...From an Economic Standpoint 12/2/2012 The Legalization of Marijuana in America ID: 1175376 Introduction After the recent 2012 United States Presidential Election, whereupon Colorado and Washington passed the policy to legalize marijuana for “adult purposes,” government officials faced conflict as to whether to legalize the drug on a federal level or not (Smith 1). There is a battle between the Supreme Court and federal government regarding enforcement as state law allows production and consumption of the drug while the federal law prohibits such activities. When a state officer finds marijuana on the persons of a Colorado resident, there is no charge; however, when a federal officer finds marijuana on the persons of a Colorado resident the extent of the penalty could be arrest and incarceration. Due to conflicting enforcement policies, America is forced to examine the issue and come to a consensus between the policies to ensure homogeneity between the two lawmaking bodies. One means of analyzing the issue is through an economic perspective. As economics is the study of “how society manages its scarce resources” and the manner in which a society makes decisions, the economics behind a controversial policy can help determine acceptance or rejection of the proposed law (Mankiw 1-1). Based on fundamental economic concepts, historical evidence, global data, and future forecasts, the effects of legalizing marijuana will be analyzed. After analyzing the economics of the legalization...
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...the most controversial proposition is Prop 19; the legalization of marijuana. This is not the first time that a proposition regarding marijuana has been on the voter’s ballot. In 1996, California Proposition 215 (the Compassionate Use Act) passed, allowing the use of only medical marijuana. Proposition 19 takes marijuana legalization a step further, creating full legalization in California, and treating marijuana more like tobacco or alcohol. Proposition 19 should be passed, making it a stepping stone towards a national referendum on marijuana decriminalization and leading to a reduction the national debt. If passed, Proposition 19 will legalize the use of marijuana under California state law. It would permit local governments to regulate and tax the commercial production, distribution, and sale of marijuana. But with the legality of the buying and selling of marijuana, there would come many rules and regulations that are stated in the proposition that would adjoin to users. According to Yeson19.com, the proposition was very carefully written to protect medical user’s rights while at the same time, written to regulate the use and impose constraints on those same individuals (Control & Tax Cannabis). In addition, these laws could be viewed as fairly similar to current laws regarding the use of tobacco and alcohol. Some of the major parts of the bill in regulating the use of marijuana are to control marijuana like alcohol, place age restrictions, limit location to where possession...
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...The legal status of cannabis during 1619-1915, coupled with a ban on alcohol during 1920-1933, has provoked questioning of the rationality of the current US federal legislation on both drugs, as marijuana is currently illicit whilst alcohol is not. Research has suggested that marijuana could be equally if not more beneficial than alcohol to the economy, with fewer negative externalities. This discussion has been sparked anew after the states of Colorado and Washington infringed federal legislation by instating the open legality of marijuana. The topic, in current debate, must be viewed objectively to reach a valuable conclusion, since much of the argument is highly opinionated and biased owing to the stigma attached to such substances. Marijuana is currently a Schedule I substance under federal law whereas alcohol is federally regulated through the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) alongside stringent state and county laws. Existing federal law makes alcohol legal to those over the age of 21, with high taxation placed on consumption. Hence, the substance is highly regulated, although not currently prohibited. We intend to examine the economic effects that alcohol has on the economy and compare these findings with the hypothetical benefits of legalised marijuana. Analytically considering the reasoning behind its current illegal status, we will compare the negative externalities of cannabis against those of alcohol to determine whether there is logic behind...
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...The Miracle Crop Did you know that there is a plant strong enough to replace plastic, oil, and building materials; and the same plant has been cultivated for the past 12,000 years, yet it has been classified as a schedule one drug? Since it has been harvested, hemp has become one of the most popular crops ever grown. Our founding fathers including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, all grew hemp on their estates. In the early 20th Century, hemp was outlawed in the United States; even though it had been one of the major crops in the U.S. and was super beneficial. Hemp can be used for building a stronger concrete than we have right now; it is one the most nutritious foods we can harvest today and can yield more than 400 times the amount of paper which we use from cutting down trees on the same land. Hemp can also improve the environment if cotton was substituted for hemp; plus it creates a stronger and more durable fiber. Today hemp is not illegal but we would be better off if it was completely legal and we could start to use hemp as it was suppose to be used. To get a better understanding, let take a look at the impact hemp has had on the world. “For the past twelve thousand years, industrial hemp has been harvested and used throughout almost every nation in the world” (8). “From its beginning, hemp has been used throughout the world for its fiber, seed, and psychoactive effect” (9). “Ancient Chinese techniques of hemp sowing, cultivation, and processing...
