People have been using marijuana for thousands of years. Marijuana was first discovered in China around 4000B.C. It was originally used to make hemp rope. Marijuana was not smoked until five thousand years ago. In addition to making hemp, marijuana was abundantly used as a medicine, first in China, for a wide range of conditions from constipation to absent-mindedness. The Romans carried marijuana with them on their trip to Europe, with the intention of making hemp with it. The European pilgrims brought it with them to North America in order to make hemp rope (“History of Marijuana”). Interestingly, marijuana was not utilized for smoking until the 1920s in the United States, when it was obtained from Mexico (Ibid).
Eight state governments in the United States have legalized marijuana solely for medicinal purposes; however the federal government remains anti-medical marijuana and claims that the utilization of medical marijuana for any reason is breaking federal law. The legalization of medical marijuana has been in debate since the 1970s, and the debate remains relevant today. It has been used to treat medical conditions, such as AIDS, cancers, sleep apnea, a wide range of disorders, and has been prescribed to treat chronic pain. Medical marijuana is also known to be used recreationally by adolescents and adults alike. The legalization of medical marijuana concerns all those who use it, for those with medical conditions in which they utilize the drug to cope with disease, as well as those who make the personal choice to use the drug, those who are against it, and those who are for it.
In 1937, the United States passed the Marijuana Tax Act in hopes of diminishing marijuana use in America. (Rawson). People would be punished and serve jail time for utilization and distribution of marijuana in the 1950s. Then, in the 1970s, marijuana was thrown into the category of a schedule 1 substance (Rawson). A schedule one drug is one that has a high probability of being abused, it is not accepted for medicinal use, and the utilization of the drug under medical administration is not accepted or claimed to be safe (deadiversion.usdoj.gov).
The issue here is the illegality of medical marijuana. The illegality of medical marijuana is a problem because ultimately, the decision affects everybody and future generations. Two major problems with the illegality of medical marijuana is that it is putting more and more drug dealers in business as well as countless people in jail. Also, people are utilizing marijuana for numerous reasons and are technically breaking the law. However, it should be the citizen’s decision whether or not they want to use this drug. Using marijuana does not make one a criminal. Medical Marijuana should be legalized through taxation and government regulation.
Some people might say that the legalization of medical marijuana will only diminish illegal distribution of marijuana, and that those who once sold marijuana illegally will then begin focusing on illegally selling more harmful substances such as cocaine, heroin, and meth. And this may be true. However, we can stop illegal distribution of the least harmful drug; marijuana. This will decrease dangerous drug cartel in our country. Also, marijuana is known to be the most popular and widely used drug in the United States, so by, legalizing it, it will decrease drug deals immensely. The percent of people in the United States who use or have tried marijuana is that around 42 percent. In contrast, those who have tried cocaine is a mere 16 percent (Lynch). These numbers suggests that, yes drug dealers will continue to sell illegal, more harmful drugs such as cocaine, but they will not profit nearly as much. Those who use marijuana will have no need for a drug dealer. So, yes, it is a concern that legalizing marijuana will encourage drug dealer to sell more dangerous substances, but being that marijuana is the most widely used drug in the nation, it will irrefutable put them out of the best business.
Some people might say that putting people in jail for marijuana related charges brings in a very large number of tax revenue. However, by making it legal the government would be guaranteed to gain more money off of the substance being legal than illegal. It costs approximately 78.95 to keep someone behind bars for one day (“How much does it cost to keep a criminal?”). This means that putting someone in jail for one year would cost society $29,181.75 a year for just one person to be behind bars for a marijuana related offense. Being that about 47.5 percent of all arrests are marijuana-related the amount of money used on those people behind bars is outrageous (Klein). Some people get years for marijuana related charges. Obviously, this could potentially rack up to excruciating numbers. Also, this takes up a lot of time that law enforcement could put towards more serious offenders. Again, in California, marijuana annual revenue is about 14 billion dollars and putting a 10 percent tax on marijuana would give the state of California annual tax revenue of 1.4 billion (Klein). This is just one state. Imagine how much money the country could gain from legalizing marijuana. Clearly, the amount of money which could be gained off of legalizing marijuana will be exceptionally greater than the amount of money gained from putting people in jail.
