Governments Position Towards Legalization of Marijuana - Research Paper Example

Government’s position towards legalization of Marijuana Introduction Marijuana is a green and brown shredded mixture of died parts of the hemp plant. For a long time now, marijuana has been illegal in the United States of America. After the drug was banned, the rate of its intake has been increasing rather than decreasing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to do something that shall lead to the reduction of marijuana intake. The government, together with many other international bodies, should consider legalizing the use of marijuana as an alternative solution. The fact is marijuana has got some positive attributes (Turnlund 19). These positive attributes include medical value and recreational use. Most of the Americans who use marijuana do so because they have made deliberate and conscious decisions to use it. Facts show that most of these American prefer using marijuana as a way of relaxing (Morgan 27). They say that it serves them better than when they use alcohol. There are many others who use it as a way of relieving pain and spasticity. These are individuals who have tried the conventional medicines, but the modern medicines have not served them. Why the Government Is Wrong Most of the users of marijuana say that they have made an observation that it has a low dependence liability and that it has got minimal side effects which are easy to manage (Kenworthy 29); therefore, it makes sense to make that drug legal (Varney 4). Those who use marijuana for a significant amount of time develop a tolerance for its side effects. In case some of these people fail to develop this tolerance, they opt to stop using the drug. Most of the Americans who use marijuana have a truly informed consent before making a decision to use the drug. This is because they consider that using marijuana has more benefits compared to the risks of using the same drug. Marijuana can support many vital government programs if it is taxed (Kenworthy 29). This is because the drug is extremely expensive, at the moment, for the American justice system. When the law enforcing agents arrest about 800,000 Americans per year because of either using or possessing the drug, they forego there are beneficial programs in order to do this (Turnlund 19). All these individuals are then taken to court, and it takes a lot of time before all these cases can be disposed. This is what it means to say that the use of marijuana is too expensive to the American justice system (Morgan 27). All these people cause the American jail to be clogged, and jail space is wasted. In a way, it serves as a diversionary tactic from more pressing issues such as violent robberies and corruption cases that end up costing American tax payers a lot of money and peace. The fact is that if marijuana is taxed, those funds can go a long way in vital social and justice programs. This would enhance getting better facilities of fighting terrorism and sexual abuse. All this can only be achieved if the use of marijuana is legalized. The government of America needs to consider that legalizing the use of marijuana does not mean that all American shall end up using the drug. At the moment, the ban on marijuana costs the American economy more every year (Kenworthy 29). This means that the national budget shall continue to add more funds for marijuana arrests instead of allocating more funds to development and social development programs. Legalizing of marijuana shall ensure that the government enacts the necessary legislation that shall control the use of marijuana (Morgan 27). This means that the government shall have that capacity to influence the demand and supply of the drug. Besides, the government shall advise and train people on what it means to use marijuana and how it works. The pros and cons of marijuana shall be openly discussed, even in schools. What the Ban of Marijuana Means The ban of marijuana use is not based on facts and information. Rather, it tends to be based more on lies and misinformation. The reasons that justify the ban of marijuana seem to be applied selectively and not on the entire scientific record. There is a lot of exaggeration that is associated with the ban on the drug because facts are given to depict only the negative side of marijuana. This in itself can cause teacher to lose credibility. The reality is that before a national decision of that magnitude is reached, there should be honest discussions and deliberations that are based on scientific research and facts. Corresponding research has been done, but the government seems to stifle their release to the public. For far too long, the debate about marijuana has been extremely one-sided. The credibility of the American research centers and scientists is also at stake because of this disinformation (Morgan 27). Most of the marijuana predictions are based on the 20th century prejudices and not on the latest up-to-date research findings. For a century or more, the demerits of using marijuana have been exaggerated and misrepresented (Kenworthy 29). In 1980s, the cannabinoid receptor discovered; since then, the dangers of using marijuana have not been confirmed by the use of modern researches (Kenworthy 29). There is no controversy as to whether marijuana should or should not be used by children. Most people agree that marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs of that nature should not be used by children. However, for the last few decades, there has been enough proof that the use of marijuana can be moderated without having to make harmful or negative impacts on individual users or the society at large. Nonetheless, most of these findings are shelved by the government so that the fear of using the drug can be upheld. With the rise of technology and development of complex research infrastructure, it is necessary for the government to consider the outcome of the research findings (Morgan 27). This is because failure to acknowledge the advantages of marijuana is continuing to cost the government more resources. Marijuana’s Benefits Marijuana is safer than alcohol; therefore, marijuana is not a lethal drug as many people in the United States of America have been forced to believe. Scientific research has established that marijuana is not toxic to human beings. This is what begs the concern why the American government reacts to the use of marijuana in a hyper way. This is because there is proof that marijuana overdose is nearly impossible to happen (Morgan 27). As a matter of fact, alcohol is more addictive compared