Abstract
There is a need to legalize marijuana and allow people an alternative source of health care to that which is provided by the pharmaceutical industry. Big Pharma is responsible for the opioid epidemic devastating lives today. Marijuana is a naturally occurring plant that people have used responsibly for thousands of years. It is time to take back control of the lives of people and legalize marijuana. This proposal explains why that would be beneficial and how the government can take action now.
Introduction (Purpose and Problem)
Marijuana has been legalized by many different states in recent years. However, it still remains a schedule 1 narcotic according to the federal government, which means under federal law it is considered a substance as dangerous as heroin and cocaine (DEA). The history of marijuana usage in the U.S. shows that the plant was always legal up until the era of Prohibition and that from that time onward, it never again regained status as a plant with health values or with recreational positives (Deitch). Today, however, many researchers and advocates are out to show that marijuana has medicinal benefits and is socially acceptable. The problem remains that the federal government so far refuses to budge on the issue of marijuana. This is a problem that needs to be addressed because as several states show, legalizing marijuana can increase tax revenues and decrease the amount of black market crime. Marijuana should be legalized nationwide and this proposal will explain why and how it can be.
Discussion
Analysis of Problem
Marijuana is a drug with medicinal attributes that can help people to relax and relieve pain (Advanced Holistic Health). However, it is still illegal under federal law and many people have been incarcerated for growing, selling and even possessing marijuana. Additionally, the federal government needs to increase tax revenue to offset the tax cuts under the Trump Administration. As the national debt grows, something needs to be done to get the government’s revenue back up to where it needs to be.
Details of Proposal
This proposal aims to fully legalize marijuana nationwide. This would require an amendment to the Constitution similar to the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition of alcohol. Once fully legalized it would no longer require a medical card to purchase marijuana as is the case in states like Ohio and Florida. It would be fully legal as a recreational drug, though states...…recreational purposes. Throughout all of human history marijuana has been recognized for its healing powers and it was a staple crop among the Founding Fathers. It was only outlawed so as to allow the pharmaceutical industry to push its highly addictive and deadly products onto the population. Now the population is suffering from an opioid epidemic. Legalizing marijuana would help to curb the opioid addiction and would save lives. It would also increase tax revenues for the government. All it would require is a bill to be passed in both chambers with a simple majority vote and a signing into law by the president. This could be achieved by year’s end in time for the 2020 election and could be a true bi-partisan bill that both parties could take credit for.
Works Cited
Advanced Holistic Health. 10,000 year history of marijuana in the world.
http://www.advancedholistichealth.org/history.html
Chappel, Carmin. Cory Booker introduces bill to legalize marijuana nationwide, with
support from fellow 2020 candidates. CNBC, 2019. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/28/cory-booker-introduces-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-nationwide.html
DEA. Drug scheduling. DEA, 2018. https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling
Deitch, R. (2003). Hemp: American History Revisited: The Plant with a Divided History.
New York, NY: Algora Publishing.
Smith, Aaron. Colorado passes a milestone for pot revenue. CNN Money, 2017.…
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Since 1998, medical authorities including the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences have documented marijuana's unique ability to relieve both intractable pain and nausea." We're in the Money The prohibition of marijuana costs American taxpayers a fortune, in the tens of billions per year, much of which is channeled toward the cost of law enforcement and incarceration (Beatty, Holman & Schiraldi). Prominent economists
Already, "lawmakers in at least three states are considering joining the 13 states that have legalized pot for medical purposes. Massachusetts voters last fall decided to decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of pot; there are now a dozen states that have taken such steps." (Crary, 1) And as demonstrated by the Appendix B contained below, there is a clear penetration of legalization in every region of the U.S.,
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Despite the fact that certain parties (as in Chicago) may be arguing that the war on drugs cost billions a year, it must not be forgotten that the war on drugs also yields revenue for the government, and that legalizing drugs would cost more than it saved. "Marijuana... harms society by causing lost productivity in business...and by contributing to illnesses and injuries that put further strain on the health
Civil Society Through "Legalize Marijuana" Organizations As microcosms of civil society, collective action groups operate with processes used by civil society but with uniquely tailored processes and results. The National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is one example of a collective action group that has used these processes to establish itself, grow, survive and currently flourish. Through intelligent framing, effective resource mobilization and wise use of political opportunity,
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