Legalizing Marijuana Analysis
Alicia Hall
Emily Pasmore
English II
12/04/2014
The Legalization of Marijuana
The time has come to alter the way people understand marijuana and its effects. Marijuana, which is legal in some states for recreational, therapeutic and pharmaceutical purposes, should be legalized in all states because it is safer than legal prescriptions, alcohol, and tobacco, and it would bring a lot of income for the state and federal governments, but there do need to be some restrictions established. Some of the authors point out that the people who are arrested for possession of marijuana are otherwise normal law abiding citizens meaning they are being held with murders and rapist. It is evident here that marijuana should not be in the same category as these …show more content…
other dangerous drugs and crimes. Marijuana should be legal at state and federal levels for medicinal and recreational use based on the information collected here.
The legalization of marijuana could generate a lot of tax revenue from an underground industry that has been going strong for more than fifty years. Despite the government attempts to stop the selling of marijuana, people still take the chance and buy it anyway knowing the consequences. If the government would legalize marijuana they could then place a tax on not only the sale but the production as well. If they were to tax it the same as the “sin tax” like alcohol and cigarettes the amount of money that could be made is in the billions. Government spends more money on courts and finding these people than what it generates from fines after they are caught.
In June of 2005, a professor of economics visiting Harvard University, Jeffrey A. Miron wrote “The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition,” published by cannabis-comerce.com. In this article Jeffrey Miron calculates the amount of savings and the revenue that would generate from legalization of Marijuana. Miron estimates that a total of $7.7 billion would be saved each year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. Miron states that of that $5.3 billion would be from state and local governments. $2.4 billion would be savings at the federal level. Miron also estimates $2.4 billion tax revenue every year if marijuana was taxed like other goods. Which if taxed like beer and cigarettes it would generate $6.2 billion per year. Miron takes into account the arrest made due to the marijuana prohibition for each state, the expenditures attributable to marijuana prohibition for each state, the federal expenditure, and the tax revenue by population and by consumption for every state.
Miron main point is that not only does prohibition cost the government but it also prevents a taxation of the production and sales on marijuana. This articles most important information is that the government does if fact get some revenue from the law as it is yet the amount that would be gained from the legalization is greatly more than right now. Miron asserts that legalization of marijuana is more substantial than just the decriminalization of marijuana. Miron most valuable statement is that there are three reasons why this is true. It would get rid of arrest for trafficking in addition to possession charges. The second reason Miron lists is that it would save expenses in the prosecution, courts, and the cost of incarceration.
Miron uses multiple equations to formulate all the figures in his report. Miron utilizes tables to show each states’ percent of arrest against those that were only marijuana possession, the expenditures at the police, judicial, corrections and the total, also the tax revenue by population and by consumption. Miron has clearly done all the math verifying that the federal and state government would make more profit from the legalization of marijuana than the current system in place, prohibition. Miron weighs out the amount that is currently being profited from the payment of fines and the seizures they receive from these arrest. Miron report is very organized with summaries and calculations making his main ideas clear.
The government allows the sale of alcohol and cigarettes which are proven far more harmful than marijuana. People are making bad choices like getting behind the wheel of a car while drunk and end up killing someone or themselves. Even if people who drink do not drive they are damaging themselves or overdosing. The same with cigarettes, the government knows that it is harmful to people yet it is legal and kill people every day. Marijuana on the other hand is helping people every day, even curing some.
In July of 2013, yolasite.com published an article by Stephen Steenblik, Euclides Cruz, Junho Kwak, and Herny Zhorzh entitled, “Should Marijuana be Legalized?” The authors’ points out that some people think that marijuana is a “bad drug” that leads to violence and crime.
