I believe marijuana should be legalized because it can be used for medical purposes towards the following; neuropathic pain, epilepsy/ seizures, migraines, nausea and lots of other medical conditions that range in severity. Marijuana can also be used to help people who struggle to eat, like the condition anorexia nervosa; the reasoning for marijuana having a ‘hungry’ effect on a person is because marijuana contains THC, this targets the brain’s olfactory bulbs and results in a person’s senses heightening whether that be taste or smell. Marijuana can also be very useful to insomniacs, the THC in marijuana reaches cell receptors in the brain and body that help with the sleep cycle; this doesn’t necessarily mean that marijuana would need to be smoked, marijuana can be ingested with sprays, oils, foods etc.
Isn’t Marijuana a gateway drug?
The majority of people who have used marijuana have already tried other, stronger drugs like cigarettes and alcohol. This can have a huge impact on the person(s) idea of marijuana and how vulnerable a person can be to this drug. If used responsibly and the person is aware of the long term effects I believe marijuana would be a better alternative to harder drugs like heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and other very harmful substances. Depending on where a person is located and there familiarity with substances I would say marijuana can be a gateway drug if used uncarefully.