User:Zpippin/essays/Reefer Saneness
From Free Talk Live
This is an essay written by Zach Pippin, Justin Redfern, and Matt Splain for a class at the University of South Carolina.
It has been suggested that essays are best posted on the forum, because they have a single author but can be commented on by others. You can then link to those forum threads from appropriate wiki articles, like Drug Prohibition.
Essay
Mary Jane, pot, weed, grass, reefer, and herb are just a few of the many names for the Cannabis sativa plant more commonly known as marijuana. For years the plant was completely legal. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 made it illegal in the United States. In 1971 President Nixon started the “War on Drugs” in order to eradicate drugs and reduce crime. More than thirty years later, however, illegal drugs are still on the streets and crime has risen. The United States government should repeal all laws criminalizing the cultivation, sale, possession, and consumption of marijuana, and allow the states to regulate marijuana in the same manner as alcohol and smoked tobacco. The government’s present policy is ineffective and outright dangerous to society.
Currently, marijuana is a Schedule I drug. Schedule I is the highest rating a drug can get from the government. It has been placed in this group because the government claims that “it has a high potential for abuse”, it has “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States”, and “there is a lack of accepted safety for the drug or other substance under medical supervision” . The first time penalty for possession of marijuana is one year in prison and a $1000 fine. The first time penalty for cultivation or sale of marijuana is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Despite these tough penalties, the current laws are not effective.
The laws against marijuana do not prevent people from using it. The Office of National Drug Control Policy reported that in 2005 fifty-seven percent of young adults admitted to having smoked marijuana . The ineffective laws simply put it into the black market. Parallels can be drawn between the prohibition of alcohol and the prohibition of marijuana. Alcohol prohibition gave rise to famous gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran. They were able to make large amounts of money supplying people with smuggled alcohol. This era also saw the highest murder rate to that point in history. Today there are gangs, such as the Bloods and Cripps, that profit from the illegality of drugs including marijuana. Since the “War on Drugs” was started by Nixon, the murder rate in the United States has surpassed even that of the prohibition era. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report, 5% of all arrests made in 2005 were for the cultivation, sale, or possession of marijuana. The increased price and illegality of the substance makes these people more likely to use violence in various actions related to growing, selling, buying, and using marijuana. Innocent people, including unfortunate children, can get caught in the middle of gang violence.
Once marijuana is legalized by the United States government, each state should be free to determine how it wants to regulate it. There are a few guidelines that would be beneficial for all states to adopt. Like the different state laws concerning alcohol create a de facto national drinking age, similar state laws concerning marijuana would create a simple quasi-national marijuana policy. Government and free market regulations will work in each step of the production process to create an acceptable system.
The free market will allow existing companies to quickly add marijuana to their production. New companies specifically started for the production of marijuana will also likely spring up. Any inspection that are currently required for tobacco crops should be required for cannabis. This will help ensure that the product is grown with safe, high-quality standards. Once the marijuana is grown and harvested, it can be shipped to factories for manufacturing into consumer products.
Since the most common form of marijuana consumption is smoking, it can be made into cigarettes like tobacco. The same restrictions that are applied to the manufacturing of tobacco cigarettes should be applied to marijuana cigarettes. Once it is produced by legitimate businesses, marijuana products could be sold in stores. Retailers that currently sell tobacco products could carry cannabis if they so choose. Like tobacco, the sale of marijuana should be restricted to those at least eighteen years old. There should be restrictions on marijuana once it leaves the store as well. In many places smoking tobacco products is prohibited. Since the most common form of marijuana use is smoking, it would be treated in the same manner. Any business that bans smoking tobacco could ban smoking marijuana as well. Also any laws restricting the use of smoked tobacco should be amended to include smoked cannabis. Since marijuana has effects that are similar to alcohol, any laws restricting activities, such as driving, under the influence of alcohol should be amended to include cannabis. Studies will need to be performed to determine the amount of marijuana that impairs a person. As with alcohol, there can be responsible marijuana users, and other good things will likely come about with decriminalization.
There are many advantages to legalizing and regulating marijuana. There are many health benefits of cannabis. Additionally, the legalization of marijuana will lead to economic growth. It is also reasonable to assume that the decriminalization of cannabis will help reduce crime.
First, there are many studies that show that the use of marijuana can help people suffering from various health problems. Some of the diseases it can help treat include Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gherig’s), Glaucoma, and Tourette’s syndrome . In a study of Tourettes’ syndrome published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a male patient with “uncontrollable” symptoms was administered 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Within two hours he showed an 83% reduction in ticks . Cannabis has also been used to alleviate nausea caused by chemotherapy, ease chronic pain, and increase appetites in AIDS patients.
The benefits of legalized marijuana are not limited to medical uses. There are several economic advantages that would occur as a result of decriminalizing cannabis. First, legal marijuana would be a new source of tax revenue. If it were to be legalized, the government could lay a tax on marijuana. Similar to tobacco taxes, a small tax could be put on each pack of marijuana cigarettes. The new source of tax money would allow the government to cut taxes in other areas, stimulating economic growth.
Second, legalizing marijuana would produce many jobs from the beginning of the process to the final sale. First, farmers will have another crop to add to their fields, and some people may become farmers solely for cannabis. The increased agricultural needs will include higher demand for machinery, irrigation, and insecticide. This demand will benefit those industries as well. Once it is harvested, there will be a need for transporting the crop to a factory to be processed. Before it can be taken to the factory, however, that factory will have to be renovated or be completely built. That will benefit the construction businesses as well as all of the companies that make the materials used in construction. Once the marijuana is at the factory, there will need to be people hired to work in it. When it leaves the factory, there will once again be a need for transportation to the retailer. The new product on shelves will increase revenue for the business owner. New businesses solely for the purpose of the enjoyment of cannabis, like cigar clubs today, may also pop up.
