It's Time

How legalizing marijuana can help create new jobs, boost the economy, reduce prison numbers, reduce crime, reduce use of narcotics, and even save lives.

Many Americans make the argument every single day that marijuana should be legalized or decriminalized. While decriminalizing marijuana would save over $10 billion each year, legalization would put billions more straight into our diminishing economy. The billions of dollars spent every year by Americans to purchase marijuana would go straight into our economy with Uncle Sam getting a small percentage. Marijuana is already the biggest cash crop in America, and it’s time to take full advantage of that.

The government makes the argument that marijuana is a harmful drug; the pure and simple fact is that this is untrue. Over 500 billion cigarettes are produced and sold in America each year, with each cigarette taking an average of about 10 minutes off a person’s life. These cigarettes kill nearly half a million Americans each year. Alcohol claims the lives of another 85,000 Americans each year. On the other hand, marijuana is virtually impossible to overdose on and accounts for zero deaths in America as none of its side effects are harmful. The government chooses to ignore these numbers and continues to allow the tobacco industry to kill over a thousand Americans a day, while spending billions of dollars punishing people for marijuana.

Millions of Americans were shocked by the 2004 documentary Super Size Me, as Morgan SpurlockMorgan Spurlock showed just how bad fast food can be to your health. In 2007, Doug Benson was the study in a similar documentary looking at marijuana rather than fast food. Super High Me has a comedic touch throughout the film, but shows actual studies and facts disproving many governmental claims on marijuana. After doing many tests during a month of sobriety, Benson repeated the same tests while being under constant influence of marijuana for 30 days. Although it was just one subject in the studies, while under the influence of marijuana, Benson scored higher on the SAT test and had an improved memory, among other things. At one point, Doug’s doctor explained to him that after 17 years of smoking marijuana, no permanent damage had been done.

Just What America Needs

America’s economy is officially at its worse point since the 16-month long recession from 1981 to 1982. The Federal Reserve just recently cut the interest rate to the lowest rate ever; the dollar is weakening, and the unemployment rates are roughly 7 percent. Marijuana could greatly reduce unemployment rates while pumping billions of dollars into our diminishing economy. Legalization would cause reduced prison and jail populations, a decrease in use of narcotics, and even less crime. Not only will the government save money, but they will see a booming income from all marijuana-related sales, netting billions of dollars of revenue.

Once marijuana is legalized, thousands of new jobs all across the country will be created. From cultivating to dispensing, marijuana will make new job fields in every state of the Union. New businesses would want to hire experienced growers, essentially creating a new college major – cannabotany, or the study of cannabis plants. Creating approximately a million jobs, cultivation and dispensing would make marijuana one of the largest employers in America. Marijuana would account for nearly as many jobs as Wal-Mart Stores do. The increased jobs would put money back into our pockets and in turn, back into our economy. Removing marijuana from drug tests and previous criminal charges would also allow for marijuana users to get good jobs as they will no longer be denied employment due to their choice to use marijuana.

In 2007, nearly half of all drug arrests were for marijuana. Of those 872,720 marijuana arrests, almost 90% were for possession alone. If you were to break this down, every 40 seconds in America, someone is getting arrested for possession of marijuana. Americans are getting arrested for a victimless “crime” when the real crimes are what police officers need to be looking out for. Heroin, crack, cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and other illegal drugs claim the lives of 17,000 people in America each year. Legal drugs are the cause of death for almost 40,000 Americans each year, whether it is from overdose or an adverse reaction. As previously mentioned marijuana is virtually impossible to overdose on and accounts for zero deaths in America.

According to the 2006 Bureau of Justice statistics, over 12 percent of all state and federal inmates incarcerated for drug offenses are incarcerated for marijuana violations. This equals out to over 33,000 state inmates and almost 11,000 federal inmates. Nearly 44,000 Americans are locked up for marijuana, costing the taxpayers roughly $1.5 billion each year. Some economists estimate that arresting and processing marijuana offenders costs the taxpayers another $7 billion each year. Marijuana legalization would automatically eliminate approximately $8.5 billion of annual spending, not to mention the billions more dollars being spent on fighting to keep marijuana off the streets. With the money and police man hours becoming available to go after real criminals, crime will be reduced. Instead of criminals seeing officers spend their time arresting and raiding the homes of marijuana users, they will see those officers patrolling the streets.

In the city of Los Angeles alone, there are over 100 medical marijuana dispensaries. If legalized nationally, dispensaries would be found in ever state with dozens in every major city. These dispensaries alone could total over 10,000, and probably much more since it would be legal for medicinal or recreational use. With each dispensary needing multiple growers to supply the marijuana, thousands more business will derive from legalization. Between marijuana dispensaries and marijuana cultivation businesses, there would be upwards of a million jobs created in America with the legalization of marijuana.

