Legalization Of Marijuana Drug Analysis

Legalizing marijuana will provide an increase in our economy. The first step is that the government needs to stop copiously funding the war on drugs. Over the past four decades, federal and state governments have poured over one trillion dollars into drug war spending. I will admit that the government should keep running advertisements that persuade youths from using methamphetamines, crack-cocaine, and heroine. However, when money is being thrown away by the government trying to convince people that smoking pot is bad for a consumers’ health, that is a sign a change must occur.

Not only can money be gained through tax revenue if it was legalized but money that was previously spent because of marijuana prohibition can now be saved. Every year our country spends $68 billion on prisoners with one-third of them being imprisoned for nonviolent drug crimes (half of these being marijuana-related charges). Therefore, legalizing marijuana would save $11.3 billion because it wouldn’t be spent on prisons. That money being spent on prisons is your tax dollars! Not only does keeping those in prison with marijuana-related charges cost a lot but so does time and money of our police enforcement when they have to charge someone simply having a joint in their home or with friends. Imagine how much police officers could focus on other crimes if they didn’t have to worry about marijuana charges.

Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Our public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it.(keith stroepe). Marijuana should be legalized for medical use across the country. Marijuana has been used medically, recreationally and spiritually for about 5,000 years. Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug because it was considered to have no “accepted medical use in treatment in the United

Marijuana is the counter-opposite of a Schedule 1 drug and should be legalized or rescheduled. Marijuana is used for medicinal purposes and has been for hundreds of years if not thousands. Also, marijuana can be taxed and regulated like alcohol to contribute to schools and reduce crime. Moreover, the reasoning behind the Marihuana [sic] Tax Act of 1937 denigrates American citizens of color.

On average, Americans spend about 5 billion dollars on marijuana every year. Thats about how much the country contributes to the purchase of alcohol! The only problem is that the money made from people selling marijuana illegally mostly goes into the pockets of mafias because they contain the largest portion of distribution in the marijuana chain. On average each state spends right at about 1 billion dollars to make sure the marijuana laws are enforced. Asa Hutchinson, the former DEA director mentioned in a CNBC interview that "The cost to fight marijuana is worth it and the people should not mind the cost, but instead look into the benefits it would bring to the country." However, its difficult to see what the benefits really are, because the law enforcement says that criminalizing marijuana will reduce the number of accidents associated with people under the influence of marijuana, reduce violence caused by the intoxication of the drug, and reduce the number of drug dependents. But these arguments to criminalize the use of marijuana are completely unproven. Alcohol also intoxicates the drinker, which obviously causes vehicle accidents. Tobacco poses health risk to smokers after years of continuous use, but they are still considered legal? Therefore, the reasons given to criminalize marijuana aren't very accurate and unproven. It is ironic that the given effects of marijuana are almost the same that made it illegal and are the same

Marijuana is a drug misunderstood by many nation wide however, most people do not consider it 's legitimate medicinal application. Medical marijuana defined by Drugfacts refers to the use of the whole unprocessed plant to treat a disease or illness. The Drug Enforcement Administration has listed it under the schedule I classification which is the same classification that heroin, LSD, ecstasy and many other drugs are under. The classification identifies the drug as a dangerous substance that has no recognized medicinal use as reported by the DEA. It 's classification as a highly regulated Schedule I drug makes it challenging to study its medical benefits. Due to this classification, marijuana is commonly regarded by the general public as possessing "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" (DEA.gov). The DEA has yet to acknowledge many conducted scientific studies that point to the very tangible medical benefits of cannabinoids (Voth and Schwartz 1997). The blockade on marijuana research has caused a severe halt in reaping the benefits of THC. The drug is a better alternative than many drugs given to patients as seen in some cases of neurological disorders such as epilepsy and chronic terminal conditions like cancer, because of its "analgesic, sedative, and anticonvulsant" properties (Abood, Sorensen, and Stella 2012). Marijuana can serve as both a viable treatment option and improves the quality of life through its pain relieving capacities. While

The government set aside thirteen point seven billion dollars for the 2008 war on drugs and the Office of National Drug Control Policy estimates that Americans will spend ten point five billion for marijuana this year (Dubbin, 2008). That is twenty four point two billion dollars that could have been used by the government for other things. According to Harvard Economic professor Jeffrey A. Miron, “legalizing marijuana would save seven point seven billion a year in government expenditures and add six point two billion in revenue if the wacky tabacci were taxed like regular tobacco.”

First of all, the classification of cannabis is completely inaccurate. Schedule I classification describes a substance or chemical, as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Research has shown that it supports cancer patients and many other terminally ill patients. Cannabis, even when consumed recreationally, has never been linked to any deaths, and when you compare it to alcohol and tobacco, both of which are legal, cannabis is completely harmless.

