Legalization of Marijuna

LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Marijuana has been found on every continent, it is said that marijuana has been used for a long time before it was recorded as been used. But the recorded history of marijuana dates back to 2737 B.C. in China and its used spread to India, North African, and Europe. Marijuana is a psychoactive agent which was used in the early days as a medication for gout, malaria, rheumatism and also to restore absent mindedness. Its medical values was considered most important than its intoxicating properties at the time. Most tribes that used it saw marijuana as a gift from the Spirits and it was mostly used during ceremonies, burned as incense, ingested for deep meditative ability with the gods and most importantly the leaves were worn as clothing during the ceremonies with the gods. Today most people around the world smoke marijuana, some to be high and others for medical reasons.

Marijuana came into American in 1545 through the Spanish, and it was introduced into Jamestown in 1611, where it was grown and became a major commercial crop. At that time in America some patent medicines contained marijuana, it was prescribed for some conditions and it was not used as an intoxicant. At this same period the recreational use of marijuana was restricted to people in show business only. Marijuana also known as “weed” was not illegal and the users did not constitute a nuisance to the society or become a societal threat as it is today when the smoking of this product is illegal. Marijuana is considered by some authorities as a “gateway” drug, but a research conducted in 2006 by the University of Pittsburgh over time discovered and proved the “gateway” theory was wrong.

In the United State of American, marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance, statistics shows that the legalization of marijuana would save the country between $10-15 billion annually. And this money would be reinvested into the economy or better still used to pay off debt. Marijuana is not an abusive or even an addictive drug, but the illegal nature of this drug make people abuse it, unlike alcohol and tobacco, which are not illegal, as such most people do not abuse them because they are accessible. Like alcohol and tobacco marijuana can be monitored if it is legalized. “Legalization means the entirely illicit drug trade would become legal” manufactures, transportation, sellers, purchases, possession would be legal. A legal trade can still be regulated, as any pharmacist or Drug Company knows (Richard Pg 138). Drug dealers would loss all of their business with the legalization of drug, this would in turn lead to drastic reduction of gangs and rivalry wars associated with this drug, the drug dealers themselves know this and that is why they are the major opponent of drug legalization. People deserve their right to freedom, but I understand the Government has a right to limit individuals right only if the individuals actions poses a threat, but marijuana does not pose such threat as some other medication that are out there. Prohibition of marijuana does not decrease drug use, because it is readily available even in high schools, statistics shows that it is easier for many high school students to obtain marijuana than it is for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and regulated to keep it away from kids.

The United State of American currently spend lots of money on the war against drugs, also taxpayers have to pay for food, attorney fees, health care and other fees for people who are locked up for wanting to be high and this cost is really outrageous. This is an avoidable cost that would be saved by this country if the government chooses to legalize marijuana. Marijuana been legalized would be an avenue for taxes to be collected on it and this would allow the society to take advantage of its industrial and agricultural uses, because the Hemp plant is a natural recourse that is valuable. Marijuana is been used in some religious setting as part of religious and spiritual ceremonies and I think this people should not be denied the right to practice their religion as they deem fit.

The National Cancer Institute says that Marijuana is a perfect drug to stop nausea, loss of appetite and vomiting for patient who undergo Chemotherapy. There are millions of insomnia, cancer, Aids patient who use marijuana to ease their pain and suffering due to these illnesses. Some states in American has legalized marijuana for medical purposes, but on the federal level this drug is still illegal to sell, consume, import, cultivate or possess. These state are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, DC, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington , and they have a possession limit for every individual and in some of these states you have to be a residency of the state before you qualify as a patient for the use of this drug. Some of these states allow for the cultivation of marijuana with some rules, but for other state it is illegal to cultivate.

The National Toxicology Program in a study found no evidence that marijuana causes cancer as advertised, these commercial is said to be paid for by alcohol and cigarette companies. The study by the National Toxicology Program which used rats and mice shows that marijuana actually decreased the risk of a person developing cancer; it also states that marijuana actually destroys cancer. “Marijuana offers many health benefits, especially for people suffering from the discomfort and rain of disease such as cancer, Aids and glaucoma” (Pg 39 Lester). The United State would benefit economically by legalizing marijuana, imagine the funds that goes into treating cancer patient and other patients that would have been saved through the use of this drug.

Marijuana alone is a multi-billion dollars industry and when the industry is regulated it would create more jobs, more money for the country and thereby increasing the revenue of the country. With the money generated from this business the country would be able to pay off if not at least reduce its debt. Drug dealers get away with millions of dollars every day that would have been use to better the society. Statistics shows that prisons are congested because a marijuana smoker is arrested every 45 seconds, with the legalization of this drug comes decongestion of prison. The Police would be more focused on violent or organized crimes. “Drug problems cannot be ended, but they can be reduced by accepting drugs as part of the American heritage, by finding ways to bring them within normal than urging people to live without drugs, it would be wise to teach them how to live with drugs” (Richard Pg 139).

Cannabis Sativa is the scientific name for marijuana, its value to the medical world outweighs its potential abuse, and its importance to the cloth and rope industries is unbelievable. Hemp is the same plant as Marijuana and has been recently discovered as a plant that has great environmental, commercial and economic potential, its potential for paper production is enormous. According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, one acre of this product would produce four times more paper than one acre of real trees. Newspaper, cardboard paper, tampons, toilet paper, computer paper, newsprint can be produces from this product. Production of paper from Hemp would stop the need for deforestation which in itself is an environmental concern, our forest would be safeguarded and the wildlife habitat preserved. In the textile industries, Hemp can be used to make textiles; hemp can be used to make all types of clothing because it is stronger than cotton. Hemp can grow everywhere in the united state with less water than trees and also harvested in a shorter time than tress. They require no pesticides unlike trees. The fact is that no tree or plant species on earth has the commercial, economic, and environmental potential of hemp. Over 30,000 known products can be produced from hemp.

Amsterdam where marijuana has been legalized recorded a reduction in the crime rate than major cities in the United State of America. “Some citizens worry that legalization would harm persons who are interested in illicit drugs but who are deterred from trying them because of inaccessibility or criminal penalties” (Richard Pg 140). The Amsterdam issue proves that when marijuana is legalized crime rate would drastically be reduced. “Legalizing drugs would promote public health, not harm it, many untoward consequences of illicit drugs never occurs in laboratory settings because labs use pure substances of known potency. Street drugs are adulterated and misbranded. Users never know what they are taking or how strong it is. People have been crippled by contaminates.” (Richard Pg 144).

If Marijuana was any other drugs am sure that the decision whether to use it or not would have been left in the hands of the doctors and patient to decide. I therefore think that it is essential to legalize the business of marijuana as it benefits to the society if controlled far out weighs its present ills in the society as un-controlled drug. From all the point listed above, you would agree with me that the herb was created for a reason; we should allow the essence of the herb creation to be in vain. There is just too much to gain from legalizing it than we are currently losing under this dispensation. With this I think that all laws that classify patients who use marijuana and Doctors who prescribe it as criminals should be changed. Political controversy over marijuana should be stopped.

Work Citied

Miller, Lawrence Richard. THE CASE FOR LEGALIZING DRUGS. New York: preager, Print 1991

Venturelli, J. Peter. Drug Use in American. SOCILA, CULTURAL, AND POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, Print 1994

Oakley ray. DRUGS, SOCIETY, AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR. Saint Louis: Mosby, PRINT 1972