Legalizing marijuana

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 (Holowach & Schubring, 2008). 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 (Earleywine, 2006).

Discussion

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. Funds paid to cartels are used to fund violence and other illegal activities. Decriminalization of marijuana will reduce the taxpayer burden by freeing up resources spent in both criminal justice and law enforcement. Costs to house an inmate vary from state to state and from prison to prison. In Florida, for example, it costs an average of $55 a day or $20,000 a year to house an inmate, according to the Florida Department of Corrections (2009). The drug control budget for 2007 was $13.8 billion and could have been drastically reduced. In 2007, 82% of drug violations were for possession; 42% were for marijuana possession (Donald, 2009).

The legalization of marijuana can also help the economy by creating more jobs across the nation. According to the United States Department of Labor (2009), "Over the year, jobless rates increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia” (Regional and State Employment and Unemployment, para. 1). 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.

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 (AIDS, Inc., 2009).

There are several states that have already legalized medical ...