The Blunt Truth By: Mike Stinnett 2-13-12

            The legalization of Marijuana would benefit people with medical issues, create a market for the government to sell it, use hemp to create paper and fabric, and is safer than alcohol and nicotine which in turn could be sold at gas stations which would have an age limit of twenty-one. On the scale of drugs, marijuana falls into the bottom category of least harmless and least addictive. Under federal law, the use and possession of marijuana is illegal, but in some states is legalized for medical purposes. The issue is whether or not the drug should be legal or not. When smoked, the user gets a sense or feeling of high, which is caused by the active ingredient in pot, THC. The plant grows in the ground and is all natural unlike alcohol. Many people argue today whether or not the drug affects the body in a bad way. Cannabis could save the United States money by freeing up prison space which can save tax payers money being wasted on such petty offenses. The United States should be more worried about harsher drugs and much more severe crimes than marijuana cases.

Taken From Laist Interview

            There are eight states this year pushing to legalize marijuana for medical use. “More than a dozen state legislatures are currently considering reform measures in some respect and 8 states are attempting to put legalization initiatives before voters this November” (Altieri). Many of the states are at the point where they just need enough signatures to get them on the ballot for voting in the 2012 election. This is important because they are apart of a program called NORML where they advocate the legalization of the medical use of marijuana. Not only should it medically be legal to society, but also just for recreation use as well. An example is California and where they stand as of now. “The “Regulate Marijuana Like Wine” initiative intends to repeal prohibition of marijuana for adults, strictly regulate marijuana, just like the wine industry, allow for hemp agriculture and products while not changing laws regarding medical marijuana, impairment, work place drug laws, or laws regarding vehicle operation” (Altieri). This would allow people who are of the age set, be able to purchase the product and use it just like alcohol and tobacco and not get drug tested for or lose their job over using the drug. Many states are trying to regulate it so that it could be sold in gas stations and places like they have set up for alcohol like liquor stores where its dedicated for one thing.

Taken From THCFINDER

            The reason there are many states pushing for medical legalization is because there are many facts that prove that the use of cannabis is healthier than a lot of other drugs. Although marijuana “causes hallucinations, disorientations and also feelings of exhilaration and anxiety, The same drug has been found to relieve symptoms of many serious diseases, including asthma, glaucoma and muscle spasms, as well as loss of appetite and nausea due to AIDS wasting syndrome and chemotherapy treatment” (Melansek). So there are many arguments against it and for it, but the positive effects seem to outweigh the bad. For people who don’t have an appetite and feel nausea, can either smoke or eat the weed and will feel the effects. The effects are being a more hungry person, feeling better overall, and a sense of happiness while eating what you couldn’t while sick. Legalized marijuana would ensure to the patient that they have a legitimate drug to help get rid of their pain. Another good argument for legalization is that “Marijuana is the best drug to be put into medical use since it was ranked lowest for withdrawal symptoms, tolerance and dependence (addiction) potential; it ranked close to caffeine in the degree of reinforcement and higher than caffeine and nicotine only in the degree of intoxication” (Melansek).

Weed Like Wine

            The United States could set up a market on marijuana if it were legalized, thus

profiting huge amounts of money by setting a tax that could greatly help with the national

debt.

“If we substitute a tax on marijuana cigarettes equal to the difference between the local production cost and the street price people currently pay--that is, transfer the revenue from the current producers and marketers (many of whom work with organized crime) to the government, leaving all other marketing and transportation issues aside we would have revenue of (say) $7 per [unit]. If you could collect on every cigarette and ignore the transportation, marketing, and advertising costs, this comes to over $2 billion on Canadian sales and substantially more from an export tax, and you forego the costs of enforcement and deploy your policing assets elsewhere.” (Source) 

This would greatly affect the economy because on every pack of marijuana cigarettes sold, there would be a tax going to the government to help pay for the debt that we are in. There is a good amount of supply and demand, and if it were legalized, the demand would go up, therefore fluctuating more money into the economy. There always is a problem when buying from a dealer because there is a risk of getting caught by the police. If it were legalized, more people would be a lot more comfortable going to the store to buy it causing higher demand. It can also be cooked in food, which is a lot safer than smoking it. With the money gained from taxing the drug, it could be put towards rehab centers for people who are addicted to the drug and need help with quitting much harsher drugs. Also, profits could go be wisely spent, and cops could focus on much more dangerous things like gang violence, organized crime, and violent criminals.

            Another benefit from marijuana is using hemp that comes from the plant. The peak time that the hemp industry was booming was during the 1800’s when Ben Franklin and George Washington used it to plant. It was mostly grown along roadways and country sides. “Industrial hemp produces a variety of products which have been used by nearly every culture for thousands of years. Worldwide production of industrial hemp has decreased since the end of World War II. However, increased efficiency in industrial hemp cultivation and production, coupled with a growing market for environmentally friendly products, has created a promising future for industrial hemp products” (Duppong). Hemp could be categorized as the most useful plant in the entire world. It has been used in the past and now is illegalized for no reasons other than the fact that the government associates getting “high” with the plant. The use of the plant includes paper, fuel, textiles, and concrete. “Hemp seeds are drug-free and extremely nutritious. They can be eaten whole, pressed into edible oil like soybeans, or ground into flour for baking. They are one of the best sources of vegetable protein” (Anon).

HEMP

            If hemp were legal, the United States could use the product to build road ways, highways, and interstate systems. “Society can benefit from the hemp plant's attributes such as oxygen production, hemp's dense root structure, and hemp's nutrient and nitrogen production back into the soil” (Meintz). The chemicals from hemp can be used to treat over hundreds of known diseases and the most world-wide; cancer. “We could make an estimated 50,000 products ranging from building composites, cellophane, dynamite to shampoo, textiles, twine and yarn” (Meintz). Did I say anything about seeds? The seeds and hemp oil can be used in foods that are very healthy. “Food products range from hemp butters and oils to protein, powders, power bars, breakfast cereals, pastas, tortilla chips, and beer” (Kolosov). Why not legalize something that has so many positive effects on the human body. It seems that there are many other dangerous things that are legal for human consumption out there that cause cancer and liver damage. The effects of marijuana on the body are by far safer than alcohol and nicotine.

            The legalization of marijuana could benefit many people such as the government, people in jail for possession, and people who use the substance to help alleviate pain caused by the disease they have.  "An associate medical examiner in New York City, that the extensive autospy experience with hundreds of marijuana users he was unable to find any evidence of physical deterioration caused by marijuana" (Fine). In the end, there are more facts that prove that marijuana is safe. The medical uses that come along with the substance is astronomical.  By legalizing pot, the economy could profit greats amounts of money to help pay with the national debt. Patients with medical issues would also benefit with a new medicine on the market. All in all, marijuana is proven to be safe, can benefit medical users, and the economy would improve with the use of hemp and money that comes along with the sale and use of marijuana.  

Where do you stand?

Works Cited

Fine, Ralph Adam. (1970). Mary Jane versus Pennsylvania: The day the supreme court heard the arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana. New York: The McCall Publishing Company.

Shohov, Tatiana. (2003). Medical use of Marijuana: Policy, Regulatory and Legal issues. Hauppauge, New York: Nova science Publishing Inc.