The Need To Legalize Pot Essay, Research Paper

The Need To Legalize Pot

Merely in, California has become the first province to legalise pot!

Unfortunately, for all you proud proprietors of a two-foot-bong or a three-inch bowl,

you must hold a prescription from a medical physician before you light up. Possibly

it & # 8217 ; s merely a cleft in the ice, but it is a start to a long-awaited, controversial

issue that needs to be touched upon once more.

In the autumn of 1996, Proposition 215 was passed in California,

legalising the medical usage of marihuana. Even though the bulk ( 56 % ) voted

to go through 215, oppositions plan to go on to contend the step. It was besides so in

Arizona, where Proposition 200, the Drug Medicalization, Prevention, and Control

Act, won 65 % of the ballot. It says that Arizona & # 8217 ; s physicians can order

marihuana, diacetylmorphine, and LSD for patients when there is & # 8220 ; medicative value & # 8221 ;

( California 62 ) . The passing of these two propositions has besides helped the

release of captives convicted of drug ownership ( & # 8212 ; ) . With gaol capacity

already overruning, if you were to lock up a trader, you therefore make a occupation

gap.

Bob Randall, president of the Alliance for the Cannabis Therapeutics, a

Washington-based patients & # 8217 ; right group, says every bit many as five-million sick

Americans might profit from the legal entree to marijuana. Marijuana has been

found to: alleviate sickness and stimulate appetency in people with malignant neoplastic disease and AIDS,

control musculus cramps among people with multiple induration and other

neurological upset, cut down oculus force per unit area among people with glaucoma, and some

state it besides controls ictuss, eases chronic hurting, and relieves depression. Dr.

Ernest Rosenbaum, a San Francisco malignant neoplastic disease specializer, says he and many physicians

softly urge marihuana to patients who didn & # 8217 ; t respond to other medicines.

A 1991 Harvard survey found that about 40 % of malignant neoplastic disease specializers surveyed had

recommended marihuana to alleviate chemotherapy sickness, and about 48 % said they

would order the drug if it were made legal.

An article was written in the October, 28, 1996 Time issue about a

former constabulary commissioner, Jo Daly, who was diagnosed with colon malignant neoplastic disease. Jo

started chemotherapy for her malignant neoplastic disease, but the side effects included & # 8220 ; atomic

implosion. & # 8221 ; Then came a firing hurting under the nails of her toes and fingers.

The good intelligence was that she finally found alleviation. The bad intelligence was that it

came from marihuana. Daly tried Marinol, a replacement the FDA approved as a

man-made version of THC ( marijuana & # 8217 ; s psychotropic ingredient ) , without success

before she ended up turning to pot. Even after the positive consequences and

results of patients utilizing marihuanas, non everyone is in favour of legalising the

drug. Some people are still edgy about the whole issue of legalising

marihuana and go on to put aside the benefits of pot. & # 8220 ; This proposition is

non about medical specialty, & # 8221 ; charges Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates, co-chairman of

Citizens for a Drug-Free California, the run opposing Prop. 215. & # 8220 ; It & # 8217 ; s

about the legalisation of marijuana & # 8221 ; ( 36 ) .

Well, wake up, America! There are far more benefits from the drug so

merely medical. Making the drug lawfully available, with tight regulative controls,

would stop the black market and with it, much of the force ; legalisation would

cut down the figure of people in prison, which in bend would cut down the authorities

budget. For 20 old ages the governments in Amsterdam have merely ignored the usage

of pot, which is on a regular basis sold in 4,000 java stores in sums up to 30 gms

a client. Their java stores sell an estimated $ 67,500,000 worth each twelvemonth

( most of which is Dutch-grown ) while the Siberia Cafe sells an estimated $ 1,000

of hash and marijuana a twenty-four hours. It & # 8217 ; s all done in the unfastened, with the Dutch

authorities roll uping the revenue enhancements on the grosss ( Just 114 ) .

It is reckoned that some thirty-million Americans, approximately Canada & # 8217 ; s

population, have tried marihuana. Of those, approximately ten-million fume pot every

month, and unlike our president, most of them inhale. In Glasgow, one-half of

all pupils between the ages of 14 and 25 admit to smoking pot & # 8220 ; every day. & # 8221 ;

Marijuana has become the US & # 8217 ; & # 8216 ; biggest hard currency harvest & # 8217 ; despite the decease punishment for

turning the works. The estimated 32 billion dollar market has spurred

many nurserymans to do a calling out of cultivating the works.

In a Pensacola Florida News Journal, statements from an article titled,

& # 8220 ; Marijuana use lifting ; enemies to fault dad culture. & # 8221 ; were pulled:

– It Beats cleft, & # 8221 ; said David Spencer, a 24-year-old Pensacolian who

fumes two or three articulations a hebdomad. & # 8220 ; Beats drinkin & # 8217 ; , & # 8217 ; cause you don & # 8217 ; t want to

acquire into a battle or you don & # 8217 ; t acquire ill. Smoking weed ain & # 8217 ; t traveling to kill

you like coffin nails will. Merely thing it & # 8217 ; ll do is do you chill out and

hungry. & # 8221 ;

– And people in Pensacola are catching the Jerseies and other

ware with illustrations of elephantine marihuana leaves on them. & # 8220 ; It sells

great, & # 8221 ; said Joyce Smith, director of Spencer & # 8217 ; s in University Mall, about

pot-related ware. & # 8220 ; We can & # 8217 ; t maintain it in stock. & # 8221 ;

– & # 8220 ; If you & # 8217 ; rhenium allowed to imbibe intoxicant, there & # 8217 ; s no ground that you

shouldn & # 8217 ; t be allowed to smoke something that & # 8217 ; s natural, & # 8221 ; says Rick May,

26, a Pensacolian who smokes a few articulations a twelvemonth. & # 8220 ; Marijuana doesn & # 8217 ; T

do the jobs that intoxicant does. You don & # 8217 ; t hear about people acquiring

stoned and traveling to pick in a battle or acquiring in a auto and drive

somewhere. & # 8221 ;

From magazine articles to studies, it & # 8217 ; s about consentaneous that marihuana

should be lawfully available to the populace. I took a study within the school

and found out these consequences:

* 34 out of 45 people feel that marihuana should be legalized.

* 28 have smoked pot or at least tested it one time in his/her life.

* 31 would smoke pot if the drug were to go legal.

How many times must we analyse the issue of marihuana? It doesn & # 8217 ; Ts take

a projectile scientist to calculate out that legalising the drug with a heavy and

rigorous revenue enhancement would immediately better the economic system, non to advert the medical and

societal benefits from the drug. If we were to legalise the drug tomorrow, our

national debt could be cut in half and our revenue enhancements might take a honkytonk. America & # 8217 ; s

society is so caught up in believing what is good and bad for us. If we were

smart, we would halt our bitchin & # 8217 ; , allow the drug become legal, and watch what

would go on for a alteration. Possibly that is what everyone is afraid of, alteration!

WORKS CITED:

& # 8220 ; The California Marijuana Vote & # 8221 ; , National Review, December 23, 1996, 62.

& # 8220 ; Just Say Maybe & # 8221 ; , Forbes, June 17, 1996, 114.

& # 8220 ; Marijauna usage lifting ; enemies to fault pop cutlure & # 8221 ; , Pensacola Florida

News Journal, 1994.

& # 8220 ; Marijuana: where there & # 8217 ; s smoke, there & # 8217 ; s fire & # 8221 ; , Time, October 28, 1996,

36.