The authors explain that after researching the topic they have come up with the complete opposite of that statement. The authors go on to state that, marijuana is much less harmful than that of tobacco and alcohol, yet those are both legal today. The authors provided a chart of the effects on heroin, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana showing that all the risk are strong and very strong other than that of marijuana which all is very weak, weak, or none. Therefore, marijuana being less harmful drug should also be legal. The authors state what others have said about legalization and state that it is not as harmful as the people against legalization claim it to be. The authors calls attention to the use of cigarettes and deaths that accrues due to smoking which is more than 400,000 people a year. The authors then point out that the simple fact that no one has died from marijuana, not an overdose or health …show more content…
reasons. The authors take into consideration both sides of the argument but often contradicting themselves along the way. The authors claim that, “many horrible things could come from it (legalizing marijuana).” The authors state that people that smoke marijuana can cause the same harmful effects as smoking cigarettes and the second-hand smoke to others. The authors’ strong point is that marijuana is sometimes used as a substitute for much more dangerous drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. The authors main list of medical uses of marijuana like its original use as a nerve tonic, as well as to treat nausea, pain, muscle spasms, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Tourette’s, Hepatitis C, decrease cancer cell growth and many more. Yet the authors go on to contradict their statements in earlier paragraphs by saying that the legalization of marijuana is addictive and people would do dangerous and illegal things to get more marijuana. The authors claim that the legalization of marijuana would, “not only affecting the user but also those around them and potentially in their community.” The authors final thoughts is that marijuana should not be legal because of, “the cost to society and an individual health far outweigh the income transferred to the pocket of the government and companies controlling use.” In this article the authors have five pages on why marijuana should be legalized and only three stating why it should not be. The authors do contradict often in the article, although many of the reasons listed as to why it should not be legalized can be disputed. Just like their claim on the second-hand smoke and marijuana, they failed to take into consideration there are other forms that marijuana can be used such as cooking it in food or mixing with a beverage, vapors, dabs, oils, and even a pill form. So the harmful effects from smoking can be resolved. The authors also point out that the legalization of marijuana would allow it to fall into children’s hands when being legal has nothing to do with the fact of it falling into children’s hands because it already is in their hands as it is with it being illegal, therefore this cannot be used as a reason as to why it should not be legal. The beginning of this article shows tables and graphs to support the findings that marijuana should be legalized but then the authors begin to contradict their previous statements. Although the article is very organized with research done all both sides of the “spectrum.”
Marijuana is already used for medicine, but it is not its only use. It can be used for many different things including paper. Deforestation is talked about worldwide, taught in school, and here is a solution to that problem. Marijuana is currently used to help treat nausea in cancer patients and anorexia associated with aids. More studies show that it can also help with fibromyalgia with only drowsiness as a side effect. If more studies are done there are endless possibilities that could arise that marijuana could be used for.
In May of 1997 Annals of Internal Medicine published, "Medicinal Applications of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Marijuana." By Eric A. Voth, MD and Richard H. Schwartz, MD. In this article the authors uses research done between 1975 and 1996 and only using the studies on humans, but states there has not been any recent clinical trials done on marijuana. The authors point out that the use of oral THC which is what is used in most studies done, does not occur naturally in crude marijuana. People were given pure THC either orally or as suppositories, or were given crude marijuana to conduct the studies. The authors point out that in the studies done most people that were used were older people. In the chart provided, the results are all just about the same except one showed that THC was better than the prochlorperazine and placebo. The authors state that, the major side effect was drowsiness. The author points out that of the studies done where marijuana was smoked for nausea only 22% of the patients said there were no benefits from smoking. In the article the authors indicates that pure THC was more effective than smoking in only 35% but 45% said there was no preference between the two.
The authors’ main point is that state supporters of crude marijuana has said that it should be available for medications for conditions such as headache, dysentery, cramps, pain, depression, and the list goes on. The people who support cure marijuana for medicinal use are not used for the independent medical or scientific evaluation of efficacy or toxicity as stated by the authors of this article. The authors’ main claim is that Doblin and Kleiman surveyed 2430 oncologists and of those who responded, 44% had recommended the use of marijuana to at least one patient in chemotherapy. The authors explains that both pure THC and crude marijuana have toxic effects but also both have therapeutic benefits. The authors’ point out that a synthetic version could be made to where it will “minimize toxicity and maximize therapeutic benefits.” The authors’ most important claim is that controlled studies are needed for the use of marijuana as a medicine.
