Should The State Of Texas Legalize Marijuana?

With drugs being more common each and every day, and the fact that they are easily accessible, it is causing a dilemma in Texas and in our nation as whole. Texas is the most impacted with being exposed to drugs due to the fact that Texas is right on the Mexican border and with all the drug traffickers being located in that area their only option is to smuggle them through Texas. Due to the high amount of the smuggling of drugs in Texas it is causing the idea of legalizing marijuana. Marijuana is a cannabis that is most often smoked in order to relax the body. Marijuana is not only smoked but it is now being used for medical purposes to treat anxiety, stress, and sometimes even pain. But the real question is whether marijuana should be legalized in Texas. People strongly believe that marijuana should be legalized due to the fact that it would create revenue for Texas, it will also be legal to utilize it for medical purposes, and it has also become a norm for Texans to see and use since it is so easily accessible.

I. Attention Statement: Legalizing marijuana in Texas has been a long-standing debate since 2005. Recently, just last June, a major breakthrough has been made on this highly contentious issue. The legislature passed the bill into law on the legal use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. However, progress has yet to be made on legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes, which accounts for most of the criminal activities in our state.

The well known debate over the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in The United States has been ongoing since 1935. Recently Colorado and Washington have legalized the use of marijuana for recreational use. By doing so, the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana has become more of an issue than it already was and now brings other states to question whether or not they should legalize marijuana (Breecher). Which brings about the question is the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Texas a good idea? I believe that legalizing marijuana would be a good idea. Just like the use of alcohol people should be able to choose if they want to use marijuana. Advocates of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana would agree, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana could yield substantial tax revenue, save the government money by decreasing the number of arrests and incarcerations, and quite possibly create a safer driving environment.

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.

Prior to, and after, Texas’s initial legal decision, the United States government was enacting a flurry of policies directed at eliminating the drug from within the country. These measures included, but were not limited to, the Marijuana Tax Act, Narcotics Control Act, and Controlled Substances Act. Naturally, the substantial pressure of the federal level continued to trickle down to the states, and paved the way for Texas’s current Marijuana policy. According to the Texas Health and Safety Code, Marijuana is defined as “...any Cannabis Sativa plant...the seeds of the plant, and any preparation of the plant such as a joint or a package containing dried and shredded buds.” The consequences of being discovered with the drug vary, and are dependent upon the quantity is that is found. The lowest penalty level is a Class B Misdemeanor, and requires that the individual have had less than two ounces upon them at

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.

Texas has had a long history of being a state that marijuana is smuggled into across the border with Mexico. The anti-marijuana laws in Texas are some of the strictest in the United States with high fines and long prison sentences. Currently under Texas laws the possession of 2oz or less can result in 180 days in jail and or a fine up to $2000 dollars, as well as your license being suspended for 12 months. So why does Texas take a such a harsh stance against marijuana? Why does Texas keep throwing money on fighting a war on marijuana? How many more of our fellow Texans are going to have their lives ruined over using a plant that grows out of the ground. Through research I will show and explain how the current aggressive laws and policy against marijuana in Texas effects not only the users, but every Texan.

Back in the 1900’s when there was a large immigration influx of Mexicans into the U.S., citizens not only saw there was an influx of their customs. This included the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes (Burnett and Reiman, 2014). What most Americans didn’t realize is that it is the same as what they knew as cannabis, which had been used in many medicines for years and was found in may American households. The U.S. had been known to control immigrants by having an excuse to search and deport certain races by outlawing the use of their traditional medicinal drugs, like had been done with Chinese immigrants and the use of opium in San Francisco (Burnett and Reiman, 2014). Texas adopted this way of thought by using marijuana to control Mexican immigrants. Claims were made that marijuana was able to “cause men of color to become violent and solicit sex from white women” (Burnett and Reiman, 2014). From accusation like this, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 came into being and

There are three major laws in effect in Texas to ensure that marijuana does not deeply affect our society. One of these

Marijuana is a current popular topic today. Currently legalized in 29 states, marijuana has medical benefits, but also some negative benefits. Marijuana should be legalized in Texas because it benefits people with serious illnesses and it financially benefits the state.

Since the first efforts to legalize marijuana in the 1960s, Americans have become progressively more accepting of requests to liberalize laws restricting possession and use of marijuana, but the shift has not been a straight line. After 11 states decriminalized marijuana possession in the 1970s, recoil led by suburban parents led too much harsher implementation of drug laws. But since California legalized medical marijuana in 1996, outlooks toward the drug have relaxed significantly.("A Brief History of Public Opinion on Marijuana Legalization.")

According to National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), marijuana may be only used for medicinal purposes, access to marijuana through home cultivation is to be implemented, and smoking or vaporizing marijuana products may be sending several other harmful chemicals throughout your body. A recent report issued by the Institute of Medicine claims that marijuana is used for therapeutic purposes with minimal THC, and aid health issues such as pain relief, nausea, vomiting, etc. then it is legal and acceptable. Albeit, if is it smoked marijuana, it consists of high levels of THC delivering harmful substances to the human body. States believe that since marijuana has been proven to reduce anxiety levels, sedation, symptoms of HIV/AIDS, cancer and multiple other illnesses, it should be used as a medication for several treatments. They believe it will save lives and lower the chance of individuals dying. Many states have several programs (US National Library of Medicine- National Institutes of Health 2015). The states which consider marijuana as be legal, they have to be used are prescriptions, referrals, etc. Also, many states have a patient registry to provide protection and limit the amount of marijuana that can be used even for medical

Because Marijuana is such a highly used drug around the US, and not necessarily in a good way, many states have set forth their laws regarding the drug. The following legal responses are from the state of Texas for possession of Marijuana. If you have Under 2 oz., it's a Class B misdemeanor. If you have 2-4 oz., it's a Class A misdemeanor, and if you have 4 oz. to 5 lbs., it's a State jail felony.If you have 5-50 lbs, its a 3rd degree felony. 50-2000 lbs, is a 2nd degree felony. And over 2000 lbs, is the Texas Department of Criminal Justice institution for life or 5-99 years and $50,000.

Cannabis, regularly known as marijuana, and by various other names is a composition of the cannabis plant intended for utilization as a psychoactive medication and physiological effects. People usually think that marijuana is unhealthy drug that needs to be avoided, but is it harmful than alcohol and tobacco? In modern days, cannabis is used as a recreational or medical drug, depending on the laws provided by different states in the USA. Although marijuana faces a strong opposition, a force for its legalization is extending across the nation. However, what are the after effects if marijuana is legalized? What are the pros and cons of it being legalized?

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).