Marijuana and Its Legalization - Research Paper Example

Marijuana and its legalization Abstract Marijuana has been part of the human existence for centuries and it has found its way to many cultures through out the world. It has found its way into religion, mysticism, music, recreation, law, business, and generally everyday life. Because of this, people have constantly had mixed or conflicting emotions regarding the use and legalization of this substance. This paper’s aim is to present and discuss valid documentation and arguments in support of the legalization of Marijuana and its similar strains. It will use current literature, studies and research that provide rational and objective evidence in support of this argument. About the herb: A paper in support of Marijuana and its legalization Drug use and abuse is one of the top issues facing our society today. Different countries around the world have different laws and regulations regarding the use and distribution of different types of narcotics. Many places ban them completely such as Saudi Arabia while others have lenient rules regarding them such as Amsterdam. But no matter the rules and regulations of any country regarding narcotics, it is nearly impossible to find a country with no illegal drug users. One of the most famous and wildly used types of narcotics today is Marijuana. Marijuana has many names such as weed, chronic, grass, dope, indo, cheese, sticky, and others. According to an article by drugrecognition.com, “The most abused illicit drug is marijuana with 14.6 million drug users. “ Marijuana has been around for centuries, and according to infoplease.com, there are records of the use of marijuana that go back as early as 2737 B.C, but the same article also states that the 1960s and 1970s marked the boom of marijuana use, when it became a sign of rebellion or counter-culture. Many people have different opinions and ideas regarding the use of marijuana. Some feel that it is a negative habit which causes very ill effects on people. Others feel that there is nothing wrong with the use of marijuana, and in fact it may even be beneficial in certain situations. These beliefs lead to different actions towards marijuana. Some choose to use it despite laws in their area that prohibit it, while others choose to stay away from it at any cost. This paper's aim is to provide objective, honest and fact-based arguments regarding the positive effects of marijuana, as well as provide effective arguments that support the legalization of marijuana. This document does not support the rampant and careless use of marijuana as a substance but instead promotes the legal and controlled use and distribution of marijuana, similar to laws governing alcohol and its use. This paper will discuss certain arguments that support the legalization of marijuana and divide the topics of argument as: Introduction to marijuana and its effects Effect of marijuana's legalization on the health industry Effect of marijuana's legalization on economics and tax revenue Effect of marijuana's legalization on crime Some of marijuana's negative effects Conclusion Introduction to marijuana and its effects The belief that marijuana has any beneficial effects to a user’s health has been argued for a very long time. Many people believe that taking marijuana has no negative effects on a person’s health, and according to altmed.creighton.edu, some medicinal uses of marijuana include prevention of nausea for people undergoing chemotherapy, decreasing intraocular pressure, and stimulation of appetite. According to abovetheinfluence.com, Marijuana or Cannabis sativa, as it is also known, contains the active ingredient tretrahydrocannabinol, or THC, “which moves quickly through the bloodstream to the brain and other organs throughout the body.” The article also mentions the effects of taking marijuana; “Marijuana is a mild hallucinogen that can also act as a depressant or a stimulant.”. There are many ways of using or taking marijuana. Some of these include smoking, eating, using as tea and adding to other foods. Many consider marijuana to be less dangerous than other drugs and also an illegal substance with many benefits. Wamm.org even goes to say that “there has never been one death attributed to the overdose of marijuana”, which definitely boosts its credibility as a safe substance. The same article also lists some effects that may be experienced if marijuana is taken and these effects include, hunger, and thirst, drowsiness, red eyes and insomnia. Another view regarding the use of marijuana is in religion. Amsterdamcannabisseeds.com records some situations in which marijuana was used in different forms of religion. Some of the religions mentioned are Hinduism and Taoism. This makes marijuana very unique in the sense that not many of today’s narcotics are used in religion. Effect of marijuana's legalization on the health industry Marijuana has been used in medicine for different ailments. As mentioned above, it has been used as a safe way to reduce nausea in cancer patients as well as decreasing intraocular pressure which is associated with glaucoma patients. Despite these benefits that marijuana has been associated with, it is still an illegal substance and only a handful of people are allowed to have it for these purposes. Assuming that marijuana was legalized, the medical industry would be able to benefit mainly because they would be able to prescribe it as a safe and effective solution for the issues stated above, and regulate its use so that addiction or over-use is avoided. More people would be allowed to use marijuana for these purposes without needing