Elwell 1

Ember Elwell
Prof. Celestino
English 1010
10/20/2016
Legalization of Marijuana
The debate about legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use has been going on
in the legislator and even between the citizens in each state for several decades now. They still
are arguing on whether there are medical benefits for the citizens of the U.S., benefits for the
economy, and even for some industries, or if there are no benefits at all. About half of the United
States is in debt and with legalizing marijuana we could relieve that debt and use more of our
money towards other beneficial things like schools, medicine, etc.
In 1990, researchers identified two distinct brain receptors that are stimulated by THC.
One type of cannabinoid receptors was found mostly in the brain, and the other was found
mostly in the body. They had noticed that the cannabinoids were stimulating a hormone in the
body called anandamide. The anandamide and the cannabinoid receptors regulate many functions
of the mind and the body, such as learning, remembering, forgetting, pain perception, motor
coordination, immune functioning, and reproduction (93). It is very important to discuss because
of all the people it could be helping and the benefits it could have for the legislator.
Marijuana was very hard to study in the U.S. because of the regulations that were put on
it, so marijuana was studied first in the U.K. and Canada. The U.K. did several studies and had
noticed the cannabis was benefitting some medical diseases. They had seen that cannabis can

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help prevent symptoms for multiple sclerosis patients so they did a study themselves on mice
that had multiple sclerosis-type diseases and in the studies, it had been proven that it helps with
all the symptoms people have with MS. Not only is cannabis benefitting people with multiple
sclerosis diseases, it also is benefitting people with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Tourettes, epilepsy, and
even with some milder cases like insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Marijuana can help with the nausea and vomiting that is associated with chemotherapy, it
also helps with the pain and the lowering of cancer cells. A little girl named Charlotte who had
dravet syndrome was having a hard time finding any cure or, anything that could help with her
disease. Through personal research done by her own mother and with help from a Coloradobased medical marijuana group they decided to give Charlotte therapy with a high concentration
of cannabidoil, also known as CBD. The treatment seemed to really help her, it made her go from
fifty seizures a day to around two to three a month (783). Charlotte is not the only one
benefitting from medical marijuana, there are tons of people around the world that have been
benefitting from it for several decades. Marijuana has proven to reduce symptoms in most
diseases.
In 1996, California was the first state to pass the Compassionate Use Act, which allowed
the legal use of marijuana purposes (276). They had to distribute marijuana through dispensaries.
The dispensaries were controversial due to the perceptions that they increase crime rate and other
problems in the neighborhoods where they are located. There are many restrictions for the
dispensaries because of all the dangers that come with it. Some states have to regulate the
number of dispensaries they build as well as the location they decide to build them. Working in a
dispensary is a risk itself, even though they have high security they still are getting robbed and
hurt. They must set up high security for each dispensary to try to prevent some of these risks.

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The citizens and even people in the legislator have very different opinions about
legalizing marijuana because they are afraid that the crime rates will go up or that underage
children would try to get their hands on it because it would be a lot easier. When there are
stronger restrictions on marijuana all of that could be prevented, it would take a lot of time and
effort, but it could be prevented. Even with it being illegal and having restrictions on it, to this
day the U.S. is still having problems with the crime and children. It is a risk worth taking,
because most of the pros of marijuana outweigh the cons.
People will argue about marijuana being a gateway drug. Which could be true but it is
only depending on the person themselves and how they are affected by the long-term effects of
marijuana use. One gateway-drug theory is that people who are more vulnerable to drug-taking
are more likely to start with other available substances like, tobacco, alcohol, and even harder
drugs like cocaine, heroin, etc. People who hang out with others who do different drugs besides
marijuana, are more likely going to start to do the other drugs that the people around them are
doing. Not much research has been done, so they have not concluded this theory.
Colorado legalized marijuana use in 2012, it allowed for marijuana to be cultivated,
harvested, processed, packaged, and sold by operators licensed under certain regulations.
Colorado did not just legalize it for medical use they also legalized it more recreational use. It
not only benefitted from the medical portion, but also benefitted for the economy as well. They
had recreational marijuana subject to four separate taxes instituted by various legal measures.
First, fifteen percent remove tax on wholesale marijuana and would go towards public schools
and expanding the drug education and the prevention efforts. It also went towards improving law
enforcement. Second, ten percent went towards the government fund. Third, 2.9% is allocated to

