Throughout the history of mankind, various types of plants have been used to treat a plethora of various ailments.  From the use of various herbs and spices in prehistoric times to preserve food, from various alkaloids and glycosides used in the middle ages to treat anything from a headache to the plague, to the bark of the cinchona tree still used traditionally today to treat malaria (Wiki).  Marijuana is perhaps the most well-known medicinal plant.  Though it is illegal in most parts of the United States, the recreational use of marijuana should be legalized, as the many benefits of legalization out-weigh the few disadvantages of consuming the plant.

Marijuana has been used for centuries throughout human history.  The earliest known reference of the use of marijuana comes from 2900 BC where the Chinese Emperor Fu His referenced marijuana as a popular medicine (Medical Marijuana).  Marijuana has been used for medical purposes dating back over 5,000 years, and for it to be an illegal substance is simply absurd, as its medicinal benefits are not able to be taken advantage of.  Marijuana has been prevalent throughout American history.  According to Bernard Segal, PhD, “The Jamestown settlers brought the marijuana plant, commonly known as hemp, to North America in 1611, and throughout the colonial period, hemp fiber was an important export.”  Important political figures in American history also cultivated the hemp plant, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (Medical Marijuana).  The medicinal benefits of marijuana had been known in the United States, dating back to 1850 when marijuana was added to the US Pharmacopeia, “an official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and over-the-counter medicines” (Medical Marijuana).  It wasn’t until 1911 that marijuana began seeing regulation and becoming outlawed, due mostly to Progressive Era faith in big government, with prohibitionist sentiment paving the way for the criminalization of the plant (medical Marijuana).  Many states soon followed suite, due to the stigma surrounding the plant from a religious perspective, rather than factual and scientific proof against the consumption of marijuana.  The criminalization of marijuana is not based upon fact, and its continued criminalization is due simply to the stigma surrounding the plant.

One of the, if not the most important and beneficial factor of the legalization of marijuana is the medicinal benefits gained from its consumption.  Marijuana can be used to treat multiple illnesses, including, but not limited to, muscle spasm caused by multiple sclerosis, nausea from chemotherapy, poor appetite and weight loss caused by chronic illnesses such as HIV, nerve pain from chronic illnesses, seizure disorders, and Crohn’s disease (WebMD).  Hundreds of thousands of individuals are affected by these problems on a daily basis within the United States.  By decriminalizing the possession and consumption of marijuana, individuals across the entire country will be better able to cope with these ailments, rather than trying multiple different prescriptions over extended periods of time in hopes to find a solution to their problems.  The solution is right in front of these individuals, but they are not able to receive the help that they require as the herb is outlawed in most of the country.  To deny these individuals the medicine they need is not only wrong, but it is inhumane.  Also, if any individual attempts to obtain the medicine in hopes to self-medicate, they are breaking the law, and could potentially face prison time.

In order for marijuana to be legalized, its classification and status as a drug must first be re-evaluated.  Marijuana is a schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substance Act of 1990, with “no legal medical use and high potential for abuse” (New Health Advisor).  To say that the plant has no medical benefit is not only false, but highly mis-informative.  As stated before, there are multiple medicinal benefits of consuming the herb, and its classification should therefore be changed.  In an article published by Igor Grant, J. Hampton Atkinson, Ben Gouaux, and Barth Wilsey, medicinal uses of marijuana are examined and then discussed.  The research conducted in the article concludes that the medicinal benefits of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and related cannabinoid ingredients of marijuana, such as CBD, cannot be ignored, as they can be used to treat a wide range of ailments including neuropathic pain, spasticity, and others.  The authors also conclude that the benefits of the plant outweigh the risks, and along with proper input and dosing from physicians, the chemicals present in the plant could present the medical breakthrough that the pharmaceutical society has been searching for (NCBI).  “Two trials enrolled patients with painful HIV peripheral neuropathy; one consisted of mixed neuropathic pain due to peripheral or central dysfunction of the nervous system (i.e., complex regional pain syndrome, peripheral neuropath, and traumatic focal nerve or spinal cord injury).  Patients were allowed to continue their usual regimen of analgesics.  Results consistently indicated that cannabis significantly reduced pain intensity, with patients reporting 34%-40% decrease on cannabis compared to 17%-20% on placebo.  Moreover a significantly greater proportion of individuals reported at least 30% reduction in pain on cannabis (46%-52%) compared to placebo (18%-24%) which is relevant since 30% decrease in pain intensity is generally associated with reports of improved life quality” (NCBI).  As concluded in the study, the medicinal benefits of the consumption of marijuana cannabinoids resulted in an improved quality of life.  So, to say that marijuana has no medicinal benefit is false and irresponsible.

