Joe Mittelstaedt
Instructor Baasen
English 101-24
09 December 2008
Legalization of Marijuana
On August 2, 1977 President Jimmy Carter expressed his belief in a message to Congress that: "Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use" (NIDA, Government). Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America; right behind alcohol and tobacco. Nearly 80 million Americans have tried the drug during their lifetime. Roughly 20 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 11 million do so on a regular basis (NORML, About). It is rather obvious how the majority of Americans feel about marijuana consumption; why do our current public policies deny this reality? It should not be the ability of the government to force citizens not to indulge in recreational drug use. Instead, this decision should lie within each individual. Marijuana laws need to be revised on a state and national level in order to benefit both the citizens and the government.
Marijuana is a mixture of the leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers resulting from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The main mind-altering ingredient present in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; better known as THC (NIDA, Infofacts). A few slang terms for marijuana are pot, weed, grass, herb, chronic, ganja, reefer.
The use of marijuana can vary from smoking to eating concentrated baked goods. The most common method is smoking a joint, which is a cigarette rolled with loose marijuana. Another frequently used technique is smoking out of a pipe, glass bowl, or water pipe known as a bong. Marijuana can also be mixed and cooked into foods and eaten. These foods are considered “special” once the marijuana has been added. The food of choice to use is, by far, brownies. Cookies and muffins are also widely experimented with.
Under federal law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug; high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value. All possession, sale, and cultivation of marijuana are illegal. Possession of marijuana, for any amount, is punishable by up to one year in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000. The penalties increase significantly for cultivation and distribution of the drug (NORML, Federal).
Marijuana is still illegal under state law in Minnesota, although it has been decriminalized. The state has decriminalized marijuana to the point of no prison time for first-time offenders of possession of small amount. It is often treated similar to a minor traffic violation. Minnesota also has a marijuana tax stamp law enacted. This law legally requires people who possess marijuana to purchase and attach state-issued stamps onto his or her contraband (NORML, Minnesota).
There is, however, one country in the world where a drug policy tolerating the general public to use marijuana in private does exist. This is clearly none other than the Netherlands; more specifically, the beautiful city of Amsterdam. The Dutch’s policy is primarily made up of the idea that each person has the right to make decisions regarding his or her personal health (Skelton). Skelton also pointed out another firm belief the Dutch have: “Hiding social negative phenomena does not make them to disappear - on the contrary makes them worse, because when concealed, they become far more difficult to influence and control.”
The coffee shops spread throughout Amsterdam are allowed to sell small amounts of marijuana and are very strictly regulated. The coffee shops are required to only sell to adults over eighteen and the maximum amount customers can purchase at one time is five grams (Skelton). The distribution of hard drugs through the coffee shops is severely forbidden and results in grave punishments. Additionally, customers are allowed to smoke their newly purchased marijuana in the confines of the coffee shops (Skelton).
One highly debated reason why medicinal marijuana is not yet legalized in the United States is the concern that marijuana use will increase. Over thirty percent of the nation’s population resides in states that have decriminalized marijuana There are already thirteen states whom have fully operational medical marijuana programs, including: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Plenty of studies have confirmed the peoples’ thoughts on how neither medical marijuana nor decriminalization laws have caused the use of marijuana to increase whatsoever (NORML, About). After becoming widely accessible, soft drugs seem to lose a great deal of their appeal. This is the result our country will acquire after the black market for marijuana is no longer in commission. In cooperation with legalization, the government will be capable of overseeing all possible marijuana plant cultivation and implementing hefty taxes on the drug.
In comparison to the legal drugs alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is significantly less dangerous. Cigarette smoking contributes to more than 400,000 deaths each year. Also, approximately 50,000 people are killed each year due to alcohol poisoning (NORML, About). Both tobacco and alcohol are completely legal, yet cause such destruction in the lives of the people. As said by the prominent European medical journal, The Lancet, "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or tobacco” (NORML, About). No one has ever died from a medically documented marijuana overdose.
The prohibition of alcohol in the United States, which began in the 1920’s, resulted with a sharp increase of violent organized crime. The organized crime units were smuggling alcohol over the borders of Canada and Mexico and shipped it overseas from the Caribbean. They also began creating their own version of alcohol; commonly known as moonshine (Robinson).
These activities continued across the country for over a decade. The United States was completely dysfunctional as of now; the prohibition was a drastic failure and was permanently abolished in 1933 (Robinson). The government had finally realized the direct correlation between the prohibition of alcohol and increased crime rates. The additional crimes purely consisted of importing, smuggling, and producing of bootlegged alcohol. So many lives were ruined because of this. The government has since amended the prohibition and legalized alcohol once again. This instance goes to show that sometimes, prohibition does more harm than good.
With privilege comes responsibility. As with other legal substances, such as cigarettes and alcohol, use should be moderate. In the appeal for marijuana reform it is important to note that In the United States Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug. marijuana is third to cigarettes and alcohol (NORML, About Marijuana). Too much of a good thing can be bad, but this applies to everything. It is the responsibility of the individual to use marijuana, like any other substance, in an appropriate manor. It should not be up to the government to decide for everyone if marijuana should or should not be used.
The relationship between cigarettes and alcohol in comparison to marijuana is pertinent to the argument for marijuana reform. It displays similar substances and shows the most probable route to take if marijuana were legalized. It is likely that marijuana would be used and regulated similarly to cigarettes and alcohol. I propose that there be an age such as eighteen where it is legal to purchase marijuana. With the legalization of marijuana not only will the age of the user be controlled but the quality of the product purchased. Marijuana is currently sold illegally; by drug dealers this unfortunately leads marijuana consumers to have no means of quality control. When one purchases marijuana the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not there to ensure a safe and quality product.
Along with quality product control the legalization of marijuana could ensure the government yet another means for taxing the public to provide funding for a multitude of things. The revenue generated by taxing the legal sale of marijuana could be applied to alcohol and drug education programs or funding for other pertinent issues on state and national levels. The government would get even more money than that provided by taxation. The total cost of enforcing marijuana prohibition is $10 billion yearly (NORML, About Marijuana). The extra revenue can be wisely spent by the government and it can help provide or improve much need services to the citizens.
Marijuana reform and use is widely opposed by many people. They believe that heavy or daily use of marijuana affects parts of the brain that control memory, attention and learning (NIDA, For Teens). Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical in marijuana, finds neurons which are cells within the brain that have specific kinds of receptors. These receptors are called cannabinoid receptors; THC binds itself to the receptors. Certain parts of the brain have high concentrations of cannabinoid receptors. The areas in the brain with the most cannabinoid receptors are the hippocampus, the cerebellum, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral cortex (NIDA, For Teens). It is important to note that there is no research proving that the chemical change in the brain is permanent or damaging.
People who oppose marijuana state that it is a gateway drug. The term gateway is the idea of once someone uses marijuana; they will have access to hard drugs and eventually try them too. “Using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs.” stated the National Institute on Drug Abuse. If marijuana were legalized, it would then be sold from license stores rather than drug dealers on the streets. This form of control would ensure that people who use marijuana are not exposed to access to other harder drugs.
All of the research and statistics seem to point to one thing; the legalization of marijuana is the only responsible thing to do. Legalization would protect consumers in multiple ways. It also takes away the appealing aspect of defying the law. Not to mention all of the revenue that would be generated for the government, by not prosecuting users and the taxation of marijuana. The legalization of marijuana is a responsible move by all parties involved; the consumers, the government, and even those who do not smoke. Legalization of marijuana benefits everyone. Now is the most crucial time to speak out to congressmen; please do not let the prohibition of marijuana continue any longer.