Christopher Hettler
Social Problems
Sean MacKinnon
Marijuana, or cannabis, is a schedule one drug and is an extremely debatable topic when considering making this substance legal. What many people don’t realize is how legal marijuana once was. In history, it was one of the largest agricultural crops in the world, including the United States. Cannabis can also be hemp which is the most robust, durable fiber on the planet. It had many uses, some being lighting oil, fabric and even paper. However, one of the most important uses that marijuana has is it’s medical benefits. It has been used in history and is proven to have substantial health benefits which is why the legalization of this substance is being pushed to its limits here in …show more content…
After World War II, marijuana was declared illegal but for the wrong reason; it wasn’t because it made people violent, but because it made them pacifists. During a time of war, people smoking marijuana refused to fight which was seen as a major issue by the U.S government. This made congress pass a law making marijuana illegal for the exact opposite reason they made it illegal in the first place. However, all through the years with report after report, commissioned by the president of the U.S, mayor of New York, all stating that marijuana should have no criminal penalty attached to it, it is still just as illegal today as it was 70 years ago. This prohibition of marijuana is meant to protect us, but does that prohibition really work? Many claims have been made towards this issue of legalizing marijuana; some of these claims are that it is just as dangerous as heroin or LSD, it is addictive, it is a gateway drug that will lead you to more dangerous substances, it causes laziness, it is just as bad as smoking tobacco, it leads to criminal behavior, or it can make you go insane, and of course the most commonly known effect, …show more content…
If marijuana was legalized and taxed just like tobacco and alcohol, there would be an average budget range of 10 to 14 billion dollars. This money could be used to pay for health care costs, rebate to lower taxes and give people lower tax rates, it could be used on highways, hospitals or national defence. There are endless economical benefits to legalizing marijuana, 14 billion dollars could be used in a variety of different ways and could greatly help the economic situation that the United States is in today. Police enforcements are constantly trying to crack down on the underground marijuana business, but that doesn’t stop it from thriving. Colorado has legalized marijuana and in the first two months of legalization, there has been drastic changes in society and revenue. According to Huffington Post, traumatic violent crime decreased by 2.4 percent, while property crime fell 14.2 percent; both within the first two months. Colorado also generate an outstanding 14 million dollars just within the first month after legalizing marijuana. The marijuana business is seen as a union amongst the dealers. The union has a home/land owner, this is where the marijuana will grow. The owner has barely any significance, and if ever confronted by police he has an easy way out by saying he wasn’t aware marijuana was
Social Problems
Sean MacKinnon
Marijuana, or cannabis, is a schedule one drug and is an extremely debatable topic when considering making this substance legal. What many people don’t realize is how legal marijuana once was. In history, it was one of the largest agricultural crops in the world, including the United States. Cannabis can also be hemp which is the most robust, durable fiber on the planet. It had many uses, some being lighting oil, fabric and even paper. However, one of the most important uses that marijuana has is it’s medical benefits. It has been used in history and is proven to have substantial health benefits which is why the legalization of this substance is being pushed to its limits here in …show more content…
After World War II, marijuana was declared illegal but for the wrong reason; it wasn’t because it made people violent, but because it made them pacifists. During a time of war, people smoking marijuana refused to fight which was seen as a major issue by the U.S government. This made congress pass a law making marijuana illegal for the exact opposite reason they made it illegal in the first place. However, all through the years with report after report, commissioned by the president of the U.S, mayor of New York, all stating that marijuana should have no criminal penalty attached to it, it is still just as illegal today as it was 70 years ago. This prohibition of marijuana is meant to protect us, but does that prohibition really work? Many claims have been made towards this issue of legalizing marijuana; some of these claims are that it is just as dangerous as heroin or LSD, it is addictive, it is a gateway drug that will lead you to more dangerous substances, it causes laziness, it is just as bad as smoking tobacco, it leads to criminal behavior, or it can make you go insane, and of course the most commonly known effect, …show more content…
If marijuana was legalized and taxed just like tobacco and alcohol, there would be an average budget range of 10 to 14 billion dollars. This money could be used to pay for health care costs, rebate to lower taxes and give people lower tax rates, it could be used on highways, hospitals or national defence. There are endless economical benefits to legalizing marijuana, 14 billion dollars could be used in a variety of different ways and could greatly help the economic situation that the United States is in today. Police enforcements are constantly trying to crack down on the underground marijuana business, but that doesn’t stop it from thriving. Colorado has legalized marijuana and in the first two months of legalization, there has been drastic changes in society and revenue. According to Huffington Post, traumatic violent crime decreased by 2.4 percent, while property crime fell 14.2 percent; both within the first two months. Colorado also generate an outstanding 14 million dollars just within the first month after legalizing marijuana. The marijuana business is seen as a union amongst the dealers. The union has a home/land owner, this is where the marijuana will grow. The owner has barely any significance, and if ever confronted by police he has an easy way out by saying he wasn’t aware marijuana was