BriannaHolmes

EnglishIV
Sanchez

LegalizationofMarijuana
Americansneedtowakeupandsmellthecoffee.Marijuanaisntsomegatewaydrugfor
kidstostartsnortingcrackandshootinguponheroin,butitisanaturallygrownplantplacedon
earthbytheLord,JesusChristforhumanstouseforpersonalreasons.Thereisaforbidden
fruiteffectthatmarijuanahasonteensandadultsaroundtheworld.Thegovernmentputsso
manyrestrictionsonthedrugthatmakespeoplewanttodelveintothepleasuresofgettinghigh
offanillegalsubstance.IntheNetherlands,peopleovertheageofeighteencanbuymarijuana
fromcoffeeshopsandchoosetosmokeitintheshop,orintheprivacyoftheirhomes.This
freedomallowspeopletolivepeacefully,andinharmonywiththemselves.Accordingtoone
survey,28percentoftenthgradersintheNetherlandshavetriedmarijuana,whileintheUnited
States,wheremarijuanaisillegal,41percentoftenthgradershaveusedit(Goldstein95).Ifthe
governmentweretolegalizemarijuanathiseffectwoulddisappear.Marijuanashouldbe
legalized,oratleastdecriminalizedacrossthenationforitsbenefitsinmedicine,reduceofcrime
rates,andpossibleboostoftheeconomy.
Thelegalizationofmarijuanacouldcreatesubstantialadvancesinthemedicalfield.
Marijuanacanbeusedtotreatagreatdealofmedicalproblemssuchaspainandnausea.
Between1978and1992,theCompassionateInvestigationalNewDrugprogramprovided
cannabistopeoplewhothegovernmentbelievedreceivedmedicalvaluefromit.Theprogram
wasclosedtonewentrantsin1991becausetoomanypeoplewereapplying(Merino26).With
hundredsofpeopleontheprogram,thebeliefofmarijuanahavingnomedicalvaluewouldhave
beenhardforthefederalgovernmenttocontinuetocontend.TheUnitedStatesgovernmenthas
largelystoodinthewayofconstructiveresearchregardingthemedicinaluseofcannabis

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(Merino26).Marijuana,iflegalized,couldbeusedtotreatanumberofillnesses.Researchby
ProfessorDanielePiomelli...demonstratesthatcannabismayalsobeofbenefittopeoplewith
bipolardisorder,Tourettessyndrome,ADD,andpanicattacks(Merino30).Cannabisisalso
usedtotreatPTSD,anditisproventhatcannabishasmadethelivesofpeoplewithcancer,
AIDS,arthritis,andmanyotherillnessesthatcausepainsignificantlybetter.Oneoftheleading
medicinalcannabispractitionersinCaliforniawasthelateDr.TodMikuriya(Merino26).Dr.
TodwasinchargeofmarijuanaresearchforthefederalgovernmentattheNationalInstituteof
MentalHealth(NIMH).Dr.Todwasexcitedaboutreachingdeepintothepossibilities
surroundingthemedicinaluseofcannabis,buthesoonfoundoutthatthegovernmentwasmore
excitedaboutfindingoutaboutanythingthatwaswrongwithcannabis.Inthe1970sand1980s
studieswereconductedineightdifferentstates,whichdemonstratedthatcannabiswasusefulin
treatingnauseaandasanappetitestimulant(Merino27).Tensofmillionsofpeoplewould
benefitfromthelegalizationofmarijuanaifitwereobtainablethrough
conventionaldistribution.InCalifornia,Oregon,andColorado,painisthenumberonecondition
treatedwithcannabisbydoctors.Migraineisanotherconditionforwhichcannabiscanbe
extremelyeffective.Cannabishassignificantlyimprovedthequalityoflifeofpeoplewith
cancer,AIDS,arthritis,andthelistgoeson(Merino34).
Legalizingmarijuanawouldmeanmoreeffectivelawenforcementandcriminal
justice.Evenbyjustdecriminalizingmarijuana,policeofficerswouldhavemoretimeand
moneytopursuecriminalsformoreviolentcrimes.Itwouldalsofreespaceinovercrowded
prisonsformoreseriouscrimes.Thewarondrugsisflagrantlyperfidious,exceedinglycostly,
andanabjectfailureofourgovernment.Forfortyyears,onetrillionplusdollarsoftaxpayer

