Legalization Of Marijuana In Australia

Legalizing marijuana is a concept that can potentially benefit the public as well as the local economies. There has been a nationwide debate on whether marijuana should be legalized or not. The major consensus is that marijuana is not only bad for one’s health, but it is also dangerous to the community. These allegations are not true. Marijuana actually has health benefits that most people overlook. The following essay will address these health benefits in an attempt to present this concept in a way that the audience can better understand how legalizing marijuana can beneficial to an individual health, how it can give an increase to the economy.

A controversial topic often being advocated for by sitting governors is whether the legalization of marijuana is more beneficial or harmful to the economy. Marijuana, also known as weed, is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. It’s the most widely used illegal drug in the United States, even though studies have shown results that the benefits of using marijuana for medicinal or recreational reasons far outweigh the negative matters that may be associated with its use. While marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal law, thirteen U.S. states currently have compassionate use laws in place, which allow for regulated medical marijuana use. By legalizing marijuana, the government is helping the economy by reaping medical and financial benefits, not only at the state level, but also at the federal level. Taking into account the numerous studies done with marijuana on whether it is for recreational use or medical purposes, the government cannot go wrong in legalizing marijuana because of such an impact it will have. Marijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes because it will help society economically and socially.

The three main arguments of decriminalisation, regulation and relative ramification are all tied in, and affect society positively should cannabis be legalised. The economic, fiscal, social and health benefits proposed by these arguments, with reference to articles, will open the mind of those who are sceptical about legalising cannabis. It is not all about reefing and high times, besides the medical appeal, cannabis can have a mainstream appeal from a commerce perspective. The potential capital is undeniable and far outweigh that which is gained from prohibition. It is understandable for those against cannabis, the stigma surrounding cannabis is too ingrained, and even a legal tag would not completely remedy the hesitation of some. But not everything is made for everyone, pro or anti-legalisation, it is clear that cannabis is an untapped resource buried by the political and social bias and

Marijuana is a plant that people use for various reasons, whether that is for medicinal, recreational, social, personal, religious or nutritional uses. Recreational cannabis (marijuana), is designed to help get people high, the compound that recreational users chase is Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana, which bonds with specific receptors in the brain to produce a number of effects. It can have a sedative effect, relax your inhibitions, increase your appetite, lower your blood pressure and many other factors. Marijuana can also interfere with your short-term memory, lower your reaction time and make you unsteady and off balance. Even though marijuana has been classed as an illegal drug, there are some negatives, there are many studies that prove marijuana is less harmful to our bodies than other legal dangers, such as drinking or smoking.

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.

As of 2012 Canada’s national debt has reached over $1.2 trillion dollars (Lammam et al, 2014). The state of our countries financial situation is as important to one Canadian as it is the next. Whether a person is retiring, applying for a mortgage or a student loan the Canadian economy affects everyone. Legalizing marijuana in Canada opens the door to a boost in taxation dollars that the Canadian economy and country as a whole could utilize. If, for example, marijuana was taxed like tobacco, there would be increased revenue from federal and provincial taxes as well as HST (Latif, 2014). Not only would the legal sale of marijuana boost the economy, but the jobs that would be created in the process would also have a positive effect. Canada currently has an unemployment rate of 8.1% nationally, with rates even higher in some provinces (Sen & Pierard, 2011). The legal sale and distribution of marijuana would create jobs in the transportation, growing and processing sectors but also areas such as marketing, advertising and serving. Marijuana users would contribute economically by purchasing the product and paying taxes. Not only users, but new businesses would also add to the Canadian economy including workers who run these businesses by paying taxes on their pay checks. Legalizing marijuana creates a new supply-demand market that the Canadian government could

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser’s university have estimated B.C’s marijuana market would be worth more than $500 million annually. Unfortunately most of the revenue goes to criminal organizations. (Wood, Antweiler) This number is based on one province alone, think of how much this number would go up if the whole country were involved in their research. The profiting of criminal

Lantern.com reports that the first day of the year, pot sales in Colorado were more than 1 million dollars and the tax rate was about 29 percent (Jackson). According to The Huffington Post, a state like Texas could double that amount (Jackson). A study from Cato Institute also revealed that legalizing marijuana would generate at least 8.7 million dollars in federal and state tax revenue annually (Jackson). If marijuana brings in millions of dollars we need to use this money for schools education and lunches. Not only could the government use that money for schools, but use that money for military and economic purposes. Marijuana can also open many jobs because of the dispensaries, and if there were a great quantity of dispensaries employment would rise. “The ICF study estimates at least 81,000 additional direct, indirect and induced jobs in California as a result of legalized marijuana sales. It also projects an increase in total labor income by at least $3.5