I am linking you to the post where Mr. Vaughn's article is posted, all of the material there is his own work.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13115/why_marijuana_should_not_be_legalized.html?cat=17I do realize that it is a relatively old article, but I believe that he illustrates points that are shared by many citizens, and thus I respond to those concerns and points. (Albeit in a slightly sarcastic way at times, by which I mean no offense to Mr. Vaughn) Mr. Vaughn, I am very saddened by your lack of information on Cannabis and its legalization. I'm not telling you that you are wrong, as everyone is entitled to their opinion. I simply believe that your opinion is malformed from misleading, and incorrect information that was published

Marijuana has become one of the most controversial drugs in America. Ever since its cultivation began around 1611, marijuana has puzzled people with its effects. Many question marijuana?s classification as a schedule one drug. A schedule one drug is one that has a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value. Some argue that the war on drugs, in particular marijuana, has cost taxpayers billions and is wasting funds that could be used on more important tasks such as improving transportation or education. As drug arrests rise, so do the populations in state prisons. This has become an immediate problem with no real solution. The legalization of possessing small amounts of marijuana can contribute positively to the medical and

Medical Marijuana has been proven to not induce any type of overdose, it has been slowly introduced into the pharmaceutical world in a few new promising drugs that utilize specific compounds of the marijuana plant, and has been proven to reach a wide variety of patients. I will be arguing why medical marijuana should be utilized and further researched to max out the potential curing powers of this plant.

For over a century the legalization of medical marijuana in the United States has been a growing controversy. Washington and Colorado are the two recent states that have legalized the use of marijuana for recreational uses. In contrast, others in federal positions believe the use of marijuana has no beneficial use to it which creates a struggle into its legalization. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug believed to be dangerous and highly addictive, also thought to be a “gateway” drug leading to a dark path of drug abuse. Most of these poor assumptions are supported and investigated to be incorrect by many researchers and first hand users. The strict drug laws around the United States have made tests of marijuana's effectiveness

The intake of marijuana can also be harmful for the people around the users. Not only in the act of second hand smoking, but also in the acts that the marijuana conveys you to do. As mentioned earlier, marijuana has a greater concentration of carcinogens and irritants that can cause damage to the participant’s trachea and lungs. It is also possible to have enough marijuana in your system to fail a drug test from second hand smoking. Consequently, this can cause real danger to the roommates, suitemates and anyone else around the participants while they are smoking. They can also be affected by the mental side effects mentioned earlier. Another key point in the argument against external conflicts is the enhancement of sexual behavior. In “Get

Let’s also assume that marijuana costs $15 a gram and of those 75,000,000 people smoking they smoke 5 grams a week. After calculations of 5 grams a week at $15 a gram times the 75,000,000 people that use, the total revenue would be $5,625,000,000, most of which if regulated by the government would be profit. Would it be more beneficial to society for this substantial amount of money to continue to be made by the illegal drug trade or the economy? Legalizing marijuana would also create jobs. The government would need to employ many Americans to produce and regulate the sales and distribution of the product. Facilities to grow and sell the product would be required and therefore people to run the facilities would be required. Another bonus is the fact that law enforcement can focus on other more serious crime issues within the community, instead of utilizing time and resources on marijuana. The number of people arrested yearly for marijuana offenses outweighs the total number arrested for violent crimes including murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. This also puts a strain on the prison systems that house these offenders which are mostly hard working Americans who simply smoke to relax. While these are all good points those who oppose the legalization state that marijuana is still a drug that alters perception, it is addictive, and long term use

Those who use marijuana often come to depend on the drug, leading to an addiction. “In 2011, approximately 4.2 million people met the diagnostic criteria for abuse or dependence on marijuana”(Public Health). The use of this drug has been considered to be associated with respiratory illness and addiction. A major cause of hospital visits is because of marijuana and “ is also the second leading substance for which people receive drug treatment”(Public Health). Studies showed that in the past twenty years the use of marijuana had nearly tripled. If this drug were to be legalized the use of it would increase due to the increase of availability and acceptability. We see this with alcohol and tobacco, which are used more often than illegal drugs due to the availability. With this growth in the consumption of the cannabis, the public health and financial costs would increase. Alcohol and tobacco are both legal and taxed, they result in a higher social cost than the revenue they produce. Alcohol by itself is approximated to cost the society fifteen times the actual revenue gained by their taxation. If we were to legalize this drug how are we sure that the social cost is going to be close to the revenue it can produce? Sure it may help at first, but what if this was to happen in the long