Legalizing the Sale and Use of Marijuana - Essay Example

An argument Running head: ARGUMENTATIVE PAPER An argument for legalizing the sale and use of marijuana of Client of of Class An argument 2 An argument for legalizing the sale and use of marijuana The sale and use of marijuana has been an issue of legality within the United States that sparks a vast controversy. The arrests that occur over the sale and use of the drug amount to a staggering statistic that creates a far greater drain on resources than would the legalization of the drug. There is evidence to show that the use has little to no ill effects and that other legal substances, such as alcohol and sugar, have farther reaching problems than does cannabis. However, there is some opinion that to legalize the drug would encourage its flagrant use, creating impaired people who cannot function appropriately in the workplace. Although there are many voices and opinions about this topic, the legalization of the drug could support a more stable criminal justice system and prevent the consequences of arrest on citizens that far outweigh the nature of the crime. In understanding the argument for the legalization of marijuana, one must first understand what aspects of the drug is relevant to legalization. The cannabis plant is one of the oldest cultivated varieties of plants in the history of the world. There is evidence that shows that the plant was used for both clothing manufacture and for its intoxicating effects, but there is also some evidence to show that it was grown for its food potential as well (Green, 2002, p. 10). The plant has an Asian origin, although scientists have been unable to determine a specific origin as the long history of the plant defies the ability of research to trace it back to an origin. ` The cannabis plant has many uses that go beyond just the use of the leaves as an intoxicant. Henry Ford made a prototype of a vehicle using hemp (the fiber derived from the plant) based plastics for the body which turned out to be stronger than steel. He was also working on a hemp based oil product for fuel (Green, 2002, 17). Hemp fibers can be used to create natural An argument 3 fabric clothing, as well as the seeds be used for bird feed and food properties. The plant is hardy and can multiply very easily, creating a stable source for multiple uses. The drug has an infamous quality as there have been tales and myths reported from the results of usage of the intoxicant. From the 13th century there are writings from Marco Polo about a Persian ruler who had disciples who committed religiously motivated murder who were inspired by the use of cannabis. There is a similar contemporary tale of Shiites who recruit assassins who are users of the drug. In a similar vein, there are stories of African white land owners addicting the Bushmen of the area to marijuana as a means of controlling them (Roffman, 2006, p. 6). All these tales describe the worst imaginable horrors that can be associated with the drug, creating an overall sense of mythology about it that has detrimental affects on the reality of its use. The illegality of cannabis stemmed from a source of racism from the 1930’s. The term marijuana was coined in order to give the illusion that the drug was a foreign plant from a South American region and was therefore a subversive element brought in by ethnicities that the white community was racially discriminate against. Before William Randolph Hearst coined the term ‘marijuana’, the drug was called cannabis, its medicinal name (Woodiwiss, 2001, p. 223). The commonly found American plant was reformed into a foreign import of nefarious purpose. This was the result of a heated political debate that had begun supporting the idea that cannabis was an aspect of minority life that was threatening the white world. Harry J. Anslinger, Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930 used stories that were racially biased and inflammatory to support the illegalization of cannabis. He related a story that told of ‘colored’ students at the University of Minnesota who smoked the drug with An argument 4 white female students and using it to seduce them with the result of them ending up pregnant. He also related a story of two ’negro’ men who took a fourteen year old girl out into a cabin and kept her doped up on marijuana, ending with her contracting syphilis from the kidnapping (Woodiwiss. 2001, 224). These stories and the associations to a world of minorities trying to subvert the white population was an inflammatory means to a political end. The public outcry that resulted pushed the agendas of white American politicians without a reasonable truth to their claims. As a drug, the information on the use of marijuana is varied and controversial over a wide spectrum of topics. According to Roffman (2006), a receptor has been identified in the brain that is specifically targeted by cannabis. As well, there is a compound called anandamide that activates the receptors in the same way that cannabis will activate the receptors. Lastly, there has been discovered an antagonist to the anandamide effect within the brain (p. 14). While the details of this is exhaustively complicated on a neurological level, the result is that the study of the drug and its effect on the brain has been narrowed to specific biological aspects that can be researched and defined. While studies on the neurological effects of cannabis, now that identifying chemical reactions have been discovered, will take decades of research, the systematic affects are readily available for study and have been recorded. One of the effects that is most easily identified is an increased heart rate. There is a shown 43% increase of heart rate after smoking cannabis as compared to a 21% increase with nicotine. Reported respiratory effects, along with cognitive function, motivation, and the exacerbation of psychotic disorders, in those with previous illnesses, are all some of the potential effects of the use of the drug (Hall & Pacula, 2003, p. 61). An argument 5 That there are effects from the use of marijuana is not the central issue of the argument. While there is the potential for physical harmful effects from the use of the drug, there are documented harmful effects for the use of many of the legal products that are available within the United States. In the category of drug usage, alcohol and tobacco both have dire consequences to their use but have been made legal for use. As well, there is overwhelming evidence that sugar and trans-fat consumption has have potentially harmful effects that rival