to apply of a special license or privilege. The medical industry would also be able to conduct more studies that can further verify or discover marijuana’s medicinal properties. Since they would be able to conduct more tests on marijuana, the medical industry would then be able to find ways of enhancing the herb’s medicinal properties while discovering ways of taking it without many negative effects. According to William E. Stempsey in his paper “The battle for medical marijuana in the war on drugs”, he mentions “Smoking marijuana has brought relief to thousands of people suffering from these side effects”, and it is this writer’s firm belief that if marijuana were legalized, more people would be able to experience the relief brought by marijuana. Many studies have compared marijuana to other medical options that attempt to treat nausea, hyperactivity, and decreasing intraocular pressure, and have found it to be very effective and with minimal side effects. In fact, a paper by Jim Parker on doitnow.org provides detailed information regarding marijuana and its effectiveness. It tells us that marijuana is most effective in treating pain and nausea caused by cancer therapies. It even goes on to say that for these issues “cannabinoid drugs might offer broad-spectrum relief not found in any other single medication.” a000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Effect of marijuana's legalization on economics and tax revenue As previously mentioned, marijuana is an illegal substance in must locations, and therefore, it is most often dealt and distributed in the black market. It is grown, sold and used under the law's radar and this creates more issues than one realizes. One of the angles we must look at is the potential revenue that can be gained from legalizing and regulating marijuana. As we know, an illegal substance that is sold or traded outside of the control of the law cannot be taxed. Another thing we must realize is that despite this substance being illegal, and despite the many prohibitions regarding its sale and use, it is still traded and sold in today's society. This is supported by an article by marijuana-addiction.org regarding marijuana statistics. The most relevant part of this article states “One in ten Americans reports using the drug at least once in the past year, and six in every one hundred Americans report using the drug at least once in the past month.” The same study named "2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)." also stated that “According to the NSDUH report, 96.6 million Americans have tried marijuana at least once” This rate of use and distribution indicates a trend that today's society is going. People continually use and sell this substance mainly because they recognize that marijuana has very few negative effects, if any at all. This can be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat to society. This paper does not support or promote the free, rampant and unregulated use of marijuana but rather, a regulated, controlled and taxed legalization of the substance. Since marijuana is not only used for medical purposes, it is best that the government legalize it, roll out information and education regarding it, its facts and effects, then regulate, tax and control its sale, similar to the regulation and control of alcohol. An article on businessweek.com regarding the legalization of marijuana compares its current prohibition to the liquor and booze prohibitions of the 1920's and it provides us with a staggering statistic that “total spending on marijuana may add up to $45 billion to $110 billion a year.” Another article similar to this one by prohibitioncosts.org helps us take a look at the possible tax revenue that could be gained by legalizing marijuana. It tells us that a 2005 report by found that if a system of prohibition and taxation similar to alcohol is implemented for marijuana, it may earn the government “combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year “. This amount is certainly no joke. And the possible dangers that many people may associate with marijuana can be avoided by the regulations that are implemented regarding its sale and use. Douglas McVay, in his paper “Marijuana legalization: the time is now” calls the legalization of marijuana taking “advantage of a market already in existence.” This means that the demand is already there, and all that’s left to do is for the government to legalize it, regulate it, and implement a tax. The same paper above also provides contrast to other substances that are legal, specifically in the United States, such as alcohol and tobacco which the paper calls “the two worst public health problems our society faces”. This brings contrast to marijuana in the sense that it is considered illegal but has been proven to have definite health benefits while these substances are legal and can be openly purchased have little too no health benefits at all. Effect of marijuana's legalization on crime Aside from medical use, marijuana is also popular for recreational use, and because marijuana users continue to buy, sell or use the substance despite many strict laws regarding marijuana’s control or ban, the tendency is that they will get caught by police and eventually punished. One would think that punishing or imprisoning a person who has broken or disobeyed the law is great for society. But we must realize that because of the sheer number of people who use marijuana, as well as the number of people who are in jail or are punished because of marijuana; this would also create problems, not just for the people being punished, but the state as well. The same