Legalization of Marijuana - Essay Example

Benefits of Marijuana Many nations around the world are trying to legalize or at least decriminalize less detrimental drugs such as marijuana. It has been proposed, and in some instances confirmed, that legalizing marijuana will help to decrease violent crimes and drastically reduce the number of people imprisoned for drug possession which would permit more people to remain productive members of society. It would also free up resources and police force manpower to instead combat the more critical societal issues such as violent crime. The evidence clearly shows that legalizing marijuana for general use and medicinal purposes would be advantageous for society, evidence which is recognized throughout the scientific, public and political realms but this well-known and widely acknowledged evidence has not yet to be acted on in the U.S. The use of medicinal marijuana for therapeutic use is allowed in eleven states, Rhode Island is the most recent addition joining Vermont, Maine, California, Alaska, Oregon, Nevada, Hawaii, Colorado, Washington and Montana. Although the Justice Department under the Obama administration has relaxed its enforcement policies, federal laws forbidding medical marijuana are still on the books and supersede those of the states. Consequently, doctors within the borders of America cannot legally write prescriptions for marijuana nor can their patient legally have it. “The U.S. Supreme Court said federal law preempts any efforts by the state to authorize the use of marijuana for any purpose, including medicinal” (Schweitzer, 2005). Most Americans favor decriminalizing the medicinal use of marijuana and the states are systematically legalizing this naturally growing substance but any use of plant violates federal law which commonly translates to tougher sentences if caught. Again, the federal government has recently relaxed its position on permitting marijuana dispensaries in states where it is already legal but other than this slight variance has continued its total prohibition of marijuana. Prohibition is one of the more common policies employed but has clearly not been as successful as intended. This long standing American tradition has not stopped drug trafficking. It has though, changed the composition of supply and demand by influencing the illegality of this market. Illegal marijuana has made criminals of non-violent persons and the chronically ill. The various medical benefits of marijuana are well known. Health care workers understand the many benefits of marijuana including the treatment of arthritis. “The spinal cord is loaded with cannabinoid receptors. These cannabinoid compounds [from marijuana] apparently reduce swelling from inflammation [a major symptom of arthritis]. But more than that, they kill the pain from inflammation specifically. They work on the peripheral nerves that carry pain from your joint into the spinal cord” (Walker, 2000). People who suffer the painful condition associated with various types of bowel disease sometimes endure life-threatening flare-ups but they have very few medical options. There are too few traditional medications that exist for these conditions and these are normally ineffective in completely managing the symptoms. However, “beneficial effects [of marijuana use] were reported for appetite, pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, activity and depression. Patients also reported that cannabis use resulted in weight gain, fewer stools per day and fewer flare-ups of less severity” (Hergenrather, 2005). Weight gain is a significant issue for these patients because their condition causes low weight and malnutrition. The advantages of marijuana for HIV patients have been documented by Dr. Kate Scannell of Kaiser-Permanente. (2003): “From working with AIDS and cancer patients, I repeatedly saw how marijuana could ameliorate a patient’s debilitating fatigue, restore appetite, diminish pain, remedy nausea, cure vomiting and curtail down-to-the-bone weight loss.” These are the features that allow marijuana to be utilized for the treatment of several disorders without the need for additional medication to counteract side effects. Marijuana use can lessen or even eliminate the need for other, possibly more detrimental drugs in several conditions such as these and others that share similar symptoms including: Epilepsy, Seizures, Multiple sclerosis, Glaucoma, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Hepatitis C, Nail patella, Nausea, Cachexia (wasting syndrome), Muscle spasms, Chronic Pain, Eczema, Neuropathy and Depression. Some harmful social factors can be attributed to both illegal and legal drug use. The distribution of drugs in the illegal marketplace undoubtedly produces more negative concerns than would its distribution by a legalized method. The additional social problems connected with the illegal drug trade involves violence with no legal recourse for the victim and making criminals of those who buy in the illegal market, over-crowded prisons which results in the early parole of violent offenders, both a money draining reality. The illegal drug trade also adds to the health care costs for everyone because no regulations exist regarding the quality and potency of illegal drugs. “Prohibition has probably reduced the scope of drug distribution but has also ensured negative economic effects. Finding the balance between these two effects is one of the key considerations in the welfare analysis of drug policy.” (Clark, 2003) While the decriminalization of marijuana would benefit society as a whole, many parents are rightfully concerned that it and other drugs are regularly used, sold and stored at schools. Teenagers learn very quickly that tobacco, alcohol and marijuana, in addition to other, more harmful drugs can readily obtained ever day in middle or high school. Most 10th graders in America, for example, say they can easily acquire tobacco (87 per cent), alcohol (88 per cent) and marijuana (78 per cent). Drug abuse is damaging to school children in many emotional, mental and physical ways. It also costs U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars per year. Drug sales and use in schools is problematic not just for vulnerable, impressionable teenagers but for the teachers too. “Students that use drugs are much more likely to perform poorly in school, cut class or drop-out of school altogether. Students at schools where drugs are kept, used and sold are twice as likely to smoke, drink and use drugs than students who perceive their schools to be drug-free” (Ault, 2001). The prohibition of marijuana tactic utilized for too long by the U.S. has led to an enormous increase in crime rates. This has swelled what was already an overcrowded prison system thus leading to early parole for violent offenders but has had no impact on the availability and rate of usage. Marijuana prohibition does not make sense and the disallowing of its medicinal benefits to cancer patients who are forced to live every day with excruciating pain and, as another example, persons with glaucoma who are dependent on marijuana for improved vision should be unimaginable in a civilized society. The U.S. should follow the example of European countries. Though drug laws are relaxed with regards to Marijuana in the Netherlands and England, they remain technically illegal. The Netherlands allows special licensing permits for coffee houses and cafes to distribute marijuana. In both countries employees would not normally be fired for having smoked marijuana at lunch yet are offered counseling if they have become psychologically addicted to the effects of marijuana. It’s long past time for the U.S. to take a sensible approach to marijuana. Works Cited Ault, Alicia. (2001). “Students Get Drugs at School, Study Shows.” Prevent Disease. Reuters Health. August 2, 2011 “Cannibis Laws Eased by Blunkett.” BBC News. (July 11, 2002). Clark, Andrew E. “The Economics of Drug Legalisation.” Paris: DELTA (Departement et Laboratoire d’Economie Theorique et Appliquee). (May 2003). Hergenrather, Jeff. “Cannabis Alleviates Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease.” O’Shaughnessy’s. (Autumn, 2005). Nadelmann, Ethan. “Should Some Illegal Drugs be Legalized?” Science and Technology. Vol. 6, (1990). pp. 43-46. Scannell, Kate. “Mr. Attorney General, Listen to the Doctors.” San Francisco Chronicle. (February 16, 2003). Schweitzer, Sarah. “R.I. may allow medical marijuana” The Boston Globe (June 28, 2005) Walker, J. Michael. “Marijuana as Medicine.” Arthritis Today. (December 2000). Read More