Legality of Marijuana
Legality of MarijuanaWhy should marijuana be legalized? Many people, old and young, everywhere in the world, partake in the activity of smoking this plant and buying paraphernalia. There are many substantial reasons to use this plant, besides for extra-curricular purposes. Marijuana should be legalized because it’s the holder of many beneficial uses including suppressing pain, raising the United States out of debt, saving millions of acres of forests, and creating jobs for many people.
Through the legalization of marijuana, the U.S. could benefit immensely. Marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance in the United States. Since it is used so often, why not take the money it could create by selling it and help the economy. For every 1/8 ounce sold, the U.S. government could take 40% of the $40 or $45 with the other 60% going to the seller. The seller would have to be monitored by the government and would have to have licenses and have their crops tested for harmful fertilizers.
Crime would also be affected in a positive way. Illegal drug crimes would drop, allowing the police to turn their attention to more serious problems. There is a marijuana smoker arrested every 45 seconds in the United States. Normally, they receive large fines and small jail time but repeat offenders can get up to five years. Sadly, rapists and murderers are able to get only one year. Do you really think smoking a joint is worse that raping and killing someone?? If marijuana were to be legalized, the jail would have room for criminals that deserve jail time for their crimes. Tax dollars that go to prosecuting and jailing these so called ‘criminals’ could go towards programs in helping inform smokers of how to do it responsibility. Drug dealers that dealt illegally would soon go out of business and drug smuggling would drop to a low. They would still sell cocaine and PCP and the other illegal drugs but they wouldn’t have the same profit that they got prior because marijuana brings in such a large profit.
Not only would legalization benefit the jails but also the world. Thousands of acres of forest that are destroyed daily would be saved. One acre of hemp can produce up to 4 times more paper than one acre of trees. Before trees can be harvested for use, they must grow anywhere between 20-50 years; while hemp only needs 4 months before it can be harvested. With hemp growing faster than trees, forests would stay erected; in turn, many endangered animals would be taken off the endangered species list. Many things can be made out of hemp and hemp oil. Some items include; clothing, soaps, butter, and rope. By using hemp, we could save the environment while creating everyday items.
Why are alcohol and nicotine legal while marijuana is not? Alcohol and nicotine, like marijuana, are considered drugs. Alcohol brings out violence and abuse in many people, while users of marijuana are generally easygoing and relaxed while on it. Nicotine, if consumed in large enough quantities, causes immense harm to the users’ body. And both nicotine and alcohol are addicting, while few users of marijuana develop dependencies. A substance shouldn’t be illegal because it is addictive. Sex and food can be addictive for people and they are not banned.
Many people think that the only people that smoke weed are unemployed lazy potheads, but that is not the case. About 10 million people smoked marijuana habitually last year. Most of these people were law-abiding citizens. If marijuana were to become legalized, there would have to laws to follow such as smokers could receive a fine for smoking in public. Or the United States could follow in the Netherlands footsteps. In the Netherlands, they legally sell marijuana on the street corners in little shops. Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is the marijuana capital of the world and because of that, many people refer to it as the most peaceful places in the world.
Consumption of marijuana would also be much safer if the government regulated it. The government could easily control the amount sold and purchased, which would lower the percentage of drug abuse in the country. Also, if the government monitored marijuana crops, people smoking the plant would be a lot safer. Many dealers of marijuana add other drugs to increase their profit. Some of the drugs they add are: cocaine, angel dust, and methamphetamine. These drugs, even in small doses, can make people have convulsions, insomnia, and irritability. If taken repeatedly, users can stay awake for anywhere from 3 to 15 days, loss weight, or if cut off from the drug, go through horrible withdrawals.
Marijuana also reduces pain caused by AIDS and cancer and helps cure glaucoma’s. According to the National Cancer Institute, marijuana is used in alleviating side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite of chemotherapy patients. Marijuana reduces intraocular pressure in the eye for relieve from glaucoma’s. Marijuana can also ease muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. If it’s the only drug that effectively camouflages pain, then it should be used. No person should have a say in this matter unless they have experienced the pain and suffering that these people with cancer and AIDS have encountered due to their illness.
Marijuana has been made out by many people to be harmful, but that is not the case. Over 2000 people die each year from the toxic effects of aspirin, and it is legal to anyone. Marijuana has never killed anyone, but yet it is not legal. Marijuana has many benefits; therefore it needs to be legal. It helps curb pain, saves forests, and would be much safer to its smokers if it were to be legalized.