According to NORML Marijuana is the third most popular
recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been
used by nearly 100 million Americans. So why exactly are we spending so much
money fighting a losing battle against it? It is said that it is a dangerous
gateway drug but in reality it is a lot less dangerous than its legal counterpart’s
alcohol and tobacco. There is no way to overdose on Marijuana unlike alcohol
which accounts for about 100,000 deaths each year. This is small compared to
the 400,000 deaths caused by cigarettes. Marijuana is a naturally grown plant
which is a renewable resource and can benefit the Texas economy if grown and
taxed similarly to tobacco. The amount of money spent by taxpayers on the war on drugs is about 10 billion dollars by now. This is a ridiculous amount to be wasted especially during these difficult economic times. It also costs tax payers due to the amount of arrests because of marijuana possession or intent to sell. With The Texas and national budget in a state of crisis it is time to get creative to fix these problems. The amount of money saved plus added revenue from taxation will greatly benefit the programs in Texas that are facing cuts.
Money is one of the great benefits of legalization but making an already thriving market safer will be a large plus as well. If people do not have to go to shady drug dealers funded by the cartel it will help alleviate the threat that Mexican drug trade presents. Our economy is supply and demand and if we supply there will be a much smaller demand for illegal and therefore more dangerous supply of marijuana.
All of these reasons will likely not be enough for Texans to put aside their goal of morality in favor of greater economic activity but it is something we should still consider.
Should Marijuana be legalized? California was the first state to legalize medicinal marijuana sales with 15 other states following it. Should Texas legalize medicinal marijuana? A colleague's, Evin Whittington, blog says Texas should legalize marijuana not just for medicinal use. I would have to agree. With the degree of debt Texas is facing, the Texas government needs sources of revenue. If marijuana is legalized, Texas can apply a sales tax and make more jobs in the farming and production of marijuana which will reel in more income tax.
ReplyDeleteThe major medicinal use of marijuana is to relieve pain. People say tobacco should be illegal because it is additive and is a gateway drug to other more dangerous drugs. Well, research in the United Kingdom shows that some over-the-counter pain killers have addictive properties. Shouldn't these over-the-counter drugs be prescribed if they are addictive just as medicinal marijuana is prescribed? Also, tobacco and alcohol are also drugs people use to relieve stress. Both of these drugs also have addictive properties similar to marijuana. So why aren't tobacco and alcohol illegal? Tobacco is one of the leading cause of death and lung cancer. Not to mention the amount of deaths second-hand smoke cost. I feel tobacco is practically the same drug as marijuana. I don't understand why tobacco isn't illegal. Tobacco endangers the health of people around smokers. Alcohol also endagers others' lives as drunk drivers hit the roads. There are campaigns everywhere I look to promote safe, responsible usage. What? If there needs to be this many cautionary warnings for alcohol, how is this safe? I feel marijuana has the same amount of possible dangers as tobacco and alcohol. Lastly, people say marijuana is a gateway drug to more dangerous illegal drugs. This is probably true. However, I believe the reason for this is participants of marijuana, an illegal drug, feels they might as well try another illegal drug because both are illegal. I feel marijuana users won't try illegal drugs if marijuana is legalized.
I don't want to give the impression that I support the use of marijuana for I have seen the effects of this drug. However I don't see how marijuana is more dangerous as tobacco and alcohol. With Texas' major debt, the government needs another form of revenue which can be taxing marijuana. With marijuana being the third most popular recreational drug behind tabacco and alcohol in America, as stated in Whittington's blog, legalizing marijuana could also be a step towards solving the national debt crisis.
Although I do think legalizing marijuana for revenues is a great idea, I do think there are a few things to consider when doing so. First, I think the state needs to consider is how to prevent or test people driving under the influence of marijuana and a legal limit just like the .08 alcohol limit. Testing for marijuana include blood tests, urine tests, and saliva tests. These wouldn’t be valid for accurate readings right away when trying to test the person for results right away. Another thing to consider would be the possible increased amount of traffic accidents that could be related to marijuana use. With the significant amount of people who drink and drive, the number of people under the influence of marijuana would be just as likely to drive. Legalizing marijuana is a big step and would help with helping with the budget deficit in our economy but for it to be abused would be a big problem within the people. United States government, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bureau of Mortality Statistics--
ReplyDeleteANNUAL AMERICAN DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUGS
TOBACCO …………………… 400,000
ALCOHOL …………………… 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ………….20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS ……….15,000
CAFFEINE …………………….2,000
ASPIRIN ………………………500
MARIJUANA …………………. 0
As you can see, Marijuana isn’t nearly as dangerous as tobacco, alcohol, legal and illegal drugs, etc. If tobacco is the worst, why isn’t it illegal? Tobacco makes up for so much revenue that Texas wouldn’t be able to afford to get rid of it. As being in favor of legalizing marijuana, I do believe that there are many hurdles to face and figure out a solution before legalizing it.
http://legalizationofmarijuana.com/