Zack Dirmeyer

Mr. Russell
ELA 1-2
Legalization of Marijuana across the Nation:
Ever been told not to smoke the Devils Lettuce? Marijuana, Kush, Weed amongst other
names has been heavily prohibited in the United States for decades, but in modern times how
practical is it to have weed illegal? Take the Prohibition of alcohol for example, alcohol has
serious tolls on mental and physical health that heavily impact the user, however people still
drink profusely. The Prohibition was supposed to better Americans and cure the perceived
problems of the substance so many abuse. The Prohibition lasted thirteen years and banned
alcohol across the nation, but so many citizens drank and smuggled alcohol, it became legal and
was taxed. Alcohol has executed or seriously incapacitated millions, yet it is still legal and apart
of American society. Cannabis has been illegal sense 1937 on a federal level. Unlike the
prohibition, weed has not been implemented legal, even though one in third Americans have
experimented with the drug. Cannabis has zero health defects and or cannot be abused so
severely that its user is harmed. I firmly believe Cannabis should be legalized across the country
because the drug offers so much potential for medicinal purposes, the economic impact of this
drug would help our country fund other necessities, and lastly the crime rate of the country
would radically decrease.
Cannabis has so much positive effects on illness that sick people would have more
benefits taking the drug if it was legal. Cannabis has two chemicals contained in itself,
cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol which have progressive effects on the human body and

treating problems with it. Weeds own chemical CBD, contains the power to turn off the gene ID1 which is responsible for cancer spreading. Meanwhile, fellow researcher Sean McAllister was
studying the effects of Cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-toxic, non-psychoactive chemical compound
found in the cannabis plant. Finally, the pair collaborated, combining CBD and cells containing
high levels of ID-1 in a petri dish. "What we found was that his Cannabidiol could essentially
'turn off' the ID-1," (Robin Wilkey, Huffington post). Scientists around the country including
Sean Mcallister, have discovered a diamond in the rough for one of the many vicious diseases
that take peoples lives every day, and cannot persevere through the obstacle because of weeds
legal status. With the legalization of Marijuana scientists like Mcallister could halt the spreading
of cancer and save millions. Furthermore, Cannabis has been proven to relieve chronic pain
sufferers. Chronic pain claims 100 million people a year (Saylnn Boyles, WebMD) with that
staggering statistic there is a healthy and effective way to help treat subjects, however there is a
front guarding Americans from treatment. For example, Multiple sclerosis is a painful disease
400,000 people suffer from, and with that Cannabis has been included in studies that show relief
in these chronic pain sufferers. "I think this study shows that yes, (marijuana) may help with
spasticity, but at a cost," said Corey-Bloom, of the University of California, San Diego (Amy
Norton, Recruiters Health). Marijuana definitely relieves people with the pain of MS however
there is a supposed toll cost, but Corey-Bloom went further to say that People with MS are
already at some risk of "cognitive changes, So in a sense, Cannabis offers positive temporary
effects on patients, but most patients already pose threats that cannabis potentially could cause,
thus out weighing the negative for most sufferers. Continuing, I conducted an interview with my
father who is legally deemed handicapped and suffers from chronic pained. In the interview I
conducted, My father states an interest stating if it would help me I would defnitley try it, and I

think a lot of people in my position would as well. (Dean dirmeyer). That holds significance not
just on a political level, the general public would love to receive some relief and cannabis could
hold that for them. In Conclusion, with all the positive benefits marijuana poses for medical
purposes, citizens of the United States should be able to have access to this effective treatment, if
prescribed by a doctor.
Marijuana also poses superb economic standing if made legal in the United States.
Colorado was the first state to legalize cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes. Not
only is tourism up in Colorado but they made 3.5 million dollars in the first month of selling the
drug (Jollie Lee, USA today). Not only did Colorado cut off paying trying to prohibit its citizens
from using the drug but the keystone state is projected for 100 million dollars in profit. That
amount of profit can now be dispersed in helping the people instead of heavily enforcing a drug
that in reality isnt more harmful then alcohol. Continuing on profits, The United States spends
ridiculous amounts of money a year on barring Cannabis, however that could be the exact
opposite. Harvard economist professor Jeffery Marion, concluded an extensive study that states
Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of legal regulation would save approximately
$7.7 billion in government expenditures on prohibition enforcement $2.4 billion at the federal
level and $5.3 billion at the state and local levels. Revenue from taxation of marijuana sales
would range from $2.4 billion per year if marijuana were taxed like ordinary consumer goods to
$6.2 billion if it were taxed like alcohol or tobacco (Jeffery Marion, Harvard). This impressive
amount of money could be used in improving education, budgets, the amount of possibilities this
amount of revenue would bring in is endless. A new source of money is what this country needs,
and with that, the end of the marijuana prohibition could provide us that.

Supply and Demand is the beating heart of the Drug Trade. The FBI states that 48% of all
drug related charges and arrests are just off marijuana. Half of this country are getting into
trouble with the law, with a drug 85% of high school students experiment with. Colorado is the
first solid proof of how not implementing enforcement of Cannabis. Between January 1 and
April 30, violent crime and property crime in Denver the most populated city in Colorado, in
terms of both people and weed dispensaries dropped 10.6 percent compared to that same span
one year earlier, official statistics reveal. (Associated press). This shows how tranquil the
morale of a city can be when drug lords or enforcers of the drug trade dont have any more
business. Denver police have no issues with the now regulated drug enforcement and now have
time to sustain actual crimes that need attention. With Colorado hand feeding us the information
on what life is like with cannabis legal, its hard not to picture life across the country with a bliss
more secure feeling, considering the drug trade lost its demand and need for supply.
In Conclusion, Cannabis is a substance that in actuality poses more benefits then threats
to the American public. Marijuanas chemical make-up is being proved more and more reliable
to help relieve or help cure disease and chronic pain sufferers. The financial and economic
benefits the legalization of weed would have on our country is substantial enough to help
improve our fragile economy. Finally, with Colorados newly found city without drug
enforcement prevented factual evidence on what life is like with majority of the drug trade gone.
Cannabis is a unique substance that most have an opinion on however that opinion may come to
form though is up for debate, but would you want our generation to have something illegal that
would benefit us?

Bibliography:

Source 1:

Wilkey, Robin. "Marijuana And Cancer: Scientists Find Cannabis Compound

Stops Metastasis In Aggressive Cancers." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com,

16 Mar. 2014. Web. 9 May 2015.
Source 2:

"Marijuana May Ease Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms." Reuters. Thomson Reuters,

14 May 2012. Web. 9 May 2015.

Source 3:

Marion, Jeffery. "Cost of Marijuana Prohibition: Economic Analysis." Cost of

Marijuana Prohibition Economic Analysis. Web. 9 May 2015.

Source 4: Interview
Name: Dean Dirmeyer -Why Chosen: Chronic pain sufferer- Age: 43
What is your opinion on the legalization of Cannabis for Chronic Pain?
Personally, I would love a little relief, but I would have some worries just because I dont want
my kids to think its ok to be a pot head, however if it would help me I definitely would try it and
I think a lot of people in my position would as well.
Do you think legalization of Cannabis for medical purposes is for the good?
Yes, because I think it would be an effective way to help people with severe pain. I have some
background knowledge in the sense of when I first became handicapped I researched for hours
the best medicine to help me, and weed came up a couple times, and would help me in my
scenario with the THC but, it is illegal and guys who cant walk dont live in jail.