Legalizing Marijuana

Introduction

Drugs can be a lot of things to a lot of people. They can be exciting, they can be something to alleviate pain or help cure a disease, they can be marketplace commodities, they can destroy some people's lives, and they can even be a way to a position of power. The annual number of deaths caused by illegal drug use is approximately 20,000; the number of deaths caused by marijuana use each year is zero. Many Americans do not believe marijuana should be legalized because there is nothing positive that would come from it. In fact, the medical benefits of marijuana are astounding. Marijuana, also known as cannabis sativa, reduces nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy in cancer patients and helps AIDS patients maintain their weight by inducing hunger.

If legalized, marijuana revenue generated from sales would stay in the U.S. instead of leaving the country to fund drug cartels. One of the main products of drug cartels is marijuana and the main supplier to the U.S. is Mexico..

Discussion

Legalization of Marijuana and Economy

The legalization of marijuana can also help the economy by creating more jobs across the nation. According to the Johnson et al (2004), "Over the year, jobless rates increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia”. Some of the jobs that would emerge would be in manufacturing, transportation, and packaging of marijuana. If marijuana became legal for recreational use, there would also be jobs in the sale of marijuana, this could create many new small businesses and contribute to generating a higher profit in stores that participate in the sale of marijuana. This would not only create more jobs but reduce the number of unemployment payments the government is paying to those unable to find work.

Just as there are several economical benefits, the two greatest environmental advantages of legalizing marijuana are that hemp production would be allowed and both marijuana and hemp are grown organically. In 1999, the European Union documented 26,821 uses for hemp fiber. Hemp is a renewable resource that can be used to create items such as paper, rope, clothes, and many other fiber-based items. Instead of using trees, the use of hemp would drastically reduce the number of trees cut down each year to make paper..

There are also many medicinal benefits that will come with the legalization of marijuana, in addition to the environmental and economical benefits. Patients with AIDS commonly attribute their rapid weight loss to the nausea the disease causes. Marijuana can help AIDS patients maintain their weight because it the drug causes the patient to feel hunger. Marijuana also reduces the pain of headaches and the anxiety caused by living with the illness.

There are several states that have already legalized medical marijuana. These states include: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. There are many common conditions that have been approved in these states. The conditions included, but are not limited to: HIV or AIDS, cachexia, ...