Marijuana, Cannabis, Reefer; there are many names for the green leaf that millions of people across the globe use in various forms and for many different reasons. Here in the United States, the publicity that marijuana usage is receiving appears to be growing at a faster rate each and every week, due largely in part because of the fast approaching presidential election in November. For example, Republican front runner Donald Trump stated the following with regards to marijuana legalization, "In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state.  ...  Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen  --  right? Don't we agree? I think so." (Johnson) There is no doubt that the subject of legalization is a hot topic at the moment and it is clearly up for debate. The main demographic that most Americans commonly associate marijuana use with is typically teenagers and young adults. These users and others outside of the demographic utilize the drug for medical purposes and recreational use, and in some cases for both. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, marijuana is defined as "the dried leaves and flowering tops of the hemp plant that yield THC and are smoked in cigarettes for their intoxicating effect." A majority of the articles examined that were in favor of legalization argue that if the drug were to become legalized, states would soon see an increase in tax revenue similar to the revenue generated from the sale of tobacco products. Another key argument presented by those from the pro-marijuana side is that current marijuana users are being denied their freedom to a degree, therefore legalizing the drug would allow for people to take full advantage of the rights granted to them by the Constitution of the United States. The two main arguments that anti-legalization advocates emphasize the most is that marijuana will end up in the hands of those under twenty-one years of age, and that there will be an increase in hospital visits due to over usage or a user causing harm to others on the roadways. In 

addition to these few pros and cons mentioned there are several more reasons both for and against legalizing this drug and other differentiating opinions of the topic that will all be explored throughout this paper. After examining and sorting through the various sources on both sides of the argument of marijuana legalization, the health benefits and potential economic boost that would be a byproduct of legalization, supplement the fact that the time is now to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use in the United States. 

Marijuana legalization obviously has many opponents or else it would be a common sight to see someone smoking publicly in your local neighborhood or on a busy city street corner. Opponents argue that that the legalization of the drug would bring added violence to communities around the nation, the product would fall in the hands of minors, or people would begin to overdose on the drug (which is not medically possible). While the basic descriptions of these arguments barely scratch the surface of the views of the anti-legalization movement, there are in depth articles and journals that have been published that delve into the subject even more. For example, Dr. Howard Samuels published his opinion regarding the matter through the Huffington Post that provided a more in depth "No", as to why marijuana should not become a legal drug. Samuels, an established psychotherapist recorded his sentiments in an article titled, "Legally Blind: Why I'm Against Legalizing Marijuana," that revolves around his position regarding the entire debate of marijuana legalization. As a well-respected psychotherapist, he whole-heartedly and firmly presents his stance on why, in his opinion, marijuana legalization would be a complete disaster. Samuels states the following: "I, for one, am absolutely against the legalization of marijuana. Period. There isn't an argument in the world that will change the fact that psychoactive substances produce emotionally crippled adults. We are living in a country where young people everywhere are actively seeking out new and creative ways to self-medicate. These are young people who are at a place where they should be learning how to process their emotions, not sublimate or suppress them" (Samuels). 

Dr. Samuels is asserting that total legalization could cause people's marijuana dependence levels to soar, which in turn could possibly cause long term social issues for a user such as anxiety or depression. Based on his language, Samuels is assuming that in some cases an abuser of marijuana would feel the need to constantly be high.  

The most important discussion that government officials are concerned about with regards to marijuana legalization is the effects on an individual's health because there is still a lot of unknowns regarding the side effects of usage. In a study coordinated by a group of doctors with the support of The Journal of the American Medical Association, the effects of the legalization of marijuana on the state of Colorado thus far were examined. Dr. Andrew Monte, Dr. Richard Zane, and Dr. Kennon Heard, all contributed to this article that thoroughly detailed what has occurred in the state of Colorado since marijuana was fully legalized for sale to those twenty-one and older in January of 2014. The article is titled, "The Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado." The article states that the experimentation of finding new ways to extract and produce tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main substance in marijuana, has caused an increase in burn victims in Colorado emergency rooms. "In the past 2 years, the burn center has had 31 admissions for marijuana-related burns; some cases involve more than 70% of body surface area and 21 required skin grafting. The majority of these were flash burns that occurred during THC extraction from marijuana plants using butane as a solvent" (Monte). This excerpt refers to emergency room cases involving marijuana at the University of Colorado at Boulder's burn center. The "flash burns" that are mentioned in the quote occurred when users attempted to extract the THC from the marijuana in order to smoke the main substance that intoxicates them rather than the entire plant. The article goes on to state that the increase in burn victims has been one of the more obvious negative outcomes thus far due to marijuana legalization in the state. 

