Legalizing Marijuana

Yes or No 1

Legalizing Marijuana

Into To Ethics and Social Responsibility

Robert Borger

8/15/2011

Yes or No 2

Many people have different views on whether we should or shouldn't legalize marijuana. Fighting the drug war costs the U.S. a lot of money and I will look into if it is a war worth fighting or not. There is a big black market industry for marijuana and the Mexican and Asian drug cartels are making big money off selling marijuana in the U.S. Is the war getting better or worse? What are some pros and cons to having marijuana legal? In this easy I will look at both sides of the issue and discuss what may be some solutions.

Marijuana Facts

Marijuana is a mind-altering (psychoactive) drug, produced by the cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana contains over 400 chemicals. THC is one of the main chemical ingredients that produces the psychoactive effect on the body. Marijuana is a dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves from the cannabis sativa plant.

Marijuana is most commonly smoked but can be eaten or intravenously injected. The THC passes from the lungs to the bloodstream where it goes through the body into organs including the brain. THC connects to specific sites called the cannabinoid receptors on the nerve cells. They influence the activity of those cells and the receptors that are found in that part of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. Long-term chronic marijuana use has been associated with Amotivational Syndrome which is characterized by apathy, impairment of judgment, memory and concentration and loss of motivation, ambition and interest in the pursuit of personal goals. High doses of marijuana can lead to mental confusion, panic reactions, and hallucinations.

Yes or No 3

Researchers have found that there is an association between marijuana use and an increased risk of depression, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders.

Peak plasma levels are reached ten minutes after smoking but psychoactive components are effective for two to three hours after use. THC has a long half-life due to its lipid soluble nature and redistribution into fatty tissue. THC can be detected in urine for months after initial administration. THC is metabolized through the cytochrome P450 system. To date no death from overdose of marijuana has been reported.

Medical Marijuana

In the state of California and 14 other states it is already legal to possess and use marijuana for medical reasons. All you need is to obtain a medical card from a licensed physician so that you can use marijuana. The state does not have anything to do with the process of someone obtaining a medical card. In California you do not go to the pharmacy to fill your prescription for marijuana rather to go to co-ops. You can then buy the best marijuana, hash, cookies, brownies, and anything else that may contain marijuana. The people who are getting the medical cards very in their degrees of illnesses. They are not just for terminally ill people. Some people may have a serious illness such as cancer, while others may say they suffer from migraines or back pain. In order to get a medical card you may need to explain to your doctor that your current medicine is not working because of the side effects. There are a number of web sites that can help you out in obtaining a card such as http://www.cannabisdoctorsnetwork.com/get-a-medical-cannabis-card.php.

Yes or No 4

In California you are currently allowed to have 12 immature marijuana plants or six mature plants. You also can possess up to eight ounces of dried marijuana. But different cities and counties have laws allowing patients to possess more plants and to be able to possess more than eight ounces of dried marijuana. Calnorm.org estimates that there are 750,000 to 1,125,000 medical marijuana users in California (2011). "Some have given an estimate that marijuana has been used for medical purposes for 12,000 years." (Wason, L.) Medical marijuana has been shown to help stimulate appetite and alleviate cachexia, control nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, decrease intraocular pressure, Analgesia, and neurological and movement disorders.

Who Supports Legalizing Marijuana

Some people who are supporting the legalization of marijuana are people who are entrepreneurs of the medical marijuana industry, helping grow and distribute marijuana in California. "Oaksterdam University in CA. is a vocational school for the new industry and has had more than 12,000 students pass through since 2007." (Doherty, B., 2011) Also many minority group advisories such as the California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the League of United Latin American Citizens of California are for the legalization of marijuana. Finally, another group interested in the legalization is the organized labor unions. They are interested in the potential for jobs created with a new market with marijuana and hemp. The industry would create jobs in retail, agriculture, and food processing.

Yes or No 5

Also many believe that full legalization would help people who are the "casual" smokers from being harassed by police and possibly get chargers against them because of possessing a certain amount. In California and others states across the nation have passed laws that put an ounce of pot or less at the same infraction as a traffic ticket.

Who doesn't support Legalizing Marijuana?

Many people believe that if we would legalize marijuana it will not stop the black market sales of marijuana. The Mexican drug cartels and also Asian drug cartels are growing large quantities outdoors in California and throughout the nation. People are saying that these drug cartels will put up at fight with the marijuana black market. If they legalize it all that it would do is push more people to buy through the black market because of the possible taxes that would be imposed.

Drug War

As of Monday, August 1st at 2:53p.m the federal government has spent 8,857,209,914 dollars on the war on drugs