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Thomas Robinson
Professor Alva
English 2010
April 20, 2016

Politics and Pot: An exploration of Marijuanas Impact on the Country

In the year 2012 voters in Washington and Colorado decided to change their constitutions
in an astonishing way. Amendment 64 was passed in Colorado which allows an adult 21 years of
age or older to possess up to an ounce of Marijuana legally. While recreational Marijuana has
just recently gained popularity among voters, medical Marijuana laws have already been in
effect. States such as California and Arizona offer Marijuana to patients that possess a legal
medical Marijuana card. Recently Marijuana legalization has gained even more popularity and
Oregon and Washington D.C. decided to legalize Marijuana for recreational use in the year 2014.
Coming from a democratic background and having family that is familiar with
Marijuana, my opinion on the drug has been different from the average Utahan. I have always
wondered what all the commotion was over something that seemed to be as ordinary as Tobacco
or Alcohol. Recently I have decided to further evaluate and explore the issue of Cannabis
legalization and to see exactly what the big deal is.

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I have always been somewhat educated when it came to Marijuana. Like any other
student I underwent several courses throughout my education to be informed of the dangers of
many drugs including Marijuana. However, I have always wondered if these teachers and
counselors were accurate in their teachings. My first stop in my research was when I
encountered an article called, There are No Good Reasons to Legalize Marijuana, written by
George Wright and Heather Newton. Wright and Newton argue, One function of government is
to protect citizens from harm, whether it is from foreign enemies or from internal causes such as
poisonous food or contaminated water. Similarly, the ban on marijuana protects citizens from the
dangers of drug consumption, as well as potentially destructive behaviors associated with
marijuana use. (Wright, Newton, Par. 2). This argument really does make sense. The
government does owe its citizens protection. However, I was still a little unclear on what some of
the dangers of marijuana were. After further reading into the article the topic of addiction was
mentioned. Wright and Newton both argued that Marijuana was used by consumers to perhaps
distract from problems. (Par. 4). Wright and Newton made clear that addiction was a concern.
While addiction is almost certainly unhealthy with anything, I was still hesitant why Marijuana
was so dangerous even if someone was addicted.
After having an encounter with Wright and Newtons article, There are No Good
Reasons to Legalize Marijuana, I was still left with some doubts. Sure Marijuana could cause
addiction, but what are the health concerns that come with addiction. My doubts had lead me to
an article called, If Legalization Sounds too Good to be True, youre Right. The article is
written by Randy Head, a Republican and former prosecuting attorney. Head lists many of the
health concerns that can develop from Marijuana addiction. Marijuana is harmful. Despite
certain medical applications, it can harm a persons ability to fight infections, curtail short-term

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memory, complicate completion of complex tasks, diminish motor skills, increase the chance of
heart attack, damage the lungs and brain, and cause strokes, said Head. (Par. 3). Head also
mentions that 9 percent of all Marijuana users become dependent on the drug. (Par. 4).
After my encounter with Randy Heads article, If Legalization Sounds too Good to be
True, youre Right, I was surely a lot more skeptical about Marijuana. Maybe Marijuana was
more dangerous than I had previously thought. After gaining an increased amount of doubt in my
research, I was hit with some facts that made me even more uneasy about the drug. In the same
article, If Legalization Sounds too Good to be True, youre Right, Head mentions the impact of
Marijuana on driving. Unlike possession or dealing, drugged-driving laws are difficult to
enforce. (Head, Par. 7). Marijuana cannot be easily detected while someone is driving. With
something such as alcohol a police officer can conduct a number of different sobriety tests and
even a breathalyzer test. However, Marijuana is much different. In order to catch someone who is
driving under the influence of Marijuana a blood sample would need to be obtained where it is
then transferred to a lab to test for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in
Marijuana. These tests often take a long time and also cost a decent amount of money to conduct.
After seeing how hard it is to enforce driving laws while someone is under the influence of
marijuana, I am really hesitant to think that the drug should be legalized. I personally fear drunk
drivers and would not be eager to legalize a substance where it is hard to enforce DUIs.
After being filled with doubt and concerns about Marijuana from Randy Head, George
Wright, and Heather Newton, I almost completely changed my original perspective after reading
the article, Legalizing Pot Won't Make It Any Safer. Mitchell Rosenthal, a childrens
psychiatrist, describes how dangerous Marijuana is to children. The article mentions a statistic
from a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology in 1994 where

