FREE ESSAY ON REFLECTIVE ESSAY, LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

REFLECTIVE ESSAY, LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Legalization of marijuana 
Legalization of Marijuana (Cannabis) is highly logical in a day where alcohol and tobacco

products, (although restricted by age) are available to millions of people every day.
Someone has 
to wonder why there is such controversy about the proposal to legalize marijuana.
Cannabis 
would benefit the economy enabling new jobs in the U.S. The sale of Cannibas would
benefit the 
government as well with a tax. Being an illegal drug Cannabis has more helpful causes
than 
harmfull. 
Of course, there are many arguments for both sides of this debated issue. Nonetheless, 
Marijuana is no more harmful than alcohol and tobacco products and in some cases,
marijuana has 
already proven to be medicaly helpful. Marijuana, a plant with many uses, should be
legalized 
for crime deflation, medicinal help and tax purposes. Marijuana is, in truth, no more
harmful than 
currently sold alcohol and tobacco products in the U.S. In fact marijuana is no more
harmfull 
than sucking Helium. Each year, millions and millions of dollars are spent on health care
issues 
stemming from the use of alcohol and tobacco drugs: Studies have indicated that the
toxins in 
tobacco and that alcohol are addictive, cause birth defects, and cause many different
cancers 
which kill people. Many families have suffered hard ships because of over use of these
drugs. 
Fighting addictions, added to the cost of fighting cancer, has skyrocketed the amount of
money 
spent each year. Studies do not, however, indicate that marijuana is a "gateway drug,"
one that 
causes addiction . Perhaps the only reason that currently points to danger associated
with 
marijuana has more to do with the fact that because it is not currently government
regulated for 
the public use, marijuana does, occasionally, contain impurities that cause temporary
nausea. 
Perhaps under the FDA specifically, would guarantee a consistently pure product. Already,
the 
FDA has said that marijuana is helpful in treating nausea for cancer patients who are
undergoing 
chemotherapy. In addition the FDA supports the research that shows marijuana's medicinal

potential in treating glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. Several studies have found
that 
"smoking marijuana reduces intraocular pressure...the main cause of this disease". How
can a 
drug that the FDA endorses for purposes of healing and prevention be harmful that the
general 
population needs to be prohibited from its pleasurable effects? 
Along with the medicinal purposes of marijuana, it will also help to reduce crime related

offenses. Police enforcement will save billions of dollars a year. Marijuana is illegal,
only 
criminals deal the drug and will at any point change the cost of their product. This
causes anger 
and frustration among their clients, which often erupts into violence and theft. Law
enforcement 
spends 9 billion dollars annually on cannabis arrests that would no longer be made.
Because it is 
illegal, marijuana is often used today in "shady places" and allowing legalization will
decrease the 
number of such meeting spots. The legalization of marijuana will also result in a
decrease of jail 
population, which will save millions and will result in less violence that often occurs
from 
overcrowded conditions. 
Marijuana, just like alcohol and tobacco, could be taxed, the revenue of which would 
result in billions of dollars that could be spent in areas needing further funding. One
pack of 
twenty joints could be sold the same amount as one pack of cigarettes, $3.50 a pack. From
that 
per pack amount, one-fourth the total cost would go directly to the government. For the 
government to regulate and maintain affordable prices, it would tax the registered
dealers but not 
growers. "This means the sale of unregistered homegrown weed would be banned." However, 
"People could grow their own cannabis but only for personal use". Another possible way to
limit 
abuse of the drug would be to "regulate consumers directly, as for instance, by issuing
licenses to 
buy/ sell/ or grow pot" ( Http://www.geocities.com...economics.html ). The government
could 
impose a "regulation tax" of around $.50-1.00; such a tax on items is to help control the
use, 
which would, in turn, lower the potential for abuse of a substance. These taxes alone
would raise 
around $2.2-$6.4 billion a year. This tax is only one of several cumulative taxes that
would be 
imposed to support the legalization of marijuana. Overall the government could
potentially earn 
$24.2-$43 billion in just one year. The Economy would benefit as well. A plantation were

Cannabis grown then shipped to varias places around the world would contribute thousands
of 
new jobs. 
Marijuana has been proven to be a very safe drug that has many benefits that should be 
taking advantage of rather than being banned from today's society. It has many uses, not
only as 
medicine but to reduce crime rates, as a social drug etc. Hemp would make better paper
than any 
type of tree, hemp makes a stronger fabric than cotton, hemp could be used as gasoline to
fuel 
our mechines. The uses of marijuana go on and on, there would be many improvements on
earth 
that would also benefit the earth as well. The legalization of marijuana will also help
us continue 
to live a long and prosperous life. 
SOURCES
Http://www.geocities.com/marinol.html
Http://www.geocities.com......Glucoma
Http://www.geocities.com......economical.html
Http://www.HighTimes.com