Category: Marijuana Legalization

The legalization and decriminalization of cannabis especially marijuana has received a great deal of media attention across various countries in recent times. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Governors Highway Safety Association, & the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, 2017). According to Miron (2008), Decriminalization means that possession is not subject to criminal sanctions but instead punishable only by a civil fine. Trafficking, and selling or distributing to minors, remain subject to standard criminal penalties. Initiation of cannabis use is typically during adolescence with the peak of this use being in young adulthood. (Speranza, 2011). Davide Dragone, Giovanni Prarolo, Paolo Vanin and Giulio Zanella provides evidence in favour of these conjectures exploiting the full legalization of the cannabis market. Letting the drug market emerge from illegality would make illegal activities in this market not pay, thus greatly reducing fertile ground for crime (Dragone, et al., 2017). Miron (2008) suggest that decriminalization has several beneficial consequences, including budgetary savings for state and local governments, improved welfare for marijuana users, and an improved allocation of criminal justice resources. However, Miron (2008) also analyses opponents view which suggest that decriminalization produces a substantial increase in marijuana use along with increased crime and other negative effects. The purpose of this essay is to weigh in on the discussion by analysing ideas from both perspectives about the issue of decriminalizing cannabis. This essay looks at the arguments made in favour of decriminalizing cannabis as well as arguments that are against the decriminalization of cannabis.

[bookmark: _Hlk27057198]Dragone, et al. (2017) stated as being in favour by predicting that legalizing this market would reduce the role of criminals in producing and selling drugs and improve many inner-city neighbourhoods. He further made a comparison that as gangsters were driven out of the alcohol market after the end of prohibition, violent drug gangs would be driven out of a decriminalized drug market. Decriminalizing cannabis would mean that one can easily acquire cannabis like marijuana under a controlled environment. This has some obvious advantage. The fact that one will be able to access marijuana would mean that one will not have to engage in an illegal activity to acquire marijuana. This also offers government a way to control the use, quality and how marijuana is administered amongst users. The Institute of Medicine concluded that “there is little evidence that decriminalization of marijuana use necessarily leads to a substantial increase in marijuana use. (Drug Policy Alliance, 2018).

Speranza (2011) stated that “decriminalization ends the creation of a permanent record and removes barriers to housing and employment. “Where decriminalization has been implemented effectively, it has resulted in substantial reductions in misdemeanour marijuana arrests. In 2011, for example, California reclassified marijuana possession as an infraction (administrative violation) instead of a misdemeanour, leading to “a significant decline in misdemeanour marijuana arrests,” which plunged from 54,849 in 2010 to 7,764 in 2011 – a decrease of more than 85 percent” (Drug Policy Alliance, 2018). She further went on to state that decriminalizing cannabis would free up Police resources to focus on serious crimes. This was further supported by (Dragone, et al., 2017). A lower rate of drug-related crimes opens the possibility for the police to divert resources toward preventing non-cannabis related crimes, as shown by Adda et al. (2014) as quoted by (Dragone, et al., 2017).

[bookmark: _Hlk27055523]However, Opponents have contrary opinions to this. Decriminalization is an endorsement of substance abuse and dangerous criminal activity, and sends the wrong message to young people. (Speranza, 2011). Decriminalization emboldens and enables drug dealers, and poses a threat to public health and safety (Miron, 2008). Speranza (2011) further assert that “marijuana is a gateway drug; thus, with decriminalization, people will be more likely to use marijuana and progress to harder drugs such as class A drugs (heroin, crack and cocaine). Studies by Jérôme Adda, Brendon McConnell and Imran Rasul in Lambeth identified that decriminalization of cannabis led to a significant increase in cannabis related crime. Offence rates for cannabis related crime rose by .3% more in the study sample relative to the rest of London between the pre-policy and policy period. (Adda, et al., 2014).

Opponents also are against the decriminalization of cannabis for health reasons. Marijuana has short term and long-term effect on the brain as well as physical effects. This include altered senses, impaired body movement, delusions, psychosis and IQ loss. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019).People who use Cannabis can have problem in breathing, may increase the chance of heart attack, and increases the risk of complication of pregnancy. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). It is hard to justify decriminalizing cannabis with such obvious risks.

Decriminalizing cannabis is a long discussion that has been going on. Some countries have legalized Cannabis whilst it is still illegal in some countries. Legalizing the cannabis market would reduce the role of criminals in producing and selling drugs and help free resources for the police to task in other areas. However Cannabis have some health issues associated with it which cannot be ignored. Decriminalizing cannabis also sends out a message of endorsement of substance abuse and might lead to abuse of other drugs.

References

1. Adda, J., McConnell, B. & Rasul, I., 2014. Crime and the Depenalization of Cannabis Possession:Evidence from a Policing Experiment, s.l.: s.n.
2. Dragone, D., Prarolo, G., Vanin, P. & Zanella, G., 2017. Crime and the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana, s.l.: IZA DP No. 10522.
3. Drug Policy Alliance, 2018. Marijuana Decriminalization and Legalization. s.l., s.n.
4. Miron, J. A., 2008. The Effect of Marijuana Decriminalization on the Budgets of Massachusetts Governments. With a Discussion of Decriminalization’s Effect on Marijuana Use.
5. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Governors Highway Safety Association, & the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, 2017. Impact of the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana on the DWI system, Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration..
6. National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019. Marijuana. [Online] Available at: www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana#mjetracts[Accessed 12 December 2019].
7. Oshi, D. C. et al., 2018. Gender differences in the factors associated with early age of initiation of cannabis use in Jamaica. Journal of Substance Use.
8. Speranza, K., 2011. The Effects of Massachusetts’ Decriminalization of Marijuana Law on Use Patterns, s.l.: s.n.

Among the debates that have raised heated discussions in numerous conferences globally and accompanied by an unusual amount of contradicting research is the ethical legalization of medical marijuana. This has led to numerous perspectives that argue from both the medical and recreational spectrums. Marijuana has immense medicinal value including alleviating suffering for patients with severe illnesses and has been used by many people for centuries for the same purpose. Medical practitioners agree that it can effectively be used in cancer, AIDS and in multiple sclerosis patients among others, therefore, supporting its legalization. However, opponents of the legalization of marijuana for medical use claim that it can potentially be abuse making them take a hard stance on the debate. Two decades Attorney General Janet Reno was of the contrary opinion and made an announcement that in all states, physicians prescribing Marijuana could lose the privilege of writing prescriptions, face exclusion from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements and a possible prosecution for committing a federal crime and the position has been upheld by some of the lawmakers to date. Despite the fierce opposition, medical marijuana is ethical should be legalized to save lives by assisting patients with numerous life-threatening conditions.

Medical marijuana has already been legalized in 33 states among them California and Arizona. This followed laws that needed a majority vote by the public and the favor of the Congress. For example, 80% of San Francisco residents and 75% of Santa Cruz agreed to the legalization back in 1991 (‘Common Sense for Drug Policy: Facts About Marijuana’, 2019). This was the begging of enactment of such laws with the growing and extensive proof of support for the legalization of marijuana for medical use. Public polls have been held and depict public support for the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Gradually, such moves have evolved across all the states and constant changes regarding these changes are updated on the state organs all the time to help the residents and tourists to steer clear in case of any misunderstandings. The lessening of prosecution and consequent decriminalization is a step forward towards acceptance that indeed marijuana is essential in medical practice.

Another reason why medical marijuana is ethical and should be legalized is the fact that it has still been in use and the oldest drug known to man. The usage documentation dates back to 2700B.C as contained in a Chinese manuscript. A document attributed to “Shennung Ben Ts’ao King” an emperor who lived 2,800 BCE explains how the plant was consumed as herb almost in its entirety. Referring it to as “ma”, its flowers were a reliever of menstrual disorders and the pain of open wounds and the seeds were a prescription for postpartum difficulties, constipation, obstinate vomiting, aconite, and vermillion poisoning. The document also offers caution against “ma’s” excessive use citing hallucinations and also loss of balance that leads to a staggering gait. In 1839, Dr. W. B. O’Shaugnessy the respectable Royal Academy of Science member, was among the initial professionals to present positive facts regarding the medicinal use of marijuana. During this time, the drug was not well known for medical purposes, since its use for recreational purposes was also not properly renown, few people associated it with medical importance until his works unveiled the medical aspects of the plant to the world (Daniel & Schatman, 2019). Therefore, marijuana has been in use over the years and these facts should be referred to by the opponents to overcome the fear of potential abuse of the drug upon legalization.

Medical marijuana should be legalized because it composes THC as its active compound treating many symptoms of terminally ill patients. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical responsible for marijuana’s psychological effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), THC functions like the natural cannabinoid that the body naturally makes. Its function is activating the receptors associated with movements, pleasure, memory, thinking among other vital functions. While there is a synthetic THC that is manufactured and marketed as Marinol, it is costly and is associated with side effects such as anxiety and depression. This is difficult side effects to deal with especially in patients who are already dealing with existing illnesses. As such, the patients should be treated with drugs for treating their illnesses and not those that compound their suffering with their side effects. A convincing body of research indicates that once smoked, marijuana suppresses nausea meaning that it is better than the Marinol which is hugely used by medical practitioners (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2017). If patients who are terminally ill have attempted different treatments unsuccessfully and smoking marijuana relieves their symptoms less expensively and with fewer side effects, then they should be permitted to explore the options of their choice.

Among the patients who will find a relief in medical marijuana are those of cancer patients since it effectively treats the effects of chemotherapy. In an article in Time, “Marijuana: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire” a patient named Jo Daly describes what she experienced during chemotherapy experience as a “nuclear explosion” of nausea. She discusses how she would feel the toes and nails burning. After many attempts with different pain-relieving alternatives, she tried marijuana and was the only effective remedy in alleviating her pain. The different kinds of nausea experienced during chemotherapy include acute, delayed and anticipatory nausea and vomiting. They are characterized by dry heaves which amount to a reflexive act resulting after the contraction of the stomach muscles and esophageal movements during vomiting. Failure to control it in cancer patients can result in severe metabolic derangements that will lead to nutritional depletion and a deteriorated mental and physical status of the patients because the chemo drugs damage the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract (Blanco et al., 2017).To save them from this dire effects that seem to be relieved by marijuana, it should, therefore, be legalized for medical uses.

AIDS patient have also found reprieve after using marijuana treatment therapies as reported by the Canadian Medical Association Journal reports (Gonzalez, 2017). A case in point is of Jean Pariseau (30) the AIDS patient who perhaps would be dead is he stuck to his legally prescribed drugs. His system could not keep any food or medication which left him weighing only 80 pounds. Besides his deteriorating health, he was bedridden. After treatment with medical marijuana, his doctor reported of his remarkable improvement and could digest the medication and retain food in his system too. HIV had been suppressed due to the improvement in the immune function, he added weight and learned to walk again with the assistance of a cane. Evidently, this is a case illustrating how marijuana can alleviate, stunt and even repress HIV from developing and expanding together with many ailments around the globe.

Opponents of legalization of medical marijuana hold that it will lead to addiction emphasizing that it is listed under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 under schedule 1 drug depending on its high abuse potential. They add that those who consume it will slowly end up hooked and the drug eventually dominates their lives. While it is true that overuse of the drug may result in lethargic behaviors or even severe health problems, the amount of the marijuana prescribed by a licensed physician will have to be tested so that the chances of dependency are eliminated and will only be dispensed at licensed outlets where it is only accessible to only those with medical prescriptions. Such measures will ensure that patients do not develop dependency and that marijuana is not abused.

In sum, the legalization of medical marijuana in America for medical use will be an ethical mark of historic legislation that will have transformed the medical field for good. This is because of the immense benefits that are likely to be reaped by the users and the little effect on those who will choose to keep away from it. Alone, the relief that patients with chronic illnesses such as cancer, cramps, and HIV will experience is life-saving. If a single plant can alleviate suffering for the masses of suffering patients, then why not legalize it for medical use! The fact that their human health is invaluable is enough to make opponents reconsider their stand and advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana.

References

1. Common Sense for Drug Policy: Facts About Marijuana. (2019). Retrieved from http://www.csdp.org/news/news/marijuan.htm
2. Carr, D. daniel. carr@tufts. ed., & Schatman, M. (2019). Cannabis for Chronic Pain: Not Ready for Prime Time. American Journal of Public Health, 109(1), 50–51. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304593-carnabinoids
3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). (2017). The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: The current state of evidence and recommendations for research.
4. Compton, W. M., Han, B., Hughes, A., Jones, C. M., & Blanco, C. (2017). Use of Marijuana for Medical Purposes Among Adults in the United States. JAMA, 317(2), 209–211. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.18900
5. Vidot, D. C., Lerner, B., & Gonzalez, R. (2017). Cannabis Use, Medication Management and Adherence Among Persons Living with HIV. AIDS And Behavior, 21(7), 2005–2013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1782-x

As business continues to grow in the legal marijuana sector, there are many aspects to consider for the overall push towards federal legalization. The numbers keep rolling in, and you’d be hard pressed to argue that the marijuana industry isn’t one of the fastest growing industries in the country right now. Ever since the inception of recreational sales started back in 2012 (Colorado and Washington leading the way), the now 7 legal states and Washington DC have record numbers of sales and they just keep rising. California in the lead with $2.75 billion in sales, and Colorado with $1.56 Billion showing the rest of the country the true potential of what legal cannabis can do in terms of revenue gains. Yes, these numbers are impressive, but what else can this market do? More than just state revenue, we can dig deeper and see the benefits such as how small towns in legal states get back on their feet, the rise in jobs and personal income because of the industry, investment opportunities for the business say, and legal issues and changes happening in these states as well.

Resurgence of small town America

It’s not just the big cities like Denver and Los Angeles reaping the rewards of this new “green rush”. A surprising amount of small towns in legal states are seeing a resurgence in revenue and helping them bounce back from the economic downfall in 2008. Towns in Colorado like Pueblo, Sedgwick, and Trinidad have all seen a miracle rebirth, in some cases saving the town as a whole. A reason why these towns are seeing such great results lies heavily on the geographical location, all being border towns.

One case in particular being Huntington, Oregon where one dispensary has more customers than they do population. many of which coming from the neighbor state of Idaho where cannabis is still illegal. Look at Pueblo, Colorado as well. For quite some time, Pueblo has had one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, but has now seen a surge of jobs because of legalization weather it be jobs directly in the industry, or construction jobs to support the industries growth. A stand out benefit that Pueblo county is implementing is using a huge portion of sales revenue to create scholarships to send high school kids to local universities. What a way to recirculate the revenue whilst helping the community!

Job and wage growth

After seeing what can happen in just the small sleepy towns of America, what do you thing the job market would look like countrywide after federal legalization? After New Frontier Data took some time to look at the marijuana sector, they deduced a projected number of $132 billion in tax revenue and over a million jobs would be created in the next decade if it were federally legal. Of course this is just a prediction, but anything even close to this would be nothing short of spectacular for the countries population. Where would these jobs come from? The obvious being anywhere from cultivation, transportation and retail stores which are already a well established job market, but the potential for new jobs is huge. Once this market is taken more seriously, it can be seen just as any other big business opportunity creating jobs for marketing, consulting, and anything in the world of finance.

Investment Opportunities

Speaking of finance, there has already been a great opportunity for investment within legal cannabis. Look at Canada with their newly country wide legalization, even people outside of the countries population are making a profit after investing in weed stocks. People who invested in stock such as Aurora Cannabis and Canopy Growth before the legalization are now raking it in so to speak. Although the stock investments are still very new and sometimes questionable, it’s just like anything new, there are going to be some things to learn and adjustments to make in order for the full benefits to be seen. If Canada is the guinea pig for us to watch, imagine what we can do with weed stocks here in the states! The thought of future potential is intriguing and down right exciting. Because marijuana is still federally illegal, business can’t be traded in stocks and everyone is missing out on the huge opportunity at hand.

Medical Benefits

While there has been much debate to how extensive a roll cannabis plays in the medical world, it’s hard to completely ignore the “miracles” seen as of late, especially with CBD. CBD (or cannabidiol) is an active ingredient in the cannabis plant separate from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the latter being responsible for the actual psychoactive “high” felt by the consumer. While both parts of the plant contain medicinal properties, CBD has seen a huge surge lately in treatments, especially those such as epilepsy. Videos are all over the internet of people with this debilitating disease taking a few liquid drops of CBD orally, and the soothing effects set in almost instantaneously, practically ending the seizure right away. Other ailments known to be treated by CBD include: alzheimer’s, parkinson’s, depression, anxiety, and joint pain. So why isn’t this miracle drug being prescribed, especially when it clearly a safe alternative to opioids that are causing a huge epidemic in this country as we speak?

If we were to federally legalize cannabis, the studies of this plant could be funded and the treatments would multiply. Cure for cancer? Help veterans with PTSD without the use of deadly opioids? Reduce and treat the seizures brought on by epilepsy? The list goes on and on, while we continue to deprive people of a natural, healthy alternative medicine.

The legalisation of drugs is the thought to be required in favour of society, economy and public health. Society includes people who get imprisonment for consuming drugs and the general public who buys drugs for consumption through the medium of black marketing from illegal factories. Society will be surely favoured by legalizing drugs.