In this article the authors are both doctors and have MDs and have stated that there are many benefits for the use of marijuana in the medical field. The authors recommend more controlled studies need to be done and people who are supporter should not be ineligible for the study. The authors’ demonstration great value in the many different studies that was used in the past to show that even then there were medical uses. The authors’ most valuable suggestion is that there could be more medical benefits if there were more studies done. The authors also says that, “Marijuana has been widely used for hundreds of years as an intoxicant or an herbal remedy.” The authors’ call attention that there are more than 480 substances are in crude marijuana. This article is mostly research done on other studies it yet shows that there is so much more than can be gained from the legalization of marijuana.
Governments, state and local, can control the sales and production of marijuana just as they have done for alcohol and cigarettes. There can be an age limit to which a person could be prescribed or purchase marijuana. The state government has it now where people are not allowed to purchase beer on Sundays in some states. Each state can have their own set of rules and regulations just as there is now for beer and cigarettes. With these limitations in place the government can control who gets prescribed or who can purchase and even how much can be purchased, like the limitation set on the cold medicine used to make meth.
In January of 2010, Douglas McVay wrote an article for Sage Publications entitled, “Marijuana Legalization: The Time Is Now.” Douglas Mcvay points out that once marijuana is legal the number of reported people who use will “skyrocket.” McVay states that although the number of people who use will increase very little but most of the increase would come from the people who failed to report their use when it was illegal. McVay says there are three alternatives: one is to continue with the same system we have now only catching few people; the second thing is we could fully decriminalize the use and possession in private, like eleven other states who have already attempted to do so; or third we can legalize, regulate, and control the use and production of marijuana. McVay explains the tax revenue that could be generated from the legalization of marijuana, as estimated by the Fortune magazine, of about $11 billion a year. Although that amount is only for the taxes, not including what would come from the legal sellers, distributors, and the producers in taxes on their income. McVay also states that we would have the funds that were used to catch people with marijuana could now be used for other things like other drug laws and some funds would go to the regulatory system to set up and control the growth and sale. McVay also says that we could generate income not only from taxes but from sales, licensing fees, and more. McVay claims, “Society would profit tremendously from legal marijuana sales if we decide to take advantage of the market already in existence.”
McVay clearly covers some very important issues about the legalization of marijuana but states more than once that it is a “good idea.” McVay states that the government’s current war on marijuana for more than 50 years has failed and instead made a criminal class out of citizens who would otherwise be law-abiding and productive people. McVay states it best, “it is time to take a fresh look.” McVay claims that out of the eleven states that have decriminalized marijuana, only Alaska has truly decriminalized marijuana for private personal use. McVay notable point is that the only remaining viable option is the legalization, regulation, and control of marijuana. Of course McVay covers that the control and discouraging mechanisms would be such things like age limits, marketing making the drug appear glamorous, band on all advertising, health warning labels, and pricing. McVay shows there is some much that could be gained from the legalization of marijuana.
This article includes a lot of important information on the concept of the legalization of marijuana from the current marijuana prohibition to tax revenue. McVay weighs most on the positive financial impact that the legalization would have on the United States and the amount of time and money that goes into the antidrug budget, which was estimated for over $10 billion back in 1987 and as of 1990 the federal budget alone was $9.4 billion as stated by the Washington Post. This article is valuable because McVay points out that a lot of people who are arrested for marijuana possession are of people who are usually upstanding people in the society. This article not only asks questions but gives answers. McVay even quotes the DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis Young calling marijuana “the safest therapeutically active substance known to man.”
