Legalizing marijuana for recreational use - Speech or Presentation Example

This can be put into a few basic facts. Both Washington’s Initiative 502 and Colorado’s Amendment 64 which legalized cannabis for people aged 21 and above, proposed a relatively heavy taxation on the drug. They called for a 25 percent tax rate to be imposed on the product three times; from grower to processor, from processor to retailer, and from retailer to customer, (Smith 1). While it is not clear the amount of revenue this would raise, estimates for this measure are out at about $500 million.

According to a study carried out by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, about 13 percent of people in Colorado use the substance. This translates to about half a million people. By legalizing this retail market, the regulation could raise about $46 million in combined local and state revenue between excise and sale taxes. In California, a similar measure in 2010 known as Proposition 19 was estimated to earn $352 million in tax revenue annually, (Smith 1). This revenue can go to a state fund where it can fund the construction of schools.

Besides raising revenue, marijuana is used for medical purposes. It is commonly referred to as medical marijuana. According to Stone (1), marijuana has long been utilized in treating ailments that are associated with inflammation and pain. It is also used to relieve symptoms that are related to chronic illnesses such as cancer. For example, for many decades, cannabis has been used to treat glaucoma. It usually lowers the intraocular pressure when treating glaucoma symptoms, and is more effective when smoked, ingested, inhaled, or administered intravenously.

Also, the National Cancer Institute (1) recognizes cannabis and its components as a treatment for individuals with cancer-related symptoms. Besides these, medical marijuana has been associated with the treatment of AIDS, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, anxiety, and chronic pain. The legalization of marijuana could also significantly cut down on crime. On one hand, it is illegal. On the other hand, the people demand and want to use it. This provides room for a middleman who carries out the illicit trade, and hence crime.

Therefore, legalizing marijuana would mean that drug cartels will lose business, there will be less crime in borders since there is no need for trafficking, and crime will ultimately reduce in the streets and in the country. According to former Seattle police chief Stamper (1), this will free up police resources that can be focused on tackling other crimes such as robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults. However, there needs to be guidelines that control the use of marijuana. These should be in form of legislations.

One such legislation made in the California is the Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control and Taxation Act, which stipulates the guidelines for the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Other guidelines should include the amount of cannabis that a person can be in possession at any one time, or the number of marijuana plants that one can plant at his or her backyard. These political guidelines need to be clearly set, implemented, and enacted. Without such guidelines, there would be a total mess with students even “puffing” on the school corridors just like cigarettes.

Therefore, it means that once marijuana is legalized, society has to deal with it. Many opponents to the legalization claim that it draws the path to drug usage in the society. According to Citizens Against the Legalization of