Some people do not actually deem the medical marijuana policies to be an issue. These people typically think that almost anyone can get a medical marijuana card, even if they are not truly eligible, or do not have a legitimate medical condition-and they find nothing wrong with this. It is true that most people can come up with some reason and sensationalize a minor medical condition, such as back pain from an accident that occurred many years prior, and receive a medical marijuana card, when truly; the person solely wants the medical marijuana card to get high and only has intentions of using the substance recreationally. However, this is forcing people to be dishonest and makes them go to unnecessary lengths to obtain what they want. The numbers of how many people are lying to obtain marijuana are not completely certain, but it is a fact that some people are using it recreationally through their medical marijuana card. The most popular reasons for receiving medical marijuana cards were 31 percent back pain, 16 percent have sleep problems, and 13 percent suffer from anxiety and depression (“Shocker! People lie for Marijuana”). There is no way to measure these symptoms-they cannot be seen to the naked eye. Only the individual knows these symptoms and the severity of them. Thus, it is difficult to determine who is lying and who is not. And this is why it is so easy to obtain a medical marijuana card.
In truth, it should not be a crime to use marijuana. It is a safer drug than the current legal drugs today, including pharmaceuticals and one article raves that “They will then begin to wonder if there are any properties of this drug which justify denying it to people who wish to use it for any reason” (Grimspoon, 68). People are going to use marijuana whether it is legal or not, and why shouldn’t they be allowed to? Also, this is a very foolish mentality to have because the profit from medical marijuana sales could ultimately benefit and serve the needs of all society and the government, and to contribute to the communities’ funding needs. If anybody can receive medical marijuana, then the substance is clearly readily available to pretty much everybody-then why not make medical marijuana legal and have its profits benefit society? It is very silly to think that the current medical marijuana policies are not a problem because those who really want it can get it anyway. If all can get it anyway, it basically is legal, so it should be officially legal, once and for all.
Other people might refute that medical marijuana is in fact a legitimate social issue because they might think that all drugs are bad and immoral and drugs should be and should remain illegal to all. But in what society is this realistic? Again, people are using marijuana regardless of whether it is legal or not and they are going to whatever lengths they can to obtain it, dishonestly. But there is no significant harm in using marijuana. Doctors prescribe drugs all the time, some that are known to be used recreationally, yet they are not looked down upon. Marijuana is not different. In fact, it is less toxic than everything the doctors prescribe. It was reported that “they will first come to appreciate what a remarkable medicine it really is; it is less toxic than almost any other medicine in the pharmacopoeia; it is, like aspirin, remarkably versatile; and it is less expensive than the conventional medicines it displaces” (Grimspoon, 68). Being less toxic and expensive than pharmaceuticals that are widely accepted, there is no reason that marijuana should not be legalized.
The proposed solution to the problem of the legalization of medical marijuana is that the United States, all fifty states, legalizes marijuana for medicinal as well as recreational purposes.
Medical Marijuana will be fully legalized and regulated by the government. Medical marijuana will be distributed and grown by private businesses. These private businesses will be expected to follow the federal government’s laws on medical marijuana, but the medical marijuana will be state owned. Marijuana products will be taxed. There will be an age limit as to who can posses and purchase marijuana products. The amount of marijuana that can be purchased at one time by someone will not be restricted. All fifty states will fully legalize medical marijuana and the business of medical marijuana will be privatized and controlled by the state. Driving under the influence, any influence, of marijuana will be illegal. People will only be allowed to use marijuana in approved places.