There is already eleven states who have legalized marijuana, Alaska making it completely legal for personal use. If these states have already made it legal for reasons of medical use, then the rest of the states could use their ways of controlling it. Seems to be working for them as well as other counties. Crime rate went down in these other countries that legalized marijuana. There is only a few side effects ever listed. One being paranoia, if marijuana was legal would this still be a side effect? The main reason some people is paranoid after the use of marijuana is the fear of being caught with it. If it was legal it would eliminate this side effect. Only others listed is drowsiness, is that not the side effect listed on almost every medicine that is prescribed today.
In the article entitled, “Should Marijuana be Legalized?
An Ethical Analysis of Marijuana and Institutional Corruption in the United States,” Rohan Basu says, “A push for marijuana legalization is sweeping the nation.” Basu points out that there are many people against it and covers all topics on the matter. Basu talks about crime, racism, and prison overcrowding due to marijuana. Basu explains legal and illegal drug classification. Basu claims that there is one arrest made every 42 seconds due to marijuana in America. Basu discusses the medicinal benefits and the gateway effect, saying that marijuana is a gateway drug, which he disproves. Basu compares the alcohol prohibition to marijuana prohibition. Basu explains that marijuana has proven medical benefits and that it does not fit with the classification of illegal drugs but it does fit the classification of legal drugs, like that of over the counter medicine, nicotine, and ethanol. Basu indicates that from a safety and health perspective marijuana should be
legal.
Basu has many important ideas expressing the legalization of marijuana and its benefits. Basu’s most important point is what it’s stated in the United States Constitution, that the government should ‘insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, [and] promote the general Walfare.’ If these benefits were to be allowed to people, it would promote happiness and wellbeing by allowing people better health.” Basu indicates that from a safety and health perspective marijuana should be legal. Marijuana promotes wellbeing and happiness as explained by Basu. Basu goes farther on to point out that the government is essentially in control of the public’s information they receive on marijuana. Basu’s most notable point is that alcohol, which is legal, causes more deaths and is greatly documented in relation to crime, whereas marijuana is not.
Basu explains every aspects of the legalization of marijuana. This article is valuable because Basu shows that by keeping the current law in place does not outweigh the medical benefits. The article calls attention to the fact that the federal government is just pushing off their responsibility to the state which ends up leading to no action ever being taken. Basu strong point is that of the “government is failing in its mission. Another strong point is that of the amount of tax revenue that would generate anywhere from $45 to $100 billion annually. Basu clearly does the research of the corruption in the government and answers one question, Should Marijuana be legalized? Basu’s answer is the most valuable sentence, “In a word: YES.”
Despite the claims that marijuana should be classified as an illegal drug the research that is presented here provides support that it fits more into the classification of a legal drug. Some claim that the system in place now generates more than enough income but in actuality there can be billions made in tax revenue from the legalization of marijuana. All of the research supports if marijuana were legal there would be less crime and would get rid of the overcrowding in prisons. The research shows the legalization of marijuana would be the most logical thing to do. Although there do need to be some limitations set in place, marijuana, which is legal in some states for medicinal and recreational purposes, should be legalized in all states because it would bring a large amount of tax revenue, and it is less harmful than legal medications, alcohol, and tobacco.
Works Cited
Basu, Rohan. "Should Marijuana Be Legalized? An Ethical Analysis of Marijuana and Institutional Corruption in the United States" Psu.edu. N.p., 16 Dec. 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
McVay, Douglas. "Marijuana Legalization: The Time Is Now." Sage Publications, Inc. Sagepub.com, N.p. 05 Jan. 2010. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Miron, Jeffrey A. "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Policy Project,” Cannabis-commerce.com. N.p. June 2005. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Steenblik, Stephen, Euclides Cruz, Junho Kwak, and Herny Zhorzh. "Should Marijuana Be Legalized?"Euclidescruz.yolasite.com. N.p., 29 July 2013. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Voth, Eric A., and Richard H. Schwartz. "Medicinal Applications of Delta-9- Tetrahydrocannabinol and Marijuana." Annals of internal medicine vol. 126 number 10. (Pages 791-798). Np 15 May 1997. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Emily Pasmore
English II
12/04/2014
The Legalization of Marijuana
The time has come to alter the way people understand marijuana and its effects. Marijuana, which is legal in some states for recreational, therapeutic and pharmaceutical purposes, should be legalized in all states because it is safer than legal prescriptions, alcohol, and tobacco, and it would bring a lot of income for the state and federal governments, but there do need to be some restrictions established. Some of the authors point out that the people who are arrested for possession of marijuana are otherwise normal law abiding citizens meaning they are being held with murders and rapist. It is evident here that marijuana should not be in the same category as these …show more content…
other dangerous drugs and crimes. Marijuana should be legal at state and federal levels for medicinal and recreational use based on the information collected here.
