Legalize It Already
Over the past 80 years the legalization of marijuana has been a highly debatable subject in the United States. In 1927, the United States government made the cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana illegal. Today many people across America are fighting to repeal this act, claiming that using marijuana is a freedom of choice and that is use it’s a “victimless crime”. This however is not the reason I personally support the legalization of marijuana. Through extensive research it is my belief that legalizing marijuana could be beneficial and affect multiple venues of society in a positive way. There are the medical patients who could find relief from its use, farmers who could produce profitable crops, and taxation by the government which could be used to eliminate some of the national debt. This would also reduce the amount of legal expenses that result from prosecuting and housing those who disobey these laws. Being that marijuana is now a 40 billion dollar a year cash crop worldwide, the question is why not legalize marijuana?
Several movements to legalize marijuana have been gaining steam across the country. There are currently 14 states that allow the use and distribution of marijuana for medicinal purposes, despite federal laws regarding its legality. In California where marijuana is already legal for medicinal purposes an election for whether or not to legalize it took place on November 2, 2010, the measure failed. According to a poll taken by Zogby International, in August of 2009, 41 percent of the American public feels that it should be legalized. However, others are still concerned about damage to personal health and other adverse effects that can be caused by using marijuana. In scientific studies related to the effects of marijuana, it has been shown that using the substance in moderation causes little harm compared with alcohol and tobacco use. Looking at marijuana from the perspective of health related issues, look at what happens to people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol. They suffer from cirrhosis of the liver, kidney failure, and in the worst cases a mental and physical addiction. Making it far worse for an individual than any research on marijuana has indicated. As with any drug there are going to be risk for those who choose to abuse them. Even caffeine, certain foods, and over the counter drugs have health related risk if used excessively.
Rather than looking at marijuana in a negative way, let’s look at it from an a positive prospective. Many people who suffer from diseases like AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, eating disorders, and even chronic pain have been able to benefit from using marijuana. In an article by the Harvard Medical School, “The Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that marijuana may be modestly effective for pain relief (particularly nerve pain), appetite stimulation for people with AIDS wasting syndrome, and control of chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting” (1). This proves that marijuana can have a positive effect for people suffering from these and other medical conditions. By having the current federal laws in place, the government is limiting access to a rather inexpensive treatment option for the people and families who are suffering from these conditions. If medicinal use alone were approved nationwide, the cost of healthcare related to these conditions could be greatly decreased.
The American farming community and other nations could also greatly benefit from the addition of marijuana to their crops each year. In the 1700’s farmers were forced to grow marijuana (hemp) and could even be fined if there was a shortage. It was an essential part of the shipping industry used to produce sails and ropes. If marijuana were legalized in today’s time it could be produced in two different variations, hemp and cannabis. Hemp is marijuana that produces less than 1 percent THC; this is used by many countries across the world to produce things such as rope, lotion, and oils to name a few. According to an article in Popular Mechanics magazine, “It is used to produce more than 5,000 textile products, ranging from rope to fine laces, and the woody "herds" remaining after the fiber has been removed contain more than seventy-seven per cent cellulose, and can be used to produce more than 25,000 products, ranging from dynamite to Cellophane”(12). This article later states, “This new crop can add immeasurably to American agriculture and industry” (13). There is also cannabis with more than 1 percent THC which could be produced for medical and pharmaceutical companies to distribute in a controlled manner. This shows sound proof that economically producing hemp and cannabis could be a major benefactor in helping with economic recovery.
If the federal government were to approve the legalization of marijuana, it could impose a tax that could produce a significant amount of revenue. This could be used to fund a “War on Drugs” that could focus on harder, more life threatening drugs such as methamphetamines, cocaine, and heroin. In an article written by Jeffery Miron, a visiting professor at Harvard University suggest, “The budgetary implications of legalization exceed those of decriminalization for three reasons. First, legalization eliminates arrests for trafficking in addition to eliminating arrests for possession. Second, legalization saves prosecutorial, judicial, and incarceration expenses; these savings are minimal in the case of decriminalization. Third, legalization allows taxation of marijuana production and sale.” (1). By continuing to make the use of marijuana a criminal offense, it is costing our country far more money than it’s worth to prevent its use. It’s estimated that 7 billion dollars a year of federal and state tax revenue is spent fighting the prohibition of marijuana. "As Milton Friedman and over 500 economists have now said, it's time for a serious debate about whether marijuana prohibition makes any sense," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington (1). The numbers just don’t add up; why waste so much of our hard earned money fighting something that has so little effect on society? This money could be used to protect our border from terrorists, survey countries that pose a threat to our security, or returned to the population.
