The Drug Enforcement Administration has declared marijuana to be a Schedule 1 drug, which is a preposterous indictment for a substance proved to relieve anxiety, alleviate the symptoms of depression, aid in pain management and act as a catalyst for ending addictions to other drugs such as heroin and alcohol. Weighing the pros and cons of marijuana and its legalization clearly indicates that there are more benefits than negatives to making marijuana a drug that should be available to the general public for medicinal and recreational use. Cannabis has a plethora of known benefits and very few negative side effects, and some would argue that there are relatively no negative side effects. “Between 2002 and 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose …show more content…
However, while it is known to not have any true side effects, many people still consider it a gateway drug. A good amount of people who abuse drugs like cocaine or heroin usually say they started off by smoking marijuana, but the “high” wasn’t enough anymore. This could be a fair argument however, it conflicts with the DEA’s definition of a schedule 1 drug, which marijuana is, and someone’s irresponsibility with another drug should not be a causation for making a drug illegal. If marijuana was ever to become legalized nationwide for recreational use it makes sense that it should be regulated the same way tobacco and alcohol are. Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the compound responsible for the high which smoking or ingesting marijuana comes from. THC is the part of marijuana which should be regulated as getting children high is ethically and morally wrong, but just as opioids are legal, in certain doses, THC and CBD should be legal and utilized as well. Marijuana being legalized, at least for medicinal use could potentially save many lives and lead to longer, healthier …show more content…
Marijuana is a monumental industry capable of reaping billions of dollars, but at its present illegal state is only helping drug dealers and growers while simultaneously costing our government money. Dr. Jon Gettman makes a claim in his 2007 case study that “the U.S. marijuana industry is a $113 billion annual business that costs taxpayers $31.1 billion in lost tax revenues (Krulik)”. 31.1 billion dollars is a huge loss to take for essentially, no reason. If we find cigarettes acceptable to be legal despite the very obvious health risks why would we not legalize marijuana too, even if there are a few minor risks. Gettman has also come to the conclusion that 10.7 billions dollars a year are being spent on marijuana related arrests, most of which are simply minor possession cases. Between the 31.1 billions dollars being lost on sales and the 10.7 billion dollars being spent on law enforcement of the plant, about 41.8 billion dollars in revenue are being lost solely because the government would rather keep marijuana illegal than oversee and regulate the growth, distribution and consumption. 41.8 billion dollars could save programs in schools, fund highways, and stimulate the economy in a way we may have never seen before. Legalizing marijuana would also be the start of a massive new market creating countless jobs. Just as cigarette and alcohol companies, marijuana could
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.”
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
According to Mike Moffat, the legislature has attempted to use criminal punishments to avert the use of marijuana for more than seventy-five years : but then marijuana is presently used by more than 25 million individuals every year, cannabis is now the biggest trade crop in the United State's, and marijuana is developed everywhere throughout the planet. If marijuana legitimized, it would decrease the stream of money from the American economy to global criminal groups. Marijuana’s immortality makes outside development and pirating to the United States greatly beneficial, sending billions of dollars abroad in a private economy while redirecting capital from gainful monetary improvement. Not only will legalizing marijuana help the economy, but it will also help the justice system save money. According to the article, “The Top Ten Reasons Marijuana Should Be Legal”, Marijuana is excessively costly for our justice system and should rather be assessed to bolster helpful government programs. Law enforcement incarcerates 750,000 people a year for marijuana ownership. The justice has to pay for discarding the various cases. According to the article, “Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. Logical Arguments for Students Writing Essays.”, The nation could spare billions of dollars consistently if they quit misusing money
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
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.
Legal cannabis can benefit the U.S in many ways but most importantly is the financial support this plant could provide.According to MerryJane.com in 2016 If all states legalized marijuana it would generate an estimated $28 billion dollars in tax revenue. That’s $28 billion that would be reinvested in programs such as medicare,medicaid and social security. Not only will cannabis drive down pharmaceutical premiums for many cancer patients it will also generate money to be put into healthcare and retirement plans creating a stronger more financially sound America. In addition to this, Legalizing Marijuana in all states would create jobs all over the country from legal Growers to front desk “Budtenders”.America can legalize a plant that would create economic growth and jobs but they choose to keep overcharging people for outdated pharmaceutical prescriptions and letting those big companies affect elections and influence politicians.Forbes writer Debra Borchardt states that The legal cannabis market was worth an estimated $7.2 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of
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.
The Government should legalize the use of marijuana because of the economic benefits it would offer, The debate over whether the federal government should legalize marijuana has been escalating and states such as Colorado, and Oregon have legalized the use of medical and recreational use of marijuana due to the realization that marijuana could greatly benefit their economies, such as the creation of jobs, tax revenue, and young business leaders. The legalization of marijuana is highly beneficial to the United States government because it will save the government billions of dollars. According to Jeffrey Minron a Harvard economist “If marijuana were legalized, the government would save $7.7 billion dollars annually in law enforcement costs, and it could bring an additional $6.2 billion a year” (3).If the government were to legalize marijuana nationwide, there would be billions of dollars, which could be used to solve actual problems in the United States like education, poverty, Instead, the billions of dollars are being wasted to loosely enforce the ban.
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
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
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.
What is Marijuana? Some may argue it is a medicinal plant and others may argue it is a harmful drug. The U.S government currently lists marijuana as a schedule 1 controlled substance. This would be equally ranked as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy to name a few. Marijuana would be ranked higher than the three highest ranking deadliest drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine. As a schedule 1 drug, marijuana is considered to be more dangerous than prescription opioids (painkillers), which currently holds 1st place for the most overdoses. A wide variety of categories like HIV/ AIDs, cancer, glaucoma, and trauma patients report improved comfort and pain relief without the harmful side effects of death. Medical marijuana is a safe and effective alternative to prescription drugs
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
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
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