With the thousands of dispensaries across America making marijuana easily accessible for anyone over 18, or with a doctor’s recommendation for those under 18, the use of illegal drugs would decrease dramatically. Because some people only resort to harmful drugs when marijuana is inaccessible, less people would purchase and use narcotics like cocaine, crack, and heroin. It would be wiser to simply go to your local dispensary and purchase legal marijuana instead of putting money into the hands of drug dealers in exchange for a sometimes-fatal drug. Since people are going to purchase marijuana everyday whether it is legal or not, it is only a win-win situation for everyone. Users can easily and legally purchase the harmless product, the government can make billions of dollars each year as well as free up the over-crowding prison system, and the American people will be safer with police officers spending their time on the streets instead of locking up people for a victimless crime.

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Not only is marijuana harmless, but it is often times beneficial. In fact, it’s so beneficial to so many medical conditions and pains; it’s utterly ridiculous that it is illegal. With an estimated $40 billion market up for grabs, marijuana could become one of the largest doctor-recommended treatments if it were legally accepted in America. Marijuana has been used to treat or reduce pain caused from influenza, diabetes, anorexia, nausea, cancer, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, peripheral neuropathy, ADD & ADHD, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS, OCD, Tourette's, epilepsy, heart disease, head injuries, and more. Marijuana is also known to reduce anxiety and is a great anti-depressant. There are users that have claimed marijuana to be the most efficient in treating their depression and/or anxiety. Without the terrible and sometimes life-threatening side effects of popular antidepressants such as Zoloft and Prozac, marijuana is the perfect alternative.

People can get marijuana’s active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) into their body in many different ways. If your only argument for marijuana being harmful is the smoke, there are many alternatives for you to be able to get THC into your system and take full advantage of its benefits. Other than smoking marijuana, it can be consumed orally in food, more commonly in cookies or brownies. You can also find THC in a pill form, in a lip balm, or even in a topical spray. Once legalized, researchers and marijuana enthusiasts will only find more and more ways for people to get THC into their system.

With the recent passing of Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, New Jersey is the 14th state to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, with a 15th state (Maryland) allowing medicinal purposes to be used as a defense for marijuana-related state prosecutions. With the growing acceptance of marijuana in today’s culture, and the vast amount of people that benefit from it medically, it’s time to legalize marijuana in America. We are slowly moving towards this already, and with the economy in its current state it would be careless for the government not to act on this immediately. President-elect Obama… It’s time!

The following states allow for medical marijuana use:

Alaska – Approved in 1998 with Ballot Measure #8, took effect March 4, 1999

California – Approved in 1996 with Proposition 215, took effect November 6, 1996

Colorado – Approved in 2000 with Amendment 20, took effect June 1, 2001

Hawaii – Approved in 2000 with Senate Bill 862, took effect December 28, 2000

Maine – Approved in 1999 with Question 2, took effect December 22, 1999

Maryland – Approved in 2003***

Michigan – Approved in 2008 with Proposal 1, took effect December 4, 2008

Montana – Approved in 2004 with Initiative 148, took effect November 2, 2004

Nevada – Approved in 2000 with Question 9, took effect October 1, 2001

New Jersey – Approved in 2008 with Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act

New Mexico – Approved in 2007 with Senate Bill 523, took effect July 1, 2007

Oregon – Approved in 1998 with Measure 67, took effect December 3, 1998

Rhode Island – Approved in 2006 with The Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act, took effect January 3, 2006

Vermont – Approved in 2004 with Senate Bill 76, took effect July 1, 2004

Washington – Approved in 1998 with Measure 692, took effect November 3, 1998

*** (Simply requires the courts to consider a defendant’s use of medical marijuana to be a mitigating factor in marijuana-related state prosecution)

The following states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana:

Alaska – Legal to possess up to an ounce in your home

California – Possession of 28.5 grams (just over 1 oz) or less is not an arrestable offense

Colorado – Possession of one ounce or less is a petty offense with a max. fine of $100

Maine – Possession of less than 1.25 ounces is a civil violation with a fine of $200 - $400

Massachusetts – Possession of an ounce or less is a civil violation with a fine of $100

Minnesota – Possession of less than 42.5 grams (just over 1.5 oz) has a max. fine of $200

Mississippi – Possession of 30 grams or less is punishable by only a fine of $100 - $250

Nebraska – Possession of one ounce or less is a civil citation with a $300 fine

Nevada – Possession of less than an ounce is punishable by a fine of $600

New York – Possession of 25 grams (just under 1 oz) or less is punishable by a $100 fine

North Carolina – Possession of half an ounce is punishable by up to 30 days in jail, most likely suspended

Ohio – Possession of less than 100 grams is a citable offense only, with a fine of $100

Oregon – Possession of less than one ounce is punishable by a $500 - $1000 fine