As when a person deals or consume drugs, he gets imprisonment and most likely to get drug treatment and therapy. But with time, the number of people are increasing who consume drugs and so does the population of people in incarcerations. With the increasing number of drug addicts, the government does not take care of these addicted people properly and where the average ratio of the drug addicts to be treated in incarceration is assumed to be 7/10 but it is 1/10 now. Hence, the health of people is getting more worse after going to incarceration that they even die. Talking about how illegalising of drugs is affecting people when drugs are illegalized people do black marketing and run illegal factories producing drugs and the drugs people receive through black marketing are not of the good quality which is very dangerous. If drugs are legalized, then this would not occur as the selling and buying will be in an organised manner under the government’s supervision and the quality of drugs will be good without any adulteration.

There will be a huge increase in the economy of the country by legalizing drugs. ‘Most experts predict that the drugs which will be sold in government’s supervision will be much cheaper and of higher quality than the drugs sold illegally.’ (Luna, 2013) Hence, recreational drugs should be legalised to stop black marketing and illegal factories.

The people in incarceration die because they did get the appropriate treatment as the cost of treating them is very high, and the government chooses to ignore these addict’s treatment over the country’s GDP. The more government will get strict the more they want to try it as it is a part of human nature that the base of reluctance leads to attraction. There is growing evidence that “Drug Treatment Is More Cost Effective than Incarceration and Incapacitation Strategies”, adding to this statement the spending on drug treatment is eight times more likely to reduce drug consumption than spending on incarceration. Hence, instead of sending the drug addicts in incarceration through the medium of current laws, drug addicts ought to be sent to the drug rehabs and rather than spending money on incarceration, we should spend money on public education treatment and interventions. Whitney stated that “132.8 billion combined would be generated in the federal tax revenue if marijuana will be legalized in 50 states.”

(As seen on WZZM TV 13) A recent study from the nonpartisan Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency shows marijuana legalization could have an estimated state economic impact of nearly $738 million over the next several years. Also, taking an example of Canada, the average growth is estimated to be increased 4 times from 6.4 billion dollars in 2013 to 24.4 billion dollars. When drugs will be legalized the economic costs will be reduced on drug treatment by the government, government don’t have to pay for incarceration, the government will get profits from taxes on drugs which will surely make an instant rise in the GDP of the country and stop the inhumane behaviour faced on the drug addicts. Hence, recreational drugs should be legalised to stop the inhumane nature on drug addicts and to increase GDP of the country. Some legalization proponents appear to favour high taxes on psychoactive drugs lest drugs are too attractive to consumers, especially when compared with heavily taxed alcoholic beverages.

Public health is the main concern when it comes to consumption.

There are many benefits from recreational drugs like marijuana like it can be used as a medication to relieve pain, kill cancer cells and acts like a survivor in freezing temperature etc. Taking the example of the Uruguayan state, Drugs has been officially legalised there since June 2013 and it can grow marijuana up to 6 plants. It will help to issue licenses to institutions that want to be involved in the production, distribution or selling of cannabis or in industries like textile, cosmetic and food applications. Also taking an example of India, use of marijuana is illegal but it is legal to use in a drink called ‘Bhang’ in which marijuana is used but its processing is totally different from the actual processing. Hence, it shows that recreational drugs can be used without harmful effects in different ways.

‘After years of denouncing the dramatic effects of prohibition and the criminalisation of people that do no harm but use drugs on the society, it is time to highlight the benefits of well-designed and well-implemented people-centred drug policies,’ Former Swiss president Ruth Dreifuss, chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, said in a statement.

‘There are hundreds of thousands of Floridians who suffer from debilitating diseases and medical conditions who are suffering, who are in pain, many of whom are terminal, who are looking to medical marijuana for relief and for treatment of those symptoms,’ Pollara said.

Summing up all the benefits of drugs legalization with support of many facts and figures, the conclusion is that the legalization of the drugs is important so that people struggling with their addiction in incarceration stops as when drugs will be legalized then these people will not get arrested and punished for consuming drugs and can go to for their treatment in hospitals and even go to drug rehab centre. By this government don’t have to pay from their pocket and GDP of the country will not be affected rather increase as by legalizing drugs government will get a really high benefit that will increase the GDP of the country instantly. Secondly, drugs should be legalized to stop black marketing and illegal factories, through legalization of recreational drugs this problem can also be saved as all drugs will be in government’s supervision and of good quality and much cheaper comparatively from the illegal sellers which will make people not to buy from illegal factories and sellers. Thirdly, Recreational drugs have many beneficial uses for human life if it is used in a proper, systematic and supervised form such as to relieve pain, kill cancer cells and acts like a survivor in freezing temperature etc. Hence, recreational drugs should be legalized for a better society.

REFERENCE LIST

1. Jacob, J. (n.d.). Imagining Drug Legalisation, (101), 28-42. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=9d3e8184-3e1b-4d8c-83e6-2ff024443bd6@sessionmgr120&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==#AN=9705163570&db=bth
2. Luna, P. (2013, December 20). Uruguay: Yes we cannabis. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/clone.of.uruguay-yes-cannabis-20131219104547530591.html
3. Marijuana Legalization Could Generate $738M in Four Years., 36(44), 1-3. (10/29/2018).
4. Searching for Relief in the Weed, 57(3), 38-41. (May/June 2014). Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=40f5d8c4-9d1a-48e9-bf86-491a8d8be125@sdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==#AN=95939536&db=f6h
5. Why Imprisonment Is More Harm Than Help to Addicted Offenders. (2018, December 20). Retrieved from https://skywoodrecovery.com/why-imprisonment-is-more-harm-than-help-to-addicted-offenders/
6. Zezima, K. (2018, January 11). Study: Legal marijuana could generate more than $132 billion in federal tax revenue and 1 million jobs. Retrieved from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-legal-marijuana-revenue-jobs-20180110-story.html

Cost-benefit and budgeting provide great support for the legalization of Marijuana. Shanaham and Ritter (2014) considered a cost analysis which the cost for two policy options supporting marijuana legislation. The expenditure of the status-quo was made through police enforcement and corrections, while education, prevention and health services where the legalization policy concerns. The research results show a little difference with status-quo which is within the range of $294.6 million p.a and for the legalized regulated model which was $234.2 p.a (Shanaham & Ritter, 2014). Also, Merkin et al (2018) asserted that legalization will allow the police to relocate resources away from possession arrests to crime prevention.

Health Risk of Marijuana as compared to Legal drugs

Among all illicit drugs, Marijuana is the most widely consumed. It is considered a “softer” drug, compared to other “harder” drugs (Damrongplasit, Hsiao & Zhao, 2010). In comparison to alcohol and other legal drugs, the health risk associated with Marijuana is moderately low (Hall, 2017). A research conducted by Resko et al (2019) shows that marijuana is less harmful than other substances like alcohol, cigarettes, and opioids. They found that cigarettes are responsible for over 480,000 deaths yearly. 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes, while far less die out of marijuana-related causes. If alcohol and cigarettes consumption are legalized, despite the high rate of deaths they cause yearly, then marijuana should be legalized as well.

Health Benefits of Marijuana

Patients with some seizure disorders may likely benefit from the cannabidiol component in marijuana. Marijuana has some anti-inflammatory effects and may offer cures to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Monte, Zane & Heard, 2015). There is massive support for using marijuana to treat patients with spasm, nausea, glaucoma, and pawns (Damrongplasit, Hsiao & Zhao, 2010).

Reduction in Rate of criminal Records/charges

There is a strong argument that criminal charge is too severe a penalty for crime itself (Damrongplasit, Hsiao & Zhao, 2010). A criminal record may have a devastating effect on the life of a law-abiding citizen. For instance, an offender may not be employable, may face stigmatization or encounter problems when traveling (Resko, et al, 2019; Damrongplasit, Hsiao & Zhao, 2010). Decriminalization of marijuana will reduce the rate at which users/peddlers are charged, thereby reducing the increasing rate of criminal charges/records.

Decriminalization of Marijuana in some Foreign Countries

The legalization of medical/recreational marijuana in the Washington state of America (I-502), Colorado (A-64), Uruguay and countries in the European Union is an experiment with the ancillary unknown (Makin et al, 2018; Roffman, 2016). Roffman (2016) observed from his study on the post-legalization of Marijuana in Washington State that there is no evidence of a significant increase in usage. If marijuana has been legalized in other countries without experiencing many controversies until date, the Australian drug policy decision-makers could consider these outcomes.

Opposing Legalisation of Marijuana in Australia

Adolescent Use

Major community concern in the legalization of marijuana is the increase in its use by adolescents. Legalization increases adolescents’ access to marijuana; makes it affordable; increases its social acceptability and lowers the perceived risks of marijuana use (Hall & Weler, 2015). The early introduction, access and use of marijuana during the adolescent age may be drastic. It may consequentially impair educational outcomes and attainment and crime rate (Joffe & Yancy, 2004). Another argument against the legalization of marijuana is the gateway theory; there is growing concern that youth exposure to marijuana may lead to their consumption of harder drugs (Demrongplasit, Hsiao & Zhao, 2010).