It is expected that many are going to disprove this solution, for example, perhaps parents of young kids and teens, the police, people who sell marijuana illegally to make money, and health employees will most likely have problems with this solution. Also, religious conservatives will most likely have a problem with this solution because they will think it is immoral. Many, especially parents, might say that the legalization will have a negative impact on the youth, being that marijuana will act as a gateway drug for more harmful substances. However, marijuana is already a problem with the youth of today’s society, with the substance being illegal. The fear that marijuana is a gateway drug for the youth is an ancient fear and this seems to be a concern whether marijuana is legal or not. It was reported that marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug used today (“Marijuana use among teens”). Legalizing the drug would not have any effect on the youth because it would still be illegal to them. Nothing would change in the aspect of the youth. They are already using it and doing it illegally and with the legalization of marijuana for adults, this is giving no impact on the youth. Other drugs that are legal, such as alcohol, have a very negative impact on the youth and yet it remains legal and the youth keeps obtaining it and using it. How is this any different? It was reported by madd.org that teen alcohol use kills about 6,000 people a year which is more than all illegal drugs combined (“Statistics”). Marijuana should be the least of society’s worries on the youth. A survey sent to 733 California adolescents asked if they thought medical marijuana to be more harmful than other drugs (i.e alcohol). 94 percent said no and 6 percent said yes. When they were asked if they regarded medical marijuana to be more beneficial, 77 percent said yes and 23 percent said no (Jaffe, 460). Also, in the study, it was said that one of the adolescent patients was prescribed with medical marijuana and was able to stop abusing alcohol. Thus, marijuana will not have a negative impact on the youth. It will actually benefit the youth because they are more likely to use marijuana than more harmful drugs such as alcohol and by legalizing marijuana, it will be more available to them and encourage marijuana over more harmful drugs.
With this solution, many might fear that the legalization of marijuana will lead to the legalization of the other more serious, harmful drugs. However, there are already more serious, harmful drugs legal, such as alcohol. Alcohol is much more addictive, toxic, and dangerous than marijuana. It is associated with much more violent crimes, such as rape and domestic violence. It was actually reported that marijuana decreases violent behavior (“Facts on Cannabis and Alcohol”). Other drugs such as heroin and cocaine will probably never be legalized because their effects on the body are extremely dangerous and they are much too addictive. Serious drugs such as heroin and cocaine will never be legalized due to their extreme effects on the body. Many might say marijuana is a harmful drug and is harmful to the body. However, the United States has already legalized drugs that are very harmful to the body. For example, alcohol is a very harmful drug and accounts for thousands of death each year. In fact, alcohol is the third leading cause of mortality, accounting for 75,000 deaths a year. And this substance is legal (“Alcohol linked to 75,000 U.S. deaths a year: third leading cause of mortality, government study finds”). In a scientific research study, it was found that the mean percent score for alcohols affects on thinking was much greater than that of marijuana, 20 percent for alcohol and 15 percent for oral ingested cannabis (Jones, 114). It has been reported that there are no credible medical records that support that marijuana has directly caused one single death (“Annual Causes of Death in the United States”). There were approximately 17.4 million people in the United states who admitted they used marijuana in 2010 (“Annual Causes of Death in the United States”), and no deaths to go along with that number, while alcohol kills more people than all of the illegal drugs combined (“Statistics”). Another drug that is currently legal and is extremely harmful to the body is tobacco. Smoking kills 443,000 people annually, just in America (Hawkins). If the rate of tobacco use continues, it is estimated to kill one billion people in the 21st century (Hawkins). This is a very high number of deaths, yet the drug remains legal to adults. So why should marijuana, that does not account for any deaths, not be legalized? Yes, marijuana has some harmful effects on the body but so does many other drugs that remain legal today, such as alcohol and tobacco. Many fast foods are also very harmful to the body and yet they are legal. It is all up to the individual as to what they decide to put into their bodies. We all have free will. Just because marijuana is legalized does not mean that everybody has to smoke it. Chances are, if you do not smoke marijuana now when it is illegal, making it legal will not make you a marijuana user. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is the active ingredient in marijuana. It affects cannabinoid receptors which are dense in areas of the brain involved with pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory time perception, and coordinated movement (“NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana”). Marijuana can act as a depressant, stimulant, and hallucinogenic, however, just like any drug, the effects differ with each individual. Marijuana is not as bad for the brain as other legal substances, such as alcohol, for example. One article notes that neurogenesis, which is the formation of new neurons in the brain, is increased with stimulation of marijuana receptors in the brain. Stimulating marijuana receptors restores neurogenesis (Wenk). Degradation of neurogenesis happens in aging, which is responsible for memory loss. Amazingly, it has been discovered that in aging people, marijuana will actually serve to benefit the brain rather than harm it (Wenk). The effects of society’s legal drug, alcohol, is the exact opposite of what is described here of marijuana’s effects on the brain. So, marijuana actually serves some health benefits.
