legalizing marijuana in some kind of way
such as some are legalizing marijuana to use for medical purpose.
After
I read the article by Norm Stamper, I disagree with his article that supporting
to legalize the drug in U.S. In his article he states, “Want to cut back on
prison overcrowding and save a bundle on the construction of new facilities?
Open the doors, let the nonviolent drug offenders go. The huge increases in
federal and state prison populations during the 1980s and '90s (from 139 per
100,000 residents in 1980 to 482 per 100,000 in 2003) were mainly for drug
convictions. In 1980, 580,900 Americans were arrested on drug charges….” I
don’t think that’s the right way to legalize the drug. Every drug is addictive once or twice you use
it. If you look at the people who use cocaine or heroin, they probably started
from smoking cigarette then they are not able to stop smoking, and they want
stronger drug such as marijuana, and then they try to use cocaine. Finally,
they look for to use heroin because they want more something stronger than they
are using currently, and then their lives will be end up. Most of those people
are never started from heroin directly and they started from like, and then
mild, finally they use strong. Once they use cocaine or heroin, they can do
whatever they need to do to get those cocaine or heroin because if they can’t
get those cocaine or heroin, they will be in the hell. Therefore, to get those
cocaine or heroin, they can do whatever such as killing their parent, steeling
or rub whatever. Consequently, it will be increase cry rates and people can’t
be safe to live in the U.S.
After
I read the article by Robert L. Maginnis, I strongly agree with him because his
article is strong argument for not to legalize the drug. He has proved many arguments in his article
he states, “Nevertheless, a given dose of cocaine or crack is far more
dangerous than a drink of alcohol. Alcohol has an addiction rate of 10 percent,
whereas cocaine has an addiction rate as high as 75 percent.[13]” and “A study
in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that marijuana smoke is
often contaminated by the fungus, Aspergillus.[17] Another study in the Journal
of the American Medical Association found that cases of allergic sinus
infection with the same fungus came from recreational use of contaminated
marijuana.[18]” Moreover, he states in his article, “Former Surgeon General
Elders told a National Press Club luncheon, "Sixty percent of violent
crimes are drug- or alcohol-related.... Many times they're robbing, stealing
and all of these things to get money to buy drugs....” Therefore, I totally
agree with him that not to legalize the drug in the U.S. and if legalize the
drug, people will not be safe to live here in the U.S.
According to the 21st Amendment, that
leaves those decisions such as any intoxicating liquors transportation or
importation into any state is up to states. Therefore majority of people who
live in those states can make the decision what they want to.