Adverse Effects

Experiments conducted on new ways to use and produce THC products has resulted in unexpected health effects which include increased prevalence of burns, increased health care visits due to ingestion of edible products and cyclic vomiting syndrome (Monte, Zaine & Heard, 2015). Overwhelming evidence shows harms of marijuana consumption as cognitive impairments, interaction with mood state, and a negative course of psychotic symptoms (Braillon, 2018). There have been suggestions as well that marijuana use is linked to immune system deterioration, lung cancer, harmful effects on blood circulation, short-term memory loss, drug dependency and withdrawal-related symptoms like loss of appetite and anxiety for heavy users (Demrongplasit, Hsiao & Zhao, 2010).

Effects on Motor Vehicle Fatalities

There has been increasing attention to impaired driving focusing mainly on marijuana yet other psychoactive drugs (Fischer, Murphy, Rudzinski & MacPherson, 2016). Mastern Guenzemberg (as cited in Hall & Weller, 2015) found increases in the percentage of crash involved drivers and resultant fatal injuries on drivers who tested positive for cannaboids in the American states of Hawaii, Washington, and California, after the legalization of marijuana. Higher doses of marijuana toxicity have been well established as high risk for motor vehicle accidents (Spithoff, Emerson & Spithoff, 2015).

Marijuana Potencies

Since marijuana plant could be grown domestically, regulating the number of plants may be problematic, if not impossible. The legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado has seen five times as many “pot shops” (marijuana shops) as it has McDonald’s outlets and potency has skyrocketed (Meacher, Nutt, Liebling, Murray & Gridley, 2019). From the Colorado experience, marijuana is very potent, and the government may not easily control its cultivation, sale and consumption when legalized.

Family and Societal Effects

Studies have shown that marijuana consumption negatively affects users’ senses of responsibility and judgment. It adversely affects the family and societal values of users (Mitcher, Nutt, Liebling, Murray & Gridley, 2019). Heavy Marijuana users give more priority to it than family and societal responsibilities (Joffe & Yancey, 2004).

Recreational marijuana is legal in eleven states. The lingering stigma that was once attached to marijuana has rapidly diminished, and has more public support than ever before. According to the article “Marijuana Use and Its Impact on Workplace Safety and Productivity” by Terri Dougherty, “Social acceptance of marijuana may be increasing because fewer people see great risk associated with using it. In 2002, 38 percent of Americans age 12 and over saw great risk in using the drug once a month. In 2014, that number had fallen to 26.5 percent.” In addition to the substantial rise in public support, legalizing marijuana has proven to vastly benefit the states that have chosen to decriminalize recreational marijuana. Marijuana has a racist and manipulative history that is still practiced in the current day. The eleven states that have chosen to decriminalize marijuana have seen a decrease in crime. Recreational marijuana has proven to generate a substantial cash flow to improve the economy in various ways. There was a time, not so long ago, when the very idea of wanting to legalize marijuana was considered political suicide. Few things have changed in the public wanting to legalize recreational marijuana.

After the Mexican Revolution in 1920, the United States saw an ingress of immigrants from Mexico. According to the Library of Congress, “Revolution in Mexico and a strong U.S. economy brought a tremendous increase in Mexican immigration rates. Between 1910 and 1930, the number of Mexican immigrants counted by the U.S. census tripled from 200,000 to 600,000. The actual number was probably far greater.” The influx of immigrants brought their own culture and traditions with them. One of these rituals was marijuana. However, any plans to target Cannabis would have met resistance from white Americans, as it was a common recreational pastime of the era. Cannabis was the only familiar term in the U.S. to refer to marijuana, while immigrants called it “marihuana.” The war on marijuana began when Harry Anslinger, an ardent abolitionist, was named the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN). After Anslinger realized that opiates and cocaine were not enough to stabilize the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, he sought out to illegalize marijuana through a relentless assault on the plant using the media. “From the beginning, Anslinger conflated drug use, race, and music… Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men… There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.” (qtd. in Laura Smith). Harry Anslinger’s ultimate end goal was to control Mexicans by controlling their native rituals. These outrageous claims made by Anslinger ultimately worked, but needed a slight nudge. Since many Americans were unfamiliar of the native language of marijuana, Anslinger frightened the American public with heinous claims about a “new” drug, marihuana, that was brought over by immigrants. The slight nudge of an “unfamiliar” drug enacted the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Given how the initial efforts to ban marijuana are rooted not in public safety, but in racism and manipulation, it can be concluded that the very ban itself is a cause of injustice and therefore is invalid in a legal and ethical sense.

The criminalization of marijuana is mostly suffered by racial groups such as the black community. Incarceration rates for black communities are higher due to extreme police vigilance in inner city areas. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, “Fulton County, Georgia arrested a total of 7,622 people for marijuana possession in 2010. 87.3% were black… 12.7% were white.” Today, minorities are racially targeted in the same manner as they were treated during the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 for no other reason than racial control. Drug convictions have lifelong consequences that can ultimately deny employment, voting rights, and student aid. Add more

[bookmark: _Hlk14035021]As more Americans approve and support recreational marijuana being legalized, the use of marijuana has significantly risen. According to the article “Marijuana Use and Its Impact on Workplace Safety and Productivity” by Terri L. Dougherty, “A survey from the National Institutes of Health found that past year use more than doubled between 2001 and 2013, from 4.1 to 9.5 percent of the population.” By removing nonviolent drug offenses, the Federal government could reduce and reallocate the funds that are normally used for incarceration. Incarceration doesn’t come cheap. According to Ken Hyle, General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, “Based on FY 2016 and FY 2017 data, the fee to cover the average cost of incarceration for Federal inmates was $34,704.12 ($94.82 per day) in FY 2016 and $36,299.25 ($99.45 per day) in FY 2017.” To further elaborate, the current prison population has over 500,000 people incarcerated for drug related offenses and over 1.5 million are arrested each year. With 500,000 incarcerations at nearly $100 per day, the total comes to $49,725,000.00… and that is just for one day in prison. According to Robert J. Spitzer, a Political Science professor at SUNY, “Decriminalization would relieve pressure on our prison system, allowing us to focus on keeping violent people off the streets instead of pointlessly punishing drug users for destroying their own health. And full legalization of recreational marijuana — which is already proceeding quickly among the states, but is still foolishly opposed by the Obama administration — is an obvious first step.” (qtd. in Smith). Legalizing recreational marijuana would lead to elimination of enforcement in targeted race and minority communities as previously mentioned.

The war on marijuana is expensive and largely a failure, especially when there are more serious issues to tackle. Instead of arresting someone for a victimless crime, legalizing recreational marijuana will free up resources for law enforcement and reallocate funds towards violent offenses such as murder and rape. According to the article “America’s Invisible Pot Addicts” by Annie Lowery, “The country still spends billions of dollars fighting it in a bloody and futile drug war, and still arrests more people for offenses related to cannabis than it does for all violent crimes combined.” Meanwhile, rape kits decay in police storage facilities, untested, due to a “lack of resources.” The resources are there, but they are being fruitlessly wasted on crimes without victims. “The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that 10,314 kits were awaiting testing at the GBI.. 211 untested pediatric rape kits were found at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.” (qtd. in EndTheBackLog.org). If marijuana was governed in the same methodology as alcohol and managed as a wellness problem instead of a criminal problem, the revenue could be spent locally. Legalizing recreational marijuana makes fiscal and ethical sense.

If recreational marijuana is legalized, crime rates would reduce in numberless ways. According to Tracey Kyckellhahn, a Bureau of Justice Statistician, “The incarceration of drug users comes at a heavy price—the average annual operating cost per state inmate in 2010 was $28,323, or $77.60 per day.” Given that states tend to have much lower tax revenue than the federal government, this cost can be seen as a greater cost than the previously-stated $100 per day for federal inmates. This money is greatly needed for positive influences directly affecting the lives of every citizen from education to roads and public safety. Marijuana is a victimless crime, and has been statistically proven to reduce crime rates since it’s legalization. According to Evelina Gavrilova, an Economics professor at NHH, “We examine the effects of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on crime… Using data from the Uniform Crime Reports, we show that the introduction of MMLs lead to a decrease of 12.5 percent in violent crime, such as homicides, aggravated assaults and robberies in states that border Mexico. We also show that the reduction in violent crimes is strongest for counties close to the border (less than 350km)… Analysis from the Supplementary Homicide Reports data reveals that the decrease in homicides can largely be attributed to a drop in drug-law related homicides” (qtd. in Mitchell). As more and more states approve legalization, the incentive to participate in violent crime decreases. ADD FINAL SENTENCE

Without a doubt, Amsterdam is the most popular and well-known tourist destination for marijuana. Americans flock to Amsterdam due to the illegalization of recreational marijuana in the United States. When Colorado became the first state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana, the effects of Amsterdam were seen stateside. According to Nick Kovacevich, “The report said those 6.5 million tourists logged nearly 18 million cannabis-use days in 2016, a clear demonstration of how the state racked up more than $5.2 billion in marijuana sales since it legalized cannabis in January 2014.” The United States has an advantage over Amsterdam when it comes to growing marijuana due to strict Dutch laws such as abolishing the production of marijuana. If Georgia were to legalize recreational marijuana in conjunction with no production limit, the possibilities are infinite. Georgia is the leading agriculture producer, however, the main crops are split between cotton and peaches. Local farmers have seen a decrease in crops due to draughts, leaving them with little to no income for their families. Hemp takes less water and acreage to grow all while yielding more product. Georgia farmers could become the new textile king. Between tourism and hemp production, Georgia revenue would increase tenfold.