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the general state cash fund. Fourth, retail marijuana sales are subject to all other generally
applicable local taxes, and billed to local governments.
There is no denying that marijuana sales will bring in millions of dollars. Consider that
the first year of legalized marijuana sales sold $213,414,440 worth of recreational marijuana,
which equals to more. Colorado is not the only state benefitting from this but also Washington
who also legalized marijuana in 2012. People in Washington legalized it both for medical and
recreational use and are profiting a lot out of it (134).
Washingtons legislation changed a lot when the Washington Initiative 502 (1-502) was
created, it took effect on November 6, 2012 when the legalization of marijuana was authorized
by popular vote. The I-502 was split into three different segments the marijuana distribution
sectors were: producers, processors and retailers. Washington also instructed that all recreational
marijuana be purchased through a licensed retailer and that non- licensed retailers are not
permitted to grow, produce, or sell their own marijuana. To be able to get qualified for a
recreational marijuana license, the person applying must have to be a Washington resident for at
least two years but non- Washington residents will be permitted to purchase a small amount of
marijuana for recreational use while in Washington. The public can purchase recreational
marijuana in limited quantities and, like alcohol consumption, the use of marijuana must be
limited from public view. Current calculations estimate revenue generated the first five years of
the introduction of recreational marijuana to reach two-billion dollars (134).
Farmers are making a lot more money by farming marijuana because of the high demand
from the government and from the people. It also helps the land by enriching the soil and is
known as a profitable rotation crop. Until the early 1900s industrial hemp was a valuable crop
used all over the world for its strong fibers and oil seeds. In Asia, the crop was a necessity for

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producing items such as cloth, food, oil, paper, as well as canvas and rope ship riggings. Through
the early industrial revolution, hemp was one of the main fibers in textiles along with flax and
kenaf which both still werent as durable as hemp. Hemp declined however, when the invention
of the cotton gin came around.
Before the cotton gin was invented, hemp was superior because it was a lot cheaper to
harvest and to process, while the cotton required more labor and expense. The first denim blue
jeans were worn by sailors and were made of hemp. A hemp shirt would sell for fifty cents while
a cotton shirt would sell for one hundred dollars. Hemp is also a lot more durable than cotton and
it is a lot more biodegradable so it can replace the use of some plastics and it would help the
environment. The cotton gin reduced some costs to produce cotton and thats why cotton is more
popular.
The environment is endangered right now because of all the deforestation, the air is
getting bad with all the cars, factories, fumes, etc. The U.S. is cutting down our only source of
oxygen, to be able to survive to make paper and other products when we could replace that with
hemp. It would save the citizens a lot of trees and we wouldnt have to ruin the planet. Hemp is a
lot more beneficial as well and could make a lot more goods.
Of all the advantages and disadvantages to industrial hemp, the world market public, and
federal government's perception will be the deciding factors of whether the United States enters
the hemp market as a crop grower. We have the producing infrastructure in place, which includes
production and retail of all possible hemp products. Unfortunately, it can be a lengthy process
locating and purchasing hemp products because they are not mainstream. There are retail stores
that provide hemp products including 100% hemp clothing, hats, accessories, body lotions,

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soaps, candles, and books. However, these are specialty shops that are not located throughout the
country because of the restrictions.
The laws on marijuana are strict, what the U.S. legislators should do is gain knowledge
on marijuana, embrace the medical benefits that it provides as well as the economic boost that it
has created in some states, and what it could be doing in others. Many industries that are hurting
the environment could be put to rest and be replaced with other industries related to marijuana,
such as the hemp industry. It could benefit the health of the earth and the citizens. These are the
reasons the U.S. senate should legalize marijuana and consider all the benefits it could bring the
citizens.

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Works Cited
.Metts, Julius, et al. "Medical Marijuana: A Treatment Worth Trying?." Journal Of Family
Practice 65.3 (2016): 178-185. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
Maa, Edward, and Paige Figi. "The Case For Medical Marijuana In Epilepsy." Epilepsia
(Series 4) 55.6 (2014): 783-786. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2016. (783)
Danovitch, Itai. "Sorting Through The Science On Marijuana: Facts, Fallacies, And
Implications For Legalization." Mcgeorge Law Review 43.1 (2012): 91-108. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2016. (93)
Freisthler, Bridget, et al. "Evaluating Medical Marijuana Dispensary Policies: Spatial
Methods For The Study Of Environmentally-Based Interventions." American Journal Of
Community Psychology 51.1/2 (2013): 278-288. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16
Nov. 2016. (276)
Luginbuhl, April M. "Industrial Hemp (Cannabis Savita L): The Geography Of A
Controversial Plant." California Geographer 41.(2001): 1-14. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 16 Nov. 2016
Goltz, Nachshon, and Ekaterina Bogdanov. "Lessons From Washington And Colorado: The
Potential Financial Gains Of Recreational Marijuana To Canada." Canada-United States
Law Journal 40.1 (2016): 126-139. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2016. (134)
Hudak, John. "Colorado's Rollout Of Legal Marijuana Is Succeeding: A Report On The
State's Implementation Of Legalization." Case Western Reserve Law Review 65.3
(2015): 649-687. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.

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Bushan, Aparna. "Note: An Evaluation Of The Effects Of The Legalization Of Marijuana In
Colorado And Washington From An International Law Perspective." Canada-United
States Law Journal 39.(2015): 187-201. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.