Marijuana legalization is a topic frequently discussed in this country. Every state has its rules and restrictions regarding the cultivation, possession distribution and sale of this type of drug. Nowadays, many people in the US have the perception that marijuana is in the same bracket with commonly abused substances such as tobacco and alcohol, which according to the law are both legal. While there is a lenient general perception towards marijuana, the federal government maintains that if a state chooses to pass a decriminalization act on cannabis, they can only do so under the sole condition of the placement of a system for regulating marijuana use. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, statistics indicate that a number of states have already reduced the restrictions and fines associated with possession of marijuana. A state such as Massachusetts removed the harsh punishment of possession from serving a jail term to paying a fine of one dollar, which is equivalent to not paying anything at all.
Quite a number of pro-marijuana use citizens have come forth proclaiming its advantages on different platforms and a number of occasions. On separate accounts, these pro-marijuana activists proclaim of the healing advantages of marijuana, its ability to save the government substantial cash from the judicial processes relating to cases of marijuana, and the ability to generate revenue from taxation. In a startling revelation from the statistics offered by Medical Marijuana Procon and numerous news sources, the number of states that allow the use of medical marijuana including over-the-counter sales now stands at twenty-three. However, within these states, the limits of possession vary, and there is the imposition of certain fines on a particular exceeded limit.
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Many people are familiar with marijuana’s medical use. In fact, medical marijuana use traces back as early as 2737 B.C when an emperor of China, Shen Neng, used it for treating malaria, gout, rheumatism and surprisingly, short term memory loss (Zimmermann, 2017). The use of cannabis sativa stimulates appetite in patients who have a disease such as HIV/AIDS. The drug use reduces effects of nausea on patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. For decades now, medical marijuana is touted for its ability to treat glaucoma, which is a medical condition that results from elevated pressures in the eyeball. Marijuana also helps in reducing insomnia, and certain doctors suggest the use of cannabis for sleep or in the case of anxiety. Through the comprehension, that marijuana has numerous medicinal benefits, more laws are being lifted and the ban on marijuana reduced. On the current twenty-three states, there is the enactment of laws by legislatures in favor of marijuana.
In looking at the economic impact of marijuana decriminalization, there are two sides of the coin. On one side, is the amount of money legalization will save the criminal justice department. This money is in the form of the human resource used while prosecuting marijuana possession offenses and other marijuana-related crimes. In prosecuting these offences, an overwhelming number of human capital is normally required, which includes the police, forensic laboratory technicians, prosecutors, clerical personnel of the court, judges and even prisons. The other side in favor of the economy is the turning of criminal fines applied on marijuana cases to civil fines, which are much more substantial. Overall, the savings in criminal justice resources is staggering. To determine this, consider a state such as Massachusetts and take the percentage of all arrests that are related to marijuana possession and multiply it by the budget of the criminal justice department. The resultant number is overwhelming. A clear indicator of the need to legalize marijuana and ease the pressure on the department of justice completely.
Currently, Colorado is experiencing an economic boom from the legalization of marijuana. The drug has influenced the state with an unprecedented 2.4billion dollar capital since its decriminalization (thinkprogress.org). This serves as s lesson for other states considering the legalization of marijuana. This aside, cannabis has added some 18,000 full-time jobs according to an analysis by the Marijuana Policy Group. Every dollar that is used in this industry generates between $2.13 and $2.40 in economic doings. What is surprising is that only federal governments’ spending reaches this similarly insurmountable scale. As at now, the Colorado Economic modelling shows promise in this industry of marijuana. When you map this model to the entire nation, the economic upsurge is frankly, unthinkable and unprecedented on an immense scale. The economy will experience an upsurge that has never been seen before. Every sector will have positive returns and new opportunities to look forward to.