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...through the brush and started to drink the water. All of a sudden a crocodile came out of the water. “Hey little buddy, what’s up?” said the crocodile. “I just got stoned with my pal the monkey and came down here for a drink of water”. “Really?” said the crocodile, “Where is he? I want to smoke some, too”. “He’s through the brush and up the tree”, said the lizard. So the crocodile walked through the brush and came to the tree. The monkey looks down from the tree and says, “Holy geez, little buddy how much did you drink??” We laugh when we hear jokes like this, but the fact of the matter is, current marijuana laws in the United States make possessing and being under the influence of pot no laughing matter. It is my resolution that the United State of America should legalize both the medical and recreational use of marijuana. This will benefit our country and its people by ending prohibition and the extremely high cost of pursuing it; it will open up a revenue stream with the potential to move or country toward financial solvency; it would allow the growth and use of hemp for widespread use, thereby benefitting our economy and the environment; and lastly, it can be more widely studied for use as an alternative to highly addictive opiate based pharmaceuticals in relieving pain and other symptoms of certain chronic diseases. I chose this subject because it hits close to home for me. When my younger brother was 15, he...
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...Ending Prohibition of Marijuana Brian Egnor SOC 120 Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility Instructor. Linda Atkinson June 9, 2013 Ending Prohibition of Marijuana Marijuana should be legal for many reasons. Not only is marijuana been proven over and over through research and studies to help with many illnesses, but marijuana has never caused death by overdose like many legal drugs do year after year. I will also discuss how not only the marijuana plant can be used for medical, and recreational use, but the plant is also a relative of hemp which can be used to produce, rope, clothing, paper and many other resources . We can use nearly every part of the Cannabis Sativa, or marijuana plant. The plant grows rapidly and has been known to reach heights in excess of 20 feet. It is a plant that very few natural pests will attack or infest, and very few extremes in weather will hinder its growth. The leaves of the plant are narrow leaflets with usually in with at least 5 or more leaves. Each leaf connects to a slender stem that is attached to a thick, hollow stalk. The edge of the leaflets will resemble that of a serrated knife. The species does have male and female plants. The male plants tend to grow taller, and are topped with flowers covered in pollen. The female plant being shorter, has larger pollen catching flowers, and produces seeds and protects them with a sticky resin. The plant in turn has many uses. The stalk can be used to make fiber; the seeds can be...
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...The Legalization Of Marijuana for the Benefit of America Marijuana under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 is a schedule I narcotic and therefore has been made illegal in the United States[1]. Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since the early 1900’s and has been demonized for what it does to a person that uses it. Through the great propaganda of the 1900’s by the United States government they convinced an entire nation that marijuana is evil and will cause horrible side effects without having to prove just about any scientific or research data at all. Basically people chose to go against marijuana without knowing what it is, how it works, or how even America can benefit from breaking apart from the 1900’s way of thinking and legalize it. As it is normally known and referred to as marijuana but its scientific name is cannabis. It comes from the cannabis sativa plant, which is native to Asia and Africa but now is being grown just about world wide. Cannabis has many forms other than its plant one that is widely used. In its most common form, marijuana consists of flowers and leaves while as hashish it is found as a type of resin liquid. There were many prominent Americans that used to grow the plant and use the cannabis as a cash crop similarly to how tobacco plants were grew for profit. George Washington used to grow cannabis as his primary cash crop on his plantations, it was a good profit for him as it had its medicinal and recreational...
