Garcia 1

Preston Garcia

Professor Brandenburg

English 101

10/12/2020

Cannabis and the People

There are many different plants in the vast beautiful planet we live on. From the amazing

pedals of a rose to the fruiting bodies of an apple our planet is filled with lots of them. All though

beautiful not many have been quite as controversial as the marijuana plant commonly known as

cannabis.

The definition of “Marijuana” in the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act is “… all parts of

any plant of the genus cannabis whether growing or not, and the seeds of such plant.”

The definition of “Usable Marijuana” is “… the dried flowers of the marijuana plant,

and any mixture or preparation thereof, but does not include the seeds, stalks and roots of

the plant and does not include the weight of any non-marijuana ingredients combined

with marijuana and prepared for consumption as food or drink.A.R.S. § 36-2801(1)

(Arizona Department).

Though it is amazingly beautiful there are laws preventing people from nurturing this spectacular

plant. It has been an on-going heavily fueled debate that has many people locked in jail.

In the United States federal and state laws regarding the medical use of cannabis and

cannabinoids are in conflict and have led to confusion among patients, caregivers, and

healthcare providers. Currently, cannabis is legal for medical purposes in 50% of the
 Garcia 2

states, and another seventeen states allow products that are high in cannabidiol (CBD)

and low in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) for medical use.

Alice Mead continues on to state Though it remains federally illegal many USA citizens are still

open to the approval of cannabis legalization.

The war on cannabis is a devastating war of the power of corrupt politicians versus the people

which grant them the very power they are vested. Peoples approval of federal decriminalization

of marijuana has been caused by the mass publicity it has received, State laws that have been

passed, and the economy of the cannabis industry.

Cannabis has received lots of publicity over the past century which has left its viewers

questioning the legitimacy of the government’s attempts to dispose of its use in society. First and

foremost, the people began noticing published work hitting the streets at rapid rates that was

giving light to the beloved cannabis culture. One of this first was “High Times Magazine”.

High Times was conceived in classic outlaw fashion. Founded by a successful pot

smuggler and radical ’60s activist named Thomas King Fourcade, it was intended as a

one-time parody of Playboy, complete with centerfolds of exotic, voluptuous cannabis

plants. But that first issue was a runaway hit, selling more than half a million copies and

paving the way for what has become a stoner-American institution. In addition to the

requisite grow-scene surveys, pot-price appraisals and joint-rolling tips, High Times has

published writers like Hunter Thompson, William Burroughs, Charles Bukowski, Allen

Ginsberg and Truman Capote. It also advocated an end to pot prohibition at a time when

marijuana users were being sentenced to years, even decades, in jail. (Abraham)
 Garcia 3

This was basically one of the first marijuana based published works that made its way into the

mainstream eye. This sparked a nationwide shift toward the acceptance of cannabis. Moving

forward, the world began having pot-based movies like Cheech and Chong which changed

peoples stuck up anti pot beliefs and replaced them with a new understanding and peaceful

approach toward the plant. In an article by biography.com it is stated “Performing as the comedy

duo Cheech and Chong, the two released a series of highly successful comedy albums in the

1970s and became symbols of marijuana culture with the 1978 film Up in Smoke.” With people

like this moving marijuana into mainstream media and Hollywood the United States began

having more and more people generally accepting cannabis and the culture it is associated with.

Throughout history and currently, it has been noted that the Music industry is a major component

of the current day general acceptance of marijuana. Ever since jazz in the 1940’s marijuana and

music have gone hand and hand with each other. Today Marijuana Related topics make up

around 18% of all song lyrics. Additionally, marijuana rap is one of hip hops most popular sup

genres. There have been many open cannabis advocated that are also great musicians including

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Wiz Khalifa. (Graves 4). Music has been a key to the public’s general

acceptance of marijuana. Throughout time there have been many different public sources of

information that have opened people to a new understanding and general acceptance of the

cannabis plant.

Through the different laws in place in many different states it has left many people

wanting to completely decriminalize it around the nation. First, many states around the country

have adopted laws allowing for the possession of certain amounts of cannabis. Across the

country “Some states follow federal law and prohibit any possession of marijuana. But a growing

number of states have enacted laws that split from federal law and allow possession of small
 Garcia 4

amounts of the drug ”(Criminal Defense). While many people follow the letter of the law in

states where it has been legalized many people are stuck pondering the thought of nationwide

legalization. With that said, many states have passed laws allowing for licensed retail of

cannabis. Information available states “There are over 33 states that have allowed for the retail of

cannabis. All these states have different laws as far as licensing, and taxing goes. Some of them

only allow for medical retail and some allow for medical and recreational” (Smallbiztrends). The

expanding licensing has left many people begging for the federal legalization of cannabis.

