In the recent times there has been a heated debate on whether marijuana should be legalized or not. The raging debate has been characterized with contradicting research on the harmful effects of the drug. However, there are many divergent views with respect to the legalization of marijuana. The varied reasons being advanced is support or opposition to the legalization debate cover perspectives ranging from economic, social, political, and even medical fields. However, one indisputable fact is that more than half of US adults have used marijuana; despite this fact it continues to be illegal in several states and only legal in certain forms in about 38 states. The legalization of marijuana would bolster the nation’s economy, offer many medical benefits to individuals suffering from chronic illness, and drastically reduce the number of petty arrests and minor drug charges related to marijuana possession.
The legalization of marijuana in America can improve the nation’s economy due to the economic benefits that accrue from the consumption of the drug. Several statistics and studies have indicated that the legalization of marijuana can bring economic benefits to a country. Statistics from the Canadian Police Association in 2009 indicated that the number of people arrested in marijuana-related cases stood at nearly 30,000. In comparison, the United States of America had about 1, 663,582 cases during the same period (US Department of Justice, 2011). This translated to a large amount of money that is required to keep pace with the consumption of marijuana which could otherwise have been taxed. According to Jaffrey Miron, the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts can have a positive and uplifting effect on its economy. He projects that the state could save about 120.6 million dollars annually spent on marijuana-related cases. In contrast, if legalized, marijuana can yield tax revenue of about 16.9 million dollars for the state every year (Miron, 2003).
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The New Frontier Data (2017) show that there is an estimated 340,000 jobs in the American market that deals with legal marijuana today. This translates to more than 30% from the previous year. The firm forecasts that that figure will more than double by 2025. Even though it sounds like an impressive growth, the real potential of trade in marijuana will only be achieved when it is made legal. It will increase the current jobs to about 1.6 million by 2025. The expected exponential growth will create job vacancies to people in the emerging marijuana industry which will significantly increase tax revenues for the country. Even though some state has succeeded in legalizing marijuana it could take a number of years before full legalization is achieved.
Marijuana has been proven to manage certain chronic ailments afflicting many people in America. Reports by the Canadian Medical Journal presents cases where medical marijuana has be used to effectively treat different kinds of ailments. Evidence indicate that it has been successfully used to treat or alleviate the development of the dreaded HIV AIDS including other ailments such as Epilepsy, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis among other diseases that are afflicting a large number of patients all over the world. It is known that the Chinese discovered the medicinal value of cannabis a long time ago. The “Shennung Ben Tsa’o King” documents were among the earliest evidence of marijuana use by the Chinese (Crocker, 2011)). The documents give details with regards to the use, preparation and purpose of using marijuana. It was used to heal open wounds and relieve menstrual disorders. The drug was also prescribed for vermillion poisoning, aconite poisoning, and post-partum difficulties.
Moreover, the whole plant of marijuana is useful for multiple therapeutic purposes. The evidence of its potential uses in humans is mainly centered on unprocessed cannabinoids which have been approved medically. Cannabis use was listed both in America and Britain for anticonvulsants and sedative effects before being withdrawn. However, its medicinal value is not in doubt. There are calls to revive the usage of cannabis as medicine in the treatment of seizure disorders, pain, enhancement of appetite, and various other metabolic and neurological diseases (Madras, 2015). The main reason for such calls is because the medications that are currently used to treat these diseases have proven to be ineffective including the additional benefits that can be derived from the use of marijuana.
Further, the legalization of marijuana is expected to reduce the number of people engaging in illegal marijuana trade. For example, in 2013, the number of court filings related to the use of marijuana fell by 98% in Washington State which had legalized marijuana for use that year. The number of adults convicted for the possession of marijuana reduced by about half in the same year (Morris, 2018). This is evidence enough that legalization diminishes illegal marijuana trade which in effect relieves the state of the burden placed in law enforcement, the courts and prisons and provides it with the opportunity to focus on more serious criminal activities.
The United States government needs to legalize marijuana because it can not only bolster the country’s economy but also entail other benefits that should not be ignored. Trade in marijuana has the capacity to increase tax revenues, save on government expenditure, and create jobs for the American people. Additionally, legalizing marijuana will relieve millions of people suffering from chronic diseases which can be treated by marijuana. Finally, it will relieve the government the burden of dealing with marijuana related petty cases and help it focus on violent crime.
References
Crocker, L. (2011). Why Marijuana should be legalized, an argumentative essay . Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311713489_Why_Marijuana_Should_be_Legalized_an_argumentative_essay
Madras, B. (2015). Update of Cannabis and its medical use . 37th ECDD (2015) Agenda item 6.2 Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/6_2_cannabis_update.pdf
Miron, J. (2003). The Budgetary implications of Marijuana Legalization in Massachusetts. Change the Climate. Boston University . Retrieved from www.changetheclimate.org/bu-study/mass_budget.pdf.
Morris, J. (2018). Does legalizing marijuana reduce crime? Reason Foundation. Retrieved from: https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/does-legalizing-marijuana-reduce-crime.pdf
US Department of Justice. (2011). Crime in the United States 2009 . U.S. federal Government . Retrieved from www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_69.html
US Department of Justice. Crime in the United States 2009. September 2010. U.S. federal Government.
16 January 2011 <www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_69.html>
Much debate has been conducted regarding the legalization of marijuana, with an unusual
amount of contradicting research. There are many perspectives to take into account, and they always
seem to come down to the personal motives of the debater. Whether it’s being argued from a medical,
political, or economical perspective; it continually comes down to whether Federal Government should
be our dictators or we should be responsible for our actions
Much debate has been conducted regarding the legalization of marijuana, with an unusual
amount of contradicting research. There are many perspectives to take into account, and they always
seem to come down to the personal motives of the debater. Whether it’s being argued from a medical,
political, or economical perspective; it continually comes down to whether Federal Government should
be our dictators or we should be responsible for our actions
