Is Legalizing Marijuana a Good Idea for Oregon?

Legalizing marijuana has been a topic of debate for centuries. In fact, the sale of marijuana has been regulated since the 16th century. Although the U.S. changed their policy on marijuana since that time, legalization is still a topic amongst lawmakers within America. Many want to legalize medicinal marijuana because it is an effective treatment for illnesses, while others oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana because it is a drug that causes the user to become stoned which can lead to impaired judgement and other consequences. Because the consequences of smoking marijuana outweigh the benefits, the state of Texas should only legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

This paper will look at the benefits and drawbacks to legalizing marijuana by looking in at Colorado.The state made forty million dollars by taxed marijuana in 2014 alone, also Colorado saved countless millions because of the extremely lower amounts of marijuana arrest and court cases. It is not clear how having new recreational marijuana stores opening will affect the cannabis market, or businesses expanding around them. Gov. John Hickenlooper says that the economy is thriving with record setting numbers of tourists (73.1 million). 49 percent of those tourist said that legal marijuana influenced their decisions to vacation in Colorado. The ER’s in Colorado have also seen a rise in numbers of marijuana related cases and those cases in non-residents have almost doubled. An unexpected situation that arose from legal cannabis was the amount of electricity that is being use to grow the drug. Some cannabusinesses have to go green with solar or wind power. There are many varying views on the effects of legal marijuana have developed in Colorado since marijuana became legal in 2014.

The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans

Marijuana is amongst one of the most disputable subjects in political issues. It is the most exploited drug in the United States and can even be around the globe. Marijuana is the main source of substance reliance other than alcohol in the United States. Numerous groups in recent years have come forward and claim that marijuana use has been beneficial with numerous medical conditions. In fact, it has helped numerous people with diseases, for example, Glaucoma, Cancer, and any other physical or mental pain. Medicinal cannabis should be legalized in Florida, but should be regulated accordingly. The clear majority trust that marijuana use would be more beneficial if it was not criminalized but most still believe that the government should keep it as a controlled substance. In 2008, 4 million out of the 7 million individuals, ages 12 and older, characterized as having a reliance or abusing marijuana. This implies that two out of every three Americans experiencing any substance abuse have developed marijuana reliance. The legalization of marijuana in the United States such an issue for so many individuals today. Some believe that marijuana should not be legalized in Florida because of physical health, mental health, effects of driving under the influence of marijuana, and increase in use. Others believe that is it marijuana should be legal because of its harmless if used in moderation, limits of personal freedoms, and potential FDA regulations.

The legalization of marijuana will lead to a boost to the economy. With the United States being trillions in debt, an increase in tax money would be a big help to lower the national debt. Colorado, one of the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal uses, is showing valuable data of an increase in tax money, “In 2015, Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fees on medicinal and recreational marijuana. Sales totaled over $996 million” (Krishna, Mrinalini). Now, Colorado is joined by seven other states, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada, in the full legalization of marijuana. With these states joining with Colorado, the United States is seeing sales “[grow] by 30%, to 6.1 billion, in 2016 and a projected 20.1 billion in 2021” (Krishna, Mrinalini). With that in mind, these sales are shared among only eight states, add another forty-two states and the rates could surpass the trillions. Considering the evidence, the act of not legalizing marijuana would be foolish.

This solution is not only medically sound, but it is also financially beneficial to the American population and federal government. Since 2015, marijuana has become the fastest growing industry in the U.S. (“Office of National” 7). If marijuana becomes legal in all fifty states, the industry will become larger than the organic food market (“Office of National” 6). Therefore, legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes will not only create a thriving agricultural industry, but it will also bring in revenue for the fiscal budget rather than drain it. In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to legally allow medical marijuana for patients with a valid doctor’s recommendation, and the

Success at the ballot box in the past year in Colorado and Washington may have improved Americans’ acceptance for marijuana legalization. Support for legalization has leaped 10 percentage points since last November and

Dope, Mary Jane, Pot, Grass, Weed, Blunt, Joint, and Nuggets are only a few of the countless names for marijuana, a narcotic drug used for recreational and sometimes medicinal uses across the world. Recently growing enough popularity among younger generations due to the glamorization of media, and the overwhelming financial gains through taxes and fees seen in Colorado, have caused Ohio legislators and citizens to consider the idea of legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medicinal marijuana use. Marijuana is a toxic gateway drug that impairs the judgement of its users and should not be legalized for recreational and medicinal purposes aside from the numerous ‘benefits’ it will bring to Ohio because of the consequences will be far greater.

