Legalization of Marijuana in America - Essay Example

Legalization of Marijuana in America Over the past decades, America has tried to successfully wage war against illegal substances that the government fears ruins the lives of the American population. Our parents grew up in the middle of the hotly debated topic of Marijuana legalization. It's legalization has been at the center of a highly public debate between what the government views as a substance of addiction as opposed to the medical point of view that advocates Marijuana legalization due to its medicinal benefits in terms of disease prevention and palliative treatment. It is because of these two highly conflicting points of view that Marijuana legalization has faced an uphill battle in the quest of its supporters to become a legalized substance. Therefore, one cannot wonder what it is about Marijuana that countries like Germany and Romania, Uruguay, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal seem to find so positive that they actually legalized Marijuana and even went to the extent of setting up Marijuana shops where the government can regulate the substance's sale and distribution. Maybe it is about time America play the catch-up game and follow in the steps of its counterparts by legalizing Marijuana? What exactly are the negative results that support the non-legalization of Marijuana? Maybe there are actually medically and socially sound facts and data out there that can actually lend credence and support to the sector of society that looks to see Marijuana legalized in the country? What exactly are we looking at here? Those who stand in opposition to the legalization of Marijuana do so based upon various reasons that show the kind of mindset that the American public carries at the moment pertaining to Marijuana. The negative beliefs about the effect of Marijuana seems to be pretty much like everything else in our lives that we believe, it is all based upon a traditional mind conditioned set from the past eras. Ont he other hand, those who support the legalization of the substance seem to do so based mostly upon perceived positive effects on the health of a person and the economic impact of legalizing the substance upon a state. Those who are opposed to the legalization of Marijuana as a substance often points to the assumption that the plant has far more dangerous effects than getting drunk on alcohol. Medical experts from the Yale Medical School, psychiatrist Samuel T. Wilkerson to be specific has been quoted as saying; “Though they receive little attention in the legalization debate, the scientific studies showing an association between marijuana use and schizophrenia and other disorders are alarming. “ (Rubin, Jennifer “A Really Good Reason Not to Legalize Pot”). It would seem that the research of this particular group discovered an emerging picture that supports the claim that Marijuana use heightens the symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders when people who have a tendency to be vulnerable to psychosis are allowed to use the substance. Possibly genetic in reason, the use of the drug gives the user heightened hallucinations that force the user into a permanent state of psychosis. While there is still a very long way to go in terms of scientific evidence to support the claims that Marijuana use can worsen the mental conditions of already unstable mental patients, there are also other groups that believe it is of the utmost importance that the use of the substance be made as less enticing to the young people as possible. Supporters of this point of view include former president Jimmy Carter who has openly opposed the legalization of the substance in light of the passing of a vote in Colorado and Washington state that legalized the sale and distribution of the substance. The revered president is part of the old school of thought as evidence by his declaration that legalized Marijuana use should be strongly and openly opposed because; We must do everything we can to discourage marijuana use, as we do now with tobacco and excessive drinking ... We have to prevent making marijuana smoking from becoming attractive to young people, which is, I'm sure, what the producers of marijuana ... are going to try and do (Wing, Nick “Jimmy Carter Comes Out Against Marijuana Legalization, Wants to 'Discourage' Use of Pot”). Carter seems to think that the move to legalize Marijuana is being done so in a misguided attempt by the government to control the spread of the hallucinogenic substance that has yet to claim the life of any of its users. Statistics from the U.S. government, National Institute of Drug Abuse, and the Bureau of Mortality Statistics has shown that Marijuana has yet to claim any lives of its users while Tobacco tops the list of “American Deaths Caused by Drugs” with a mortality rate of 400,000, alcohol - 100,000, all legal drugs - 20,000, all illegal drugs - 15,000, caffeine - 2,000, aspirin - 500 (qtd. in Sherline). Now just as with all argumentative debates on any topic, if there is a perceived negative side to the debate, then there is also a positive side. A side that advocates allowing people to make informed decisions about topics like the legalization of Marijuana because they are the ones who be directly affected by their individual decision to either use or not use the hemp plant either recreationally, medically, or as a form of addiction. That is why it is of the utmost importance that I also present the other side of the debate in this paper. What use is arguing a topic if it is only going to be a one sided discussion right? The time has now come to consider the other side of the debate. The side that causes the most sensationalism because of the way that our mindset has been conditioned to view Marijuana as a negative and dangerous substance. To begin with, declaring Marijuana an illegal substance when the hemp plant itself carries other benefits that could prove to be beneficial to our society in our battle to create alternative substances for use in the manufacturing industry does not make any sense. These uses include turning its products and by-products into plastics, paper, paneling, and clothing. Surely there is something wrong with our society when we outlaw the growth and distribution of a plant that can provide our fellow Americans with employment