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Musa Taha
James Celestino
Englsih 1010
July 28, 2014
The Benefits of Legalized Marijuana
This essay is written to argue the benefits of legalized marijuana and inform the
government and legislators about the issue. The purpose of this essay is to show the
medical and financial benefits of marijuana. And also discuss how it had been used in
the U.S, but specifically in Colorado and Washington State. Marijuana should be legal in
the United States, because it provides benefits to people in fact; it aids the educational
system and public services. It is important to deliver the right understanding of issue to
the public, because people have little or no knowledge about the benefits of legalized
marijuana. It provides medication to patients who are suffering from genetically inherited
disorders and other diseases such as seizures etc. Individuals such as: Daniel I. Rees,
David Frum, Michael Kinsey, Joseph Tutro, Robert G Morris, and Scott C, are important
elements of the issue. These individuals had been discussed the issue of marijuana for a
number of years now. They also studied the long and short terms, and the outcomes of
marijuana in certain states. The main ideas of the essay discuss the tax revenue of
marijuana sales, the correlation between marijuana and crimes, the benefits of legalized
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marijuana in the educational system and state’s economy, and the science and medical
advantages of marijuana.
The Internal Revenue Service collects billions of dollars every year from taxing
marijuana sales, regardless of the actual intentions of the user. The Internal Revenue
Service had assigned high taxes for legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington
State, because the IRS was trying to decrease the use of marijuana by applying high
taxations and federal laws on how to purchase it. Many people buy marijuana for medical
use; however the majority of people buy it for recreational use. Legalized marijuana
improved the states’ economical situation, because it saves them money that spent
enforcing marijuana laws. Matter of fact, when marijuana was legalized in Colorado state
public services were developed, because the tax revenue from marijuana taxes goes to
public services and state developmental projects such as rebuilding roads, education
budge, recreation centers, and parks. In Colorado State there are more marijuana stores
than there are Starbucks, which makes tons of money for IRS and marijuana cardholders.
One ounce of marijuana in stores ranges from $150 to $400 and plus tax of 8.5 percent
and ID to prove the age of the purchaser.
Despite the fact that marijuana is very expensive to purchase, it also has very high
taxation (Julie B). Legalized marijuana bettered public services and added more funds to
public budge. In fact, IRS assigned marijuana revenues for the development of public
education and other public services (David F). Marijuana taxation provides many
opportunities to public schools, including school educational programs, transportation
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system, and fair salaries for teachers. The budge of school transportation system was
basically better than ever. Before marijuana was legalized the budge was limited to
certain needs and any additional changes in the system require terminations of older
programs. As a result of that educators are seeing improvement in the performance in the
students test scores (Julie B). This is a result of the money that comes out from taxation
of marijuana. Despite that, the legalized marijuana was a great benefit for number of
states across the U.S nation. It provides means to help public needs and make them
possible to accomplish.
Another point that was commonly discussed when talking about legalization of
marijuana is the rapid reduction in crimes. The statistics of the federal criminal record
show that, legalized marijuana states have fewer crimes records than states that are
actually voted against the legalization of marijuana (Robert M). The use of marijuana has
a positive effect on individuals. The chemical substances in marijuana affect the
dopamine part of the brain, because the chemical effect is what makes the person high.
Marijuana was a major factor in many crimes before certain states decided to legalize it.
People were killed dealing marijuana secretly, because it was illegal to buy marijuana
from the store, so that people had to go to street drug dealers to buy marijuana for both
medical and recreational uses (Julie B, David F, et al.). The federal government expected
increase in the amount of marijuana distributions and use, however the statistics show
that marijuana distributions remained the same, which determines that marijuana uses
stayed similar to the previous years.
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Even though people were able to purchase marijuana illegally even before it was
legalized, this is why marijuana distributions remained the same. As a result of the act,
criminal justice system experienced rapid reduction in drug related arrests as a result of
legalized marijuana and since marijuana is legal to use, there was no need for dealing
drug illegally, because before marijuana was legalized, purchasing marijuana was
through street drug dealers, which involves danger and arrest to whom are purchasing and
selling marijuana. The government gained money from both marijuana taxes and by
removing out some of marijuana law enforcement agencies. As in fact, marijuana
agencies are spending about 25-35 million every year enforcing marijuana laws. Total of
more than 100 million is spent every year enforcing marijuana law that includes courts,
agencies, police officers, and correction officers. Marijuana enforcement laws cost the
U.S government about 12.1 billion in police and courts and 16.9 billion in corrections.
