"Make the most you can of the Indian hemp seed and sow it everywhere.

"- George Washington

Melissa Kamerer Instructor Moe Research Essay 27 April, 2011

Going Green: The Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana, its green, its smelly, its sticky, and it can get you high. Unfortunately, thats in all probability the full scope of most peoples understanding of the plant scientifically known as Cannabis Sativa. When a person hears the term Marijuana, the first thing that may come to mind is that it is an illegal drug. The common assumption that the only use for this drug is to get high is ignorant and uneducated. Most people havent thought of the effects that marijuana can have besides the fact that it makes some people act without proper judgment and that it is potentially addictive; effects that always seem to give it a bad rap. For this exact reason it has become the most controversial drug, and quite possibly the most controversial plant on the planet. Besides the few states that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, the use of marijuana is strictly illegal in the United States. The history of marijuana dates back many, many years and has been used in different cultures in various ways. Over the past few years, marijuana has been adapted to fit our lifestyles and societal environment and has benefited several people medically and economically. This isnt a cry for the legalization of this wonderful plant and I dont plan on forcing my opinions onto anyone who doesnt want them; but it is an insight on the effects of this natural and powerful plant that could help in so many aspects of our lives. Cannabis Sativa, the scientific name of Marijuana, has been mentioned several times in manuscripts that date back to 2700 B.C. in China where it is referred to as the superior herb in

the worlds first medical text. The Jamestown settlers recorded the first cultivation of the plant in 1611 and they used the hemp from the plants fibers to make rope and canvas. Marijuana was also used to make clothing, as the plant was very resilient. During this time, Marijuana was used more for survival than for any other purpose. Our own Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper (Facts). The fact that something that provided so many resources and materials for thousands of years is now illegal is just uncanny. Marijuana came into play when alcohol was becoming scarce. The use of the drug rose from there and slowly became a problem in the United States (Heerema). The United States could immensely benefit from the legalization of marijuana. Studies show that marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance with the lowest dependence rate among other substances such as nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. The difference between marijuana and the listed substances though, is that all of those substances are legal. What would happen if Marijuana was legalized? Would everybody become a pothead or a drug dealer? The legalization would inevitably add a new and powerful industry to our draining economy. The War on Drugs is something that has lasted for far too long. This last remnant of the Nixon era has long been the butt of all the jokes within the borders of the United States itself. But the same thinning returns are now having a shocking effect on Americas international efforts. You can consider the case of Afghanistan. It was once a vine -growing country, notorious for its raisins, but now it is so desolate that even the thought of a farmer planting a vine would be extremely optimistic but a farmer growing poppies is assured at least some income. While we burn Afghanistans only crop we are suffering ourselves in the United States for this exact thing (Hitchens). Why not instead buy the Afghan crop and use it to produce painkillers, and if necessary, burn and throw away the rest. This would offer incentives and aid to vine growers. At

this point, we are paying the Turks to grow medical opium, but they dont need the money. It would be beneficial to the War on Drugs and the war in Afghanistan if we did business with the Afghans. Drugs are already a successful and powerful industry due to the pharmaceutical endeavors. If someone has a headache or a back pain, they can go buy some aspirin and take a few doses every few hours and the aches will go away. But do they ever think about what exactly they are putting into their body? With Marijuana, they wouldnt have that problem. How about this: Go buy some weed from your local Rite Aid or Walgreens and take a couple of hits here and there and the stress and aches will inevitably vanish. Many people think that this would just create problems but it could also create many solutions. With problems come solutions and with solutions, come more problems but what would happen if we actually legalized the plant? Well for one we could create a powerful industry. The Marijuana Industry instead of the Tobacco or Alcohol industry. Marijuana companies would be popping up like weeds (pun intended). Along with creating an industry, we would also be creating a workforce. Farm lands would be needed as well as laborers who would be needed to help grow and distribute the plant. Pharmaceutical companies would then distribute the plant to pharmacies like Rite Aid or Walgreens. The required expertise of marijuana would then have its effects on universities and colleges. They are going to have to call on the experts to help teach classes for the future pharmacists. This will increase the enrollment which helps the local economy as would the purchasing and payment of a proposed marijuana tax. Walter Block argues for the case of the legalization of addictive drugs such as marijuana. He maintains that there are no market failures which even come close to justifying the banning of this substance and that as in the earlier historical case of prohibition of alcohol, our present drug policy has increased crime,