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moneyhasbeenspenttryingtostopnotrobbery,rape,shoplifting,orevenmurderbutone
trillionplusdollarsoftaxpayermoneyhasbeenspenttotryandstopadultsfromusing
marijuana.AlthoughmillionsofnonviolentAmericanshavebeenjailed,andtherehavebeen
thousandsofprohibitionrelatedmurderseachyear,illegaldrugsarecheaper,purer,andmore
readilyavailablethanever.Legalizingmarijuanawouldendthecrimeagainsthumanityina
whole.Ifthegovernmentweretolegalizemarijuana,thatwouldputthosewhosellitillegally
outofbusiness.Withawellthoughtoutsystemoflegalization,drugswouldbesafer,drug
relatedviolencewoulddecline,andthegovernmentwouldsavealotofmoney(Golstein
7980).Basically,ifthegovernmentweretositdownandcomeupwithawellthoughtout
systemforlegalizingmarijuanatheydsolveoneofAmericasbiggestproblemsjustlikethat.
Lawenforcementwouldbeabletofocusonissuesmoreseriousthankeepingmarijuanaoffthe
streetsandoutofthehandsofAmericancitizens.Afterthelegalizationofmarijuanainthestate
ofColorado,withinthefirst11monthsof2014,thecityofDenversawadecreaseinviolent
crimerates.Thisgoesontoprovethatlegalizingandputtingregulationsonmarijuanafor
recreationalusecouldultimatelyreduceAmericascrimeratesinall.Eighteenstateshave
decriminalizedmarijuana,decriminalizationistheeliminationofcriminalpenalties.Possession
ofmarijuanawouldresultinamisdemeanorinsteadofafelon.
LegalizingmarijuanawouldaidinbuildingAmericaseconomy.Supportersoffederal
marijuanalegalizationareexcitedaboutpossibleeconomicbenefit(Morgan56).Thetaxation
ofmarijuanasalescouldproducemillionsofdollarsinannualrevenue.Ifthereisextramoney
goingtowardstateandfederalgovernmentsmayenablethemtodecreasedebtsandimprove
education.MarijuanaisoneofCaliforniaslargestcashcrops,itearnsapproximatelyfourteen

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billiondollarsinsalesannually.InJulyof2009,eightypercentofOakland,Californiavoters
approvedspecialtaxonmarijuanasales.Oaklandishometofourdispensariesthatlegallysell
cannabis.Asstatedabove,taxingmarijuanawillbringnewrevenuetotheeconomy.Legalizing
marijuanawouldsavetimeandmoneyspentonlawenforcementalso.Billionsofdollarsspent
onprohibitiontakesawayfromtheneedy,foodstampsandothersocialprogramsareslashed
whilethismoneyisspenttryingtostopadultsfromusingmarijuana.Keepingmarijuanaillegal
deniestheeconomicbenefitsofhemp.Hempcanbemadeintopaper,paneling,plastics,
clothing,andthousandsofmoreusefulproducts.Thehighlynutritiousseedscanbeusedtomake
flour,cookingoilandcattlefeed(Yarrusso).Notonlywouldhempbebeneficialtosuffering
Americanfarmers,butitcouldreduceAmericasdependenceonfossilfuels,inwhichwould
leadtoachangeintheclimatechange.Hempgrowswithoutherbicides,makesthesoilbetter,
maturesquickly,andprovideshighyields.FarmersallovertheUnitedStateswouldbenefitfrom
thelegalizationofmarijuanabecauseitseasytobecultivated,doesnttakemuchtogrow,and
growsatfasterrates.
Manymayarguethatmovestolegalizemarijuanahasnobenefitstothecountry
whatsoever,thesepeoplemakevalidpoints.Somemayquestion,iflegalizedhowwillpeople
knowwheretogetsafedrugs?Manymayarguethatlegalizationcausestheriskofpeople
becomingaddictedtomarijuanaanddyingfromanoverdose.Mostpeoplewhowantmarijuana
tostayillegal,evenformedicalreasonsarguethatmarijuanahasnomedicinalvalueandnever
has.Althoughthesearegoodpoint,mostopponentsoflegalizingmarijuanahavenoideaabout
whattheyretalkingabout.TheNationalOrganizationfortheReformofMarijuanaLaws
(NORML)arguesthatunderasystemofmarijuanalegalization,userswouldknowthatthedrugs

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theypurchasedweresafe(Goldstein118).Inotherwordstherewouldbedesignatedplacesand
dispensariesforpeopletopurchasemarijuanafrom,therewouldntbestreetsellersonthe
corners.Also,officialscantidentifyonecaseofapersonoverdosingonmarijuanaordyingdue
tomarijuanaalone,buttheyknowthateveryyearcigarettesandtobaccokillpeoplebythe
thousands.Finally,peoplehavebeenusingmarijuanaasamedicinesinceancienttimes.Thereis
noreasonforthegovernmenttocontinuetotryandconvinceAmericansthatmarijuanaisnot
safeforthem.Legalizationneedstohappennow.
Inconclusion,marijuanashouldbelegalized,oratleastdecriminalized,becauseitisnot
asharmfulasthegovernmentmakesitouttobe.Thereisproofouttherethatmarijuanawas
usedasmedicinebefore,andthathempcouldbeverybeneficialtotheeconomy.Also,if
marijuanaweretobelegalized,moremoneywouldgotoAmericassocialneeds,suchasfood
stamps,andmoremoneycouldalsogotowardsbetteringeducation.Legalizingmarijuanawould
benefitAmericainsomanyways.

BriannaHolmes
EnglishIV
Sanchez