After marijuana was legalized in both Colorado and Washington State, the government
spent almost nothing enforcing marijuana laws, because it was clear that there was no
need to enforce any laws as long as marijuana is legal in state. This money can be used to
develop public services projects or improving the education system in areas with low
education levels.
Marijuana is considered as one of essential elements in the medical treatments of
number of diseases. In fact, marijuana remains illegal under the federal laws, but 21
states legalized it for medical use desiring on aiding medical treatments. Some states
legalized it for both medical and recreational use to improve their economy. Numbers of
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states are considering medical marijuana bills for medical treatment, which is new form
of medication. Marijuana is most used for depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal
attempt. Medical marijuana laws encourage the use of marijuana, because it’s medically
useful and profitable source for the government. It’s also used to prevent suicide cases
(Scott C). It contains Cannabioid substances that have significant effects on the brain;
even though they work differently in males and females, however they still do significant
job. The studies show that with the use of marijuana they were able to decrease the male
suicide rates and depression in many cases. Marijuana
The CSA was concerned about the side effects of marijuana (Tutro J). Marijuana
was expected have high potential for abuse, lack of any accepted medical use and the
absence of any accepted safety for use in medically supervised treatments. Despite that,
studies proved that these concerns were not scientifically proven, however those were
just assumptions. The DHHS (Department of Human Health Services) considers
marijuana as major factor in medical treatments (Daniel I. Rees). Even though marijuana
is legal in Colorado and Washington for both usages, they follow the federal laws.
Scientifically, marijuana played very important role in the process of legalizing
marijuana.
Medical Marijuana has many beneficial uses to the human body such as: lung
improvement, brain relaxation, etc. Many people reported that marijuana helps them with
many symptoms of a number of medical conditions. Scientists have researched the
medical benefit of marijuana, however what they figured out was actually based on the
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psychological reactions of the chemical substances that marijuana carries to the human
body (Daniel R). They discovered that marijuana can actually help reverse the
carcinogenic effect of tobacco, which helps individuals quit smoking cigarettes. Scientists
also included that marijuana carries a chemical substance called Tetrahydrocannabinol; it
helps the brain regulate excitability and relaxation. These two factors are considered
essential to nicotine addition part of the brain. Marijuana is also used to treat epileptic
seizures. The San Francisco medical center discovered that the chemical substances in
marijuana can actually stop the spreading of cancer cells in the human body (Michael K).
Basically, the benefits medical marijuana offers are very essential to our everyday life,
because it cures or treats a huge number of diseases and disorders that many people suffer
from and brings top dollar to aid citizens.
Marijuana is a useful source to humans, because it benefits both citizens and
government. In fact, it should be legalized for all uses medical or recreational, because
the benefits of legalized marijuana help us aid important projects such as: public services,
education system, and big revenues to the internal revenue services, as a result of
legalized marijuana criminal activities reduced to very small numbers, and more doctors
are using medical marijuana to treat people. My solution for this issue is to legalize it,
because it’s more beneficial than it’s harmful, if the government considered the issue of
marijuana to be legal in the U.S we would benefit largely from both economically and
medically
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Works Cited
Bindel, Julie. "The Ups And Downs Of Legalizing Highs." New Statesman 143.7 (2014):
12-14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 July 2014.
Frum, David. "Don't Go To Pot. (Cover Story)." Commentary 137.4 (2014): 2327. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 July 2014.
Kinsley, Michael. "Joint Committee." New Republic 244.13 (2013):911. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 10 July 2014.
Morris, Robert G., et al. "The Effect Of Medical Marijuana Laws On Crime: Evidence
From State Panel Data, 1990-2006." Plos ONE9.3 (2014): 1-7. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 10 July 2014.
Ratzan, Scott C. "The Tyranny of Marijuana: Legislation, Science, and Evidence?.
"Journal of Health Communication Feb. 2014: 133+. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 10 July 2014.
Tutro, Joseph. "States Are Making Their Own Decisions Regarding Whether Marijuana
Should Be Illegal: How Should The Federal Government React?." Tennessee
Journal Of Law & Policy 9.2 (2013): 233-247. Academic Search Premier. Web.
10 July 2014.