decreased respect for the legitimate law and created great social upheaval (659). It is clear that we would economically benefit from the legalization of marijuana but it doesnt stop there. One of the most impressive characteristics of marijuana is its ability to heal. The government has its concerns and in my personal opinion it has everything to do with money. Most politicians are afraid that if marijuana were to become legalized that they would not be able to make any money off of it to legitimize actually legalizing it (Prop 19). The thought that there would be no way to regulate the cultivation and distribution of the plant hangs heavy in the minds of our nations leaders. But what they dont realize is that the supply of home grown marijuana would not thwart the growth of a massive commercial market for marijuana (Galbraith). Will patients who already have first-hand experience with the use of medical marijuana switch to a cannabis-based pharmaceutical if one becomes legally available? Maybe not, but these individuals comprise only a fraction of the US population (Armentano). Certainly many others will, including many older patients who would never the desire to try or the access to obtain natural cannabis. Bottom line: regardless of whether pot is legal or not, cannabis-based pharmaceuticals will no doubt have a broad appeal. Most people would prefer to purchase clean and graded marijuana from a reliable source rather than grow their own; and if it was up to me, thats the way I would do it. The cannabis plants unrestrained medicinal and industrial value and its lack of adverse effects justify its immediate legalization. As a drug, there is an enormous amount of illnesses that can be treated with marijuana. A few of the more common illnesses include epilepsy, glaucoma, nausea, chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, migraines, and a range of other painful conditions. But, the list doesnt end there (Pivarnik). Cannabis may be useful for the treatment of many more conditions, heck, in some way it could be the cure for cancer. It could also quite possibly be even

safer than most treatments already being used. As a medicinal and recreational drug, marijuana is tremendously safe, safer than most substances that we consume on a regular basis. In 5000 years of human use of cannabis, there is not one plausible record that indicates that anyone has ever died from consuming cannabis. If marijuana is the only drug that successfully camouflages pain, then I see no other choice but to legalize and use the drug. No person should have a say in this matter unless they have experienced the pain and suffering that the patients with cancer and AIDS have encountered due to their illness and the positive effects that marijuana has had on their health (Phoenix Tears). The federal government still lists marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance, which means it is addictive, it has no medical value and it is not safe to use, even under medical direction (DEA). This also means that marijuana is placed in the same category as drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy. Why do I bring this up? Because marijuana doesnt belong in the same category as these drugs nor does it belong in a category that states it has no medical value. Unlike most schedule I drugs, marijuana cannot kill you. Unfortunately, the rescheduling of marijuana is something that may be far off in the future, despite research pointing to the possible benefits of medicinal use. People are easily fooled into believing the common misconceptions about marijuana and the fact that people of power usually support these conceptions just aids to the foolery. Many people have a conventional image of marijuana being an appalling, dirty drug, that will make you delusional, but that is merely what children are told in health class to stay away from drugs, and that is what too many adults are tricked into believing as well. A reported 40,000 people die each year from the use of over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin, which are quite legal, and yet not a single being has died from the effects of marijuana and the substance has been banned (Aspirin and Annual). Among many myths, one of the very popular ones is that