The legalization of marijuana could generate a lot of tax revenue from an underground industry that has been going strong for more than fifty years. Despite the government attempts to stop the selling of marijuana, people still take the chance and buy it anyway knowing the consequences. If the government would legalize marijuana they could then place a tax on not only the sale but the production as well. If they were to tax it the same as the “sin tax” like alcohol and cigarettes the amount of money that could be made is in the billions. Government spends more money on courts and finding these people than what it generates from fines after they are caught.
In June of 2005, a professor of economics visiting Harvard University, Jeffrey A. Miron wrote “The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition,” published by cannabis-comerce.com. In this article Jeffrey Miron calculates the amount of savings and the revenue that would generate from legalization of Marijuana. Miron estimates that a total of $7.7 billion would be saved each year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. Miron states that of that $5.3 billion would be from state and local governments. $2.4 billion would be savings at the federal level. Miron also estimates $2.4 billion tax revenue every year if marijuana was taxed like other goods. Which if taxed like beer and cigarettes it would generate $6.2 billion per year. Miron takes into account the arrest made due to the marijuana prohibition for each state, the expenditures attributable to marijuana prohibition for each state, the federal expenditure, and the tax revenue by population and by consumption for every state.
Miron main point is that not only does prohibition cost the government but it also prevents a taxation of the production and sales on marijuana. This articles most important information is that the government does if fact get some revenue from the law as it is yet the amount that would be gained from the legalization is greatly more than right now. Miron asserts that legalization of marijuana is more substantial than just the decriminalization of marijuana. Miron most valuable statement is that there are three reasons why this is true. It would get rid of arrest for trafficking in addition to possession charges. The second reason Miron lists is that it would save expenses in the prosecution, courts, and the cost of incarceration.
Miron uses multiple equations to formulate all the figures in his report. Miron utilizes tables to show each states’ percent of arrest against those that were only marijuana possession, the expenditures at the police, judicial, corrections and the total, also the tax revenue by population and by consumption. Miron has clearly done all the math verifying that the federal and state government would make more profit from the legalization of marijuana than the current system in place, prohibition. Miron weighs out the amount that is currently being profited from the payment of fines and the seizures they receive from these arrest. Miron report is very organized with summaries and calculations making his main ideas clear.
The government allows the sale of alcohol and cigarettes which are proven far more harmful than marijuana. People are making bad choices like getting behind the wheel of a car while drunk and end up killing someone or themselves. Even if people who drink do not drive they are damaging themselves or overdosing. The same with cigarettes, the government knows that it is harmful to people yet it is legal and kill people every day. Marijuana on the other hand is helping people every day, even curing some.
In July of 2013, yolasite.com published an article by Stephen Steenblik, Euclides Cruz, Junho Kwak, and Herny Zhorzh entitled, “Should Marijuana be Legalized?” The authors’ points out that some people think that marijuana is a “bad drug” that leads to violence and crime.