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...Legalizing Marijuana in the United States Jennifer Wilkins English Composition I Engl 1301 July 21, 2009 Bertha Webster Legalizing Marijuana in the United States Introduction Marijuana is a substance that has become very much a part of American culture. By definition, marijuana derives from the Indian hemp plant thought to have originated in the mountainous districts of India, north of the Himalayan Mountains (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861628419/marijuana.html). Nearly 95 million Americans have either used marijuana occasionally or regularly (Belville, 2009, p.60). Marijuana’s history is long and extensive. Marijuana comes from a Mexican word meaning “Mary Jane”. Marijuana has been grown for medical use for thousands of years. It is an established scientific fact that marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive as alcohol or tobacco (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/?page=2). Today in the United States there is an ongoing debate whether marijuana should or should not be legalized. Legalizing marijuana can cut the cost to the government for the on-going “war on drugs”, be used medically in numerous proven ways, and eliminate the failure of prohibition. Cost of the “War on Drugs” In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the “War on Drugs.” More than thirty years after the “War on Drugs” was declared...
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...Marijuana Legalization: The War on Drugs and Criminal Law Howard R. Burke Strayer University Abstract This research will point out that the United States’ current policy on drug prohibition, the so called “War on Drugs,” is ineffective. The current draconian prohibition policies against drug consumption may actually increase their use. As well, contrary to claims made by current drug policy supporters, increased drug enforcement can reduce public safety and compound the individual and social costs of drug use. The U.S. drug policy, born over a hundred years ago, has gone through several transformations becoming more voracious with each new invocation. The War on Drugs is an expensive and failed concept which has incorporated racism in its administration, increased crime rates, imposed harsh sentences for nonviolent offenses, facilitated police corruption and aggressively eroded civil liberties. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Introduction to the Problem Background of the Study Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Research Research Questions Significance of the Research Assumptions and Limitations Organization of the Remainder of the Study LITERATURE REVIEW CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Marijuana Legalization: The War on Drugs and Criminal Law INTRODUCTION The United States has conducted a long experiment of drug prohibition. The prohibition of marijuana and other illicit drugs has only...
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...Legalizing Marijuana: An Ethical Perspective In today’s society, many ethical concerns arise on a daily basis, especially when it comes to the topic of legalizing marijuana. Many individuals have relied on the fact that marijuana was illegal, when determining whether smoking it should be considered unethical. However, many studies have shown that the effects of marijuana are not as detrimental as they were once made out to be. Legalizing marijuana can be an extremely controversial topic because several people have strong beliefs concerning why it should not be legalized, while a significant amount of people have stronger arguments, as to why it should be legalized. When it comes to looking at the ethical standpoint of legalizing marijuana, everyone has a different interpretation as to why marijuana should or should not be legalized. This is because everyone’s sense of morals and values differ. Legalizing marijuana for medicinal and recreational use would be beneficial for large amounts of people for many reasons. The theory of utilitarianism implies that the proper course of action should be the one, which benefits the greatest number of people. Many aspects of legalizing marijuana should be considered when determining if the benefits outweigh the risks. Several states have passed laws, which govern the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. In fact, over twenty states, as well as the District of Columbia have enacted laws that govern the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes...
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...Mario Prieto 7/25/2014 Mr. Ogrodowski English 102 Research Paper Marijuana Legalization Marijuana is the most used drug in the world; it’s as popular as it is polarizing. It’s been said to have medicinal benefits for the ill. Can it kill a human being? If it can kill, than why is it illegal? Why not legalize it, that way crimes will go down? All these are questions that have been asked when discussing the hot debate that is marijuana. While there is no clear answer to any of these questions, there is a variety of opinions out there in respect to marijuana. Marijuana has carried a big stigma for a long time. Back in the 20th century, not a lot was known about marijuana. We as humans tend to be afraid of the unknown, therefore we feared marijuana and what damages it could cause. As of today, 23 states have legalized marijuana, with Colorado being the state that gets the most recognition (ProCon.org). Those for the legalization of pot are devoted to this plant and go way back to 1965, where Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg led a march for marijuana legalization outside the New York Women’s House of Detention in Lower Manhattan (Lee, Martin A). Passionate protesters waved posters and shouted out slogans in one of the more renowned moments of the 1960s (Lee, Martin A). This protest launched the inaugural event of the New York chapter Committee to legalize pot, the group was led by Ginsberg and Poet Ed Sanders; these protests would be...
