So here is a controversial topic for you: legalization of marijuana. There are lots of reasons for it to be legal, and I am going to discuss them.
First I’m going to take a look at the reasons criminalization of marijuana does not work. People in law enforcement will tell you flat out that it should be legal; laws against it just don’t work – they cannot be effectively enforced.
California has over 0.6 percent of its adult population in prison – A higher rate than any other state in the United States, and higher than most other nation states, even those with repressive regimes. 21 percent of inmates are drug offenders. I’d say this is a good sign that the law is in no way lowering drug usage.
Criminalizing marijuana is a failed experiment – just like prohibition. Making marijuana possession a crime didn’t eliminate usage, it just drove it into the black market. So now a lot of people go to jail for it, and we get no tax money from the sale of it.
And instead of going through legal markets, it goes through drug cartels, who use the drug income to fund other criminal activity. Marijuana now funds violent crime, smuggling, and prostitution.
Now what are the positives of having it legal? First and foremost, tax money. The state of California could be raising a large amount of tax revenue from marijuana sales, if it were legal. Other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol are legal and taxed, why shouldn’t marijuana be?
And I know some arguments against its legalization will be that use of it is immoral. But we legalize and tax plenty of other so-called immoral activities, such as gambling, and use of the drugs I just mentioned – why not marijuana?
Another pro of legalization is regulation. If it is a legal enterprise, not only can it be taxed, but sales can be regulated by the state. If you make it legal, you practically destroy the black market for it, and thus make it much more difficult for those who are underage to procure it.
Now I want to address two more arguments I know will be raised against my opinion.
First, people will say it is bad for you. My answer to that is simple: Yes it is, but so are tobacco, alcohol, and Twinkies, and marijuana is much less dangerous than any of them. The answer is not criminalization, it is effective and correct education to go with free choice.
Others will tell me that studies have shown it to be a gateway drug, that use of marijuana leads to use of other more dangerous drugs. My answer to this is even simpler: These studies have been proven inconclusive or incorrect.
-Ilan Seid-Green
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19 comments:
2 points
1) Can you prove that "People in law enforcement will tell you flat out that it should be legal"? I volunteer at the San Mateo PD, and from what I hear, the "people in law enforcement" believe that marijuana should be illegal.
2) "First, people will say it is bad for you. My answer to that is simple: Yes it is, but so are tobacco and alcohol, and marijuana is much less dangerous than either of them." While that is true, marijuana is still very dangerous. Drivers under the influence of marijuana are more likely to get into dangerous car crashes.
All that aside, I do believe that marijuana should be legalized. #1) Like you said, taxing the drug could create lots of profits for California, and #2) it is so easy to get marijuana. I mean, all you need is just a doctor's recommendation, a RECOMMENDATION, not a prescription, to legally use marijuana and grow them in your backyard (I think the maximum is 6 plants?).
"Marijuana is much less dangerous than [Twinkies]"
WHAT?
Sure there is that whole obesity argument, but it does not affect others. Compared to killing someone in a car crash because you were high and your senses were impaired.
-Jessica Barney
Well first of all, I'm glad someone caught my Twinkies reference.
Second, I was speaking of detrimental health effects, not those of machine operation under the influence. And believe me, Twinkies are pretty bad.
-Ilan Seid-Green
Well I don't know about you, but if I were in charge of snacks at a preschool, I'd feel safer giving the kids a Twinkie over a joint.
Well I admit you won't burn yourself on a Twinkie, but I'd definitely advocate against feeding preschoolers or in fact anybody at any point in their life Twinkies.
-Ilan Seid-Green
I don't have much to add as most of my arguments have already been summed up pretty nicely. Just an article I read a while back that supports some of the assertions made
http://www.thelantern.com/2.1345/marijuana-could-prevent-alzheimer-s-1.72932
(I forgot how to Hyperlink in HTML, someone help pl0x?)
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/07/opinion/oe-sabet7
Kevin A. Sabet worked at the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Clinton and Bush administrations. He is currently a consultant in private practice.
Those are his credentials and does a far better job of explaining than I could. Pretty much adresses each of your points and shoots them down, continue on to the second page.
I also found several other websites that talk about the social and health costs but a more economic reason against legalization appealed to me more.
I support your claim that marijuana should be legalized. "The state of California could be raising a large amount of tax revenue from marijuana sales, if it were legal." I found this interesting because of the current state California is in. Many people are dissatisfied with actions of the governor. In addition, some of the tax money could be spent on things, such as education. I for one am concerned about the reduced budget that colleges are receiving. A consequence for that is reduced college acceptances, and I DO wish that I have an increased chances into getting into certain colleges of my dream. Unfortunately, budget cuts are hindering those chances
Although, I must say I have to agree with Jessica about the health issues marijuana might possess. THC, a chemical infamously found in marijuana, can cause mental disturbance. Other effects may include damages upon the heart and lungs [http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html]. HOWEVER, I want to stress that the rate of use amongst people over a certain time is fairly low. Despite the fact that it is considered one of the most "abused illicit drugs," most marijuana users fail to continue using the drug for a long period of time, thus reducing the potential health problems.