The easiest argument for opponents of marijuana legalization to use as support for their cause is that as a result of the drug becoming legal, the drug will be more accessible to users under the age of twenty-one. This situation would indeed be problematic because most people under the age of twenty-one are uninformed about the health risks associated with marijuana usage especially on brains that have yet to be fully developed. Based on collected data, it can be deduced that 

hospital visits, high drivers, and general reckless behavior would significantly increase especially in the demographic of those under the legal age limit. Alex W. Mason, the director of research for the Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies, has published an article in the Psychological Science Agenda which is sponsored by the American Psychological Association. The article titled, "Recreational Marijuana Legalization: What Parents and Adolescents Know and Discuss," revolves around a study that was done in Washington state involving parents knowledge of the newly implemented recreational marijuana usage laws. The survey was conducted in the summer of 2013, so the data collected is relatively recent in comparison to similar studies done regarding the law. Specifically, the article compiled the data collected into three different graphs. One graph demonstrates statistics such as parent-child discussions regarding marijuana usage, another displays data that shows personal opinions of the law being enacted, and the final graph shows the respondent's general knowledge of the recreational marijuana law. Mason summarizes the graph titled "Knowledge of Washington State Marijuana Laws" when he says "Although there were no group differences by parent marijuana use, parents and adolescents displayed uncertainty about the new recreational marijuana law. For example, only 57 percent of parents selected the correct legal age limit and only 49 percent of adolescents selected the correct possession amount. Only 30 percent of parents and 25 percent of adolescents correctly responded to all three questions" (Mason). Ultimately Mason's findings reveal that there is a significant amount of parents in the state of Washington that are either misinformed or uninformed about the dangers revolving around marijuana usage and the specificities of the law in general. These statistics are alarming because if cannabis were to be legalized nationwide, the 

majority of parents would be uneducated about the narcotic and the specifics of the law. A possible remedy to combat nationwide unintelligence regarding marijuana could be to launch a federally funded full scale media campaign describing all of the pros and cons of cannabis usage. While there is a plethora of reasons why adversaries of marijuana legalization are on the side that they are on, the evidence exists in plain sight that emergency room visits, misinformation regarding usage, and the sheer fact that marijuana itself is a psychoactive substance are all the biggest risks involving the possibility of eventual legalization. 

On the opposite spectrum of the debate over whether or not to legalize marijuana, there are a great deal of United States citizens that fully support the legal sale and distribution of marijuana. The media tends to typically portray the main demographic of legalization advocates to be progressive, young, college-aged people. Due to this trend, the subject of marijuana is extremely prevalent on college campuses nationwide. In an opinion article published in the Liberty University school newspaper, The Liberty Champion, student Taylor Frost explores both the pros and cons that would be associated with legalization. Titled, "Marijuana Pros and Cons," Frost describes a few of the main challenges and possible benefits of legalizing. She highlights the economic benefits that could be a consequence of the legal sale of marijuana. "According to The Denver Post, a 15 percent excise tax is charged on every marijuana sale, along with a 10 percent sales tax. That equals 25 percent tax in total for the sale of marijuana, and for the state of Colorado, that will bring in a lot of revenue that the state can use." (Frost). She suggests that the state of Colorado is going to have a more stable economic situation in the coming years because of the marijuana industry. Although Frost is only a student, professionalism is demonstrated through both her writing and research. Moving forward as a country, we could potentially see our national debt decrease by way of higher taxes similar to those implemented in Colorado if we were to legalize the sale and distribution of cannabis nationwide.

 

In May of 2014, the governor of Vermont ordered the Secretary of Administration to compile a report documenting the possible consequences of legalizing marijuana. The two hundred and eighteen-page report, spearheaded by Jonathan Caulkins along with several of his colleagues, highlights the possible benefits that would come along with legalizing marijuana in the state of Vermont. Ultimately the report concludes that legalization could very well bring an added boost of revenue to the state. "We estimated that Vermont has roughly 60,000 to 100,000 past-month users who consume about 15 to 25 grams per year and spend about $125 million to $225 million per year on marijuana" (Caulkins 138). This statement establishes that there is a large market for marijuana in the state of Vermont and if they were to legalize they could easily enforce a high sales tax similar to that of tobacco products. 

The National Institute of Drug Abuse recognizes that marijuana has possible medical benefits especially for those that are terminally ill.  A page on their website states, "Because the marijuana plant contains chemicals that may help treat a range of illnesses or symptoms, many people argue that it should be legal for medical purposes." The fact that a federally funded organization recognizes that marijuana could be beneficial for individual's health is a step in the right direction for the legalization movement as a whole.  Although the actual effectiveness of marijuana as a medicine is widely debated, there are studies that are continuing to be done across the globe that are seeking to learn the truth behind the efficacy of medical marijuana. In an article titled, "Marijuana as Medicine," published in The American Journal of Nursing, Patricia Skidmore asserts that Marijuana could be used as a source for physical healing as well as mental relief. She states in her article, "Recently, the National Institutes of Health found that 'the evidence is perfectly clear that smoking is an outstanding route of administration. We know that there are no extreme immediate toxicity issues. It's a very safe drug, and therefore it would be perfectly safe medically to to let the patients determine their own dosage by the smoking route'" (Skidmore). In The Journal of Public Health Policy, Peter A. Clark published a research article that is titled, "The Ethics of Medical Marijuana: Government Restrictions vs. Medical Necessity." In the article, Clark determines that medical marijuana needs to be legalized for immediate use for patients suffering through severe pain. Clark states the following in his article, "To allow a patient to suffer needlessly, when this suffering can be relieved, is to do direct harm to the patient. Scientific data has shown that the benefits of medical marijuana far outweigh the burdens" (Clark). Clark acknowledges in his article that more research does have to continue to be completed before a full legal medical marijuana legalization bill is achievable.  