Additionally, some states allow for the at home cultivation of marijuana. There are over 20 states

that have enacted bills allowing some form of at home cannabis cultivation. Some of these states

allow for all of their citizens who are 21 and older to grow marijuana plants at home, while other

states only allow qualifying medical marijuana patients to cultivate at home (Production

Grower). The states that have joined part in legalizing cannabis are filled with tons of new

people who maybe have never even heard of cannabis but now their neighbors are peacefully

growing it. The legalization of growing cannabis at home in many states has a lot of people

realizing that it is not all that bad. Over the passage of time and currently there are laws that are

in place that have legalized cannabis on the state level. This has left many people wondering why

the federal government has such a strict eye on the plant and is keeping investors interested.

States that have adopted legal cannabis markets have had good results. First of all, the

Sales the cannabis market creates has been good. Investors have noted “The Colorado

Department of Revenue said regulated marijuana sales in calendar 2018 were nearly $1.55

billion, up about 3 percent from just over $1.5 billion in 2017. The state has seen its marijuana

industry sales more than double since 2014 when the first year of adult-use pot generated $683.5

million” (Daniels). Colorado and its massive sales in the cannabis industry have made many
 Garcia 5

economist interested in the idea of allowing cannabis to be traded in the USA. Then, there are the

numbers on the tax dollars generated. In a study “The agency said Colorado’s marijuana taxes,

including licenses and fees from dispensaries, exceeded $266.5 million in 2018 — up nearly 8

percent compared with $247 million in 2017. To date, the state’s marijuana taxes since

recreational sales started have generated more than $927 million in tax revenue for

Colorado”(Daniels). The increased revenue states can earn from cannabis related tax revenues is

causing economists and local law enforcement into leaning towards cannabis legalization.

Finally, Legal Cannabis Markets are opening up many new job opportunities. Throughout the

nation in the states where cannabis has been legalized it has resulted in a great number of new

job openings. According to Leafly’s annual Cannabis jobs report, Cannabis related jobs are

currently listed as 243,700 U.S citizens full time job. California and Colorado are the two highest

ranking cannabis employers by state (Barcott). The increasing number of job opportunities that

the cannabis market has created is transitioning many people to sway towards the legalization of

cannabis. Many things economists are looking at are causing them to look into the possible

decriminalization of the cannabis market.

Many People around the USA have found themselves leaning towards the

decriminalization of cannabis because of the laws already in place, the many public figures and

media sources who advocate for cannabis and because of the valuable market it has created.

There are currently many laws allowing for medical and recreational possession of marijuana,

along with bills allowing for the legal sale and cultivation of cannabis. There are many published

magazines, movies and popular musicians all of which were based on the ideas of cannabis

users. The vast economic aspects of the legal cannabis market and its components are all reasons

people across the nation believe cannabis should be federally accepted. Many people are locked
 Garcia 6

in jail for this beautiful plant. Some States Believe cannabis should be legalized but the federal

government still holds a firm stance against it. The more people understand why people care so

deeply about something like a plant the more of an honest opinion they can have on something.

Works Cited

Abraham, Atossa Araxia. "Baking Bad: A Potted History of high times." The Nation,

www.thenation.com/article/archive/baking-bad-potted-history-high-times/. Accessed 30

Oct. 2013.

Arizona Department of Health Services. directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov/marijuana-v-cannabis/.

Accessed 30 Aug. 2013.

Barcott, Bruce, et al. "Cannabis Jobs Report: Legal Cannabis Now Supports 243,700 Full-Time

American Jobs." Leafly, 7 Feb. 2020, www.leafly.com/news/industry/243700-marijuana-

jobs-how-many-in-america. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Biography.com editors. "Cheech Marin Biography." Biography.com, 28 July 2020,

www.biography.com/performer/cheech-marin#:~:text=actor%20and%20director.-,Who

%20Is%20Cheech%20Marin%3F,1978%20film%20Up%20in%20Smoke. Accessed 7

Oct. 2020.

Criminal Defense Lawyer. NOLO, 2020, www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-

penalties/federal/Marijuana-Possession.htm. Accessed 6 Oct. 2020.

 Garcia 7

Daniels, Jeff. "Colorado Legal Pot Industry Grew 3 Percent in 2018 Top $6 Billion Sine

Recreation Use Began." CNBC, 12 Feb. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/02/12/colorado-pot-

industry-sales-top-6-billion-since-adult-use-began.html. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Graves, Abby. Pop Culture's Influence on Recreational Marijuana Use and Legalization: A Case

Study on Snoop Dogg. 14 Nov. 2019.

Haze, Moon. "Where Is It Legal To Grow Weed At Home In 20202." Production Grower, 2020,

productiongrower.com/blogs/news/where-is-it-legal-to-grow-marijuana-at-home-in-the-

us. Accessed 7 Oct. 2020.

Mead, Alice. "The Legal Status of Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabidiol under U.S. Law."

Epilepsy and Behavior, 4 May 2017, www.epilepsybehavior.com/article/S1525-

5050(16)30585-6/fulltext. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Smallbiztrends. 8 Jan. 2017, smallbiztrends.com/2017/01/marijuana-business-laws-by-state.html.

Accessed 7 Oct. 2020.