In addition to tourism, Georgia could see a significant decrease in unemployment rates if recreational marijuana was legalized. The current unemployment rate in Georgia is 3.7%. As previously mentioned, the tourism alone would generate a significant increase in tax revenue. If combined with the cannabis industry, the job market and state budget would be exploding due to the creation of new jobs from tourism and recreational marijuana. According to Monster.com, a leading website for employment, “With total market sales set to exceed $24 billion by 2025, the U.S. cannabis industry will create roughly 300,000 jobs by 2020—eclipsing the projected job growth of manufacturing, according to a recent report from New Frontier Data, a business intelligence firm focused on cannabis” (qtd. in Bortz). Recreational marijuana can become an economic benefit to Georgia to raise the population and jobs. This can help the U.S. regain its status in the world as a net-producer, in an era where production has fallen in favor of information-related industries.

The public school system in Georgia is failing its own children. Georgia ranks 30th in the nation when it comes to education. The deep cuts to education which Georgia has enacted are hurting students and the economy. Budget cuts affect school districts to cover costs such as school improvement, extra paraprofessional support for students falling behind, and bus transportation. According to Molly Jackson at The Christian Science Monitor, “State law mandates that voter-approved taxes, like the one on marijuana, be returned to citizens if revenue is higher than predicted in the first year. This year, the overflow would have given each Coloradan roughly $8. Instead, they voted to let the state hold on to its $66 million, of which $40 million will go to school construction, $2.5 million to drug education, and another $2 million to other youth programs.” Of course, any proposed Georgia law can choose to omit this. However, the state would be remiss to not mandate that a windfall of revenue be used for the enrichment of the lives of Georgians. A strong educational system is an imperative element to support Georgia’s economic vision.

The state of Colorado has half of the state population as Georgia. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, “Marijuana taxes, licenses, and fee revenue in 2019 generated $138,452,793.00 with a total revenue since 2014 of $1,043,961,209.00.” In place of marijuana criminalization, and taking a cue from the failure of alcohol prohibition, states should decriminalize recreational marijuana, by licensing and regulating production, distribution, and possession for consumers 21 or older. Additionally, the ending of Prohibition has been widely credited as a major factor which brought about the end of the Great Depression, which saw the recovery paid for in no small part by tax revenues brought by alcohol sales. Creating a vice tax on marijuana could become a major source of revenue in Georgia. A vice tax will only tax consumers that purchase the product without taxing individuals who do not use the recreational drug. Sin taxes are currently excised throughout the country for items such as tobacco, alcohol, and gambling.

In conclusion, legalization of recreational marijuana would benefit Georgia in pushing past the unethical historical reasons that began the criminalization of cannabis in the 1930’s. In today’s society, minority groups are still being targeted for a victimless crime. In addition to this, removing nonviolent drug offenses would save millions of dollars, of which these funds could be reallocated towards actual violent crimes such as murder and rape. Crime reduction has statistically shown a considerable drop after legalization because the incentive is no longer warranted. Tourism and cannabis production within Georgia would produce the state extra tax revenue. The state population and job market in Georgia would increase due to tourism and cannabis production, along with helping our farmers cultivate a new crop. The budget cuts that affect our children’s education would radically modernize the classrooms if legalization occurred. Georgia could impose a sin tax on recreational marijuana just as the state does on tobacco and alcohol.

Works Cited

1. Lowrey, Annie. “America’s Invisible Pot Addicts.” The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2018, theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/08/americas-invisible-pot-addicts/567886/
2. Dougherty, Terri L. “Marijuana Use and Its Impact on Workplace Safety and Productivity.” Occupational Health and Safety, 1 Feb. 2016, ohsonline.com/articles/2016/02/01/marijuana-use-and-its-impact-on-workplace-safety-and-productivity.aspx
3. Mitchell, Daniel J. “How Marijuana Legalization Reduces Violent Crime and Puts Drug Smugglers out of Work.” Foundation for Economic Education, 19 Oct. 2018, fee.org/articles/how-marijuana-legalization-reduces-violent-crime-and-puts-drug-smugglers-out-of-work
4. ProCon.org. ‘Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal?’ ProCon.org. 25 June 2019, marijuana.procon.org/
5. Jackson, Molly. ‘Colorado to Send Extra Marijuana Revenue to Schools.’ ProQuest, 09 Nov. 2015, search.proquest.com/docview/1731816691/A33215A05CC24D02PQ/24?accountid=8439
6. Smith, Noah. ‘Single Best Anti-Gun-Death Policy? Ending the Drug War.’ The Gun Debate: An Encyclopedia of Gun Control & Gun Rights, edited by Grey House Publishing, 3rdedition, 2016. Credo Reference, search-credoreference-com.proxygsu-aut1.galileo.usg.edu/content/entry/greygun/single_best_anti_gun_death_policy_ending_the_drug_war/0
7. Bortz, Daniel. “Legal marijuana industry jobs can grow your career.” Monster.com, 12 July 2019, monster.com/career-advice/article/booming-legal-marijuana-industry-has-jobs-that-pay-50k-to-90k
8. Kovacevich, Nick. “The Next Big Thing In Cannabis: Tourism.” Forbes, 16 Aug. 2018, forbes.com/sites/nickkovacevich/2018/08/16/the-next-big-thing-in-cannabis-tourism/#60af78b45d9b
9. Kyckelhahn, Tracey. “State Corrections Expenditures, FY 1982-2012” U.S Department of Justice Statistics, 30 April 2014, bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/scefy8210.pdf
10. Hyle, Ken. “Annual Determination of Average Cost of Incarceration.” Federal Bureau of Prisons, 30 April 2018, govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-04-30/pdf/2018-09062.pdf
11. EndTheBackLog.org. “Georgia: End The Backlog.” www.endthebacklog.org/Georgia. Smith, Laura. “How a racist hate-monger masterminded America’s War on Drugs.” Timeline, 28 Feb. 2018, timeline.com/harry-anslinger-racist-war-on-drugs-prison-industrial-complex-fb5cbc281189
12. United States Department of Justice. “Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data: Arrests by Age, Sex, and Race, Summarized Yearly, United States, 2010.” Federal Bureau of Investigation. 19 July 2012, doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR33522.v1
13. Library of Congress, “A Growing Community.” loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/mexican4.html
14. Office of Research and Analysis. “Marijuana Tax Data.” Colorado Department of Revenue, July 2019, colorado.gov/pacific/revenue/colorado-marijuana-tax-data

Introduction

Marijuana or cannabis is the most commonly abused drug in the United States, and its uses have been increasing in recent years despite the strict rules that the government has imposed over the substance (Hickenlooper 244). The uses of bhang are common among youthful people who apply it for several reasons particularly to stimulate their brain. The drug is prohibited as a result of the adverse effects that it has on the users. Marijuana is highly addictive, and it has a significant influence on the social and economic life of the users (Barton 448). Marijuana is mainly the dried leaves that have been extracted from the cannabis indica plant and used in different forms. The most prevalent way in which the drug is abused is by smoking in hand-rolled cigarettes or pipes. The drug is also mixed with edibles as cookies and people eat it as food. Various studies have elicited divergent opinions among people concerning the importance of the drug particularly for medicinal purposes (Caulkins, Lee, and Kasunic 22). There have been claims by researchers that bhang has primary medical uses when used responsibly. As a result of the revelations concerning the applications of bhang in medicine, debates about the need to legalize the substance to maximize its benefits have intensified within the recent past. Some states like Texas have already considered the move to legalize weed for different uses. The central theme of the research paper will be about the legalization of marijuana in Texas. To achieve the objective for research purposes, the article will address the legalization process, the benefits, and costs of legalizing cannabis in Texas.

Marijuana in Texas

Texas was for a long time among states that had the lowest number of people who use marijuana because of the strict rules that had been attached to the use of the drug. However, recent years have been characterized by an augmentation in the number of Texans who use and support the usage of bhang. In reference to a poll conducted by the University of Texas, resistance to the usage of bhang has dropped dramatically in Texas, and many people seem to be comfortable. Since the issue has also become a major concern for political and legal purposes in the state, the need for legalization of weed has also gained momentum within recent years. According to the opinion polls, about 83 percent of people in Texas support different uses of the drug and the figure is expected to raise mainly due to the emergence of claims that weed has significant medicinal uses.

