Blog 5
The top question that is on most people's mind is whether or not we, America, should legalize marijuana? Marijuana is a big national government issue today because there is so many people who believe that legalizing marijuana will be a good thing as it can be used for medical use as well as many other uses and it is also less harmful than other legal drugs and antidepressant.
There are several states where marijuana is legal and others where an individual can carry a license stating that they are allowed to have marijuana on them for medical use only. Current laws for marijuana are doing more harm that what they would if it were to just be legalized. Marijuana can also help get rid of addiction to other leading drugs. Marijuana is an effective treatment for curing people with hard drug addiction and it also helps to reduce drugs and alcohol abuse. When addiction users use marijuana, they have a lower chance or relapsing due to the fact that marijuana helps with symptoms one gets during recovery such as, anxiety, depression, nausea, pain, and sleeplessness. The FDA has not approved medical marijuana as type of medicine to be used on patients in many states where marijuana is still illegal.
I totally agree that marijuana should be legalized in every state. I believe that if marijuana is not bad and can help many people in a medical way why not make it legal everywhere instead of just several states? I see it as something kind of unfair that in some states people can smoke marijuana to help with a medical condition while, there could be another person in a different state with the same medical condition but does not have the access to marijuana which could help fight or reduce the, medical condition the individual has. Marijuana can be type of medical drug that can do a lot of good if we stop treating it like it were a drug that kills people. I also think that everyone knows or at least should know that smoking marijuana is not toxic to the brain and does no damage to the body like other drugs do. Overall, I believe that legalizing marijuana should not be a government issue, it should be something that is legal as it does not cause any harm.
On July 26, 2017, my classmate Geovani Romero wrote a blog in favor of legalizing marijuana. He states that the primary reason to legalize marijuana is that it has positive effects, including medical uses. Though I agree with Geovanni that the time has come to legalize marijuana at a national level, I do not agree that “it does not cause any harm.” Like any substance, marijuana has the potential to cause harm when people use it irresponsibly. But I don’t think we need to prove marijuana is harmless (or even that it’s helpful) in order to justify legalization. Instead, I think there are other strong arguments in favor of legalization.
ReplyDeleteThe first is that the “War on Drugs” is failing and has cost our country a huge amount of money. The United States has spent over one trillion dollars trying to fight the illegal drug problem. We have imprisoned millions of people for nonviolent drug crimes. http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/06/opinion/branson-end-war-on-drugs/index.html Not only does it cost money to keep people in prison, it costs our country in terms of potential economic productivity. It has a disproportionate impact on poor and minority communities.
The second reason, related to the first, is the libertarian argument that we should legalize all drugs. http://theweek.com/articles/445005/why-all-drugs-should-legal-yes-even-heroin As libertarians would point out, it is not the government’s role to keep us safe all the time, and in fact, there are many “unsafe” activities and substances that are legal. Why spend money fighting a drug war when we could refocus our efforts in a way that might actually help the people who are negatively impacted by substance abuse? Instead of treating drug use as a crime, treat it as a public health issue. If we tried to reduce the stigma of substance abuse, perhaps more people would seek treatment.
On the opposite end of the political spectrum, another argument for legalizing marijuana is that we could regulate and tax it. By bringing it under the umbrella of federal regulations, users could be assured of quality and safety standards. It could also be taxed, like alcohol or cigarettes. The revenue from taxing marijuana could be used in part to fund public health programs to help people treat their addictions.
With more and more states legalizing medical and even recreational use of marijuana, it does feel like the tide is turning toward deregulation. Since there are strong arguments on every side of the political spectrum, I hope the federal government can follow suit and focus its energy and budget on more pressing issues.
On July 26, 2017, my classmate Geovani Romero posted a blog in favor of legalizing marijuana. Mr. Romero explains that "marijuana is an effective treatment for curing people with a hard drug addiction and it also helps to reduce drugs and alcohol abuse." This is one of the explanations Romero has on legalizing marijuana, and I agree with him 100%.
DeleteI believe that if cigarettes and alcohol are legal, then marijuana should be too. There is no prove that marijuana can kill you later on, but everyone knows we can get alcohol poisoning, or lung cancer. As my classmate explains, "it can be used for medical use, as well as many other uses." Medical marijuana helps patients with cancer, auto immune diseases, and many other diagnosis's. People with anxiety could use it to calm their symptoms and make them feel more safe around their environment. Some people are afraid of what is around them, and I believe marijuana could calm nerves.
Romero also says "it should not be a government issue" and I totally agree. If we were to legalize marijuana, our government would be receiving a lot of money. Texas is a huge state, and we see on the news that people are doing drugs and selling it, but we would not have that problem anymore if the money went to the government. More hospitals would have supplies for it and more patients with their disorders could come in and buy some. Our government would earn a lot of money legalizing marijuana, and a lot of people already do it, so that means more money.
Overall, I agree with my classmate Geovani Ramero. Marijuana is not bad for you, and like Ramero said, "everyone knows or at least should know that smoking marijuana is not toxic to the brain and does no damage like other drugs do." Marijuana is not like cocaine, or heroin, not even like cigarettes. Our government would do a lot better money wise by legalizing marijuana.
In my classmate's blog, Geovani argues the merits of the legalization marijuana. He claims that legalizing marijuana will be “a good thing” and that it can be used medically. Examples of this include ridding addiction to other drugs and that it is “not toxic to the brain” and “does no damage to the body like other drugs do”. While I agree with his stance, I disagree with his arguments. There are conflicting studies on the effects and benefits of medical marijuana to the point in which it is not concrete evidence. Instead, there are other aspects in which the legalization of marijuana can be argued.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, the United States has spent billions of dollars enforcing the laws and regulations around marijuana. In particular, a 2010 study from the Cato Institute [https://www.texastribune.org/2016/12/09/marijuana-legalization-texas/] estimates that the United States has spent $5.4 billion dollars enforcing it and in Texas, each marijuana arrest can cost taxpayers $10,000. It is simply not economical to continue doing this; instead, lower the consequences of possession and public smoking to fines as opposed to jail time or legalize it altogether.
Secondly, legalizing marijuana and bringing it under federal jurisdiction will allow it to be closely monitored and controlled in contrast to the current underground market. People won’t stop doing drugs simply because the government outlaws it – alcohol prohibition in the 1920’s is a prime example of this. So instead of attempting to impose negative reinforcement upon marijuana users, it would be better to their safety by regulating it and ensuring a certain degree of quality as to not harm users. Additionally, regulating it will allow the government to tax it and generate a revenue stream from marijuana as opposed to it being a revenue drain. In fact, Colorado, a state in which marijuana is legal, has brought in $223 million dollars in the 2017 fiscal year thus far. [https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/revenue/colorado-marijuana-tax-data]
Finally, marijuana can have its medical benefits. Although studies have not yet reached a consensus on the effects of medicinal marijuana, the results are leaning positively. By legalizing it, the U.S. medical system can better recognize the impacts of medicinal marijuana while also most likely benefitting those who need it the most. [http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000884]
Overall, while I did agree with Geovani’s argument in principle, I think that there are much stronger arguments in favor of the legalization of marijuana.