Sure, alcohol and twinkies are legal, but there is no evidence that they are more dangerous than marijuana. I'm pretty sure someone who's high is probably just as dangerous as someone who is drunk... or obese? Yeah I really don't understand how twinkies are more dangerous than a blunt. I really liked how Jessica talked about the whole snacks and preschool thing. Twinkies and/or obesity, as Jessica mentioned, do not affect others. Marijuana does. Let's say I'm high and driving and crash into another car because I'm so out of my mind.
I'm not saying that marijuana is all bad; like you said, there is a lot of benefits that could be had from legalizing it.
I support the idea that marijuana should be legalized but just to play devil's advocate for a second, making it illegal keeps people on their toes. I find it logical that it would scare them into using it only in private, thus keeping any machine operation under the influence rather low. For example, alcohol. People drive under the influence because it is legal to drink and in the end, all the consequences is just a DUI. However, if someone were caught driving while under the influence of marijuana, consequences are much much higher, such as possession of an illegal drug, use of an illegal drug AND a DUI. Seeing as possession/use of illegal drugs returns a much stronger consequence, it keeps people off the roads when high and thus fatalities in crashes and the likes would be lower. I'm curious to hear opinions and counter arguments to this. Does keeping marijuana illegal keep people scared enough to keep them at home and avoid most accidents or is this just me speculating to much?
So silly.
"Compared to killing someone in a car crash because you were high and your senses were impaired."
Let's also make alcohol a Schedule I drug. It impairs the senses (far more than using cannabis) and causes people to get into car accidents (FAR MORE OFTEN than people driving while high). I mean, clearly, designated drivers do not exist.
Has anyone here ever experienced driving while being high? Can you speak from experience and make this assertion? Can you provide statistics for cannabis-related car accidents? Can you compare those statistics to alcohol-related car accidents?
"Sure, alcohol and twinkies are legal, but there is no evidence that they are more dangerous than marijuana. I'm pretty sure someone who's high is probably just as dangerous as someone who is drunk... or obese?"
Think again. Read studies and statistics on alcohol/twinkies. How many high people have you seen being "dangerous" and wreaking havoc anywhere whilst being high off cannabis? Have you ever even heard of people fighting after smoking cannabis?
Seriously people, get real. America ought to honor freedom of choice. If tobacco and alcohol, which are tons more harmful to the individual and society, are legal, then why should cannabis remain illegal?
I have heard many arguments for and against legalization of marijuana, but I disagree that we should legalize it on the basis that other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol are legal. I also disagree that we should legalize it because we can't enforce it. What if murders get out of hand and we can't enforce those? Should we legalize murder then? Of course that's a durastic example, but I think we shouldn't just give up, but think about the consequences of releasing more drugs into our economy.
Derek White
Derek, a couple issues with your analogy. First off, there is nothing worse than murder, so whatever efforts we make toward it is essentially the best we can do. Secondly, banning the lesser of two evils is like saying you're allowed to keep assault rifles but any form of hand gun isn't allowed. It doesn't make that much sense.
What consequences are you speaking of? Are you thinking about the health effects? Marijuana is just as addicting as caffeine, or maybe even a bit less. If you're talking about other health effects such as what it can do to your body physically, well, how's it different from any other drug? Social effects? Again, how's it different from any other drug? Economically? Well, it will definitely benefit the state, if it's the economic welfare of the individual, it was his/her choice to buy and also his/her responsibility to use responsibly.
I lost my train of thought, so I'll leave it there for now..
"...we should legalize it on the basis that other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol are legal."
Of course not. It should be legal because America ought to honor freedom of choice. Comparisons are made to tobacco and alcohol because America honors freedom to choose using tobacco and alcohol, but not freedom to choose use of cannabis, which is extremely arbitrary and self-serving.
And you cannot compare cannabis use to murder. Apples to apples please.
I swear everyone that posted after me completely ignored my post about how marijuana doesn't help us at all....either that or no one felt like going to the link and actually reading >.<. Brief overview, marijuana does not help us at all, yeah...
"Comparisons are made to tobacco and alcohol because America honors freedom to choose using tobacco and alcohol, but not freedom to choose use of cannabis, which is extremely arbitrary and self-serving."
I would have banned them if I was in control.
But seriously now, how hard do you think it would be to ban alcohol and tobacco?
Anders:
Your link leads to the popular articles page, not to the specific article.
"I would have banned them if I was in control."
1. We know this.
2. You're not America.
3. No one cares.
Quick comment.
Kevin:
"Your link leads to the popular articles page, not to the specific article."
Yes, and one of your links in another comment linked only to a list of search results, not evidence in the articles.
Your point?
"Yes, and one of your links in another comment linked only to a list of search results, not evidence in the articles."
My point is that Ander's link led to the popular articles page, which mostly includes articles unrelated to pot.
My link led to a results page with articles all about pot and narcotics.
"1. We know this.
2. You're not America.
3. No one cares."
In your own words from the "3 vs. 1" comment, especially that last part, "very immature".
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