to marijuana or even tobacco. Nonetheless, these findings have not caused the government of United States of America to fail to mistreat the marijuana users more harshly than alcohol or even tobacco users. This is clearly unjust and unfair (Williamson 18). If marijuana is legalized, then the use of hemp would be diversified and accepted as an agricultural crop in the United States of America. Hemp is a plant that grows exceptionally fast and is currently illegal in the United States of America. Hemp can be developed so that it becomes more useful in terms of biofuel that can go a long way in reducing carbon emissions. There are countries that have supported and allowed cultivation of hemp as a herb without necessarily legalizing the use of marijuana. In the United States of America, the ban of hemp cultivation has caused the American people to fail to develop it as a valuable agricultural product or commodity (Varney 4). This is not the case in Canada or European countries. America is dedicated to developing biofuel as an alternative to oil products dependency. This is according to America’s energy policy (Kenworthy 29). The aim is to reduce carbon emissions. Hemp would go a long way in becoming an alternative source of energy without having to affect the demand or prices of food commodities such as corn. If marijuana is legalized, then the prospects of using helm as a source of biofuel would be considerably enhanced in the United States of America (Turnlund 19). What the Drug Users Anticipate Legalizing the use of marijuana, followed by proper regulation, would mean that the marijuana intake among the youth reduces. This also would lead to reducing exposure to other illegal substances from illegal places of markets. The fact that marijuana has been banned makes it feel peculiar to use (Morgan 27). Generally speaking, the nature of human beings is that they ascribe a lot of value to anything that has been prohibited. This is because they become quite anxious about such substances (Turnlund 19). Most of the teenagers who take marijuana do that because they want to satisfy curiosity. Most of the youths sell it to their peers to make money. This is because they attach a lot of value to marijuana. If marijuana was legal, then it would be treated just like any other substance without having to attract a lot of attention (Varney 4). This is what happens to alcohol and tobacco. For instance, alcohol is harmful to teenagers, and its use is prohibited among teenagers in the United States. Notwithstanding this, the same drugs are legal for adults. However, it does not attract much attention from teenagers, especially as a money making venture. Therefore, the ban on marijuana is what causes the American teenagers to attach a lot of value to the drug leading to its increased sales and abuse. In other words, legalizing marijuana would reduce its importance among the youths. The youth imagine that those who take marijuana have something unique in them, or it is just a sign of boldness. Legalizing the drug would change this attitude very fast (Regan 9). Most of the marijuana arrests in an extraordinarily long way tend to affect the black Americans and Hispanics. This helps in reinforcing the notion that law enforcement in the United States of America is prejudiced and biased against some minorities. Black Americans can be approximated to make about 13 per cent of the American population (Morgan 27). They also make up to about 14 per cent of the annual marijuana users in the United States of America (Turnlund 19). Statistics show that black Americans make up to 26 per cent of marijuana related arrests in the United States of America. In New York City, for example, Hispanics and blacks have the highest cases of marijuana arrests. This includes smoking of marijuana in the public. Therefore, most of these arrests affect minorities far too often. This is in comparison to the native non-Hispanic Americans, who generally have a lower probability of marijuana related arrests (Turnlund 19). Conclusion In conclusion, the fact that marijuana is illegal in the United States of America makes it an extremely profitable market for marijuana growers outside the United States. The Americans who want to buy marijuana end up spending billions of dollars to other countries. Most of these monies can be put into more productive use in the United States. This also encourages both foreign hemp cultivation and smuggling into the United States of America. Legalizing marijuana in the United States of America would make the international criminal gangs lose the dollars they make for smuggling illegal products into the American economy. Making marijuana illegal has failed to stop the use of the drug. In fact, the domestic production of marijuana still continues. More than 25 million Americans use the drug per year, 75 years after the prohibition was introduced. Cannabis is estimated to be one of the largest cash crops in United States of America while in the world over, marijuana is still being grown (Morgan 27). The notion that banning the use of marijuana has been a successful policy cannot be supported by facts. It is, therefore, not true that marijuana will soon be eliminated from America and the rest of the world. To this end, the American policy makers should look for the positive aspects of marijuana and create solutions which are going to be practical and effective. This includes legalizing marijuana and coming up with legislation that demonstrates how it should be used. Those who use marijuana are highly determined to stand against its banning, and they are going to push for its legalization with a growing determination. Marijuana users have been faced by arrests and other punitive measures, but they have persisted in their quest to see to it that the drug is legalized. So far they have persisted in this push for over a generation. Marijuana use will be legalized because of this relentless fight by the marijuana users who promise to stop at nothing but its legalization. Works Cited Kenworthy, Lane. "Wasted lives." Should we legalize marijuana? 1.1 (2012): 1–60. Print. Morgan, Kayla. Legalizing Marijuana. ABDO, 2010. Print. Regan, Trish. Joint Ventures: Inside America's Almost Legal Marijuana Industry. 1st ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print. Turnlund, Erica. Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana. 1st ed. GRIN Verlag, 2011. 28. Print. Williamson, Alicia. The Everything Marijuana Book: Your complete cannabis resource, including history, growing instructions, and preparation. 1st ed. Adams Media, 2010. Print. Read More