Legalize It.

IT'S TIME TO LEGALIZE

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Monday, August 10, 2015

High Times; Vol XCIII, No. 311

Save Our Economy

The Debate On Marijuana

What's The Issue?

In a country where 19-32 million Americans smoke marijuana, you might ponder why it would still be illegal. While not only being labeled less harmful than alcohol, marijuana has numerous health benefits that are proven to be effective in patients that use this drug. It improves their quality of their life, and can even improve the quality of the U.S. economy! Experts say that tax benefits from legalizing marijuana would be huge, as well as the saved costs from reducing enforcement of drug laws. Lastly, it could help bring down rates of dangerous crime by taking the manufacturing and distribution out of cartels' hands, and into regulated companies that have the consumer's best interest in mind. The ban on marijuana has been compared to prohibition, which resulted in disastrous consequences to the United States. 58% of Americans now agree that marijuana should be legalized; the time for change is now.

One of the more important benefits that can be gained from the legalization of marijuana is the economic benefits. Legalizing marijuana in the United States would provide billions in tax revenue, not only to the federal government, but also at local areas. State budgets as well as local communities would benefit from the increased revenue, which could be used for education and improved infrastructure. In addition to the increased revenues, more funds would be saved by reducing the substantial costs that law enforcement spends on combating marijuana users. To add to that, legalization would cut prison spending dramatically. It is estimated that one in four people are in prison for non-violent crimes, many related to the possession of marijuana. This takes millions of individuals away from their families and communities, which can lead to systemic poverty. Allowing those individuals to actively participate and contribute to society boosts the economy as well as their own family's livelihood. That reason alone should be enough to convince congress to legalize marijuana. Taking a look at a more local level, legalization would create a ripple effect through many industries. For example, manufacturers of agricultural products will benefit from increased sales, while the large power demands that are present with indoor growing could pave way for the alternative energy industry to get their foot in the door. After the drug is manufactured, it has to be transported. This stands to benefit trucking, rail, and other transit firms.

The Health Benefits

Illegal Marijuana = More Crime

In cities large and small throughout the United States, the large-scale distribution of marijuana is often handled by dangerous gangs and criminals. The reason this crime occurs is because there is a demand for the product, and rivals gangs often fight over who gets to supply it. Legalizing marijuana would introduce more convenient, safer, and most importantly, legal opportunities for customers to purchase their desired amount of the drug. According to the Denver Police Department, in the first quarter of 2014 after the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado, violent crimes dropped 7% and property crimes went down 11%. Many politicians claimed that legalizing marijuana would actually increase crime, but researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas can refute that claim with their study of data from all 50 states. The article states, "The central finding gleaned from the present study was that MML (medical marijuana legalization) is not predictive of higher crime rates and may be related to reductions in rates of homicide and assault."

In earlier years, experts had their doubts regarding marijuana's effectiveness at treating illnesses. However, recently, experts have been changing their mind due to new evidence that suggests otherwise. There are two active chemicals inside marijuana that have medicinal applications. Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The former is responsible for impacting the brain without a high, while the latter has pain relieving and other medicinal properties. These chemicals offer relief and ailment from a plethora of conditions. According to the National Eye Institute, studies have shown that marijuana lowers intraocular pressure in the eyes, which is what causes glaucoma. Marijuana has shown to slow the progression of disease which aids in preventing blindness. Another one of the most known medical uses for marijuana is for the relief of chemotherapy side effects. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are all symptoms from chemotherapy that marijuana helps relieve. The effects can be gained from physically smoking the leaf of the plant, however, there are multiple FDA-approved drugs that use THC as the main ingredient for the same purpose.

The Final Verdict:

To go alone with the health benefits of marijuana, a study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that the THC in marijuana eases the pain of multiple sclerosis. It does this by bonding to the receptors in the nerves to control and alleviate muscle spasms. Even more medical benefits: marijuana slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease. A study published by Molecular Pharmaceutics found that THC slows the formation of amyloid plaques, which is what kills brain cells and causes Alzheimer's.

With the recent court rulings making recreational marijuana use legal in Colorado and Washington, among other states, it is only time before the rest of the country follows suit. Marijuana has been proven to be beneficial in fighting disease and illness, along with a plethora of other health benefits. It will stock the U.S. with billions in tax revenue that can go toward education and community development, among other things. Those reasons, along with the fact that crime has been shown to go down with the legalization of marijuana, are all reasons why the United States needs to get with the times and legalize marijuana throughout the entire country. Prohibition doesn't work, we learned that in the 1920s when crime spiked to an all time high in this country's history. So why are we relying on half-century old laws to dictate a drug that 58% of Americans believe should be legal? Marijuana's net benefits outweigh the net negative benefits dramatically. Legalize it. It's time.

"It has been more than 40 years since Congress passed the current ban on marijuana, inflicting great harm on society just to prohibit a substance far less dangerous than alcohol."