Legalizing Marijuana in America: Friend or Foe?

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Legalizing Marijuana in America: Friend or Foe?

Kent Luu

ENG 122

Prof. Sarah Bowman

April 3, 2011

Introduction

Drug trafficking in the United States has been a huge problem for centuries. From cocaine to marijuana and every drug in between, this lucrative business has grown to become America's most organized illegal operation accounting for approximately 40% of total crime rates and generating an estimated income of 110 billion dollars annually (Presidents Commission on Organized Crime 1986). As the fight to keep drugs off the streets seems to be a never ending battle in the United States, so too are the levels of acceptance as to which drugs should be considered legal and which should remain banned. The plans thus far to combat this issue have all but failed, and many people are questioning the moral implications of certain drugs listed in this "war on drugs". Of these illegal substances, marijuana is one that is gaining more acceptance on a daily basis through its medicinal properties and taxable nature. The legalization of marijuana would benefit the United States greatly by improving natural health care remedies and providing a new source of taxable income while removing itself from the lists of drugs that are illegally trafficked.

Researching Methods

First choice:

The primary research materials that were used to answer this research and support the

thesis came mainly from periodicals and references from books. Peer reviewed scholarly

journals and highly regarded newspapers were first choice followed by internet websites

with reputable authors and primary and secondary research materials.

Further researching materials:

This research paper also includes expert opinions on both sides to provide a more

balanced approach and greater overall understanding of the topic.

Results

Benefits of Legalization: Pros

The legalization of marijuana would have a huge impact on the medical industry. As the Institute of Medicine suggests. "The profile of cannabinoid drug effects suggest that they are promising for treating wasting syndrome in AIDS patients. Nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety are all afflictions of wasting, and all can be mitigated by marijuana"(Institute of Medicine 1999). Marijuana's benefits are not limited to symptoms such as end stage or terminal illnesses. Researchers have also discovered a wide variety of ailments in which marijuana can have a positive impact. In a 2002 review of medical literature, medical cannabis was shown to have established effects in the treatment of nausea, vomiting, premenstrual syndrome, unintentional weight loss, insomnia, and lack of appetite.(Russo, E.B.) Marijuana is also used to treat medical conditions such as glaucoma, migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of phychological issues. These diseases and conditions are just a few among a long list that marijuana can help. As many have seend and benefited from marijuana in its medical aspect, the possibility of improving the United States through legalizing marijuana can be seen with other financial applications.

Legalizing marijuana would also help the United States in its current economic collapse. The statistics are stating that America is worse off now than what was witnessed and endured during the "Great Depression". Is seems that our financial deficit is in turmoil and economists are looking for new and innovative avenues to help rectify this crisis. Legalizing marijuana results iin the high profit of taxing the product.

Imagine taxing a product that 40 percent of the the nation can say that they have at least tried it once in their lives and roughly 20 percent say they are regular users. The proposed high taxation of this product would yield high profits that the United States desperately needs. According to the "Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition," "The report estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. $5.3 billion of this savings would accrue to state and local governments, while $2.4 billion would accrue to the federal government"(Miron J. 2005). It goes on to say "The report also estimates that marijuana legalization would yield tax revenue of $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco" (Miron J. 2005). With a savings of almost 8 billion dollars and an increase of potentially 6 billion, that's a total of 14 billion dollars that could help with the school systems, help improve national security, or whatever the country would need. The point here is, if marijuana was legalized and taxed, well, the country would feel a bit less stressed financially as the income coming in would help neutralize the