Pubdate: Tue, 20 Nov 2012
Source: Concordian, The (CN QU Edu)
Copyright: 2012 The Concordian
Contact: http://www.theconcordian.com/write-us
Website: http://www.theconcordian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3153
Author: Gregory Todaro

PUFF, PUFF, PASS THE BALLOT

Legalizing marijuana nationally would benefit the United States

The tides are changing in the United States. Along with the 
re-election of President Barack Obama, Washington and Colorado have 
also voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

This huge step for American culture is facing both praise and 
criticism from the outside, but I think the legalization of marijuana 
is ultimately a move that, if done effectively, can have a very 
positive effect.

Why, then, is marijuana still illegal in the rest of the United 
States? Maybe it's because marijuana is a so-called gateway drug? It 
makes sense that the government doesn't want citizens experimenting 
with harmful substances.

Too bad this notion is totally inaccurate. According to The National 
Academy of Sciences, "there is no conclusive evidence that the aE& 
effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of 
other illicit drugs."

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has 
reported that about 76 million adults have tried marijuana and did 
not become regular marijuana users or go on to try any other drugs. 
So, that can't be it.

Maybe the American government is afraid that if they legalize 
marijuana it will become more mainstream. Perhaps lawmakers feel that 
the only way to curb the use of the drug is to put in place firm laws 
against it, but that's another misconception.

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse's national 
working group on addictions, most marijuana users believe their use 
will go undetected, so fear of legal punishment doesn't act as an 
effective deterrent. No matter how strict the laws, people have and 
will continue to use the drug.

A study by the California State Office of Narcotics and Drug Abuse 
reinforces that "the reduction in penalties for possession of 
marijuana for personal use does not appear to [be] a factor in 
people's decision to use or not use the drug." So, that can't be it either.

The bottom line here is that the 'war on drugs' cost the United 
States at the federal level $15 billion in 2010. On top of that, one 
person every 19 seconds is arrested for violating a drug law. In a 
country desperate to climb out of a deficit and with the highest 
incarceration rate in the world (730 per 100,000 people), 
legalization of marijuana helps take care of both problems.

On the subject of money, the U.S. could make a lot of money from 
regulating marijuana use, and the longer it remains unregulated, the 
more money is lost. Harvard University economics professor, Jeffrey 
Miron, told CNN that if marijuana was taxed at similar rates as 
tobacco and alcohol, the United States would save about $14 billion 
per year, based on the decrease in spending against it as well as the 
taxation of it.

As far as the arrest record goes, the FBI has reported that 52 per 
cent of drug arrests are marijuana related. That makes for a total of 
over 850,000 arrests in 2010 according to the FBI. Keeping these 
people out of jail will have a noticeable effect on the taxpayer's 
money. It's also worth mentioning that out of the 52 per cent, 88 per 
cent of those arrests are for possession.

And that's not even mentioning the positive effects marijuana can 
have medically. The American Medical Association was very vocal 
against the initial ban of the drug, which had been used for 
medicinal purposes for more than 5,000 years. Currently, more than 60 
American and international medical organizations support the use of 
medical marijuana.

And yet, despite all of this evidence in its favour, marijuana 
continues to be illegal in most of the United States.

Much like the reversal of prohibition, this opposition against 
marijuana is going to give in eventually. Now is the time for the 
American federal government to step up and make this happen. Their 
constituents and their wallets will thank them for it.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom