BenBednarczyk

Dr.Hobson
EffectiveWriting
April15,2014

MarijuanaLegalization
Cannabishasbecomeanincreasinglyimportantdiscussionintodayssocietyand
willsoonhavetobeaddressedonanationallevel.Overtheyears,20stateshave
independentlylegalizedtheuseofmedicalmarijuana,provingproventhatitcanbe
effectivelydistributed.Legalizationwilloffermanypositiveoutcomesforbothlocaland
nationalgovernment.Cannabiswillnotonlygeneratemoretaxdollars;itwillalsoreduce
theamountofmoneywespendonthepreventionofcannabisuse.Somemayhesitateto
followthroughwithlegalizingmarijuana,duetotherisksofincreasedrecreationaluse.
Thelegalizationofcannabiswillproveequallybeneficialforboththepublicand
government.
CannabishasexistedintheUnitedStateswellbeforeweevendeclaredour
independencefromEurope.WhenitfirstmadeitswaytoAmericasshoresin1609,it
quicklybecameapopularcashcrop.WhileundertheruleofKingJames,thedemanded
formarijuanaforbothmedicalandindustrialuse,forcingeverycoloniststoplantone
hundredplantseachtopowerthemonarchyseconomy.Theuseofhempwascritical
inbothfabricandropeindustriesthroughthe18thand19thcenturies.Americasquickly
growingNavydependedontheproductionofhemptextiles.Hempwasanidealmaterial

inproducingropes,sails,anduniforms.Hempsbecausecharacteristicsdemonstrated
strongresistancefromsaltdeterioration.Butthemethodsusedtoprocessandharvest
hempwerecomplex,makingthecostofproductionveryexpensive.However,
innovationsregardingcottonproductionwereregularlyimprovedmakingthecostof
cottonmuchless.,ThislackinprogressindisputablyrestrictedthegrowthofAmericas
hempindustry.Butcurrentlynewusesfrohempandproductionmethodsarearising.Our
presentdayenergycrisisiscastingnewlightonrenewablecropssuchashempto
producemoreefficientenergy.Hemphurdsarealsocelluloserich,makingitaprime
sourceasabuildingmaterial,fuel,paper,andanimalbedding.Thenutritionalvaluesof
hemparealsoveryimpressive.Hempisbeingusedmoreandmoreinnumerousfoodand
healthcareproducts.Thesenewusesforcannabiswouldstronglyassistourdeclining
jobsmarkethereinAmerica.Legalizingmarijuanahastheabilitytoopenupawhole
newspectrumofjobs.ncludAagriculturalpositions,andalsojobsinvolvedinsciences,
marketingandmanagement.Untilhempcanoncemoreoperateinthefreemarket,itwill
notbegiventhechancetosucceed.(A.CannabisIntheUnitedStates)
TodayourcannabismarketinAmericanishuge.RogerRoffman,aprofessorat
theUniversityofWashington,declaredinJulyof2009thatapproximately3.6million
Americansaredailyorneardailyusers.(B.Hemphasis)In2012,Coloradovoters
approvedalawthatwouldallowstatewidesaleandpurchaseofrecreationalmarijuana.
ThismarkedtheveryfirsttimeinUnitedStateshistory.TwoyearslateronJanuary1st
2014,adultsovertheageof21couldlegallypurchasecannabiswithoutaprescription.
Onthisday24dispensariesopenedthroughoutColoradoandsalestotaledmorethanone

milliondollars.Overthefollowingweekprofitstotaledfivemillion.WithColorados
statemarijuanataxat35percentandtheabilityforcitiestoimplementadditionaltaxes.
LegalizationofrecreationalmarijuanainColoradowillmakeroughlyseventymillion
dollarsinrevenuethisyear.(D.DailyNebraskan)Onceotherstatesseethedegreeof
incomegeneratedformcannabisindustry,theywillnotpasstheopportunitytomake
increasedprofits.Especiallyconsideringtheerawearerein.Whenlocalandfederal
budgetsaregettingtighterbytheday.StateswithlargerpopulationssuchasNewYork,
Texas,andCalifornia,canmakeakillingoffofthesaleofmarijuana,eithermedicinal,
recreationalorboth.
Currentlytheeffectsofmarijuanaprohibitionaretakingahugetollon
governmentbudgets.Therearetwomainaspectsofthisargument.Firstlegalizationwill
discardsarrestsmadefortraffickingaswellaspossessionofmarijuana.InfactOne
marijuanaarrestoccursevery42secondsintheUnitedStates.Withlegalization,less
moneywillbespentonenforcingourcurrentmarijuanalaws.Secondly,allcriminals
arrestedformarijuanadisputesareprosecutedincourt.(E.TheHuffingtonPost)
Legalizationwouldsavehugeexpensesinvolvedwithprocessingtheselawbreakers.
Costsinvolvedinthejudicialsystemaswellasincarcerationareastounding.Theannual
expenseperinmateinaminimalsecurityprisonistwentyonethousanddollars.Ifthere
are700,000lessprisonerstoaccountforannually,ourbudgetwilldecreasedramatically.
Intotalourgovernmentsannualexpenditureswillseeanestimated7.7billiondollar
decline.Thisbeingsaid,onlyifmarijuanaislegalizedwillweseesuchdramaticchanges
towardournationalbudget.(H.)TheBudgetaryImplications)