the use of the two legal recreational drugs (Harrar & Vantine, 2004: DeMaria, 2005). When compared to other legal substances that have poor effects on the body, cannabis shows no significant difference in potential health hazards. As the government has decreed that the choice to use these substances is a matter of right for the American public, so should the use of cannabis and its products be made legal and available. In discussing the aspects of the use and sale of marijuana from the point of view of the criminality of the issue, the facts show that criminalization has little to no effect on the choice to use the drug. The LeDain Commision’s Report of the 1970’s for the Food and Drug Association concluded that the criminalization of marijuana was not affecting the amount of use or the potential for sales of the product. The found that the product was in fact increasing in its popularity, that its illegality had no affect on the consumption of the product, the individual and social harm caused by the consequences of arrest for its use far outweighed any harmful affects of using the drug, and the fact that it is illegal allows for larger crimes to be committed by the procurement, sale, and use of the drug than would be present in a legal state of transaction and use (Parker, 1983). This information was discovered decades ago and still holds true into the new millennium. An argument 6 The economic benefit from the legalization of the drug are overwhelming. The United States spends over $40 billion dollars each year in the investigation, arrest, and litigation of marijuana use and trafficking. According to economists who have studied the issue, if the drug were legalized, the tax benefit would reap an extra 10.1 to 13.9 billion dollars per year over the saved 40 billion (Gaines & Miller, 2009, p. 93). In creating a legalization of sales and use of the drug, the United States would find federal economic advantages that could then also filter into state regulated taxes, city taxes, and so forth. Instead of drain on the system, the choice to use marijuana would be a costly, but safe choice from a social point of view, contributing back to the community rather than draining resources. A very strong argument for the legalization of marijuana is to break the hold that organized crime has placed upon its sales. While the simple use of the drug does relatively no harm to the individual, when compared to other products that have potential and varying effects, the sales and trafficking of the substance allows for criminal behaviors and profits to flourish around its sourcing. There is no direct link between the use of marijuana and to violence, but the link between the sales and distribution of a substance that is illegal has been clearly proven (Goldberg 2006, 253). However, the link between organized crime and violence has been clearly established and legalizing the drug will allow for that link to be diminished where the sale and distribution of marijuana is concerned. The medical use for cannabis has ranged from the treatment of asthma, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis, to the use for cancer patients in diminishing the effects of the harsh treatments they must undergo. It has advantages as a sleep aid, as an anti-depressant, and as a pain-killer (Jenkins, 2002, p. 30). The substance is natural and without chemicals that have been created An argument 7 through laboratory means. As a medicine, it has a variety of purposes that stem from a variety of needs that can be accomplished without the use of pharmaceuticals that are chemically created substances that might have more severe side-effects. The legalization has found many opponents, as many are afraid that the use of the drug will sharply increase under lawful sales and use. There was a decrease in alcohol related arrests when prohibition laws were put into place prohibiting the sale and use of alcohol (Goldberg, 2006, p. 253), There is also the fear that the use of cannabis for recreational purposes will increase and create problems for the work force, for law enforcement as the impaired create problems, and for health officials as the effects raise the events of usage related diseases. The fear is that the legal sale of the drug will increase the negatively associated results of its use. As well, the moral fiber of the nation is to be considered when making a substance such as cannabis legal. However, the nation has already legalized many things that are morally questionable. As stated, the use of alcohol and tobacco is legal throughout the country and the taxes generated contribute to the common wealth. From a moral standpoint, gambling has found a spread of legalization throughout the nation. Considering the economics of the legalization of marijuana allows for the strongest reasoning for supporting the movement. The amount of money spent to investigate, litigate, and incarcerate takes public funds away from issues that have more importance than controlling those who wish to use marijuana. With the additional revenue funneled toward public needs that are sometimes the cause of the desire to use mind altering drugs, such as mental health care, poverty, education, and disease prevention, the legalization would promote a stronger nation that is concerned with positive support of good choices. An argument 8 References DeMaria, R. (2005). Dr. Bobs trans fat survival guide: Why no-fat, low-fat, trans fat is killing you. Elyria, OH: Drugless Healthcare Solutions. Gaines, L. K., & Miller, R. L. (2009). Criminal justice in action. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Goldberg, R. (2006). Drugs across the spectrum. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. Green, J. (2002). Cannabis. New York: Thunders Mouth Press. Hall, W., & Pacula, R. L. (2003). Cannabis use and dependence: Public health and public policy. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press. Harrar, S., & VanTine, J. (2004). Preventions the sugar solution: Balance your blood sugar naturally to beat disease, lose weight, gain energy, and feel great. Emmaus, Pa: Rodale. Jenkins, J. (2002). Contemporary moral issues. Oxford: Heinemann Educational. Parker, G. (1983). An introduction to criminal law. Toronto: Methuen. Roffman, R. A. (2006). Cannabis dependence: Its nature, consequences, and treatment. International research monographs in the addictions (IRMA). Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press. Woodiwiss, M. (2001). Organized crime and American power: A history. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Read More