The authors explain that after researching the topic they have come up with the complete opposite of that statement. The authors go on to state that, marijuana is much less harmful than that of tobacco and alcohol, yet those are both legal today. The authors provided a chart of the effects on heroin, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana showing that all the risk are strong and very strong other than that of marijuana which all is very weak, weak, or none. Therefore, marijuana being less harmful drug should also be legal. The authors state what others have said about legalization and state that it is not as harmful as the people against legalization claim it to be. The authors calls attention to the use of cigarettes and deaths that accrues due to smoking which is more than 400,000 people a year. The authors then point out that the simple fact that no one has died from marijuana, not an overdose or health …show more content…
reasons. The authors take into consideration both sides of the argument but often contradicting themselves along the way. The authors claim that, “many horrible things could come from it (legalizing marijuana).” The authors state that people that smoke marijuana can cause the same harmful effects as smoking cigarettes and the second-hand smoke to others. The authors’ strong point is that marijuana is sometimes used as a substitute for much more dangerous drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. The authors main list of medical uses of marijuana like its original use as a nerve tonic, as well as to treat nausea, pain, muscle spasms, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Tourette’s, Hepatitis C, decrease cancer cell growth and many more. Yet the authors go on to contradict their statements in earlier paragraphs by saying that the legalization of marijuana is addictive and people would do dangerous and illegal things to get more marijuana. The authors claim that the legalization of marijuana would, “not only affecting the user but also those around them and potentially in their community.” The authors final thoughts is that marijuana should not be legal because of, “the cost to society and an individual health far outweigh the income transferred to the pocket of the government and companies controlling use.” In this article the authors have five pages on why marijuana should be legalized and only three stating why it should not be. The authors do contradict often in the article, although many of the reasons listed as to why it should not be legalized can be disputed. Just like their claim on the second-hand smoke and marijuana, they failed to take into consideration there are other forms that marijuana can be used such as cooking it in food or mixing with a beverage, vapors, dabs, oils, and even a pill form. So the harmful effects from smoking can be resolved. The authors also point out that the legalization of marijuana would allow it to fall into children’s hands when being legal has nothing to do with the fact of it falling into children’s hands because it already is in their hands as it is with it being illegal, therefore this cannot be used as a reason as to why it should not be legal. The beginning of this article shows tables and graphs to support the findings that marijuana should be legalized but then the authors begin to contradict their previous statements. Although the article is very organized with research done all both sides of the “spectrum.”
Marijuana is already used for medicine, but it is not its only use. It can be used for many different things including paper. Deforestation is talked about worldwide, taught in school, and here is a solution to that problem. Marijuana is currently used to help treat nausea in cancer patients and anorexia associated with aids. More studies show that it can also help with fibromyalgia with only drowsiness as a side effect. If more studies are done there are endless possibilities that could arise that marijuana could be used for.
In May of 1997 Annals of Internal Medicine published, "Medicinal Applications of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Marijuana." By Eric A. Voth, MD and Richard H. Schwartz, MD. In this article the authors uses research done between 1975 and 1996 and only using the studies on humans, but states there has not been any recent clinical trials done on marijuana. The authors point out that the use of oral THC which is what is used in most studies done, does not occur naturally in crude marijuana. People were given pure THC either orally or as suppositories, or were given crude marijuana to conduct the studies. The authors point out that in the studies done most people that were used were older people. In the chart provided, the results are all just about the same except one showed that THC was better than the prochlorperazine and placebo. The authors state that, the major side effect was drowsiness. The author points out that of the studies done where marijuana was smoked for nausea only 22% of the patients said there were no benefits from smoking. In the article the authors indicates that pure THC was more effective than smoking in only 35% but 45% said there was no preference between the two.
The authors’ main point is that state supporters of crude marijuana has said that it should be available for medications for conditions such as headache, dysentery, cramps, pain, depression, and the list goes on. The people who support cure marijuana for medicinal use are not used for the independent medical or scientific evaluation of efficacy or toxicity as stated by the authors of this article. The authors’ main claim is that Doblin and Kleiman surveyed 2430 oncologists and of those who responded, 44% had recommended the use of marijuana to at least one patient in chemotherapy. The authors explains that both pure THC and crude marijuana have toxic effects but also both have therapeutic benefits. The authors’ point out that a synthetic version could be made to where it will “minimize toxicity and maximize therapeutic benefits.” The authors’ most important claim is that controlled studies are needed for the use of marijuana as a medicine.
