The Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Medical Marijuana

The cost to keep Marijuana illegal is too expensive and unnecessary for something that does not pose a threat to society. The amount of money that is spent arresting responsible Marijuana users can be used towards something more high priority and important that will benefit the United States. Many Marijuana users are taking up valuable space in jail for possession when they in fact do not pose a threat to society. FBI records show that 829,627 marijuana users were arrested in 2006 which is a 43,000 person increase, for possession alone (Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana). Jeffrey Miron is the director of undergraduate studies at Harvard University and estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $13.7 billion per year in government spending on enforcement of prohibition. Miron states that “First, legalization eliminates arrests for trafficking and possession. Second, legalization saves judicial and incarceration expenses. Third, legalization allows taxation of drug

Medical marijuana is “unprocessed marijuana plants or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other condition.” It is not considered as medicine, just used to treat conditions and illnesses. The FDA conducts several studies to determine the pros and cons of a possible medication. Marijuana contains cannabinoids, which is the cause of the “high” some people experience when they misuse it. Scientists have

I chose this research topic for several reasons but most importantly because it directly relates to my profession in law enforcement and could ultimately improve Connecticut's budget crisis. Due to the fact that Connecticut is one of the highest states when it comes to taxes being paid by its citizens, this has resulted in a ripple effect on the State's economy. Connecticut's economy is in such crisis that over the past few years many big corporations have been thinking about or actually leaving this state. More recently the State had to lay off hundreds of workers to try and balance our budget. The 2017 State's legislative session has begun and politicians are still talking about how to balance the budget. I believe that taxation of marijuana will help the State of Connecticut's budget crisis and the benefits will

A benefit of legalizing marijuana includes providing the government with leverage to this problem. Marijuana is currently against federal laws yet medical marijuana complies with several state laws. Every year, the government is obligated to spend money directly related to the cost of enforcing marijuana laws. Marijuana is a cash crop and can be used for clothes, paper, medical substances, along with many other uses. The legalization of marijuana would provide the government and our country with control over a huge cash crop that can be easily cultivated to our climate. In addition to exporting hemp and marijuana to accumulate more funds, the government would be able to tax the plant very similarly to alcohol or tobacco. If this were the case, it is estimated ‘according to the calculations here, legalization would reduce government expenditure by $5.3 billion at the state and local level and by $2.4 billion at the federal level.” (Miron18). These figures generated in the article the Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition reinforce that the calculated values of getting rid of the expenditure caused by marijuana offenders along with the taxation of the substance would be a substantial revision to our economy.

Another positive aspect for legalizing the use of marijuana is it would significantly decrease the number of marijuana-related arrests and imprisonments in the United States. Police and court resources would be freed up for more serious crimes. More than 200,000 individuals are incarcerated each year for marijuana possession, as part of the U.S. government's War on Drugs. Decriminalizing marijuana would also eliminate much of the crime associated with the illegal sale and trafficking of marijuana. Moreover, several states allow legal use of marijuana when prescribed by a physician, yet thousands of dispensary owners and patients are arrested every year by the federal government. Legalizing marijuana could bring in more revenue for states, as well as help individuals receive care who may be unable to receive it otherwise. (marijuana today.com). If marijuana was legalized the cost on prosecuting offenders would decrease dramatically. Many consider the War on Drugs an expensive

First, in order to discuss the logistics of this situation it is imperative to understand what medical marijuana actually is. Medical marijuana (medical cannabis) refers to the use of cannabis and constituent cannabinoids such as THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), as medical therapy to treat disease or alleviate symptoms.

The topic of marijuana use in today’s society is currently a hot topic in both politics as well is in social settings. There are many positives and negatives towards whether or not marijuana should be legalized, as well as medical and recreational pros and cons. This paper will cover the pros and cons of all topics and my personal viewpoint on the topic.

It can be used to control seizures and tremors related to illnesses such as Epilepsy, Dravet’s Syndrome, and Parkinsons Disease. By controlling the seizures and limiting the tremors of these patients, marijuana allows them to have some semblance of a normal blissful life. Marijuana has been proven to help ease symptoms for individuals who suffer from chronic severe pain. These individuals include people with Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, and pain relating to past recurring injuries. Patients who undergo chemotherapy treatments often times become nauseous and lack an appetite. These patients have shown an increase in appetite and a decrease in nausea when using marijuana. These are just a few of the numerous benefits of marijuana use in the medical

The legalization of marijuana is a controversial topic. Jimmy Carter, the United States 39th president, said, “Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use... Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce [28g] of marijuana.” When evaluating the pros of marijuana to the cons, it is clear that the current punishments against the use of marijuana are doing more harm than good, and the legalization of the drug can create many benefits for the United and its people.

One way to help pay for roads, hospitals, and bridges without raising taxes to an absurd rate for everyone is to legalize marijuana. These are only just some of the crucial benefits that states can take advantage of. Along with medicinal benefits, legalizing marijuana would generate massive revenue for each state without having a negative effect on crime. In fact it could actually have a positive effect on crime rates. Many claim that legalizing marijuana for recreational use could have many negative effects such as increase in crime or increase in use of more hardcore drugs. However studies conducted in both these areas show a correlation between crime and exposure to hardcore drugs such as cocaine.

According to the website, Realm of Caring, a leading aggregator for medical marijuana studies, medical marijuana could help with Alzheimer’s, Sickle Cell Disease, Glaucoma, Psoriasis, Cancer, Inflammation, Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes, Huntington’s disease, ADHD, Parkinson’s, Migraines, PTSD, Pain Management, and Epilepsy. In this presentation we will seek to investigate the effects of cannabis on 3 common diseases: Epilepsy, Cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Epilepsy and Cancer are found at all ages and with both genders. Therefore, we will not exclude anyone from the search criteria of these two diseases. The research for Alzheimer’s rarely includes anyone under the age of 60 but does include males as well as females. The studies will also include both subjects within the United States as well as studies of patients

The effects the laws have on America’s economy and prisons are other detrimental aspects of the laws prohibiting marijuana possession and use. Not only does enforcing marijuana prohibition cost taxpayers an estimated $10 billion annually, it also results in the arrest of more than 734,000 individuals every year. This figure is much greater than the total number arrested for all violent crimes combined, including: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. This

The stigma that marijuana users are hardcore criminals is still practiced in law enforcement today. In the year 2000 alone, there were 734,500 arrests for marijuana possession (Rosenthal, Kubby, and Newhart 16). This over zealous policing of non-violent crimes is consuming too much state and federal money. If marijuana were made legal, police could focus on more serious criminal acts. “Nationwide, there were more arrests for marijuana than there were for arson, manslaughter, rape, stolen property, vandalism, and sex offenses combined…The sheer number or marijuana violators overwhelms some law-enforcement agencies” (Rosenthal, Kubby, and Newhart 20). All of this adds up to that 7.7 billion dollars that could have been used for more worthy causes.

Many states have legalized marijuana, but for medical reasons, known as medical marijuana. This medical marijuana helps patients who have a severe medical illness, and need help lowering their physical pain that is caused by that illness. For

Medical marijuana represents the part of the hemp plant that you use to treat health problems. Marijuana has hundreds of chemicals, known as cannabinoids. Two main ones are THC and CBD. THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, is an active ingredient in marijuana. THC gives off some pleasurable effects that smokers are looking for, but it still has some effects that treat medical problems. When you smoke marijuana, THC goes from your lungs to the bloodstream and causes your brain cells to release the chemical dopamine, leaving you