The legalization of marijuana for recreational usage could may be a new trend in America but the Federal government will likely oppose usage through the end of time. The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) stance is that marijuana is an illegal drug and that using this drug whether for medicinal or recreational purposes is illegal. I chose this topic to research because of awareness bright to light prior to the recent elections. Until researching this topic, I was unaware that marijuana usage is legal in some states and that other states were pushing legislation to get

I decided to do my research on Oregon because I will be moving to Oregon shortly after completing nursing school. Oregon Public Health website provides all the information one needs for emergency preparedness, prevention and wellness, food safety, radiation protection, reproductive and sexual health, communicable diseases and much more.

Even with all the laws enacted against marijuana and the taskforces assigned to tackle the problem, new users are sprouting up and replacing those who have ceased their activity with this natural substance. This cycle closely relates to that of alcohol prohibition during the early 1900s. Alcohol was once considered illegal like marijuana and is now as ubiquitous as produce in a grocery store. However, unlike alcohol the wide acceptance for marijuana has been drawn-out and at best slow. There is an iota of hope for marijuana reform. Four states, Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon and including Washington D.C., have already approved marijuana for recreational use and so far the results have been successful. Tamar Todd, a policy director at the Drug Policy Alliance, was quoted in The Guardian stating that, “Marijuana prohibition has been a costly failure – to individuals, to communities, and to the state [of Oregon].” Also that “Oregon is taking a smarter, more responsible approach to marijuana that ends the wasteful and racially disproportionate practice of arresting and citing people simply for possessing a small amount of marijuana.” This is proof that decriminalizing marijuana can be beneficial to society by not ruining lives over personal interests, and by saving resources that would

If the substance was legalized it would give adolescence easier access to the drug. With easier access to marijuana the youth is at risk of health problems especially ones dealing with the brain. Marijuana use in adolescence is connected to anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. Marijuana doesn’t only put the youths health at risk it puts their whole life in danger. Frequent use influences their education negatively. Repeated use has been linked to dropout rates and poor grades. Our youth is our future and legalizing would only put our future in danger. Marijuana is also a significant factor in car accidents, which can lead to injuries and sometimes even death. Although many supporters of cannabis say “marijuana is not bad for you” it significantly increases the chance of many different health risks. Some of the health risk includes memory loss, cancer, immune system deficiencies, heart disease and birth defects. Also if used regularly decision making, memory and decision-making can suffer. Many consumers claim that smoking marijuana does no harm but Rosalie Pacula the co-director of the Rand Drug Policy research center has stated “If pot is relatively harmless, why are we weeing more than 100,000 hospitalizations a year for marijuana use?” also emergency room admissions percentages has increased by 164% from 1995 to 2002 and surely has increased since. These

Legalizing marijuana would make the drug easily accessible, which could potential lead to abuse and potential health effects in adolescence and adults that abuse the drug. This law could potentially increase crimes and the number of arrests for driving under the influence of drugs, which puts the safety of our citizens at risk. States should consider their options in order to fight legalizing of marijuana in their states. This paper provides some concepts around the impacts a state could incur and encourages the state to look beyond dollars earned and to ensure the state understands some of the impacts associated such as higher accidents and fatalities, increased criminal activity and a higher number homeless people. This could be solved by maintaining the federal regulations on controlled substances by the federal government. It is encouraged that the state careful consider if this is a viable option for the state and consider enhancing the policies around medicinal marijuana

The Office of National Drug Control Policy says marijuana plays a bigger role in a serious U.S. drug problem than most people realize. Consider: Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. About 75 percent -- or 14.6 million of the nearly 20 million illicit drug users -- are using marijuana. Of the 7.1 million Americans dealing with illegal drug dependence or abuse, 60 percent are hooked on marijuana or abuse it. More young people are being treated for marijuana dependency than for booze or for all other illegal drugs combined, the office says marijuana's daily use among eighth, 10th and 12th grade students has increased over the last year, according to recent survey results released by the office. Youths who use marijuana -- particularly those in their later teen years -- are more likely to do poorly in school, stand a better chance of getting into trouble and tend to have more sexual partners. And, while there's no shortage of backers for legalizing marijuana, it has proven to be a psychologically addictive drug with plenty of downside to society, the Office of National Drug Control Policy says

Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (“Marijuana” 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel “high” or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (“Marijuana” 1). Like most drugs, marijuana has a very long history. People have been using the plant around the world for thousands of years. The oldest record of the marijuana plant dates back to 2727 B. C. in China where the plant was used as a medical herb for treating conditions like rheumatism, gout, malaria and even absent-mindedness (“Cannabis, Coca, & Poopy: Nature’s Addictive Plants” 1). Slowly, the plant started spreading around the world. By 1545, cannabis was starting to appear throughout the western worlds. Being introduced to South America by the Spanish to be used as fiber. The crop also had many other common uses around the world. In North America, cannabis was often used to make paper, ropes, clothing and other materials (“The Origins of Cannabis” 1).