Marijuana Use Legalization - Essay Example

Marijuana Use Legalization Will Improve the of the Society One of the most discussed issues of the current days, legalization of marijuana, is giving rise to even more heated debates as Alaska, Oregon, and Washington D. C. approved marijuana use for recreational purposes joining Washington and Colorado. In these states, consumption and possession of marijuana is now legal for citizens age 21 and older. Legalization of this drug in four states suggests that it is only the beginning of the process, which may lead to marijuana legalization on the state level. In fact, this process can be anything but harm for the society. The matter is that marijuana legalization promises further researches on its use in medicine to help people who suffer from severe diseases; it can also improve the economy of the state and make the society much more safer place to live. First of all, marijuana is of significant medical value. Today, there is a bulk of researches which prove that marijuana is both safe and effective for people who suffer from severe medical conditions. There are several ways, in which marijuana can be used for medical purposes and help a great number of people. First of all, it can be used for appetite stimulation and as antiemetic (National Cancer Institute). The studies conducted by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration show that an oral synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive element in marijuana, stimulates appetite and causes the increase of caloric intake, and consequently, it can be used to treat weight loss in patients with HIV wasting. In addition to this, researches involving chemo-therapy patients show that THC is the equivalent or superior to approved antiemetics and reduces such symptoms as vomiting and nausea (American College of Physicians). Secondly, marijuana is helpful in treatment of neurological and movement disorders. More specifically, clinical trial data proves that oral and smoked marijuana reduces tremor, pain, and spasticity in patients who suffer from spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and a range of other conditions for which conventional pain killers do not work properly. In addition to this, one of recent studies demonstrates that patients with sensory neuropathy as one of the HIV symptoms who smoked marijuana three times per day experienced a significant, almost 35-percent decrease in this symptom (American College of Physicians). Also, compared to opioids, cannabinoids are more effective when it comes to pain relief in terminal patients (National Cancer Institute). What is more, preclinical studies suggest that cannabinoids may be used in cancer treatment. In particular, studies in rats and mice show that marijuana causes death of cancer cells, blocks growth of cancer cells and blood vessels necessary for the development of a tumor. Cannabinoids are reported to affect several types of cancer. Laboratory studies on mice and rats show that THC killed or severely damaged liver cancer cells, lung cancer cells, and breast cancer cells. Apart from that, laboratory studies on human cells show that chemotherapy in the combination with cannabinoids, such as THC and cannabidiol (CBD) make treatment more effective. Also, in accordance with the National Cancer Institute, patients who inhale marijuana report less anxiety, improved sense of well-being and mood. At the same time, using plant extract spray under the tongue results in the improvement of sleep quality (National Cancer Institute). Very often, opponents of medical use of marijuana claim that cannabis has the status of a drug not for nothing meaning that it can cause addictions as any other drug. In reality, compared to other drugs, legal or illegal, such as alcohol, tobacco, heroin or cocaine, “dependence among marijuana users is relatively rare and dependence appears to be less severe than dependence on other drugs” (American College of Physicians). The reports show that only in 10 percent of cases marijuana use leads to addiction. At the same time, 30 percent of tobacco users, 25 percent of heroin users, and 20 percent of cocaine user become addicted (Jaques, and Luling). In addition to medical benefits, marijuana legalization has potential economic benefits as well. Tax revenues are the most obvious manifestation of possible economic benefits legalization of marijuana can bring to the states and the country as a whole. In accordance with Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron cited by Smith in his article “How Legalizing Pot Could Save America’s Economy”, an average annual sum obtained through the sales of marijuana is estimated to be more than $110 billion, which brings about $45 billion in taxes. Being able to control marijuana sales throughout the country means being able to gain these $45 billion, which can be used for a range of important purposes. What is more, marijuana legalization can help the government save huge sums of money which is spent on the drug wars these days. Accordingly to Smith, the government spends $1 trillion on law enforcement initiatives aimed at fighting with the production and spread not only of marijuana but such drugs as meth, heroin, and cocaine (Smith). Making marijuana a legal drug can help cut off the expenditures dramatically. Finally, prison spending may be also decreased in case cannabis is legalized. The matter is that one in four people are incarcerated due to sales, possession, and repeat offences associated with marijuana (Smith). Therefore, marijuana legalization can result in the decrease of the number of people in prisons and, consequently, the decrease of expenditures on their alimentation. Legalization of marijuana can make the society safer. More specifically, by displacing the black market, legal marijuana will make it much more difficult for minors to get it. In this regard, finally there will appear an opportunity to have a conversation within the society on the responsible use of marijuana. Decriminalization of cannabis will result in the reduction of the black market and, consequently, in the decrease of the rate of crimes associated with drugs. Furthermore, the society will become safer as there will be certain rules and regulations on the qualities of marijuana that can guarantee people getting a quality product, which will not cause harm to their health. Finally, the society will benefit from marijuana legalization as it will give the opportunity for the further pursuance of the research on the potential use of cannabinoids in health care. There is evidence on the ability of marijuana to reduce nausea and pain in patients with serious diseases; however, due to the lack of data all the benefits and risks are still unclear for the researchers. There are many reasons why marijuana use should be made legal in the country. First of all, it will make it possible to help people overcome or at least decently deal with their diseases. Also, it can improve the economy of the state in times when every dollar matters for it will bring significant sums of money to the public treasury. Finally, it can make the society safer for drug trafficking will be under control. Opponents of the idea of marijuana legalization have a lot of arguments to set against the decriminalization; in the majority of cases, they base their argumentation on the assumption that the consumption of this drug will increase. In this regard, there is only one thing to say: those who want to use marijuana, do it even now even though it is illegal; making it legal will give an opportunity to control consumption. In fact, today there are much more dangerous and addictive drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, which take lives of hundreds of thousands of people but are still legal and easy to buy. Works Cited American College of Physicians. "Supporting Research Into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana."Acponline.org. N.p., 2008. Web. 28 Nov 2014. . Jaques, R., and T. Luling. "This is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere." Huffington Post24 October 2013, n. pag. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. . National Cancer Institute. "Cannabis and Cannabinoids." National Cancer Institute. N.p., 6 November 2014. Web. 28 Nov 2014. Read More