Legalization of Marijuana: the financial, medical, social, and political benefits
Brandon Smith
Professor Gregor
ENGL 1102
21 April 2014
Legalization of Marijuana: the financial, social, medical, and political benefits. The legalization of marijuana has been a topic of debate for many years. This may be because of the cultural diversity that the United States of America is known for. Recently, bills were passed in Colorado and Washington to implement the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana use. These events along with the ever growing popularity of the drug in society, media, and entertainment are proving to be more than anti-marijuana advocates can handle. In this paper, I explore the financial, social, medical, and political benefits of legalizing marijuana. Pro legalization advocates stand firm in their belief and continue to campaign to legalize or decriminalize marijuana. Mansur Abdullah explains what marijuana is and gives us some insight into the history of the drug. Kristen Gwynne and Steven Nelson reveal how many government officials such as police officers and attorneys support its legalization. Christopher Matthews points out the change in how marijuana is viewed and how now were are far more desensitized to its prevalence in society than we once were. LZ Anderson steps out and proposes the idea that in 2016 we may be ready to vote to legalize pot the way our grandparents voted to legalize alcohol. The information gathered from these sources show why marijuana should be legalized due to the reasons that its prohibition infringes on our liberty, costs the government and taxpayers billions of dollars, and details the great potential for the medical benefit that could be achieved from its legalization. In order to fully grasp the argument, you have to first understand and define what it is you are debating. Marijuana is a “crude drug composed of the leaves and flowers of plants in the genus Cannabis” (Abdullah). Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active ingredient in marijuana that has valuable therapeutic
Professor Gregor
ENGL 1102
21 April 2014
Legalization of Marijuana: the financial, social, medical, and political benefits. The legalization of marijuana has been a topic of debate for many years. This may be because of the cultural diversity that the United States of America is known for. Recently, bills were passed in Colorado and Washington to implement the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana use. These events along with the ever growing popularity of the drug in society, media, and entertainment are proving to be more than anti-marijuana advocates can handle. In this paper, I explore the financial, social, medical, and political benefits of legalizing marijuana. Pro legalization advocates stand firm in their belief and continue to campaign to legalize or decriminalize marijuana. Mansur Abdullah explains what marijuana is and gives us some insight into the history of the drug. Kristen Gwynne and Steven Nelson reveal how many government officials such as police officers and attorneys support its legalization. Christopher Matthews points out the change in how marijuana is viewed and how now were are far more desensitized to its prevalence in society than we once were. LZ Anderson steps out and proposes the idea that in 2016 we may be ready to vote to legalize pot the way our grandparents voted to legalize alcohol. The information gathered from these sources show why marijuana should be legalized due to the reasons that its prohibition infringes on our liberty, costs the government and taxpayers billions of dollars, and details the great potential for the medical benefit that could be achieved from its legalization. In order to fully grasp the argument, you have to first understand and define what it is you are debating. Marijuana is a “crude drug composed of the leaves and flowers of plants in the genus Cannabis” (Abdullah). Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active ingredient in marijuana that has valuable therapeutic
Cited: Gwynne, Kristen. “Five Reasons Cops Want to Legalize Marijuana.” Rolling Stone. Wenner, Jane S., 27 June 2013. Web. 12 March 2014. Matthews, Christopher. “How America Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Marijuana.” Time. Time Magazine, 28 May 2013. Web. 12 March 2014. Abdullah, Mansur G. “Marijuana.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., n.d. Web. 12 March 2014. Granderson, LZ. “Why not legalize pot?” cnn.com. CNN, 30 Oct. 2012. 12 March 2014. Nelson, Steven. “Police Made One Marijuana Arrest Every 42 Seconds in 2012.” USNews.com USNews, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 7 April 2014.