Studies concerning the ratification of bhang usage in Texas indicate that more than half of the registered voters within the state believe that the drug should be allowed for various uses. The Texas Tribune Poll led by the University of Texas revealed that 53 percent of people in Texas support utilization of bhang id different amounts with a majority of the respondents supporting usage in small quantities regardless of the purposes of usage. Around 31 percent of the poll respondents were specific by suggesting that weed should only be permitted for medical functions. Only 16 percent of the people in Texas were against the legalization of the drug by suggesting that cannabis should be treated as an illegal substance at any circumstance. Party affiliations in Texas also affect the debate concerning the legalization of bhang where two-thirds of Democrats support the application of marijuana for a wide range of uses while only 39 percent back the calls to decriminalize cannabis. Age is also a fundamental aspect of the discussion about the legalization of bhang. A majority of the youthful people in Texas hold the opinion that marijuana should not be categorized under illicit drugs. As shown by the graph below, most of the people above the age of 65 years are against the change to decriminalize weed; nonetheless, the youthful Texans form the majority of the population which makes the opinion of the elderly individuals insignificant (Pacula, Jacobson, and Maksabedian 977).

Attitudes regarding the use of marijuana have also played a significant role in swaying people’s views about the drug. A majority of the people that are entirely against the ratification of cannabis have negative perceptions particularly about its potential effects on the mental health of users as well as to the society. Most people associate the current social challenges like school dropouts, and the use of weed mainly inspires criminal acts.

In spite of the long-time resistance for medical marijuana in Texas, the state made changes that decriminalized the use of bhang for treatment of different conditions. The graph shows that the number of people supporting legalization of weed across different states is on the rise. The Compassionate Use Act was created to regulate the amount of weed that people should consume for medical purposes. Most people especially those against the legalization of marijuana for health purposes have described the act as useless because it is not effective in limiting the amount of consumed bhang since many users exceed the required threshold. Many believe that the act has created room for abuse of the illicit drug since there is no clear framework to ensure that users do not exceed the safety level of marijuana. The act also specifies the circumstances under which a person should use pot for medical purposes (Pacula 33). According to the clause, patients are only eligible for medical marijuana when they get recommendations from at least two doctors proposing medicinal cannabis. The patients are also supposed to be entered into a state-wide registry before embarking on consumption of marijuana for medical purposes. Despite such measures, a section of Texans believes that the act is not useful to make sure that marijuana is consumed responsibly.

On the other hand, some people still think that there is no need for such strict rules and that the usages of cannabis should be increased. There was an attempt by the Texas state legislature to pass a bill that would decriminalize small amounts of weed. The proposal received bipartisan support, but the Texas Freedom Caucus prevented the law from being approved. Despite such forces, the recent polls about people’s opinions on the legalization of cannabis indicate that the plan to allow usage of bhang for specific purposes is inevitable since most people support it.

Legal Issues

The debate concerning freedom to use marijuana for different purposes presents a platform for legal battles between factions that advocate for the autonomy to use hemp for important purposes particularly for medicinal uses and others that are against any proposal creates a room which will allow decriminalization of weed (Forrester 82). The legal issues surrounding the legalization of bhang aim at clarifying the circumstances under which the usage of the drug should be allowed as well as the amount that is considered legally correct and medically safe for use. The current laws that are used to handle cases related to the handling of pot have been amended within the recent past to make it less culpable to possess a certain amount of weed. Prior to the implementation of the legal changes, the quantity of bhang that people were found with did not play a role in determining the penalty (Conklin, Diop, and Li 18). The changes in the legal system that took effect from 2017 specify the amount of bhang that is accepted and a punishment that is influenced by the amount of marijuana in possession. The proposed legal changes suggest that being found in possession of fewer than 4 ounces of marijuana will be treated with lesser penalties compared to the time before such changes were proposed.

Data shows that a majority of Democrats and young people support the legal changes to allow usage of weed. More than 50% of the people supporting legalization of marijuana are affiliated to Democratic Party. Texas legislature is taking several steps that inch towards making significant reforms on the past legislative changes particularly 2015 and 2017 and create buoyancy amongst cannabis reform advocates concerning what needs to be considered in future legislation. Since 2017, there have been several bills that sought to ensure that marijuana is legalized for people of Texas to capitalize on the benefits of the drug especially in the management of pain among patients suffering from certain conditions. Despite that the bills have flopped severally to be approved through voting, there are sufficient indications that pot will be decriminalized (Pacula, Jacobson, and Maksabedian 979). The Texas legislature is becoming more open to reform the marijuana law which is expected to make the use of the drug within Texas a less offense or a no offense particularly when its users adhere to the available policies that have been formulated to regulate its uses.

The comprehensive medical marijuana bill is one of the significant steps that has been made in forming the legal structure that will govern the uses of pot within the state. House Bill 2107 passed out of committee with 78 co-sponsors, which exceeds half of the Texas House but did not manage to clear the final hurdle of being planned for voting on the House floor. The past steps that have been made give indications that very soon there will be a clear framework over which the use of hemp will be covered. The near success of the HB 2107 in combination with the Compassionate Use Act that was formulated in 2005 which permits Texans with certain health conditions, for instance, intractable epilepsy to apply low THC cannabidiol oil (Babor et al. 13). The changes are signals of the willingness of the legislators to convert marijuana into a medicinal substance that will be availed for people who needs it within Texas. Currently, some businesses in Texas have been licensed to supply medicinal pot, and the plant is being grown legally in Texas.

Two pending bills are still waiting for approval to change the classification of weed from being viewed as a harmful substance into something valuable. One of the laws that are on the table aims to decriminalize possession of small amounts of bhang while the other is designed to make utilization of marijuana in managing specific health conditions legal. The proposals have been gaining momentum within the recent months mainly because of the massive support from lobby groups and elected leaders. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, over 66,000 people were arrested in 2016 in Texas for having different quantities of pot. The implementation of the bill that legalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana will help in reducing such figures because many people are believed to have been arrested for possessing amounts that are within the recommended amounts. The plans to expand the application of the Compassionate Use Law aims at ensuring that the drug will have more uses rather than the current limited applications. At the moment, the act only permits the use of marijuana for people diagnosed with intractable epilepsy (Hall and Lynskey 1771). Only such people are allowed to use bhang that has low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol ingredient; however, there are plans to amend the law to incorporate more uses of pot. The bill will play a significant role, in changing the law to include other groups of patients like people who have cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that need the effects of marijuana. The massive support that the bills are receiving from the Texans, and a majority of the Republican Party members gives hope that the acts will be approved to expand the uses of marijuana.

House Bill 63 and Senate Bill 156 intend to allow possessing a maximum of one ounce of cannabis and are change the criminal penalties that are currently used to punish people found in possession of the substance. The new sentence will replace the current one with a 250 USD or less which falls under Class B misdemeanor. According to the new proposals, people found in possession of three or more times will be liable for a fine of 500 USD or below under the Class C misdemeanor. The proposals, however, will not lessen criminal penalties for possession of large amounts of cannabis. Other bills that will have fundamental impacts on the legalization of marijuana in Texas include the House Bill 209 or Senate Bill 90, House Bill 551, and Senate Bill 116. The bills will have significant influences on the usages of hemp in the state because they will permit industrial production and research on weed within Texas (Williams, Van Ours, and Grossman 1211).

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana in Texas

The discussions concerning whether marijuana should be legalized in Texas or not are mainly influenced by the purported advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of pot. The supporters of the bill cite several reasons that justify why weed is essential medically and economically. On the other hand, the group that is against the idea of ratifying cannabis in Texas base their concerns on the social and health challenges that the drug is capable of causing. As such, there are mixed opinions regarding granting autonomy to people who want to use pot for different purposes.

Several studies have proved the medicinal and economic benefits of marijuana and have recommended its legalization to capitalize on the purported benefits. The decriminalization of pot by Texas will give the state an opportunity to enjoy the full benefits. The widely cited advantages of marijuana are related to its medicinal functions. Research has identified weed as the most effective substance that can be used in the management of chronic pains caused by different illnesses like cancer. Besides, it is also useful in managing diseases that affect the mental health of a person. Despite the limited uses of cannabis and cannabinoids for medical purposes, it has been proved to be very effectual in the treatment of life-threatening diseases. Studies have also revealed that smoking pot helps to improve the functioning of the lungs. Bhang is also effective in treating depression because it has effects that help to improve mood. Multiple studies are also ongoing to uncover the full benefits that marijuana might have regarding the management of health conditions when it is used responsibly. Legalization of bhang will enable Texans to capitalize on the benefits of the drug majorly in managing chronic pain.

