The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes can lead to adverse medical and economic effects, as well as affect the criminal justice system negatively. First, long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction and negatively influence the development of the brain by impairing neural connectivity (Volkow et al. 2220). Second, the economic effects of legalizing should consider the social cost of this legalization.
Insurance might increase due to the possible negative influence of marijuana on individuals’ health, which will directly affect the personal income of citizens. Furthermore, frequent marijuana use can also lead to poor performance at school or work. Third, medical marijuana laws increase the overall use of marijuana in adolescents and young adults, thus increasing the risk of drug abuse in adolescents (Hasin et al. 602). As can be seen, in all three domains, the effect of marijuana use can be negative and possibly outweigh the benefits. It is true that information about the influence of marijuana on one’s health is controversial, but research indicates that long-term use of marijuana can be harmful (Volkow et al. 2220).
The Affordable Care Act is working efficiently despite the countering claims about its collapse. In 2017, insurers gained more financial benefits than they did after the act was passed. Moreover, despite the challenges in the marketplaces, people continue to buy policies on them; now, medical costs for those with marketplace plans align with those insured through their employers, claims the author (The Editorial Board par. 4).
The claim of fact is that A.C.A. continues to be beneficial despite the arguments of Republican politicians and current challenges. The claim of the definition is that A.C.A. is not exploding or collapsing. The claim of value is that Mr. McConnell’s bill would severely worsen citizens’ ability to purchase affordable insurance. The claim of policy is the appeal to Republicans and Democrats to work together on the A.C.A. so that it can become more effective.
The arguments left for the reader to supply are the validity of Republicans’ claims, the opportunity to make A.C.A. effective, and the dreadful potential of the new legislation proposed by Mr. McConnell.
Works Cited
Hasin, Deborah S., et al. “Medical Marijuana Laws and Adolescent Marijuana Use in the USA from 1991 to 2014: Results from Annual, Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys.” The Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 2, no. 7, 2015, pp. 601-608.
The Editorial Board. “Obamacare Is Not Collapsing, Imploding or Exploding.” The New York Times. 2017. Web.
Volkow, Nora D., et al. “Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 370, no. 23, 2014, pp. 2219-2227.