Ethan Curtis

English 102
Persuasive Essay

The Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana has been the topic of many discussions in the United States ever since people

began smoking it recreationally in the early 1900s. It is recreationally legal in 11 states and it is

available for medical use in 33 states. Marijuana became criminalized due to The Marijuana Tax

Act of 1937. Throughout the years, the media has painted a horrible picture of what the effects

of marijuana are, associating it with murder, death, and complete loss of self-control. This

image displayed is absolutely skewed and weed should simply be regulated similar to alcohol,

tobacco, etc. Marijuana has been seen by many as just a harmful drug, but I believe due to its

proven health benefits, economic power, as well as its reduction of harm, weed should be

legalized nationwide.

The first thing that is commonly overlooked is the health benefits that are associated

with marijuana use. The chemical that provides weed with its body and mind-altering quality is

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the degree of effect of the marijuana depends entirely on the THC

content. There is an extremely wide range of things that marijuana can treat with this chemical

compound. It can ease anxiety and make the thoughts associated with depression subside.

Depression is on the rise, parallel to that is the need for a drug that isn’t nearly as harmful as

the ones people find themselves addicted to. In 1970, Marijuana found itself labeled as a

Schedule I drug due to the Controlled Drug Act—alongside drugs like heroin, ecstasy, and

methamphetamine. These are dangerous drugs that can potentially kill you, this is no place for

something that is less impairing and harmful than alcohol. If made legal, marijuana would serve
as a replacement for a large number of people who are in a losing fight with addiction. Another

valuable utility of weed is its ability to alleviate pain. According to Medical News Today, chronic

pain effects 25 million adults in the U.S. alone. Another 25 million adults suffer from chronic

sleep apnea and weed is an effective treatment. Other fields that it’s made its way into includes

cancer and epilepsy treatment. It is very obvious how many benefits the effects of weed can

result in and I think it is key that we harness the advantages of this plant for a better future as

healthy individuals.

The next thing that should be highlighted is the economic prowess possessed by the

industry that would surround marijuana, if it was completely regulated by the government. The

centennial state, Colorado, was among the first to go green and in 2015 alone, they brought in

135 million in tax revenue. The ICF Study estimates that 81,000 jobs were created and a $3.5

billion increase in labor income as a result of legalization in California. As stated by the New

Frontier, Nevada approximates that by 2024 more than 41,000 jobs will be created and $1.7

billion will be added to their labor income. The New Frontier also suggests that if marijuana was

federally legalized that the U.S. could be looking at $131.8 billion in tax revenue by 2025. The

states that it has been legalized in have all shown economic growth. Another aspect of our

financial market that is impacted is the investing opportunity. This chance for investment

comes with the promotion of business within the marijuana industry, yet another way

marijuana introduces income. The big picture suggests that with the introduction of weed

comes jobs, tax revenue, income, investment opportunity, and much more. When it comes to

the economy, hemp has the potential to be one of the most massive competitive markets we

have ever seen, and it would bring the U.S. a substantial amount of reward.
 My final point addresses the collateral damage caused by the criminalization of

marijuana. The majority of marijuana related drug busts are only a possession charge, but even

then it can result in a felony charge, which hinders those for life when it comes to finding a

quality job. An FBI report suggests in 2017 alone, there were 659,700 arrests for possession and

that was met by another 60,418 for illegally selling/manufacturing, this means that in the

United States at the time, there was a marijuana related arrest every 48 seconds. The report

also suggests that these arrests account for over 40% of all drug arrests. In order to consider it

an arrest, the person being convicted is brought to the station and booked. All of these arrests

came at a price, this report lists over $3.6 billion was forked over to enforce the laws against

marijuana. That is time wasted that could have been directed toward something far more

criminal than pot such as methamphetamine or driving under the influence. Don Murphy, The

Marijuana Policy Project policies director, says it best with "At a time when more than 100

deaths per day are caused by opioid overdoses, it is foolish to focus our limited law

enforcement resources on a drug that has caused literally zero." Considering all of the time

money that is put into implementing the laws against marijuana and the lives that are

negatively impacted by its incrimination, change would make our nation a better place to call

home.

Perhaps marijuana won’t be federally legal within the next couple of years, but it is

realistic to prepare for a future where it is completely legal. It is only a matter of time until

weed disconnects from the culture that is portrayed by much of an older generation. There is

no arguing that weed has a number of benefits to the U.S. as a whole and it is about time that it

is no longer looked at so harshly by society. When it comes down to it, marijuana should be
legal because of its benefits for the individual, its economic potential, and to allow for more

attention to place on the more important.

Work Cited:

History.com Editors. “Marijuana.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 31 May 2017,

https://www.history.com/topics/crime/history-of-marijuana.

Angell, Tom. “Marijuana Arrests Are Increasing Despite Legalization, New FBI Data
Shows.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Sept. 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2018/09/24/marijuana-arrests-are-increasing-despite-
legalization-new-fbi-data-shows/#176966244c4b.

Frederick, Elkanah, and Rachel Gibbles. “Sleep Statistics - Data About Sleep and Sleep
Disorders.” American Sleep Association, https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/sleep-
statistics/.

Krishna, Mrinalini. “The Economic Benefits of Legalizing Weed.” Investopedia, Investopedia,

11 Dec. 2019, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/110916/economic-benefits-
legalizing-weed.asp.

Railton, David. “What Are the Health Benefits and Risks of Cannabis?” Medical News Today,
MediLexicon International, 2 Aug. 2018,
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320984.php#3.
Reflection

Looking back at the year, I learned a whole lot about the writing process, as well as many

things that will help in the future. The task of comprising three papers during this course was a

large part of what we did, and I realized that it was not easy to write a paper without having a

solid approach. In response to this issue I started writing outlines that included crucial

information like structure of the paper, organization of ideas, and essentially how this piece

was going to come together. My takeaways from this class really came from the organization

that these papers required because before I took this course I lacked in this category.

Class proved that I had a lot of strengths when it comes to writing, but it also exposed

some weakness. Throughout this course, I think I did well at organization. I organized all my

paragraphs in a neat way in which it was helpful for the reader to understand. I believe I had

good details throughout my papers as well. I made sure to be as descriptive as I could, as it is an

important aspect of writing. Something I slacked on this course was understanding how to

format the bibliography. I was very confused with it at first, but now I have a greater

understanding.

As I stated before, this class will without a doubt provided me with new knowledge that I

can utilize in the near and far future. My classes that are to come will be made easier with the

organizational skills that I acquired from this course. Also, the adversity I was successfully able

to overcome will prove helpful because of the tools it forced me to be comfortable with. This
class will help me with a multitude of things when it comes to my career. The aspect of my

career that will be impacted most will be my ability to successfully communicate through

writing. I learned how to persuade, entertain, and inform with my words. In my career, this list

of elements will assist in my success. I am very grateful to have taken this class for all I have

gained, thank you.