Decriminalization of marijuana in Texas will have significant economic benefits to Texans. Largescale production and usage of pot will raise a considerable amount of revenue for the state government. A 2017 report by the New Frontier Data; a marijuana data analytics estimated that legalization of weed will result in the generation of more than 130 billion USD in aggregate federal tax revenue. The money will help in developing the state after being channeled to different development projects like construction and development of essential amenities. Job creation is one of the direct benefits that will emanate from eliminating the restrictions attributed to using pot. The change that will promote freedom in the usage of hemp will create millions of jobs for the jobless Texans since the industry will provide an opportunity for farmers, processors, and suppliers. The fact that weed is currently recognized as a medical substance implies that taking advantage of being among pioneer states to process and supply medicinal marijuana will give Texas an opportunity to increase its revenue generation.

Marijuana-related offenses are among the most common causes of arrests and prosecution in Texas. Decriminalization of marijuana will help the state to save vast amounts of money used as law-enforcement expenses. Other than creating ways to generate revenue, ratification of cannabis usage will also help the state government to keep a substantial amount of money that would be spent on enforcing laws meant to regulate the use of marijuana. A report by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2013 suggested that the US uses around 3.6 billion USD annually for federal marijuana enforcement (Williams, Van Ours, and Grossman 1206). The figure implies that states will benefit directly from saving a considerable amount of money.

The associated disadvantages inspire campaigns against the legalization of marijuana. The addictive nature of the drug presents a major challenge for states that plan to legalize it. Marijuana is highly addictive because the mental system starts to depend exclusively on it to function well. The addiction to cannabis is demonstrated by how hard it is for users to stop using it — stopping bhang results in withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and irritability (Shi, Cummins, and Zhu 91). Because the body depends wholly on the drug to function well, addicts will start spending all their monies on purchasing marijuana since there will be restrictions in its usage and it might lead to poverty and other social challenges.

Cannabis is associated with violence and other behaviors like criminal activities. Decriminalization of weed under certain circumstances will create room for the abuse of the drug which will lead to increased incidents of violence and illegal activities. Marijuana has adverse mental health problems on its users, and its ratification Texas will put many people at risk of developing the psychological difficulties that compromise their ability to think and behave healthily (Hall and Lynskey 1769). A major disadvantage attributed to the medicinal use of cannabis and cannabinoids which has triggered the debates to legalize it is that most of the purported medical benefits are still under research and some of the applications are exaggerated.

Conclusion

The discussion about legalizing cannabis for diverse uses has gained momentum in Texas within recent years. Various bills have been proposed to change laws that affect the use of pot and the circumstances under which its possession and use becomes culpable. The rate at which the issue of decriminalizing bhang is gaining massive support in Texas indicates that the drug will soon have extensive uses rather than its contemporary limitations. Marijuana has both positive and negative effects, and the legalization process is highly dependent on the consideration of the pros and cons. Medicinal applications of weed is a common and major reason offered to justify the need to allow its uses. Besides, marijuana has several benefits to the economy if legalized. Apart from generating revenue and the creation of jobs for Texans, validation will also help in reducing the costs incurred through law enforcement processes used to regulate the abuse of weed. The state will benefit through the generation of money via different sources, mainly selling processed products from pot. Decriminalization is also associated with various shortfalls that threaten its authorization in Texas. Weed causes serious social problems like violence, criminal activities, and increasing susceptibility to abusing other dangerous drugs. Also, most of the purported medical benefits are still treated as assumptions because they are still under investigation and some of them could be embroidered.

Works Cited

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Did you know that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Marijuana is legal for medical use in some states but on the other hand illegal all together in other states. In many states they are actually making it legal to smoke marijuana medically and decriminalized. Marijuana should be legalized! Do you know how much a state could gain from legalizing marijuana? Legalizing marijuana would help this country provide more jobs for a lot of people in need. The incarceration rate would drop, as you can see many of the people in prison are their for selling marijuana. Tobacco, alcohol, and opioids kill hundreds of thousands annually. Marijuana, meanwhile, has caused zero overdose deaths. Overall marijuana has many short time effects and many long time effects.

In the state of Colorado, due to the legalization of marijuana if you are a resident in that state and you want to go to college they will pay your tuition just by them having money and profiting off of marijuana. States can include cannabis in their general sales tax bases, levy a special tax on cannabis and products containing cannabis, or pursue both approaches simultaneously. In states permitting assessable offers of recreational cannabis, yearly cannabis extract charge incomes as of now rival absolute extract charge incomes gathered from all types of liquor including lager, wine, and alcohol. In Colorado and Nevada, cannabis extract charges raise more income than liquor extract charges, and the equivalent is anticipated to happen in California by 2020.

Now in today’s economy there is a very big shortage on jobs , especially in the United States. By 2020 the industry is expected to create 250,000 new jobs due to marijuana research. The business is looking for specialists over the range, from bookkeeping to consistence, client administration, deals, innovation and that’s just the beginning. As the economy grows so does the demand for certain products and so does the demand for more workers.

In the year of 2017 the number of drug arrests that were for possession only was 1,394,514 which is about 85.4 percent. The incarceration rate would drop by 85.4 percent! Also along with drug incarceration the murder and assault rate would drop. Due to many people selling, stealing, and misusing marijuana people would have no reason to do these things.just think sometimes drug dealers get robbed and the people who they sell drugs for are usually people that are taking commision from them selling drugs. So if you don’t have their money or drugs they will do whatever they feel is necessary to send a message so that they will have respect and or power. Crime would drop, i’m not saying it would end but it would definitely drop.

In the top 10 most addictive drugs marijuana is the tenth and last drug on that list. Cannabis isn’t viewed as being physically or artificially addictive, yet numerous wellbeing specialists concur that it very well may be mentally addictive. Around 10 percent of individuals who utilize pot will wind up reliant on it, as indicated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In my opinion marijuana is very addictive but unlike other drug marijuana is not as harmful as any other drug. Many people would describe marijuana as being a gateway drug. Most people that smoke marijuana only use and abuse marijuana which is why I feel it is necessary to legalize it.

Usually people start to use marijuana as a teenager which has many cons that can be short and long term. Smoking as a teenager can affect your ability to communicate with others. As a person that has smoked marijuana and knowing just about all of its effects I still think we should legalize it. Smoking can cause memory loss , you’ll remember things but not as well as you’d remember when you’re sober. Also depending on your metabolism marijuana can easily help you gain your appetite which would be why some doctors prescribe you to smoke it. On the other hand some people experience the complete opposite and they lose their appetite. If you have to smoke or feel like you can’t eat unless you smoke, that’s when you have a problem. Your body should not depend on anything to help you eat.

In conclusion, marijuana is a drug just like any other and as any other drug can be addictive. Marijuana is a plant that grows from the Earth it just happens that when you smoke it you get high. In the words of Bob Marley “herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” In my opinion marijuana should be legal.

Every patterned, objectified, and structured society comes with laws and regulations. The system of rules that cannot be created and enforced without sociopolitical or economic standing of the people, and their reaction towards the system. Recently, the proposed act of the legalization of recreational use of marijuana has recently become a significant transition in Canadian society. When sociologist looks closely to the legalizations for recreational marijuana, they wonder why marijuana become a legal activity and how people think about marijuana use and its regulating laws. And questions can be answered and understood by classical theories, sociological thinking, and legal consciousness.

The famous sociologist, Karl Marx, developed the theory which features the differences between a power of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, often referred to as the powerful (e.g., the rich) and powerless (e.g., the poor) (SOC216, January 15). The Marxist theory also mentions the idea of base and superstructure, which are codependent one another, but ironically enforce a class division. The base refers to the relations and means of productions, and the superstructure maintains and legitimates the base through law, politics, religion, education, mass media, family, or other forms of societal structures.

Through a Marxist perspective, the law (or superstructure) is constantly changing and being amended to fit the current society; however, this is a tactic to allow the higher class to thrive. In regard to the legalization of marijuana, Marxist idea of base and superstructure is clearly visible through the strict laws and regulations related to the sale, possession, production, and distribution (Cox 2018). For example, the act allows adults to possess the marijuana, however, it controls the allowed amount of consumption, the allowed method and locations to access the marijuana, as well as the quality of marijuana (Cox 2018). Even though legalization seems to be a progressive act, the act is still in accordance with the common goal of abiding with the upper class. The similar phenomenon occurred in the 19th century. The factory acts were supposed to protect the workers, ironically the working day becomes more intense, which means capitalism wins at the end (SOC2016, January 15). The criminal penalties for violating the regulation are extensive and result in jail. Such penalties are seen as reinforcing the inequality between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. The marijuana market has been described to come about as another corporation, run mostly by the provincial government. The market deals with all the economic elements such as pricing, supply, and demand. Everything has a reinforcing effect on the base coming from the superstructure of the marijuana market. Laws are subject to be changed when a means of capital is needed. For example, accountants come up with the value of the Canadian pot industry, the projection would suggest 2.1 to 2.3 billion dollars in retail sales only in Ontario by the first year (Crawley 2017).