Countriesoverseashavealreadytakenactionuponthelegalitymattersof
marijuana.TheNetherlandsisaprimeexampleforanalyzinghowmodernizeddruglaws
canpositivelyinfluenceacountry.Foryearstheoutlookuponmarijuanahasbeenquite
liberalintheNetherlands,labelingcannabisasasoftdrug.Softdrugstherearedrugs
thatpeoplemaynotbeprosecutedfor.Ultimatelytherulesuponmarijuanaaresimilarto
thoseofalcoholhereinthestates.Citizensabovetheageof18maypurchaseand
consumecannabis,butonlyfromregistereddispensaries.Onthecontrary,citizensmay
not,grow,produce,orsellcannabiswithoutthepermissionofthestate.Thisinturn
eliminatesthesaleofcannabisfromdrugdealersandbringsmarijuanaunderthe
controlofthegovernment.(B. )Drug Policy of the Netherlands)Withthisbeing
saidtheNetherlandsgovernmentmakesabout500milliondollarsannuallyinmarijuana
taxes.NowletsConsiderthepopulationoftheNetherlands.At15millionpeople,its
justasmallfractionofAmericaspopulation;whichcurrentlyexceeds300million
people.TheUnitedStatesgovernmentclearlyhasaprimeopportunityforbiggainsintax
revenuewiththeinstallmentofnewmarijuanalaws.(F.GieringerDale)
Prohibitionasweexperiencedwithalcoholinthe1920sisnotonlyineffective,
butalsogivesrisetodeathrates,criminalactivityandaddiction.Withourcurrent
policiesondrugsitmakespotfarmoreaccessibletoteenagersthanitdoesalcohol.
Unlikeourgovernmentregulatedliquorstores,drugdealerscouldcarelessabouthow
oldtheirclienteleis.Theironlyinterestistomakequickdrugdealsandhopethatthe
buyercomesbacktospendmoremoney.Walkingdowntheblockandpurchasinga
twelvepackisfarmoreoutofreachtoouryouththanpurchasingabagofpotfroma

sketchydrugdealer.Eliminatingthesedrugdealerswillnotonlykeepourchildrensafe,
itwillalsodrasticallydecreasetheamountofstressourpoliceforceplacesoncatching
theseheinousdrugdealers.(G.CNBC)Nowourstatepoliceofficerswillbeableto
concentratemoreheavilyoncrimesthatinflictdeeperfear.Crimeslikerobberies,sexual
assaults,schoolshooting,drunkdriving.Altogetherlegalizingmarijuanawillnotonly
keepussafer,itwillalsofreeupourpoliceforcestofocusonmoreillicitcrimes.
Legalizingmarijuanawillopenupmanyopportunitiesforournationtosucceed
furtherintothefuture.Withthesaleofcannabisundertheregulationofgovernment,
hugetaxgainswilltakeplacetosupplementourcurrentfinancialdeficit.Also,legalizing
marijuanawillkeepourchildrensafer,makingmarijuanafurtheroutofreachfromyouth.
Lastly,onceagainallowingthelegalproductionofhemp,furtherresearchwithcannabis
asasourceoffuel,medicineandtextilewillbeavailable.Altogethercannabis
prohibitionshouldsoonbetalkofthepast,inhopesthatwecannationallyagreetogo
forthwithlegalizingmarijuana.

Bibliography

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Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
B) "Drug Policy of the Netherlands." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 May 2014.
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C) Dvorak, John. "Hemphasis ~ America's Harried Hemp History." Hemphasis ~
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D) Eubanks, Travis. "Daily Nebraskan." Daily Nebraskan. N.p., 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 13
Apr. 2014.
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Apr. 2014.
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G) "Legalization Will Reduce Crime, Free Up Police Resources." CNBC.com. N.p., 20a
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