Those who oppose the legalization of medical marijuana might express concern for increased traffic accidents and people driving under the influence of marijuana. Although marijuana does increase the risk for car accident, there is scientific evidence that the effect of marijuana on psychomotor skills is not significant enough to necessarily contribute to traffic accidents. One scientific article reports, “Crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes” (Marijuana and Driving: a review of the scientific evidence”). Marijuana’s contribution to traffic accidents is significantly lower than the legal drug alcohol’s related traffic accidents. Just in 2010, 112 million people in the United States drank and drove. More than half a million traffic accidents are due to alcohol each year (“Drunk Driving: a week into 2010 and over 200 deaths”). Now, for marijuana, researchers studied victims in car accidents and tested them for drugs and found that only 7% of all of the people tested, tested positive for marijuana. These researchers also found that only a mere 2.5 percent of the fatal car accidents were due to marijuana intoxication and a whopping 29 percent contributed to alcohol (“Marijuana Raises Risk of Fatal Car Crash”). Marijuana does increase the risk of car accidents but honestly, society has bigger fish to fry. Alcohol is the leading problem in car accidents in terms of drugs and this is a legal substance. Again, why should marijuana not be legal?
The solution will be implemented in many ways. The federal laws will include the rule no one under the age of eighteen will be supplied with or permitted to possess marijuana. The amount of marijuana that can be purchased at one time by someone will not be restricted. Marijuana will have a 10 percent tax. In Colorado, the current tax on cigarettes is about 4.6 cents per cigarette (“Cigarette Tax Compliance: what is the tax rate on cigarettes”). This is about a dollar of tax on every pack of cigarettes, when cigarettes are 5.96 per pack, on average (Hooper). In Colorado, the tax on alcohol is about 0.08 percent, as it was reported in 2010 (“State Sales, Gasoline, Cigarettes, and Alcohol Tax Rates by State, 2000-2010”). The tax rate on marijuana will be more than that of tobacco and alcohol. The tax rate for marijuana will be 10 percent of every purchase of marijuana. Considering the large amount of people who utilize marijuana, this will bring in a ton of money to the states and the country. By enforcing a 10 percent tax on all marijuana products, this will keep the price low and discourage people from going through dangerous drug dealers. The amount of marijuana that someone can purchase will not be limited because by restricting the amount that people can buy, this will encourage drug dealers and if people buy a lot of marijuana, or as much as they can afford, it will serve to stimulate the economy. By keeping the price of marijuana products low and the amount of marijuana that one can purchase at a given time limitless, this will strongly encourage those who wish to use the substance to buy from government dispensaries. This will bring in profit to serve the community’s needs. Driving under the influence of medical marijuana will be illegal and the consequences will be that of a DUI. There will be no legal limit to drive under the influence of marijuana. Any influence of marijuana behind the wheel will account for a DUI. Law enforcement will have a device called a “weedalyzer” in order to measure and determine if someone is driving under the influence of marijuana. The money to produce these devices will come from taxation revenue. Marijuana will be sold anywhere that one can obtain alcohol or tobacco, such as liquor stores or gas stations, grocery stores, etc. Medical marijuana will be sold in the form of dried leaves, food, etc. It will be sold in ounces, and for food, the price will be based upon how much marijuana is contained in the food. There will be brands of marijuana, just like there are brands of cigarettes and alcohol. There will be two types of medical marijuana, as there is now, which are indica and sativa. Indica gives the user more of a relaxed feeling, while sativa gives the user a more energetic feeling. The different brands of marijuana will all be the same price. The price will depend on the quantity of marijuana. The price of marijuana will run about 55 dollars for an eighth of an ounce of marijuana. If someone were to want to purchase a full ounce of marijuana, it would run for $440. The forty dollars would all be tax money. The government will regulate medical marijuana. Each state will be a monopoly, and the medical marijuana sales will be privatized for each state. This organization would be similar to those states in which are privatized alcohol sellers, such as New Hampshire, Alabama, Idaho, Utah, Maine, Montana, Washington, and West Virginia (“State Control of Alcohol: Protecting the Public’s Health”). This will be the model for marijuana. People may only use medical marijuana in designated areas. Smoking o marijuana will not be permitted in any public area, due to second hand smoke of a drug. Marijuana only in the form of food will be permitted in public areas. However, it is strictly up to the business of whether or not one can utilize marijuana in their vicinity. The age that one can utilize and purchase marijuana will be eighteen years old. This age is the appropriate age in this case because at eighteen one has all rights, except for drinking and purchasing alcohol. The substance is widely used among young adults, and by making them wait until 21 years of age, this will encourage them to get the substance illegally and use it illegally, just as they do with alcohol. Proof of identification will be a mandatory procedure with each purchase of marijuana.