In this article the authors are both doctors and have MDs and have stated that there are many benefits for the use of marijuana in the medical field. The authors recommend more controlled studies need to be done and people who are supporter should not be ineligible for the study. The authors’ demonstration great value in the many different studies that was used in the past to show that even then there were medical uses. The authors’ most valuable suggestion is that there could be more medical benefits if there were more studies done. The authors also says that, “Marijuana has been widely used for hundreds of years as an intoxicant or an herbal remedy.” The authors’ call attention that there are more than 480 substances are in crude marijuana. This article is mostly research done on other studies it yet shows that there is so much more than can be gained from the legalization of marijuana.
Governments, state and local, can control the sales and production of marijuana just as they have done for alcohol and cigarettes. There can be an age limit to which a person could be prescribed or purchase marijuana. The state government has it now where people are not allowed to purchase beer on Sundays in some states. Each state can have their own set of rules and regulations just as there is now for beer and cigarettes. With these limitations in place the government can control who gets prescribed or who can purchase and even how much can be purchased, like the limitation set on the cold medicine used to make meth.
In January of 2010, Douglas McVay wrote an article for Sage Publications entitled, “Marijuana Legalization: The Time Is Now.” Douglas Mcvay points out that once marijuana is legal the number of reported people who use will “skyrocket.” McVay states that although the number of people who use will increase very little but most of the increase would come from the people who failed to report their use when it was illegal. McVay says there are three alternatives: one is to continue with the same system we have now only catching few people; the second thing is we could fully decriminalize the use and possession in private, like eleven other states who have already attempted to do so; or third we can legalize, regulate, and control the use and production of marijuana. McVay explains the tax revenue that could be generated from the legalization of marijuana, as estimated by the Fortune magazine, of about $11 billion a year. Although that amount is only for the taxes, not including what would come from the legal sellers, distributors, and the producers in taxes on their income. McVay also states that we would have the funds that were used to catch people with marijuana could now be used for other things like other drug laws and some funds would go to the regulatory system to set up and control the growth and sale. McVay also says that we could generate income not only from taxes but from sales, licensing fees, and more. McVay claims, “Society would profit tremendously from legal marijuana sales if we decide to take advantage of the market already in existence.”
McVay clearly covers some very important issues about the legalization of marijuana but states more than once that it is a “good idea.” McVay states that the government’s current war on marijuana for more than 50 years has failed and instead made a criminal class out of citizens who would otherwise be law-abiding and productive people. McVay states it best, “it is time to take a fresh look.” McVay claims that out of the eleven states that have decriminalized marijuana, only Alaska has truly decriminalized marijuana for private personal use. McVay notable point is that the only remaining viable option is the legalization, regulation, and control of marijuana. Of course McVay covers that the control and discouraging mechanisms would be such things like age limits, marketing making the drug appear glamorous, band on all advertising, health warning labels, and pricing. McVay shows there is some much that could be gained from the legalization of marijuana.
This article includes a lot of important information on the concept of the legalization of marijuana from the current marijuana prohibition to tax revenue. McVay weighs most on the positive financial impact that the legalization would have on the United States and the amount of time and money that goes into the antidrug budget, which was estimated for over $10 billion back in 1987 and as of 1990 the federal budget alone was $9.4 billion as stated by the Washington Post. This article is valuable because McVay points out that a lot of people who are arrested for marijuana possession are of people who are usually upstanding people in the society. This article not only asks questions but gives answers. McVay even quotes the DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis Young calling marijuana “the safest therapeutically active substance known to man.”
