Numerous famous intellectuals support marijuana. Al Gore is considered to be the leading figure in climate change awareness and environmental preservation, but few people know that Al Gore also supports the legalization of marijuana. The founding father of our nation George Washington once said, “Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!” (Hemp: The World’s Most Beneficial Natural Resource, par. 5). Marijuana is one of the safest medicinal substances on the planet and is even supported by many celebrity role models, such as famous Hollywood actor Johnny Depp who stated, “I’m not a big pothead or anything like that… but weed is much, much less dangerous than alcohol” (Reich, par, 12). With support of some of the greatest thinkers and world leaders of all time it’s a wonder that marijuana is still illegal.
The truth is that marijuana has many benefits to society and, other than the effects of smoke inhalation, has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of marijuana often claim that with legalization of it will cause further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix; it causes health problems, or even the broad statement that marijuana will lead to more poverty, crime, and violence.
I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from, but I also think that many people just aren’t educated on the benefits of marijuana. The point is that marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol and tobacco which are legal, and is even in fact used for medicinal purposes. Another benefit is that the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs. Furthermore, with the legalization of marijuana will save a vast amount of money thrown into our jail systems.
If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But marijuana is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. It is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. Like any substance marijuana can be abused, but it is impossible to overdose on. The most common problem associated with marijuana abuse is lethargic behavior, whereas overuse of alcohol will result in an inability to walk, stand, or even death. It is as the famous reggae singer, Bob Marley, once said, “Herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is the destruction” (thinkexist, par.1).
Cigarettes are another legal substance that is far more dangerous than marijuana. Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of lung cancer in America (Linddell and Armstrong, par. 3). Tobacco cigarettes are filled with harmful chemicals such as nicotine, rat poison, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic (Liddell and Armstrong, par. 8). Both cigarettes and alcohol are very addictive trends that lead to serious health problems, mostly cancer, and ultimately death. Marijuana is even used for medicinal purposes to actually improve health. The New York Times, Sheryl Stolberg writes in “Government Study of Marijuana Sees Medical Benefits”, that “the active ingredients in marijuana appear to be useful for treating pain, nausea and the severe weight loss associated with AIDS”(Stolberg, par. 1). Marijuana is considered by many to be a dangerous substance but in reality many of our legal drugs are far more hazardous.
Not only is marijuana a safe drug with medical benefits but it could quickly stimulate our failing economy. At its current rate of production legal marijuana generates thirty-five billion dollars per year (Beckett and Herbet 15), these profits from marijuana exceed that of corn and wheat combined. And that’s just the legal profits of legal marijuana. Revenue from illegal marijuana is considered to be around sixty billion dollars a year (Beckett and Herbert 16). That’s a total of ninety-five billion dollars each year. Marijuana is considered by many economists to already be our nation’s number one cash crop. It’s already the number one cash crop in twelve states including California, Alaska, and Hawaii (Beckett and Herbert 20). Even Thomas Jefferson once said, “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country”. Economists estimate that if marijuana were legalized annual tax returns would be 6.2 billion dollars (Beckett and Herbert 20). That’s over six billion dollars in the hands of the federal government rather than in the hands of so called drug criminals. This money could be spent on combating the flow of hard, more serious drugs onto our streets.
If the fact that legalizing marijuana will gain enormous sums of money isn’t enough, it is also shown that it will save enormous amounts of money in the jail systems. Approximately 7.7 billion dollars is spent annually due to the overall cost of enforcement of marijuana charges (Austin and Fabelo 5). Legalizing marijuana would eliminate all of these costs. Another taxpayer expense that would be reduced is prison expenses. A Federal Bureau of Investigation statistic shows that one marijuana smoker is arrested around every forty-five seconds (Austin and Fabelo 7), so that means by the time you finish reading this paper more than twenty people will have been incarcerated on marijuana related offenses. Also “two million of people in jail are there due to marijuana offenses” (Austin and Fabelo 10), in the case that marijuana is legalized that number will be reduced to 440,000 people, quite a large decline (Austin and Fabelo 10). The lack of operating prisons would also diminish dramatically. The cost of operating prisons comes directly out of taxpayers’ pockets. Currently a forty billion dollar per year expenses would be cut back to 8.8 billion dollars, still a lot but much less than what it was (Austin and Fabelo 12). With this amount of savings and profits I find it amazing that our society hasn’t already demanded the legalization of pot.
If there is one detriment to the legalization to pot, it is the negative benefits of the smoke inhalation itself. There have been studies that say marijuana smoke can even more toxic than tobacco smoke, and can cause cancer, lung damage and complications during pregnancy. It is true that the actual smoke of marijuana is toxic but, “the true benefits of marijuana would only be realized when alternative methods, like capsules, patches and bronchial inhalers, were developed to deliver its active components, called cannabinoids, to the body without the harmful effects of smoke” (Stolberg, par. 7). There are clearly ways to avoid the actual inhalation of pot, making it even safer to the human body.
The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that marijuana should only be sold in medical marijuana dispensaries, so they can be controlled. There are already medical marijuana dispensaries around the United States, but they are only allowed to sell to those who possess a medical card, such as a doctor. I believe that as long as there is an age limit set on purchasing marijuana, all you should have to present is your license in the same manor you would to purchase alcohol.
With the compromises I have suggested, I don’t see why marijuana can’t be legal in our society today. You are now provided with the facts and figures of how marijuana can improve our health as well as our economy and society as a whole. It is now up to you to decide whether I have persuaded you enough to believe that the legalization of marijuana is a good thing. But if there is someone who agrees with me it is the famous singer Bob Marley, who has no problem admitting that when it comes to marijuana, “Legalize it, don’t criticize it” (thinkexist, par 3).
Works Cited
Austin, James, and Tony Fabelo. "The Diminishing Returns of Increased Incarceration." The JFA Institute, July 2004. Web. 23 Mar. 2010.
Beckett, Katherine, and Steve Herbert. "The Consequences and Costs of Marijuana Prohibition." UCLA of Washington. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.
Bob Marley Quotes. Thinkexist.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.
"Hemp: The Most Beneficial Natural Resource." The Uses of Hemp. Dope-seeds.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.
Liddell, F. K., and B. G. Armstrong. "The Combination of Effects on Lung Cancer of Cigarette Smoking and Exposure." Oxford Journals, 12 Feb. 2001. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.
Reich, J. "Jonny, Come Blow Your Horn." The Jonny Depp Zone. Reel.com, Mar. 2001. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.
Stolberg, Sheyl Gay. "Government Study of Marijuana Sees Medical Benefits." The New York Times, 18 Mar. 1999. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.
Hi Railey,
ReplyDeleteYour third draft boasts impressive sources, which you incorporate well, and is an altogether more persuasive draft than the previous one. Your compromise and conclusion are more detailed, even though I would have liked to see your compromise supported with evidence. And even though you give a firmer nod to the other side, I don't think an outside audience would recognize this essay as a Rogerian argument; it reads as a Classical argument. This is important. But overall, your writing process reflects impressive growth. Good job.