“Canada’s illegal marijuana industry has been valued at over $7 billion annually, with some estimating $21 billion” and Akpata also mentions that the war on drugs has cost over billions of tax money (14). Last, Akpata insists that “Canada is a marijuana exporting country and has some of the highest rates of consumption of marijuana on earth” (15). Akpata in his research mention that, “Colorado brings in roughly US$10 million per month from a marijuana tax—more than comes in from alcohol sales” (14), he suggests that if government legalize weed in Canada and put the tax on its sale then they will able to generate a huge amount of profit because Canada is the largest country of hemp consumers in the world. It is also estimated that “B.C. would reap $500 million a year in taxation and licensing revenues from a liquor-control-board style of government regulation and sale” (MacQueen 21). Furthermore, Macqueen in his research “predicts a $12-million saving in enforcement costs in the first year, rising to $40 million “as courts and prisons adapt to fewer and fewer violators.” It predicts combined savings and new revenue” will approximately save over $60 million of tax money in British Columbia and this figure will estimate to get double in 2017

According to a recent article from Huffington Post; in Washington alone, the legalization of marijuana could bring in an estimated five hundred million in additional tax revenue. Along with tax revenue, reducing the added cost of marijuana could greatly drop the price per gram, resulting in more money to spend in the local economy. Currently, one billion dollars is spent in prisons for inmates that have been charged due to marijuana-related crimes in result of marijuana being illegal. Time magazine reports that, as a crop, marijuana farmer's in California have found a surplus of sales. An estimated fourteen billion dollars a year on average, making marijuana the most profitable cash crop in the state. If legalized, marijuana could help add countless amounts of jobs into the formal economy instead of the illicit market (Bradford, Huffinton

The legalisation is still a heavily debated topic, and the subsequent actions for or against the legalisation of cannabis will greatly affect Australia’s society and its opinions of cannabis. Australia’s drug laws have been heavily influenced by America for almost a century. Cannabis was readily available and often sold in a cigarette form until its prohibition in 1938, but cannabis was still used in medicine until the 1960s. In 1968 Americas ‘War on Drugs’, led by Richard Nixon, impacted how Australians perceived the drug and allowed the Australian government to increase the penalties for drug offences. The stigma surrounding cannabis influenced the public opinion for many years, in recent years marijuana legislation has been a heavily debated

As shops for recreational and medical Marijuana open, more purchases of the product will be made which impacts the tax revenue. An example would be Colorado (a state that legalizes Marijuana) where “In 2015, Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fee on medical and recreational marijuana” (Krishna, 2017). Arcview Market Research also predicts that “Sales in North America grew 30%, to $6.7 billion, in 2016, and is projected to increase to $20.1 billion by 2021”. The legalization of Marijuana will also provide many job opportunities since a variety of different jobs will be needed that relate to Marijuana. Investopedia.Com states “A RCG Economics and Marijuana Policy Group study on Nevada says that legalizing recreational marijuana in the state could support over 41,000 jobs till 2024 and generate over $1.7 billion in labor income. The ICF study estimates at least 81,000 additional direct, indirect, and induced jobs in California as a result of legalized marijuana sales. It also projects an increase in total labor income by at least $3.5 billion”. Another way legalizing Marijuana would impact the economy positively is that the government can save money spent on enforcing the law of Marijuana being illegal. Huffington post states “Inmates incarcerated on marijuana-related charges cost U.S. prisons $1 billion annually, according to a 2007 study, AlterNet reports.” and “The government would save an estimated $13.7 billion on prohibition enforcement costs and tax revenue by legalizing marijuana”.This low risk substance saves the economy a lot of money and support it

Should cannabis be legalised in Australia?  Your response should provide a considered discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of both legalisation and criminalisation, which shows evidence of wide and varied reading.

To explore the economic benefits of marijuana legalization we must first look at the amount of marijuana that is purchased by users. The White House Office of National Drug Policy reported that between 1988 and 1995, Americans spent about 7 billion dollars on the illegal substance, averaging about a billion dollars a year (Prislac, 2009). This means that annually there is a billion dollars out there that is subject to no sales tax. The national average for sales tax is 5%, so if you calculate the billion dollars being spent on marijuana, this means there is approximately 50 million dollars in sales tax that our government never gets

Currently drug abuse is the issue that has plagued almost all the societies in the world. This problem poses serious threat to the life of people both in developed and underdeveloped countries. There are different kinds of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and methamphetamine and so on (McGeorge & Aitken, 1997). Young and age-old people largely use many of these drugs. People usually consider these drugs as a relief from their worries, but these drugs lead them towards addition and psychotic disorders that eventually destroy their health. Legislative authorities in almost every part of the world have been trying to save their generations from the abuse, but the use of these drugs never ended. However, these legislations help to minimize the numbers of drug users where their implementation is done properly (Hall et al., 2004). The aim of this research paper is to provide knowledge about the Cannabis Legalization in Australia and the people’s approach who favor or oppose this legalization. Cannabis drug use, impacts, cannabis legalization in Australia and its advantages and disadvantages will also