and additional income right? This particular aspect of the ban on Marijuana in the United States reminds me of the time when alcohol was declared illegal and the Prohibition era was ushered in. Our most basic human right gives us the right to choose and decide whether something is good or bad for us on our own. The use or non- use of Marijuana, which is not the worst substance around (I can't even consider it a drug because the hemp, which is the plant that Marijuana is sourced from, is a naturally made plant), should not be dictated by the powers that be in our government (Yarruso, Carmen “Top Ten Reasons to Legalize Marijuana Now”). Diverting from the discussion of its legalization based upon our basic human rights, let us take a look into the more controversial area where the use of Marijuana is fast gaining support. That discussion rests well within the highly educated, analytical, and responsible hands of the medical professionals of the country. It appears that Marijuana, the plant that has numerous practical uses in the manufacturing industry, also has the potential to become a highly beneficial part of the medical community when it comes to the palliative treatment of other illnesses. Even CNN resident medical columnist and TV personality Dr. Sanjay Gupta has changed his mind regarding his point of view pertaining to the use of medical Marijuana. According to Dr. Gupta (“Why I Changed My Mind on Weed”), there are not enough big news items about the potential of Marijuana as a medical drug but, upon closer inspection, there are actually some impressive strides being made in the field of medical use for Marijuana. He explains that people tend to get influenced by big words from agencies like the Drug Enforcement Agency that has Marijuana listed as a schedule 1 Substance that carries with it a high potential for abuse. We do not bother to ask the agency to back up their claims with sound scientific evidence. In Dr. Gupta's case, he decided to look for evidence on his own to back up that claim. He discovered that the claim made by the DEA was bogus. It came to his attention that there was no scientific evidence backing up the claim, rather it was backed up by a carefully worded statement released on August 14, 1970 by the then Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Roger O. Egeberg that declared the following (qtd. in Gupta): Since there is still a considerable void in our knowledge of the plant and effects of the active drug contained in it, our recommendation is that marijuana be retained within schedule 1 at least until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, Marijuana fell through the cracks and, as R. Gupta pointed out, further research was no longer done on the possibility of medical use for the active drug contained in the Hemp plant. While the large drug companies shied away from the Marijuana research, smaller drug companies chose to delve deeper into the plant's potential as a medical substance. Historically, there is evidence in existence from as long as 25 years ago that could support the claim that there is no scientific basis to claim that Marijuana is an addictive substance. Dr. Gupta, in his article (Gupta, Sanjay Dr. “Why I Changed My Mind on Weed) continues to relate that; In 1944, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia commissioned research to be performed by the New York Academy of Science. Among their conclusions: they found marijuana did not lead to significant addiction in the medical sense of the word. They also did not find any evidence marijuana led to morphine, heroin or cocaine addiction. This kind of evidence already existed that long ago. So I cannot help but wonder as to why the government would choose to ignore such important findings and act upon the results that would obviously have a tremendously positive effect on the medical community and the treatment of various illnesses. It would seem that the government, in its attempt to protect people that do not need protection, even failed to see the potential to earn income from the government regulated distribution of the substance. In the state of Colorado, where Marijuana will be available legally to the public starting 2014, it is estimated that 665,000 Coloradians will purchase the item that will markedly increase the tax intake of the state with an excise tax of 15 %, a special sales tax of 15% on retail sales, and a 2.9% local sales tax. That amounts to an income of 32.9 % per Marijuana transaction. In a country that is in the grips of one of the most terrifying economic downturns in history, that is not a government tax collection to be ignored or scoffed at. (Nitti, Tony “Understanding the Impact of Legalized Recreational Marijuana On State Tax Revenue”). Keeping both sides of the argument in mind, it would seem that the public and the government have a lot more to consider in the decision to legalize Marijuana or not. 70 years of rhetoric have affected our ability to look further and deeper into the pros and cons of a substance that has remained largely ignored since it was first classified as an illegal substance in the 1940's. With the information that now exists for everyone to freely access. It would seem silly to not continue this interesting and highly engaging debate in the hopes of reaching the most logical conclusion for the decades long debate about the substance. Works Cited Gupta, Sanjay Dr. “Why I Changed My Mind on Weed”. edition.cnn.com. cnn.com. 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. Nitti, Tony. “Understanding the Impact of Legalized Recreational Marijuana on State Tax Revenue”. Taxes. forbes.com. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. Rubin, Jennifer. “A Really Good Reason Not to Legalize Pot”. The Washington Post. washingtonpost.com. 2 Jul. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. Sherline, Harris. “Arguments For and Against Legalizing Marijuana”. Noozhawk. noozhawk.com. 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. Wing, Nick. “Jimmy Carter Comes Out Against Marijuana Legalization, Wants to 'Discourage' Use of Pot”. Politics. huffingtonpost.com. 17 May 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. Yarusso, Carmen. “Top Ten Reasons to Legalize Marijuana Now”. Op-Ed. truth-out.org. 9 Jun 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. Read More