Unlike Marx’ class division, Durkheim questioned “how do we survive as a society?” or “what makes or keeps society?”. Durkheim developed the concept of social solidarity and collective consciousness (SOC216, January 22). The collective consciousness is a unifying force within society by operating the set of shared beliefs, ideas, or moral attitudes (SOC216, January 22). Durkheim believed interdependence between individuals forms the basis of social solidarity (SOC216, January 22). The regulations are a reflection of the shared belief from the conscience collective and are subject to change as shared norms change (SOC216, January 22).

The legalization of marijuana questions the recreational use of marijuana should be considered as illegal activity or not. According to the 2018 cannabis report, forty-eight per cent of cannabis consumers say they use cannabis to improve their mood. In addition, various surveys or studies suggest that a large majority of Canadian attitudes towards legalizing marijuana was supportive. Since the shared norms and collective conscience seems to accept marijuana use, therefore should not be considered as an illegal activity. However, the main difference between Marxian and Durkheimian perspectives are found in terms of punishment. Durkheimian theory views the petalites (e.g., fines or incarnation) associated with going against the collective conscience is a constructive and earned punishment. Performing a crime violates the validated framework and therefore cause a passionate response that is voiced collectively to provide consequences.

The legal consciousness refers to what people do and says about law every day (SOC216, February 5). In other words, how the person understands and interprets the law; for example, “is the law everywhere equally distributed?”, “To what degree do individuals understand their lives through legal processes and concepts?”, or “Is there law everywhere?”. (SOC216, February 5). The concept of legal consciousness is neither solely ideational nor individual trait; rather, legal consciousness is a type of social practice, which reflecting and forming social structure (SOC216, February 5).

Legal consciousness is found among Canadian’s different interpretation upon the legalized recreational use of marijuana and its regulating laws. According to the people’ comments in the article (Israel 2017), some individuals are not surprised about the fact that the government is moving towards a monopoly on marijuana use. Some individuals were concerned with a possible drug overdose, the age limit for consumption, health risk relating to marijuana, and even comparing the situation with Philippines (i.e., how the president of the Philippines deal with drug use) (Israel 2017). However, others trust the role of Canadian law and government in terms of marijuana use. Unsurprisingly, people position themselves differently towards the law and how the marijuana market should be operated. Therefore, legal consciousness is influenced by various aspects of intersectionality and observed in the legalization of marijuana.

In conclusion, Canada has achieved the legalization of the recreational consumption of marijuana. Sociological questions in legalization are answered and analyzed by Marxian perspective, Durkheimian perspective, and the legal consciousness. Marxian perspective interprets the legalization as the law (e.g., superstructure) changed due to the change of the means of production (e.g., base). Durkheimian perceptive view the newly created social norms among Canadian favored the legalization of recreational marijuana use. Finally, the different argument in terms of legalization in Canadian society was recognized as a legal consciousness.

Bibliography

1. Cox, Chelsea. 2018. “The Canadian Cannabis Act Legalizes and Regulates Recreational Cannabis Use in 2018.” Health Policy 122(3):205–9.
2. Crawley, Mike. 2017. “What Is the Legal Weed Market Really Going to Be Worth in Ontario? | CBC News.” CBCnews. Retrieved February 3, 2019 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/marijuana-ontario-price-market-sales-1.4298311).
3. Deloitte. 2018. “A society in transition, an industry ready to bloom. 2018 Cannabis Report”
4. Ferreras, Jesse. 2018. “Pot Is Legal, but That Doesn’t Mean Canadians Think Other Drugs Should Be: Ipsos Poll.” Global News. Retrieved February 2, 2019 (https://globalnews.ca/news/4561760/canada-legalize-all-drugs-marijuana/).
5. Israel, Solomon. 2017. “The Incredible Edible Mystery: Makers of Marijuana-Infused Foods Await Regulations | CBC News.” CBCnews. Retrieved February 3, 2019 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-legalization-marijuana-edibles-1.4079341).

Marijuana also known as cannabis is a herb of greenish-gray mixture of dried flowers of Cannabis sativa. Some people smoke marijuana like cigarettes. Marijuana is used in various things like brewing tea, medicinal purposes, sometimes mixed into foods which are edibles such as brownies, cookies, or candies whereas strong form of marijuana is used in ingredients like honeylike hash oil, waxy budder, and hard amberlike shatter (National Institute in Drug Abuse (Advancing Addiction Science), 2018).

People are changing their perception about cannabis. Current generation people are turning away from prohibition and penalties in favor of legalization. Uruguay is the first country to legalize the marijuana for its multiple uses in different sectors. Similarly, Canada also allowed the sale of weed for the recreational use in October,2017. In U.S and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational pot and also allowing about a quarter of Americans to consume it freely. Advocates of legalization say that consuming marijuana is safer than consuming alcohol. They include bringing weed would allow for better monitoring of the industry and increase state tax revenue as well. Thus, in America 65% of Americans believe that marijuana should be legal according to Gallup poll from October,2017 (Giammona, 2018).

Various debate was conducted regarding the legalization of weed as there were many views and ideas in their own perspective. Many arguments happened from a medical perspective or political perspective or economical perspective but at the last stage it always ends up with whether Federal Government should be our dictators or we should be responsible for our own actions. The Canadian medical Association Journal reports successful use of medical marijuana. For instance, Jean Charles who was an AIDS patient has to consume to his legally prescribed medicines to get cured from his disease but the legally prescribed medicines were not enough to cure his disease and he was at the verge of dying because of failing to store food and medicines in his system. His condition was getting even worse as he was completely bed ridden, weighed only 82 pounds. But after the use of medicines contained of marijuana, he was able to digest his medicines. HIV has been repressed because of his improved immune function and can now walk again and also has put on weight. Similarly, marijuana helps in suppression of expansion or development of diseases like HIV, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Glaucoma, Epilepsy, and many other disorders that affect millions of people not only in Nepal but in whole wide world. Similarly, the flowers of the cannabis plant were used to relieve menstrual disorders and open wounds while the seeds are used for internal use of post- partum difficulties, aconite poisoning, vermillion poisoning, constipation, and obstinate vomiting. As people of Nepal suffers from these kinds of diseases, it should think regarding legalization of marijuana in Nepal (Crocker, 2011).

Many people, specially people of Nepal has been using legal pharmaceuticals such as pain-killer that is derived from opium, or ketamine. Both of these legal drugs are easily available in any kind of pharmacies and these prescribed drugs are massively abused recreationally and also are highly addictive which leads to myriad of damaging short and long-term side- effects and has high chance of fatality in those that continue its use. These facts suggest that it is legal because of its easy taxation whereas, marijuana has been home-grown and is a sturdy plant and also is easy to grow (Crocker, 2011).

Marijuana similarly have many others advantages to be legalized in Nepal. Many studies show that marijuana is not very harmful in the perspective of medicinal effects as it helps to relief the pain for cancer and other chronic diseases until it is used extremely or excessively. Since extreme consumption of alcohol and tobacco can cause cancer, yet we have no such cases of people dying from the consumption of marijuana. Another thing is that making marijuana illegal in Nepal hasn’t worked. Worldwide drug consumption is increasing despite of it being illegal. Lots of criminal activities are increasing in case of selling marijuana illegally in Nepal and its consumption is increasing in a very rapid base in Nepal. Talking about the facts, US did make Alcohol consumption illegal in 1919, but then the consumption of alcohol didn’t decrease in any case instead it created a lot of crimes by selling illegal alcohol, same is the case with drug trade. Another advantage of making marijuana legalized in Nepal is that, it will raise the amount of revenue of the government by imposing tax in the product. It will help in the expansion of the market like alcohol and tobacco. Making marijuana illegal hasn’t reduced its usage. For instance, few countries like US, Canada and Netherlands has done better regulations of marijuana, tax them instead of giving money to criminals and involving the farmers as well (Karki, 2017).

To sum up everything, medicinal or recreational use of marijuana helps to solve many medicinal issues and it mainly helps the government to earn revenue by imposing tax on the product. This is something that has been pushed down the government priority list for many years and needs to be taken seriously as the very nature of our democracy is at stake over this.

Bibliography

1. Crocker, L. P., 2011. ResearchGate. [Online] Available at: https://drive.wps.com/wpsshare/AAWJI4qKoJgigICAhZCMEQ[Accessed 13 3 2019].
2. Giammona, C., 2018. Bloomberg. [Online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/marijuana-legalization[Accessed 12 3 2019].
3. Karki, S., 2017. Quora. [Online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/Should-marijuana-be-legalized-in-Nepal[Accessed 13 3 2019].
4. National Institute in Drug Abuse (Advancing Addiction Science), 2018. National Institute in Drug Abuse (Advancing Addiction Science). [Online] nAvailable at: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-marijuana[Accessed 12 3 2019].