Looking at marijuana from another stand point, being that it is currently illegal in the United States causes multiple legal issues. Due to the fact there is a demand for marijuana means there is a market for an illegal product. This in result leads to drug trafficking, cartels, gangs, and individuals who see this as a potential to make easy money. This is a danger to society, putting at risk those individuals who are involved in the cultivation, trafficking, distribution, and buying of illegal drugs. Not to mention that people who are arrested for these offenses clog up the legal system. Leading to an increase in our prison population and costing tax payer billions of dollars. Since this is a dangerous position to be in the government should regulate and control this aspect of the drug trade. By having control of the marijuana trade, the government could insure that everyone involved is safe as possible during its distribution and consumption. This could be done in a manner that involves controlling the THC content of the distributed product, licensing of the users, and accountability of where and who purchases the product. This would take drug dealers off the streets, making it safer for society in general.
There are individuals who are concerned if marijuana were legalized it would be easily accessible to our youth. This in some aspect is true, but if the proper guidelines are followed during the legalization process it could be regulated and controlled like alcohol and tobacco. Just as children and teens today get cigarettes and alcohol, its likely true marijuana would be just as available. However, by having control over who can purchase and distribute marijuana it would make the availability to underage users difficult. Drug dealers and gang members usually don’t care about the age of the person to whom they sell drugs. To them it’s usually a matter of making a quick buck, not a moral dilemma or legal issue. However, if a convenience store owner or licensed distributor sold alcohol or tobacco to someone underage, they would face stiff penalties, fines, and possibly even jail time. If we were to enact these laws with the legalization of marijuana, people would think twice about contributing to the delinquency of a minor. There are currently no laws in the United States that differentiate between the sale of marijuana to an adult or minor. This means the penalty of selling to children is no different than that of a 25 year old. Young people tend to push the limits of any intoxicating substance, whether its alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana. It would be better if marijuana were legalized, even if it’s just for the fact that it could be better monitored. Though multiple groups across the country agree marijuana should be legalized, all agree there should be regulations in place to prevent it from getting in the hands of our youth.
For me, the reason I feel marijuana should be legalized is it is currently the largest source of revenue for Mexican drug cartels. By continuing to make it illegal, we are giving the drug cartels a reason to operate. If there largest source of revenue were available for public consumption, there wouldn’t be a need to traffic the drug across the border. It could be possible that many of the smaller drug smuggling rings would cease to exist. In a recent Newsweek article, Glenn Beck told readers, “This little game we're playing in the middle of legalization or not isn’t helping the U.S., is not helping Mexico, and is causing massive violence on our southern border.” (Beck 1). Even president of the American’s for Tax Reform, Republican Grover Norquist said this about the situation, “"There is the mess that is Mexico. Narcoterrorism is made possible by our drug prohibition in the U.S. Then there is the cost of incarceration for these criminals.” (Norquist 1). This is a rare statement for a Republican, who for the past 60 years has fought to snuff out marijuana use. American’s are becoming feed up with the way this situation is being handled. Each day the war on drug is becoming an increasingly bloody battle; over 28,000 people have lost their lives since Mexican President Felipe Calderón began his crackdown on Mexican drug cartels, according to Fox News. By continuing to criminalize marijuana, we are putting undue hardship on the people of Mexico and the United States. If we continue to operate under the marijuana laws that are currently in place, more lives will be lost. In my eyes it was best said by Ted Genoways, editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review, “With so much at stake, perhaps it's time to consider legalizing and taxing marijuana. Such a move would undercut the "cash cow" that supports the Mexican drug cartels, would create a tax base to fight harder drugs, and would allow drug enforcement agents to focus their interdiction efforts.” (Genoways 2).
In conclusion, it is my belief that the legalization of marijuana in the United States could drastically reduce the amount of legal, social, political, and financial problems we have in this country. Continuing to make marijuana illegal will only enable this situation to elevate to a higher level. Making the people of this country suffer for the beliefs and ignorance of a few American lawmakers. The prohibition of alcohol in America caused a cluttered legal system, unsafe consumption and manufacturing of alcohol, and organized crime. This is the same thing we are seeing with the prohibition of marijuana. We as human beings have the ability to learn from our mistakes. Why have we not taken control of this tragic situation? It’s time that we strengthen our voice as a people, decide on what’s best for our nation, and elect the representatives who support this cause. Marijuana may not be the key to solving our nation’s problems, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Works Cited
Conant, Eve, and Katie Maloney. "POT AND THE GOP." Newsweek 156.18 (2010): 30-35. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.
Dresser, Rebecca. "Irrational Basis: The Legal Status of Medical Marijuana." Hastings Center Report 39.6 (2009): 7-8. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
Genoways, Ted, Ed. "Are We Losing the War on Drugs?." Virginia Quarterly Review 85.4 (2009): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.
Komaroff, Anthony L., MD. "Medical marijuana and the mind." Harvard Mental Health Letter 26.10 (2010): 1-3. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
Miron, Jeffery A. (2005), “Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition in the United
States.” [cited 2010 Nov 9]. www.costofprohibition.org. 2005 Feburary.
Miron, Jeffrey A. (2002), “The Effect of Marijuana Decriminalization on the Budgets of Massachusetts Governments, With a Discussion of Decriminalization’s Effect on Marijuana Use,” Report to the Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts, October.
Unknown. “New Billion Dollar Crop.” Popular Mechanics (1938) 12-13. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
