WHY MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED Piland 1

Why Marijuana Should be Legalized

Ayden Piland

ENG-112-01WA

April 14, 2020

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Marijuana legalization has begun to spread across the United States. Marijuana has been

fully legalized in 11 states and medical marijuana has been legalized in 33 states. Marijuana is a

psycho active drug with major health benefits and risks. The use and possession of marijuana is

illegal under federal law for any purpose in the United States. At the state level, policies

regarding the use and possession of marijuana varies greatly and conflicts with federal law.

Arguments on the legalization of marijuana can be made from both sides. I think that Congress

should vote for the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana on a national level because it

is a medicinal plant that helps improve patient quality of life and the legalization of it will help

create many jobs and increase federal tax revenue.

A popular question when discussing the legalization of marijuana is, “Can you overdose

on marijuana?” According to The Recovery Village, overdosing on marijuana alone is extremely

unlikely if not impossible. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) there has been

zero reports of marijuana overdoses. Many legal substances are a much higher cause of death

than marijuana. According to the American Public Health Association, forty people die each day

from overdosing on narcotic prescription medications. In 2019, an estimated 88,000 people died

from alcohol related causes. Why are narcotic prescription medications and alcohol legal when

marijuana-related deaths are nearly zero?

An economical reason why marijuana should be legal is the cost of enforcement and

incarceration of people who illegally use this drug. According to Tom Angell from Forbes

Magazine there were 663, 367 marijuana arrests in the U.S. in 2018. Enforcing marijuana

possession laws cost police up to $3.6 billion dollars per year. This does not include the cost of

incarceration. Individuals who try to fight the possession charges will end up spending around

$10,000 to $15,000 on criminal defense lawyers. Marijuana arrests have long term effects on
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individuals. Marijuana possession arrests can impact people’s ability to get public housing,

financial aid for school, loans, and jobs. A marijuana arrest can affect an individual’s children as

well. According to a Stanford University study, the parental income is the largest determinant of

their child’s future income.

The legalization of marijuana is predicted to make billions of dollars by creating a taxable

industry and thousands of new job positions. A report from New Frontier (a cannabis analytics

company) suggests that federally legalizing marijuana could generate an additional $105.6

billion in federal tax revenue by 2025. Workers would be needed to farm, process, distribute, and

sell marijuana products. There would be opportunities for secondary industries such as software

developers, financing services, and construction companies. Legal marijuana could help provide

investment opportunities. If Congress were to make marijuana legal on the national level

companies would be free to list their stocks on all U.S. exchanges which would open up access

to more investment opportunities.

Marijuana legalization has more than just economic benefits. Marijuana has been linked

to the aid of many health problems. Marijuana helps relief chronic pain, improve lung capacity,

help individuals lose weight, regulate seizures, heal broken bones faster, aid in the treatment for

glaucoma, slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease, reduce PTSD symptoms, help

individuals fight alcoholism and opioid addictions, and help individuals fight cancer. According

to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine cannabinoids (an active

ingredient in marijuana) are effective at relieving chronic pain. According to a study published

by the Journal of the American Medical Association marijuana has positive effects on your lungs

unlike tobacco smokers which is the exact opposite. Using FEV1 (a test that measures the

volume of air forced out of an individual’s lungs in one second) and FVC (a test measuring the
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total volume of air exerted during the FEV1 test), the study showed that marijuana smokers had

increased lung capacity compared to nonsmokers. Marijuana has been linked to aiding a

smoker’s body in regulating insulin while managing caloric intake efficiently. While this helps

users regulate weight, regulating insulin also can regulate and prevent diabetes. According to the

American Alliance for Medical Cannabis marijuana regulates insulin, stabilizes blood sugars,

lower blood pressure, and improve blood circulation. Marijuana has been linked to the reducing

of seizures. According to a case-control study of illicit drug use and new-onset seizures in

Harlem, New York, men who used marijuana within days before hospital admission were at a

significantly lower risk for presenting new-onset seizures than men who did not. Marijuana can

also make a previously broken bone much stronger and harder to rebreak in the future.

