Opinion: Marijuana should legalized throughout the US

Millicent Abboud, Watertown Splash staff

Marijuana should be legalized for people that are 21 and above. Recently, a new law passed in Massachusetts making possession of small amounts legal. The question appeared in some ballots during the election and it passed in four of the five states.

The reason why marijuana is being legalized is that the ingredient that makes you high, THC, is also used to help make your body feel better when it’s in pain.

THC comes in many forms. There is medical marijuana and recreational marijuana, and the law has passed for both in Massachusetts.

I believe that marijuana should be legalized everywhere as it helps fight illnesses like cancer and other diseases. Imagine your loved one suffering though a disease in their body and the only thing that is available is THC, I’m pretty sure you’d want the THC used by your loved one rather than seeing them suffer.

Some might say, “Marijuana isn’t good. The THC goes to the brain and messes up certain areas!” The THC will only stay in your body for about 30 days, while the benefit is that it helps your body get better.

The new law states that when you are 21, you may indeed smoke marijuana. It’s the same law like alcohol, meaning that you can only smoke it in the comfort of your own home, and not out in the streets. If you are caught smoking it under the age of 21 and the marijuana is less than 1 ounce, you will be ned for $100. If you are under 21 and smoking it more than 1 ounce, it will be 21 days in jail.

Doctors say that marijuana is not good to smoke when you’re pregnant. That is true as the marijuana does go into your baby and might lead to learning disabilities for the child.

Marijuana is also helping create jobs and bringing down arrest rates for the drug. Farms grow it and stores can sell it, and businesses are making money from it. Crime statistics have also gone down now that marijuana is not illegal.

This is why marijuana should be legalized.

–Feb. 15, 2017–