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1 out of 10 young people will become addicted to Marijuana. (Rosenthal, Par. 5). Rosenthal also
describes how dangerous Marijuana is when regarding the younger population. Rosenthal
mentions, For many of those young people, the course of their lives has been altered, sometimes
permanently and often tragically, with suicides, car accidents and drownings -- or with
interrupted education, chronic depression and joblessness. (Rosenthal, Par. 6).
Before my research started I was oblivious to some of the dangers of Marijuana. After
researching the issue more I am completely aware of the negatives of Marijuana. However, my
research did not end after seeing the negatives to Marijuana legalization. I stumbled across an
article called, Hit Mexicos Cartels with Legalization, written by Ioan Grillo. Grillo mentions
that drug cartels are estimated to make about 30 billion dollars a year from selling all sorts of
drugs to the United States. (Grillo, Par. 4). Marijuana is just one of the drugs that the cartels
traffic. Chemicals such as crystal meth may be too venomous to ever be legalized. But cannabis
is a cash crop that provides huge profits to criminal armies, paying for assassins and guns south
of the Rio Grande, said Grillo. (Par. 6). Grillo also mentions that it is estimated that the drug
cartels pull anywhere from 2 billion to 20 billion dollars a year from selling Marijuana to the
United States alone! (Par. 7) The War on Drugs is definitely not a popular war. However, after
seeing how much money cartels make off of Marijuana alone it makes sense to legalize
Marijuana to eliminate some of the drug trade. Sure drugs like crystal meth and heroin will still
make their way into the United States. However, the drug cartels would take a huge blow if it
became legal to buy Marijuana from a dispensary in the United States.
Marijuanas impact on the War on Drugs could be very beneficial. However, the benefits
of the drug did not seem to end there as I continued my research. I was already familiar with
Marijuana being used in the medical field, but I still wanted to learn more about its impact in the

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medical field. I came across an article called, More States Should Legalize Marijuana for
Medicinal Purposes, by Kellie Jack, a writer for The Daily 49er at California State University.
Jack says, Within the last two years, three separate clinical trials offered compelling evidence
that medical marijuana can safely and effectively relieve what is known as a neuropathic pain-pain caused by damage to the nerves. The pain is most common in illnesses such as Multiple
Sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and diabetes. (Par. 2). This evidence is remarkable. My father has been
living with type 2 Diabetes ever since he was 30 years old. The fact that my father is not
overweight made his diagnosis somewhat of a rare case. My father has not encountered much
neuropathic pain yet, but if he ever did Marijuana seems like a great alternative to prescription
pain-killers, which could potentially be even more addicting than Marijuana. Jack also mentions
that sometimes the neuropathic pain cannot be treated with prescription pain-killers. (Par. 3).
Jack also makes clear how safe the drug is and even gives an example of how in 1995 the
American Public Health Association endorsed the drug legally for medical purposes. Even with
all of this remarkable evidence I could not shake some of the skepticism I had after reading
articles from Wright, Newton, Head, and Rosenthal. After all I still asked the question, But isnt
Marijuana still unsafe? However, I continued to read Jacks article and her final conclusion was,
Marijuana carries a bad reputation, which makes it difficult to see the drug as a cure for medical
conditions. However, lawmakers must realize that marijuana can provide an effective and safer
alternative to many of the other commonly prescribed medications, which include highly
addictive narcotics. (Par. 10). I was now starting to discover that Marijuana was not that bad
after all, especially after Jack mentioned a numerous number of diseases that can be effectively
treated with Marijuana, which included: Epilepsy, nausea from Chemo-Therapy, and HIV. (Par.
11). I was also shocked after I found out that Wright and Newton both agreed that Marijuana

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could serve a good purpose in the medical field in their article, There are No Good Reasons to
Legalize Marijuana. Newton and Wright seem to think Marijuana is too dangerous to be used
recreationally. However, maybe legalizing the drug for medical purposes only could provide a
good solution.
I now knew that Marijuana had some medical benefits. However, did it really have any
health concerns? I encountered to article, What Science Says About Marijuana, written by a
New York Times writer named Philip Boffey. Boffey claims that Marijuana has low to moderate
risks. (Comparing the Dangers, Par. 4). I continued to read the article when Boffey said, While
tobacco causes cancer, and alcohol abuse can lead to cirrhosis, no clear causal connection
between marijuana and a deadly disease has been made. I was stunned after I read this sentence.
I realized that I have personally never heard of anyone that died from health problems that came
from Marijuana. Maybe the drug was not so dangerous after all. The Institute of Medicine
conducted a study in 1999 and discovered that 32 percent of tobacco users became addicted, 23
percent of heroin users became addicted, 17 percent of cocaine users became addicted, 15
percent of alcohol drinkers became addicted, and only 9 percent of marijuana users became
addicted! (How Addictive is Marijuana, Boffey, Par. 3). I was always warned of how addictive
Marijuana was, but this study shows that the drug is not as addictive as I originally thought.
Boffey mentions that Marijuana should still have a legal age to obtain the drug. (Impact on
Young People, Par. 3). However, even after reading Boffeys article I could not help but to revisit
Randy Heads argument. Even though Marijuana is not linked directly to any fatal diseases it still
impairs users and can result in a lack of motivation and poor motor skills. I am not sure how
comfortable I would be if Marijuana was legal for recreational purposes. Even though Marijuana
has a lower addiction rate than other drugs the bottom line is that it is still addictive. Having an

