According to the Cambridge dictionary, “drug is any natural or artificially produced chemical substance that is taken for pleasure to improve someone's performance in an activity or because a person is unable to stop using it." “Drugs are made of chemicals, many similar to those already in our system. They alter the way nerve cells normally send, receive and process information. They do this by mimicking the brain's natural chemical messengers, overstimulating the brain's “reward circuit,” flooding the brain with excess chemicals, and binding to receptors in the brain,” as cited by Phoenix House. Drug use causes conflicts in the brain. Once we inhale, smoke, inject or snort narcotics; the brain changes and causes people to slur their words, become more irritated, lethargic, aggressive, energetic, euphoric, paranoid and even delusional. So legalizing all drugs might not be a good idea. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Legalizing all drugs would have many effects on the United States, both on the population itself and on the economy. People won't use drugs if they don't have the motivation to do so. The consequences of legalization would lead to less population, more population in prison, increased population using illegal drugs, more crime, more gun use, more spending or it would cause pain to the person using drugs. Of course this would affect the entire country. One of the main reasons people take drugs is because they are stressed. They may also be influenced by their environment, use it as a celebration, experience pleasure, have other emotional problems, or be pressured to experience it. Peer pressure has a lot of influence on drug users. A drug-free teenager attending a party may be strongly influenced by his friends to try drugs and therefore may be strongly tempted to get involved. The more they get involved, the harder it will be for them to quit and they will eventually venture down their path of drug choices, possibly becoming more and more addicted along the way. Sooner or later the need for the drug takes over their mind and body and consumes them completely; to the point where they cannot survive without it and eventually become dependent on it. But before a person turns to drugs, he abuses them. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Abuse occurs when we use drugs excessively and irresponsibly; abusing it for the effects of drugs from time to time. This means that you started with the curiosity of wanting to know what it would be like to consume it. When you try it for the first time you can't go back, so instead of going back to the normal life you used to lead, you become addicted to it. Addiction occurs when you cannot resist the urge to crave drugs, although you may feel relaxed at first, but eventually you will feel pain and want to have more. Wanting more, people become obsessed and want to do drugs, so they will do anything to possess the drug and it could lead to crime. But there are some cases where patients are given illegal medical drugs in the right amount so that they help them deal with certain things and are not enough to harm them. As I mentioned, legalizing all drugs in the United States would definitely have pros and cons.