Aside from the job and income impacts, marijuana legalization creates huge revenues in form of taxes. A good example is the special excise tax on marijuana sales in Colorado, which in a projection would generate over $114 in new tax between the year 2019 and 2020. If all goes well, this implies a sales volume of over $760 million in less than two fiscal years (Pyke, 2017). In a state such as Maine, placing a 10 percent rate on the tax shows a fiscal analysis of around $107 million annually after the system is passed during elections. In Nevada, the economic output is envisioned at a whopping $7.5 billion, churning 41,000 jobs (Pyke, 2017). These statistics show the immense economic impact that marijuana would have on the economy of the nation. Already, states that have legalized marijuana experience an economic upscale.
As marijuana remains, many illegal citizens face incarceration due to possession charges and other marijuana-related offences. Reports indicate that there are 750,000 arrests yearly because of this drug. These numbers show that the amount of people in prisons has increased exponentially. With this upsurge, the courts and police fail to focus on issues that are more important thus resulting in profound social, economic and political impacts. Since the government uses up money to facilitate the well-being of incarcerated citizens, the economic strain is quite evident. In eliminating such factors as the number of people jailed due to marijuana-related offenses, the government substantially reduces the economic pressure.
According to reliable reports, taxpayers spend billions in the arrest and prosecution of individuals with marijuana violations. An alarming fact is that marijuana arrests outnumber those of violent crimes. If you look at this scenario closely, this allocation is huge, and the government remains reluctant to decriminalize marijuana inasmuch as it offers an easy solution to the problem. In turn, the nation spends too much money pointlessly. In California, this fact was proven through the elimination of the one ounce and under possession law. The elimination of the law brought about great savings that reached one billion in a little under twenty years. Saving huge amounts of money is a colossal benefit for the nation. Undoubtedly, marijuana legalization helps mitigate government expenditure, which covers the areas of making arrests and prosecutions, in addition to reducing the number of jailed people every year. Decriminalization of marijuana does this and cuts government and taxpayers spending as well as increases the profits of the nation. This results in an overall economic improvement.
However positive anything is, it always faces criticism and marijuana has had its fair share for centuries. On the part of the drug itself, the view of marijuana is that of a psychotic agent. Many people who are against its use purport that it causes psychological imbalance. Also in the medical profession, a number of renowned healthcare workers say that it causes cancer among other ailments, although no conclusive research proves their allegations. When it comes to marijuana legalization’s cons, several points emerge. People tend to claim that legalization will cause a large increase in the number of users of the drug. Today, figures indicate that there are 15.2 million marijuana users compared to 129 million alcohol users and 70.9 million tobacco users. These statisticians argue that with legalization, there will be an increase in users followed by the subsequent increase in the number of addiction cases. Others are of the opinion that there will be impairment in driving and this, in turn, will lead to more cases of accidents. Such claims are supported by a national roadside survey that depicts 8.6 percent of weekend drivers tested positive for driving under the influence of marijuana. Although these are valid arguments, it is also a fact that marijuana is much safer compared to intoxicants like alcohol and cigarettes.
Overall, marijuana legalization is a debate that goes on endlessly in the nation among various people of different backgrounds. While in some states, the drug is rendered harmful and at the same time illegal, its potential of saving billions of dollar annually is quite evident. Those who support its legalization do so for numerous reasons that are legitimate and significant in their reason and facts. These facts range from its medicinal use to it being an economic messiah in the form of taxation and relief in the judicial system. Currently, more states are joining the revolution of legalizing and legitimatizing this once shunned wonder herb. It has become apparent that its benefits outweigh its disadvantage.
References
Pyke, A. (2017). Marijuana’s $2.4 billion impact in Colorado is a lesson for 5 states considering legalization. ThinkProgress. Retrieved 5 April 2017, from https://thinkprogress.org/5-states-weighing-marijuana-legalization-would-reap-enormous-economic-benefits-study-suggests-cb06831d154b
Zimmermann, K. (2017). Medical Marijuana: Benefits, Risks & State Laws. Live Science. Retrieved 5 April 2017, from http://www.livescience.com/24554-medical-marijuana.html