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increased amount of drug addicts in the county would not really be a good argument for
recreational legalization. After reading Boffeys article and revisiting Heads I am definitely
more comfortable with Marijuana legalization, but a still little concerned about legalization for
recreational purposes especially after personally seeing all of the damage that something like
alcohol can do.
After finding a few different sources stating the benefits of Marijuana, I was a lot more
comfortable with the idea of legalization. While I still had a few concerns, legalization seemed a
lot more logical. I was a little curious of what some of the results were after legalizing the drug
recreationally so I decided to take a look at some of the results from Colorado. I decided to read
the article, Benefits Seen Two Years after Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado, by Ron
Chusid. Chusid explains that marijuana has raised 125 million dollars in taxes that are going to
fund schools and be used for other state projects. (Par. 2) The state of Colorado has also seen
Marijuana possession incarcerations plummet and not as many people are going to jail. The
decimalization of Marijuana has led to a huge decrease in the amount of young black boys
getting arrested disproportionately for possession of Marijuana. After seeing these results, I
thought that the state of Utah could benefit from some of the effects of Marijuana legalization.
After researching both sides to the debate I realized that I really needed to talk to
someone familiar with Marijuana that could educate me on what they have seen personally. I
decided to interview my uncle Rob, who lives in my home state of Oregon. Oregon just recently
legalized Marijuana so I knew he would have some valuable experiences to share with me. Rob
is a Christian and his religious beliefs tend to side against Marijuana use. However, Rob had a lot
of positive things to say about Marijuana. Rob proceeded to inform me of how his farm had been
struggling and he even considered selling it. Rob does horseshoeing and sells alfalfa. Rob told

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me about a conversation that he had with my father a while back where they discussed Robs
farm. Rob informed me that he almost applied to the state of Oregon to grow Marijuana. My
father had thought that the idea was brilliant and it would really help save the farm. Rob then
then proceeded to tell me that his wife was uncomfortable with the idea because of their familys
faith and he did not apply to the state. Around the time of legalization in Oregon Robs motherin-law had been very ill. Robs mother-in-law Dorothy had been struggling with Alzheimers for
a while. My uncle almost in tears described how painful it was to watch his mother-in-law pass
away slowly and the pain that it caused his wife. Dorothy died about a year ago. In the interview
I learned that Rob was certain that Marijuana could have benefited his mother-in-law, but
because of his religious beliefs he and his wife chose not to use the drug to treat Dorothy. At the
end of the interview I asked him what he has personally seen in Oregon after the drug had been
legalized recreationally. Rob expressed that although there are some irresponsible users, a lot of
the users he knows are very safe about it and responsible. Rob also made it clear at the end of the
interview that he will never use the drug. However, Rob thinks it has provided benefits, in his
eyes, to the state of Oregon.
Marijuana is a big political and social debate. I became very interested in the topic after
becoming familiar with the medical benefits that it has. My father has diabetes, my uncle Mike
has been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a major bicycle crash, and my aunt
Teresa passed away after being diagnosed with HIV. I have numerous family members that could
benefit from the use of Marijuana. After conducting my research some of the people against
Marijuana such as Randy Head and Mitchell Rosenthal have made some of the risks clearer to
me. Marijuana can definitely be dangerous to children. Marijuana can also cause addiction.
However, it is proven that Marijuana can have huge benefits in the medical field. A lot of states

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have already legalized medical Marijuana, but it is definitely time for the United States to make
medical Marijuana legal on a federal level. Cannabis just has too many benefits to offer people
that are desperate for treatment and it is a great alternative to prescription painkillers like
OxyContin. Decriminalization is also needed. Most people would agree that using Marijuana is
nowhere near as bad as something like domestic violence or armed robbery. However,
unfortunately some Marijuana users have received similar sentences to criminals convicted of
domestic violence and robbery. Perhaps a citation would be a more appropriate punishment.
Even though Marijuana should be decriminalized and legalized medicinally on a federal level, it
is still too soon to legalize marijuana recreationally. The states should continue to decide on their
own if they want to legalize the drug recreationally. Strong arguments have been made for and
against recreational use. However, more time is needed to carefully understand the effects that
recreational marijuana would have on the country.

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Work Cited
Boffey, Philip M. "What Science Says About Marijuana." New York Times. 31 Jul. 2014: A.22.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.
Chusid, Ron. "Benefits Seen Two Years After Legalization Of Marijuana In Colorado." Moderate
Voice (2016): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Grillo, Ioan. "Hit Mexicos Cartels With Legalization." The New York Times. The New York
Times, 01 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
Head, Randy. "If Legalization Sounds Too Good To Be True, You're Right." Indianapolis
Business Journal 35.8 (2014): 6B. Regional Business News. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
Jack, Kellie. "More States Should Legalize Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes." University Wire.
24 Nov. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Ng, Christina, Phillips, and Clayton Sandell. "Colorado, Washington Become First States to
Legalize Recreational Marijuana." ABC News. ABC News Network, 07 Nov. 2012. Web.
18 Apr. 2016.
Robinson, Robert, Personal Interview, April 10th, 2016
Rosenthal, Mitchell S. "Legalizing Pot Won't Make It Any Safer." Wall Street Journal. 17 Jan.
2013: A.15. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Wright, George, and Heather Newton. "Counterpoint: There Are No Good Reasons To Legalize
Marijuana." Points Of View: Legalization Of Marijuana (2015): 2. Points of View
Reference Center. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

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