Finally, legalizing marijuana would make law enforcement more efficient. According the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report 13% of all arrests in 2005 were drug related charges. Of these slightly 42% were for the sale or possession of marijuana. By decriminalizing this substance, law enforcement would have more money and time to pursue criminals who actually hurt other people such as murderers, rapists, thieves, and child molesters.
Decriminalizing cannabis would make people safer by reducing crime. Currently, the black market has artificially raised the price of marijuana. Since simply having a law against it will not keep people from smoking marijuana, there are people willing to buy and sell it. Over the years the US has had different prohibitions: . . . America tried alcohol prohibition between 1919 and 1931, but discovered that the crime and violence associated with prohibition was more damaging than the evil sought to be prohibited. With tobacco, America has learned over the last decade that education is the most effective way to discourage use. Yet, America fails to apply these lessons to marijuana policy. This gang violence could be greatly stemmed if their source of revenue could suddenly be purchased at the corner gas station just like tobacco. This phenomenon was seen during alcohol prohibition when the murder rate rose to a historic high. Once prohibition ended the murder rate quickly dropped. The murder rate of prohibition was surpassed after the “War on Drugs” began (Crime: Drug War Facts par. 1). In the Netherlands, where marijuana is legal, the murder rate is about 440% lower than in the United States.
No policy is perfect, however. Many people argue against the legalization of marijuana. Most of their claims are speculation, only partly true, or outright lies. Most of the negative things claimed about marijuana are true of other perfectly legal substances. One of the assertions is that if marijuana is legalized, then everyone would get stoned and will not go work. This myth can be dispelled by looking at alcohol prohibition. Similar arguments were probably made before prohibition was ended, yet afterwards, though usage may have risen, society continued to function. Other claims may make cannabis legalization seem bad. When they are thought through rationally, however, many do not seem legitimate.
Marijuana has changed over the years since it has been illegal. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) makes claims that marijuana has more than 400 chemicals in it and has become more potent in the past thirty years. This is a problem that is addressed by the solution. Being produced by legitimate companies allows for a transparent process. The quality controls will ensure against unsafe changes in the chemical content. This is the opposite of the current situation in which marijuana is grown in basements and manufacturing practices are unknown.
There are those who believe that smoking marijuana does not help treat any diseases and it should not be legal but, there are studies done to prove different. Any determination of a drug's valid medical use must be based on the best available science undertaken by medical professionals. The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study in 1999 to assess the potential health benefits of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. The study concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for the treatment of any disease condition .
This quote decides to pick one study claiming that marijuana has no medical value. There are many studies that contradict this claim bringing into question the quote’s legitimacy. Marijuana is constantly thought of as being to harmful to the body and brain. There are studies out showing the exact opposite. First, in “Cannabis and the Brain: A User’s Guide” Paul Armentano talks about other studies that show that cannabis is a neuroprotector. Studies being preformed are showing that natural cannabinoids stave off brain-damaging effect from strokes and acute head traumas. Paul Armentano also talks about studies showing evidence that indicates cannabis slows the progression of certain neurodegenerative diseases. A study preformed at Harvard Medical School showed “no significant differences between heavy cannabis smokers compared to controls, the study found” . This study was preformed to test the effect marijuana has on a person’s long-term cognitive skills.
Some critics cite the various psychological and physiological effects that marijuana has on the body as a means of keeping it illegal. The Drug Enforcement Administration gives a long list of adverse affects the marijuana has on the body and brain including “. . . memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength increased heart rate and anxiety” . Effects of alcohol on the body include impairment of reasoning, memory, balance, speech, vision, reaction time, hearing, judgment, self-control, and caution. The list of effects of the two substances are very similar. Despite having some of the same effects as marijuana, alcohol is still legal. Inversely, marijuana is illegal when its effects are the same as those of a legal substance. There is no reason people cannot use both substances with responsibility. Finally, there are many concerns about people how people act under the influence of marijuana. The DEA says, “In a 1990 report, the National Transportation Safety Board studied 182 fatal truck accidents. It found that just as many of the accidents were caused by drivers using marijuana as were caused by alcohol -- 12.5 percent in each case” (Exposing Marijuana Myths par. 22). This problem is also provided for in the solution. As it is stated in the claim, accidents are also caused by people under the influence of alcohol. There are many more people, however, who consume alcohol but do not drive under the influence. The are laws specifically dealing with driving under the influence of alcohol would apply to driving under the influence of marijuana as well. People that commit crimes while under the influence of marijuana would be prosecuted accordingly. The actions of these people should not prevent those that would use the substance responsibly from doing so.
The United State should repeal the laws criminalizing cannabis. Marijuana should then receive the same regulations as tobacco and alcohol. Many patients suffering from various diseases will be able to get relief from suffering. Legalized marijuana will greatly help our economy. Legalizing cannabis will reduce crime. There are several disadvantages that could be overcome and dealt with. All of these benefits make very compelling argument for the decriminalization of marijuana.
Comments by Zach
I was forced by my teacher to tone down the government criticism and propose regulation under the paper guidlines. Thank you to NORML and Drug Wars Facts, they were very helpful websites.