There is already eleven states who have legalized marijuana, Alaska making it completely legal for personal use. If these states have already made it legal for reasons of medical use, then the rest of the states could use their ways of controlling it. Seems to be working for them as well as other counties. Crime rate went down in these other countries that legalized marijuana. There is only a few side effects ever listed. One being paranoia, if marijuana was legal would this still be a side effect? The main reason some people is paranoid after the use of marijuana is the fear of being caught with it. If it was legal it would eliminate this side effect. Only others listed is drowsiness, is that not the side effect listed on almost every medicine that is prescribed today.
In the article entitled, “Should Marijuana be Legalized?
An Ethical Analysis of Marijuana and Institutional Corruption in the United States,” Rohan Basu says, “A push for marijuana legalization is sweeping the nation.” Basu points out that there are many people against it and covers all topics on the matter. Basu talks about crime, racism, and prison overcrowding due to marijuana. Basu explains legal and illegal drug classification. Basu claims that there is one arrest made every 42 seconds due to marijuana in America. Basu discusses the medicinal benefits and the gateway effect, saying that marijuana is a gateway drug, which he disproves. Basu compares the alcohol prohibition to marijuana prohibition. Basu explains that marijuana has proven medical benefits and that it does not fit with the classification of illegal drugs but it does fit the classification of legal drugs, like that of over the counter medicine, nicotine, and ethanol. Basu indicates that from a safety and health perspective marijuana should be
legal.
Basu has many important ideas expressing the legalization of marijuana and its benefits. Basu’s most important point is what it’s stated in the United States Constitution, that the government should ‘insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, [and] promote the general Walfare.’ If these benefits were to be allowed to people, it would promote happiness and wellbeing by allowing people better health.” Basu indicates that from a safety and health perspective marijuana should be legal. Marijuana promotes wellbeing and happiness as explained by Basu. Basu goes farther on to point out that the government is essentially in control of the public’s information they receive on marijuana. Basu’s most notable point is that alcohol, which is legal, causes more deaths and is greatly documented in relation to crime, whereas marijuana is not.
Basu explains every aspects of the legalization of marijuana. This article is valuable because Basu shows that by keeping the current law in place does not outweigh the medical benefits. The article calls attention to the fact that the federal government is just pushing off their responsibility to the state which ends up leading to no action ever being taken. Basu strong point is that of the “government is failing in its mission. Another strong point is that of the amount of tax revenue that would generate anywhere from $45 to $100 billion annually. Basu clearly does the research of the corruption in the government and answers one question, Should Marijuana be legalized? Basu’s answer is the most valuable sentence, “In a word: YES.”
Despite the claims that marijuana should be classified as an illegal drug the research that is presented here provides support that it fits more into the classification of a legal drug. Some claim that the system in place now generates more than enough income but in actuality there can be billions made in tax revenue from the legalization of marijuana. All of the research supports if marijuana were legal there would be less crime and would get rid of the overcrowding in prisons. The research shows the legalization of marijuana would be the most logical thing to do. Although there do need to be some limitations set in place, marijuana, which is legal in some states for medicinal and recreational purposes, should be legalized in all states because it would bring a large amount of tax revenue, and it is less harmful than legal medications, alcohol, and tobacco.
Works Cited
Basu, Rohan. "Should Marijuana Be Legalized? An Ethical Analysis of Marijuana and Institutional Corruption in the United States" Psu.edu. N.p., 16 Dec. 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
McVay, Douglas. "Marijuana Legalization: The Time Is Now." Sage Publications, Inc. Sagepub.com, N.p. 05 Jan. 2010. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Miron, Jeffrey A. "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Policy Project,” Cannabis-commerce.com. N.p. June 2005. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Steenblik, Stephen, Euclides Cruz, Junho Kwak, and Herny Zhorzh. "Should Marijuana Be Legalized?"Euclidescruz.yolasite.com. N.p., 29 July 2013. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Voth, Eric A., and Richard H. Schwartz. "Medicinal Applications of Delta-9- Tetrahydrocannabinol and Marijuana." Annals of internal medicine vol. 126 number 10. (Pages 791-798). Np 15 May 1997. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.