Legalizing

How many people do you know who have suffered severe consequences from smoking marijuana?

According to the ADAM (Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring) from the article Marijuana and Crime, provides an overview of “1999 arrestees. The project collects data from more than 30,000 adult male arrestees in 34 sites, 10,000 female arrestees in 32 sites, 2,500 male juvenile detainees in nine sites, and 400 female juvenile detainees in six sites”(Marijuana and Crime).

• People have suffered severe consequences from being charged with possession of marijuana like loosing there jobs, being expelled from school, and having a record.

• These are all negative effects that will influence there life forever.

The government is wasting money from people being booked and processed in and out of court when they could be making money.

According to Allen Wastler’s calculations, "The government would save $7.7 billion a year if it didn't have to spend money policing and prosecuting marijuana activity. Then, if the feds taxed marijuana at a rate comparable to cigarettes and booze, another $6.2 billion would come rolling in”(Wastler).

Not too mention the government could use as much money as possible because our country is in severe debt.

According to the congressman of Houston, John Culberson, “the total unfunded liabilities for the United States are $60.6 trillion, which exceeds the net worth of America. Paying off this liability, would require every American to write a check to the Treasury Department for $198,000”(Culberson).

• Why would we as citizens have to pay the government for there mistakes?

• One solution to gain money is to tax marijuana to benefit the country as a whole.

• People who oppose marijuana becoming legalized have no substantial evidence why it shouldn’t be.

• Cigarettes, alcohol, and prescription pills are all legal and have worse side effects than smoking marijuana.

• Those who oppose marijuana cannot bring up health issues when all of these substances are already legal.

In the article, Medical Marijuana, the author Rebecca Roth reports on the DEA Judge Frances L. Young’s opinion stating that, "Marijuana is the safest therapeutically active substance known to man... safer than many foods we commonly consume“(Roth).

Not only will legalizing marijuana generate revenue but it will also help the sick cancer patients who are in excruciating pain.

The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine further explains that, “Today, new studies are being published in peer-reviewed journals that demonstrate cannabis has medical value in treating patients with serious illnesses such as AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain”(International Association for Cannabis as Medicine).

Having restrictions on smoking marijuana in America actually provokes kids to try something they aren’t allowed to do.

Sarah Lynch, an author at Times Magazine stated, “Despite tougher drug policies in the U.S., Americans were twice more likely to have tried marijuana than the Dutch, according to the survey”(Lynch).

The Netherlands is known as the cannabis capitol of the world and more Americans have tried smoking pot than the Dutch.

Marijuana is not even an addictive substance like other legal products like cigarettes.

In the article, Can Smokers Develop a Marijuana Addiction, the author, Buddy T explains that, “Most marijuana users will never develop an addiction to the substance”(T).

To put you in to perspective of why I want to change this law I will tell you that me being a college student myself, I personally know a lot of my friends and friends of friends who have been charged with possession of marijuana. This matters because as a citizen of the United States I feel like I have the right to change unjust laws. My first step in doing this is writing a letter to my congressman, John Culberson.

You can mail the letter to the address below.

John Culberson

United States House of Representatives

2352 Rayburn House Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515

And to find more information on John Culberson and his views on the matter you can go to the websitehttp://culberson.house.gov/economy/

Works Cited • Culberson, John. "Economy." U.S Congressman John Culberson. U.S House of

Representatives. Web. <http://culberson.house.gov/economy/>.• International Association for Cannabis as Medicine. "Recent Research Advances."

Safeaccessnow.org. Americans Fo RSafe Acess Foundation, 2005. Web. <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/pain_brochure.pdf>.

• Lynch, Sarah N. "An American Pastime: Smoking Pot." Time.com. CNN.com, 11 July 2008. Web. <http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1821697,00.html>.

• "Marijuana and Crime." US Drug Enforcement Administration. ONDCP. Web. <http://www.justice.gov/dea/ongoing/legalization.html>.

• Roth, Rebecca. "Medical Marijuana." Serendip. Third Web Report, 17 Jan. 2008. Web. <http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1901>.

• T, Buddy. "Can Smokers Develop a Marijuana Addiction?" About.com. The New York Times Company, 1 May 2009. Web. <http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/pot_addiction.htm>. 

• Wastler, Allen. "High Court's Pot Mistake." CNN Money.com. A Service of CNN Fortune and Money, 7 June 2005. Web. <http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/07/commentary/wastler/wastler/>.

 

Works Cited Pictures• Beck, Robyn. "Test Case: Medical Marijuana in California -- and the FDA's Opinion."

Discovery Fit & Health. Getty Images. Web. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/medical-marijuana3.htm>.

• Capps, Kriston. "Veterans in D.C May Not Benifet from Medical Marijuana." Medicinal DC. Herbs and Politics, 2 Nov. 2010. Web. <http://www.medicinaldc.com/2010/11/veterans-in-dc-may-not-benefit-from.html>.

• Fox, Steven. "Marijuana Is Safer." The Marijuana Book Givaway. Norm Stranger, 20 Apr. 2010. Web. <http://www.marijuanabookbomb.com/>.

• Maier, John. "Marijuana Myths." Anwsers to the Questions. The New York Times, 23 Feb. 2007. Web. <http://maryt.wordpress.com/2007/02/>.

• Marijuana.com. "The Marijuana Plant." Discovery Fit & Health. Getty Images. Web. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/marijuana1.htm>.

• RSS. "Illinois House Could Legalize Medical Marijuana With One Vote." Nevada Thunder. World Press. Web. <http://nevadathunder.com/?category_name=uncategorized>.

• Veloso, Bryan. "Ganj A Farmer's, EMERALD TRIANGLE NEWS." Marijuana News Roots and Culture. World Press, 15 Apr. 2011. Web. <http://mendonews.wordpress.com/>.