The issue of the legalization of medical marijuana must be solved because currently it is illegal and people are still doing it and using marijuana regardless. If the government would fully legalize marijuana, society would benefit greatly. By legalizing marijuana, the government would receive a lot of money from taxation of marijuana products. This money then could be used to contribute to societal needs, such as supplying schools with better educational tools. It was reported in TIME magazine that, “there is an enormous potential windfall in the taxation of marijuana. It is estimated that pot is the largest cash crop in California, with annual revenues approaching $14 billion. A 10 percent pot tax would yield $1.4 billion in California alone. And that's probably a fraction of the revenues that would be available — and of the economic impact, with thousands of new jobs in agriculture, packaging, marketing and advertising. A veritable marijuana economic-stimulus package” (Klein). Clearly, the legalization would bring in a lot of money. The legalization would also give many people jobs, which would greatly benefit society considering that the unemployment rate is currently at 9.1 percent (google.com). An important societal benefit from the legalization of medical marijuana is that it would free up a large amount of jail space which is currently being occupied by inmates convicted of drug charges related to marijuana. Right now, 47.5 percent of all drug arrests are marijuana-related (Klein). In another article, they reported that the United States government arrests 700,000 people annually for marijuana discrepancies (Grimspoon, 68). Obviously, legalizing the substance would free up a ton of jail space which could in turn be used by more dangerous, violent offenders. In addition, law enforcement would have more time to deal with serious crimes, because they would not have to respond to marijuana-related crimes. Society would be a much safer place because the police would have more time to investigate and take care of the real criminals, such as murderers, domestic abusers, etc.
Also, the legal status of marijuana is a rather sticky issue because according to the federal government, it is fully illegal. However, according to eight states, it is partially legal. This is very
confusing to the American citizens. By legalizing marijuana fully, by the federal and state governments, this would clear up much confusion. This issue must be solved. The solution presented is the best and most appropriate solution for the problem of the illegality of medical marijuana because it the one that benefits society the most. Fully legalizing medical marijuana would decrease and eliminate a lot of negativity and would make society a safer place because it would decrease very dangerous and toxic drug cartel and drug trafficking activity in our nation. The government would gain an incomprehensible amount of money through the taxation of marijuana products and would gain and save much more money having marijuana legal than having it illegal. Putting people behind bars for marijuana-related charges is costing society a ridiculous amount of money. This solution would make honest people out of those who are going to use the drug whether it is legal or not. The partial legalization of medical marijuana is paving the way for full legalization of the substance. It is very readily available and all can get it who wants it so society should make the mature decision to legalize it to help our society financially. Medical marijuana is safer than the legal drugs out there today, as well as the drugs that are being prescribed by physicians. Marijuana has been a concern for the youth for many years, and legalizing the drug will not have a significantly greater impact on them because it will still be illegal to them. Marijuana serves health benefits other drugs do not, such as aiding in neurogenesis. There is no medical record in which marijuana has claimed the life of a single person. As one can see, there is much to be benefited by the legalization of medical marijuana and there are many logical reasons it should be fully legalized.
Society is going to use the drug, thus the government could profit off of it, regulate it, and the citizens would get what they want. Everybody would be happy. The real issue here is that marijuana is one of the most widely used drugs in the nation. It is illegal, and still people are finding ways to obtain it and utilize it regardless. As a result, the United States is spending an outrageous amount of money to fund the drug-related convictions and by illegalizing marijuana; this is inviting dangerous drug cartels into our nation. The nation has legalized very harmful drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, and they do not legalize marijuana? It is not fair to say that society gets one drug, but not the other, especially when the legal drug is the more harmful one. This is not practical and makes no sense at all. It is only sensible that the federal government legalize marijuana because weighing the pros and cons of the issue, there are much more pros. Both society as a whole, the government, and the individual would benefit. It is a win-win solution.
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