According to Dr. Gabet from the Journal of Bone and Mineral research “We found that CBD

alone makes bones stronger during healing… After being treated with CBD, the healed bone will

be harder to break in the future.” Marijuana does not only help the skeletal system. Studies have

shown that marijuana can help treat glaucoma by reducing the pressure in the eye. Marijuana can

help provide individuals with glaucoma some fast-temporary relief. Marijuana can also help

prevent Alzheimer’s. A preclinical study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found

that small doses Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a component found in marijuana, slows the

production of beta-amyloid proteins. Beta-amyloid proteins are considered to be a key

contributor in the progression of Alzheimer’s. Marijuana has also been shown to treat

individual’s PTSD. CBD and THC have been shown to help treat PTSD by improving their

endocannabinoid system’s mediation of essential functions. These essential functions include

memory, consolidation, and retrieval. Cannabinoids activate CB1 and CB2 receptors causing the

system to produce neurotransmitters that help promote memory, pleasure, and happiness.
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Although many people say marijuana is a “gateway drug” it can actually help fight certain

addictions. According to an article published in the Clinical Psychology Review, marijuana may

help people with alcohol or opioid dependencies. Marijuana’s possibly greatest benefit is that it

can help fight cancer and help individuals going through chemotherapy. According to the

American Cancer Society a number of studies have shown that smoking marijuana can treat

vomiting and nausea from chemotherapy. Some animal studies suggest that marijuana may slow

the growth and reduce the spread of certain forms of cancer. Studies have shown that smoked or

vaporized marijuana can help ease neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves).

Marijuana has already been fully legalized in Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois,

Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C.

Colorado, the first state to legalize marijuana has had great success. Over the last five years,

recreational marijuana sales generated 78% of sales revenue. Tax revenues increased 266%

during the five-year period. Colorado’s tax revenues have increased each year since recreational

legalization. Marijuana taxes in Colorado have benefited public school projects, human services,

public affairs, agriculture, labor and employment, judicial affairs, health care policy,

transportation, and regulatory affairs. Another positive impact of recreational marijuana

legalization includes an increase in Colorado’s high school graduation rates and no change in the

number of students reporting marijuana use. A study conducted by the Marijuana Policy Group

found that marijuana legalization created more than 18,000 new full-time jobs in 2015 alone. But

Colorado has not been the only state with success in marijuana sales, California made $345.2

million in tax revenue from legal marijuana in their first year of sales. Nevada made $69.8

million in tax revenue from legal marijuana in their first year of legal sales. Although this is a
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much smaller number based on population, Nevada made nearly eight times more tax revenue

than California.

Marijuana legalization is not a one-sided topic. Although many studies have shown

marijuana’s health benefits there has also been many studies showing the risks of marijuana. In a

study published by Northwestern University, showed an oddly shaped hippocampus (part of the

brain responsible for memory) in 16 and 17 year olds who heavily used marijuana for 3 years.

There was also an accompanied average long term memory test score of 18% for heavy users

compared to non-users. There are concerns that there is not enough information known on the

long-term effects of marijuana on the brain and other vital organs to federally legalize. Currently

there is no set level of THC that determines whether you over or under the limit for being

impaired to drive. There are no parameters when it comes to marijuana compared to driving

under the influence of alcohol. There is evidence that marijuana affects an individual’s ability to

drive, although studies show that it is less dangerous compared to alcohol. Because THC can

stay in the bloodstream for days or weeks, it is difficult to obtain an accurate reading of

impairment.

As more states move to legalize recreational and medical marijuana it is good to know

the benefits and risks. In spite of federal regulations, 11 states have decided to legalize and

distribute marijuana and many others are debating whether or not to do the same. I demonstrated

the primary reasons why Congress should vote for the legalization and decriminalization of

marijuana on a national level. This paper showed the economic, social, and health benefits of

marijuana legalization. Readers can contact their local Congressman and show support for the

legalization. When looking at the benefits and risks of marijuana legalization, it is clear that there

are more benefits than risks.

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Resources
American Cancer Society. (2017, March 16). Marijuana and Cancer. Retrieved April 10,
2020, from https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-
alternative-medicine/marijuana-and-cancer.html
Angell, T. (2019, October 1). Marijuana Arrests Increased Again Last Year Despite More
States Legalizing, FBI Data Shows. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2019/10/01/marijuana-arrests-increased-again-last-year-
despite-more-states-legalizing-fbi-data-shows/#7dbcade07e21
Friedman, D., & Devinsky, O. (2015, September 10). Cannabinoids in the Treatment of
Epilepsy. Retrieved April 16, 2020, from
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Hickey, W., & McLaughlin, K. (2019, June 25). Despite legalizing simple possession,
marijuana arrests still inflict tens of billions of dollars in economic damage on Americans
annually. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.insider.com/marijuana-arrests-are-costing-
the-us-billions-2019-6
Keenan, A. (2019, January 9). How legalized cannabis changed Colorado in the past five
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Krishna, M. (2019, December 11). The Economic Benefits of Legalizing Weed.
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McNamee, D. (2015, July 20). Marijuana 'helps bones to heal'. Retrieved April 16, 2020,
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Moss, A. (2018, October 31). Cannabis could be the key to treating people with PTSD.
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Staggs, B. (2019, February 19). California made $345 million, not predicted $1 billion,
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Szalavitz, M. (2012, January 10). Study: Smoking Marijuana Not Linked with Lung
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