paper by Douglas McVay also provides us an eye-opening glimpse of marijuana on the criminal system. It tells us that government surveys estimate that the numbers of people who use marijuana regularly are estimated at about 11.8 million. A shocking amount in deed, but more shocking is the cost that the government would need to endure in order to hunt, catch, jail or punish these 11.8 million marijuana users. An alternative to this is to legalize marijuana and regulate it in a similar manner to alcohol. This would be beneficial to society on many different levels. For one, the state would no longer need to endure the cost of enforcing the laws against marijuana. Another benefit is that those people that used to regularly sell, use, or grow marijuana would no longer need to do this in “the shadows”, and instead would be able to practice this out in the open without fear of persecution from the government. This also lessens the number of people who are imprisoned, killed, hurt or punished because of the use or distribution of marijuana. The number of people who are hurt or killed because of black market deals that have gone sour will also decrease as marijuana will no longer need to be dealt or distributed in the black market. This is supported by a paper by Ethan A. Nadelmann and David T. Courtwright, called “Should we legalize drugs? History answers”. It talks about the effects of the legalization of marijuana and even provides us with another benefit, which is that big-time drug dealers would be driven out of business and according to the paper, “crime would diminish because addicts would not have to hustle to keep themselves supported on drugs.” The 2-fold effect of lessening cost for the government and adding another source of income or revenue in marijuana regulation and taxation brought about by the legalization of marijuana is a benefit, and opportunity and an eye-opening chance that no government should ignore. Some of marijuana's negative effects In contrast, we must also recognize some of marijuana’s negative effects and traits. This is a small internal counter-argument to the paper’s initial drive. This is in order to raise awareness about marijuana’s negative traits, and in order to shine a light on them rather than attempt to hide these negative effects from view or whitewash them and hope people don’t notice or take heed of them. It is also best to mention these negative effects as, in the event that marijuana does get legalized, these negative traits will be the driving force behind the regulations, restrictions and control measures that will be implemented on marijuana in order to maintain society’s safety and reduce the danger associated with the legalization of a formerly illegal substance. The first thing to recognize is that marijuana is mainly taken via smoking it with a pipe, or via marijuana cigarettes also known as “joints”. This creates a problem for the user as this has similar effects as smoking to your lungs and may cause lung damage or even cancer. Another issue regarding marijuana is that it gives the user a drowsy, slow feeling, or a relaxed atmosphere, similar to being intoxicated on alcohol, and reduces a person’s reaction time, and may be dangerous if that person is driving or operating machinery. The euphoric feeling that is brought about by smoking marijuana may also lead to over use or addiction, similar to people being hooked on alcohol and end up being alcoholics. Conclusion At the end of the day, this writer believes that marijuana must be legalized as it will benefit the medical industry, society, the government and specially the users and supporters of the substance. The negative traits and effects of marijuana are definitely outweighed by marijuana’s many benefits and are also seen in many substances that are already legal and considered safe. In order for society to move into a new direction of progress, one of the best steps to take would be the legalization of marijuana. References Resources Courtwright, D. (1993, February/March). Should we legalize drugs? History answers. American Heritage, 44(1), 41. Easton, S.(2009) Legalize Marijuana for Tax Revenue, Pro: Fund crime-or taxes?, The Fraser Institute, businessweek.com, 17, Feb 2012, http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2010/03/legalize_mariju.html Marijuana statistics (n.d.) marijuana-addiction.org, 17, Feb 2012, http://www.marijuana-addiction.org/Marijuana_Statistics.htm McVay,D. (1991) Marijuana legalization: The time is now. SAGE Publications, pp. 1-2, 7 Miron, J. (n.d.) Budgetary implications of marijuana prohibition in the united states, the Marijuana Policy Project, prohibitioncosts.org, 17, Feb 2012, http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/ More on marijuana and crime: Crime statistics (2010 March) crimeinamerica.net, 17, Feb 2012, http://crimeinamerica.net/2010/03/02/more-on-marijuana-and-crime-crime-statistics/ Parker, J. (2007 January) Marijuana: Medical Uses | Is Pot Medicine?, Do it now foundation, doitnow.org , 17, Feb 2012, http://www.doitnow.org/pages/124.html Statistics (n.d.) Talbot, Drug abuse recognition training., http://drugrecognition.com 17, Feb 2012, http://drugrecognition.com/Use%20Statistics.htm Stempsey, W. (1998, April). The battle for medical marijuana in the war on drugs. America, 178(12), 14, pp. 14-16. Religion Marijuana Use (2010) Amsterdam cannabis seeds, amsterdamcannabisseeds.com, 17, Feb 2012, http://www.amsterdamcannabisseeds.com/religion-marijuana-use.html Using marijuana medicinally (n.d.) Wo/men's alliance for medical marijuana, wamm.org, 17, Feb 2012, http://www.wamm.org/howtouse.php Read More