marijuana damages your brain. Although marijuana stimulates the brain cells it does not produce toxins that kill them like alcohol, and it does not wear them out as other drugs may. Legalizing marijuana would make a country cleaner, control pain, and smoking would be safer than most other medical treatments. It would also reduce the crime rate and save tax payers money. Another misconception is that only crazy potheads smoke marijuana, but they are wrong. Last year, about 10 million people smoked marijuana on a regular basis, even though many were true citizens who followed the laws. If the government were to regulate marijuana, they would easily be able to monitor the purchase and sale of the product; reducing drug abuse in the country and making smokers feel safe to smoke. Legalization of the drug would allow crime to be affected in a positive way. Illegal drug crimes consume police officers time, instead of dealing with larger, more serious problems that affect the country. A marijuana smoker is arrested every 40 seconds in the United States (Pot). Many of these offenders receive small fines, and rarely get time in jail, due to the depleted amount of jail cells throughout the country. Legalizing marijuana would allow jail cells for criminals who have created serious crimes, and save money that is spent on prosecuting to inform the drug users about how to smoke responsibly. Illegal drug dealers would be out of business and drug smuggling would be reduced to an all time low. Jail cells are only referring to a small advantage legalizing marijuana has to offer. Most people dont know this, but the cannabis plant is possibly the most precious renewable resource on the planet. The legalizing of the drug would be an interest to the world, as thousands of acres of forest that are destroyed daily would be saved. A single acre of hemp is equivalent to four and a half acres of trees used to produce paper (Roulac). An acre of hemp can be grown in one season, while an acre of trees may require ten to twenty. It is exceptionally simple to grow and

tend to, necessitates almost no pesticides, and is biodegradable, while also returning its nutrients back to the soil. Almost everything that we produce today can be made from the Cannabis plant. It can be used to make fuel for cars, clothing that is more long-lasting and comfortable than cotton, and about 25,000 other marketable products. Letting the forest grow, would allow endangered animals to regain footing on our planet, instead of going extinct. By using hemp, we would be saving the environment, and enjoy living at the same time. Marijuana could be the new meaning of going green as we know it.

Although you may see some positive outcomes by throwing this plant into the front lines of our economy there are some consequences that we must reap. Whether or not it is a gateway drug, it still has some casualties. There are many people out there that may think their body is immune to the drugs that surround them because this green plant had no effect on them. Their invincibility may be the case when it comes to marijuana but not for other illegal substances. This topic also brings up ideas of health problems like heart disease due to the high levels of cyanide. Other toxins that can cause fatal harm are ammonia and nitrogen oxides which can cause lung cancer. Who knows what the legal distribution of marijuana will do to the already gigantic illegal drug industry. Some people may go crazy over the distribution of wealth due to this proposed change.

Socially, the legalization could create a good vibe. Smokers would be at peace and head off from conflict with other members of our society due to its relaxing effects. This can be an important result to the use of marijuana as we are a society in which conflicts are always arising and ongoing. We would be eating more often and spending money on munchies which is always good for the economy. If a higher tax was to be placed on snack foods in order for

marijuana to be legalized, I think many people would be content and satisfied with that, even the government because its another way for them to reasonably make more money. Socially, this may be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. Smokers may become lazy, broke, and overweight, but it is likely that the people who already use marijuana will remain the same way they are and the people who dont will also stay the same. Marijuana does have the tendency to get you to relax and sometimes if addicted it may get you to relax too much. Were human. We need to be happy and satisfied with what life brings us. But that also brings back the concept of marijuana having the power to do that all by itself. This, in the end, concludes to a fight with ourselves over which path can make our lives easier on us.

Now does the use of cannabis even matter? Well it depends on who you ask. The quantity of harm done by cannabis is basically non-existent, with the exclusion of the simulated harm that has been made-up by the criminal justice department by means of arrest and incarceration. Nevertheless, if cannabis were legal, the tax income from cannabis and all of its components would be colossal. Its legalization could even rescue our failing economy. Now that is what matters. The positive benefits that came from the use of marijuana significantly outnumber the negative. The fight for this cause is gaining more and more support and popularity on a daily basis. The negative stereotypes that have accompanied marijuana are diminishing and people are slowly starting to realize that it isnt just a good time drug. It can improve our economy, help heal the sick, and create a more peaceful world. By now it should have been made remarkably clear to you that cannabis is safe and extremely useful. Whether you smoke it, drink it, or eat it, its all the same. The key to being successful in our campaign to legalize marijuana is to educate; educate yourself first and then educate others. It's time for us to open our minds and welcome the pleasure and the riches to be found by legalizing marijuana.

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