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...Marijuana Prohibition Marijuana prohibition in America has become a much heated debate over the past decade or so which has launched countless campaigns both for and against legalizing the plant for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, excessive propaganda has been used to distort the facts and prevent education on the matter. It may surprise you to know that 100 years ago this was not even an issue. Most people in America simply assume that marijuana was criminalized due to the result of scientific research which determined that it fell into the category of a dangerous drug. This is completely false and the history of marijuana’s criminalization is filled with fear and corrupt legislation. The laws that were created as a result were made for the wrong reasons using false evidence. Despite what the opposition says, legalizing marijuana is beneficial to everyone for several reasons: it is a healthier alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, it will free the court system and jails from unnecessary time and expenses, and it will create a substantial source of revenue for the country. For nearly a century, health care personnel and government officials have stressed the potentially dangerous side effects of marijuana usage. Currently marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. (NIDA, 2010) Marijuana is the dried flowers that come from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which...
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...Marijuana is one of the world’s oldest plants to come to wide practice of production, sale, and consumption originally used for medical purposes. This generated rapidly growing industries based around the variety of uses for the easily grown plant species. Hemp has been used for a variety of everyday purposes in Americas past including paper, clothing, food, and fuel; the economic potential for this plant type surpasses many plants which are considered staple crops today. Marijuana is America’s number one cash crop surpassing corn and other items. Its decriminalization would open new tax revenues and slash old tax budgets as funds are re appropriated to satisfy a hungry criminal justice system. There have been many non-violent convictions in the justice system that costs the country potentially hundreds of billions of dollars every year and have since the start of the war on drugs during the Reagan era. These convictions could be avoided if the government let each American decide if the production and consumption of marijuana violated their moral and ethical values as individual liberties. As Americans, we are given, at birth, unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the freedom to pursue happiness through whatever means beyond any clear and eminent harm. The combined benefits that would be experienced from legalization are obvious, evident, and too important to remain illegal; the decriminalization of marijuana is more a matter of time due to the variety and abundance of positive...
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...of legalizing marijuana in Missouri and to support the legalization of marijuana, because of it being able to provide many medical as well as economic benefits for the United States if legalized. THESIS STATEMENT: Marijuana has been regarded as a harmful plant that can endanger lives and is thought to be nothing more than an extra problem to be dealt with in today’s society. However, based on its economic value and medical benefits, the cannabis has proven to outweigh its negatives with numerous other positives. By completing the details for each source below, you will have all the necessary information to complete the bibliography on your working outline. Source 1: Netflix Article title:The Union: The Business Behind Getting High Author: Name of periodical: Surviving Disaster. Volume: 1 Pages: 1hr 44 Date: 2007 Database used: movie Date information retrieved or DOI: Type of supporting material: statistics Specific information obtained (copy and paste): Didnt take notes just listen to repeat information Source 2: Book read Article title: Marihunana the forbidden medicine Author: by Lester Grinspoon Name of periodical: book Volume: Pages: Date: 2012 Database used: n/a Date information retrieved or DOI: n/a Type of supporting material: quotation Specific information obtained (copy and paste): Source 3: Article title: Why Marijuana Should Be Legal...
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...Marijuana, subject that has been around since most were even born, yet still controversial to this very second. There are very passionate parties on both ends, some for it, and some against it. There are also positives and negatives to each. In a day and age where numbers are everything, it is “the” thing. This is a disclaimer: I am not writing about the legalization of weed. In fact, I am addressing the economic argument of if marijuana is the productive economic stimulus the United States has been looking for. Marijuana as of right now is an illegal banned substance in most states, yet without many documented negatives, is left out and unable to bring most state revenue departments hundreds of millions of dollars per year, further helping this country and keeping it out of another economic recession. In this argumentative piece, I am going to address if marijuana is actual an economic benefit in the states that do allow it, or if it is just a myth. Now we must first address the elephant in the room. There is a certain stigma with Marijuana. It has been said by many that the legalization of marijuana is not in hopes of revenue and economic gains, but instead our troubled generations excuse to legalize a substance that as of now is still widely illegal. It is important to note the now cultural norm marijuana’s widely gained. On the Expanded Academic ASAP Gale, Ventrell Marvin goes into depth on Colorado’s land mark experiment of Marijuana. The author of the scholarly source...
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