The website Truthout.org is entirely devoted to publishing the facts behind controversial debates that regard human rights, education, poverty, and many other topics. An article published on the site by Carmen Yarrusso titled, "Top Ten Reasons to Legalize Marijuana Now," discusses the main reasons why most believe cannabis should become legal in the United States. This article, similar to many other currently published opinion articles that were researched during the process, stands out due to the conversation that it ignites involving personal liberty. "Prohibition takes away our right of sovereignty over our own bodies and gives this power to government. Does any other human right make sense if we don't have sovereignty over our own bodies? There's a word for people who don't have sovereignty over their own bodies: slaves." (Yarrusso) It is quite an interesting concept to think about: citizens of the United States are being prevented from being in complete control of their own bodies. Personal liberty is clearly outlined in the United States Declaration of Independence when it says, "that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Americans who wish to use marijuana for either recreational or medical purposes are being deprived on a daily basis of the basic rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

One of the most widely contested issues of marijuana legalization is the concern that there would be high drivers on our nation's 

roadways. Studies have been conducted that show that there is minimal risk involving driving high and that it is quite innate to even consider driving while under the influence of marijuana and equal offense to driving while impaired by alcohol. With the support of the United States Department of Transportation, The HWJ Robbe Institute for Human Psychopharmacology completed controlled experiments in which participants smoke marijuana prior to having their driving skills tested on both closed and open highways. The study concluded the following: 

"Although THC's adverse effects on driving performance appeared relatively small in the tests employed in this program, one can still easily imagine situations where the influence of marijuana smoking might have a dangerous effect; i.e., emergency situations which put high demands on the driver's information processing capacity, prolonged monotonous driving, and after THC has been taken with other drugs, especially alcohol." (HWJ Robbe)

The study appears to be extremely credible in its findings because it was a federally funded study and it even acknowledges that more studies need to be completed before a final answer as to whether or not driving after smoking marijuana is a safe practice. 

A fact regarding marijuana legalization that is little known to even the most informed citizens regarding possible legalization is that large tobacco companies in the United States are prepared to enter the legal market of marijuana sales and distribution should it become legalized. Involvement in the marijuana industry from multi million-dollar tobacco companies could very well prove to be beneficial long term for the United States from an economic standpoint because of the taxes that would be imposed that would be similar to the current tobacco taxes. It is common knowledge that tobacco companies are taxed a ridiculous amount of money by lawmakers in Washington D.C. as well as individual states. Rachel Ann Barry of the Center for Tobacco Research Control and Education says in an article "For private control of the market, a broad set of requirements for the regulation of tobacco products could be applied to marijuana, including the same restrictions on advertising as apply to cigarettes and tobacco products 

(including no television or radio advertising); taxation (with some revenues earmarked for public education, prevention, and cessation programs)." (Barry) If the marijuana market were to be privately controlled by large tobacco companies, the revenue generated from their taxes could provide funding for public venues for continued education of the drug, rehabilitation centers, and prevention programs. 

There is no reason that the government should be able to regulate marijuana usage within the privacy of user's own homes because what people do within their own walls should not be regulated by the government. It has become legalized in the states of Colorado and Washington and it is a matter of time before other states follow suit. The bottom line is that, legal or not, people will find a way to get their hands on marijuana if that is what they desire. The government might as well take in some additional revenue by taxing the sale and distribution of marijuana. This is simple common sense and it amazes me that the government has not legalized it already, especially due to the economic debt that our nation has incurred. The funds generated 

from the sale of government regulated marijuana would only be for the greater good of the country.

After completing the research for this project and examining the various pros and cons of marijuana legalization, it is in the best interest of our government and the best interest of the citizens of the United States to fully legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use. The economic, medical, and individual user benefits outweigh the leading risks involving the use of the drug. Similarly to alcohol, people will always have the urge to abuse marijuana because it is an intoxicating, psychoactive substance and people under the age of twenty-one will find a way to get their hands on it. The topic of marijuana legalization is much more significant in our society today than most realize. Economically, the revenue that could be generated from the sale of marijuana could be used to help decrease our national debt and bring more revenue to individual states.  Medically, citizens of the United States could have their pain due to medical conditions eased and socially, citizens would be able to take full advantage of the basic rights that they are all guaranteed to through the Constitution. We as individuals can contribute to the eventual legalization of marijuana by electing officials into office who are reasonable enough to realize that if people really want to abuse a drug illegally, they will find a way to do so. One can sign petitions to legalize, call the office of your district representative, and continue to inform those against legalization about all of the upsides to marijuana usage and the potential beneficial 

effects that it would have on our entire society. If the drug were to become legalized, it does not force anyone in anyway to partake in the usage of the drug. Times change as often as people's individual views do, and it is only a matter of time before the majority realizes that marijuana legalization is no longer a subject that can be easily dismissed in our progressive society that continues to adapt on a daily basis. 