The medicinal benefits have marijuana have been used to treat and even cure the intense effects of seizures in multiple different patients.  One example of this is the instance of Charlotte Figi.  Figi, who suffered from commonplace seizures due to a very rare and violent form of epilepsy, sometimes leaving her in a state where she could not move for hours on end, uses cannabis on a daily basis.  By cultivating a special form of marijuana, Josh Stanley and his team were able to treat Figi’s epilepsy, dropping her amount of seizures from one every 25 minutes, to less than one seizure a week (TED).  The impact and blatant medical benefits of marijuana cannot be ignored.  By consuming marijuana, a child who had been plagued almost from birth, who was essentially unable to function in our society, is now able to walk, talk, interact, participate in various hobbies, and be the child that she is inside, without having to worry about slipping into a catatonic state at any moment.  Another example of the medicinal benefits of cannabis in pediatric use comes from the story of one Takai Jackson.  Jackson suffers from an illness known as dozer syndrome, which like Figi, results in multiple intense seizures, over 200 a day.  After treatment by Josh Stanley and his team, and continued consumption of marijuana, Jackson is now seizure free, and is able to live a normal and prosperous life as a normal child (TED).  Using marijuana to treat illnesses in pediatrics is only one of the many medicinal uses of marijuana, medical uses which cannot be ignored.  The classification of marijuana as a schedule 1 drug with no medicinal benefit is an incorrect classification, and should be changed, along with the decriminalization of the possession and consumption of the plant.

The reclassification of marijuana is pertinent to helping the lives of numerous individuals with chronic illnesses.  Though it is legal in some parts of the United States, the consumption of marijuana should be legal across the entirety of the country as there are individuals across the country with curable ailments, not limited to the states where marijuana use is legalized.  In a hypothetical sense, if an individual in Idaho suffers from chronic pain, which could be cured by the consumption of cannabis, they could not receive the medication that they need, as it’s not so easy for an individual to pack up their life entirely and move to another state in order to receive the type of treatment which they so desperately need.  Having marijuana consumption legal in only a few states essentially forces individuals to choose between continuing their life where they are with their chronic pain, or starting their lives over just to receive proper treatment.  Additionally, as in the case of Charlotte Figi, some individuals may not be physically able to travel outside of the state which they live in.  Figi, who needs daily medication, would not be allowed to leave her home state of Colorado without becoming a criminal for possessing marijuana.  If she and her family did leave the state, her inability to transport her medication with her would result in a recurrence of half-hourly seizures.  The alternative is that if her and her family did bring the proper medication with them out of the state, they would become criminals and be labeled “drug traffickers” in the eye of the law, and could subsequently face jail time (TED).  The criminalization of marijuana consumption is prohibiting countless people from receiving the medical help which they need, as well as preventing countless others from traveling outside their home state, both of which are cruel and inhumane.

Another benefit to the legalization of recreational marijuana comes from the economic boost which the growing industry would bring to the states in which it is legal.  A 2011 study showed that the city of Oakland, California, collected over $1.4 million in taxes from medical dispensaries, which was nearly 3% of all business tax revenue.  The state of Colorado collected $5 million in sales tax from the medical marijuana business, with the city of Denver collecting over $3.4 million from sales tax and application and license fees (debt.org).  The market for recreational marijuana is growing steadily still, even though it is only legal in a few states.  A 2014 study from the Yale Economic Review states that the potential market for recreational marijuana could “account for anywhere between $45 and $110 billion” (Yale Economic Review).  For obvious reasons, a market of this magnitude could benefit the country in many ways.  Not only would such a market increase expenditure in the economic markets of the United States, it would also inadvertently create a massive new job market, cutting down on the unemployment levels within the United States.  Additionally, the government would be able to tax the recreational marijuana market, and be able to use the subsequent monetary influx to better aid the public, through infrastructure improvement, education supplements, and other various government programs. To put into perspective the rate at which the market for recreational marijuana is growing, an article from Time Magazine published on February 24, 2016 states that “legal sales of recreational and medical marijuana totaled nearly $1 billion in 2015” in Colorado (Time).  This massive increase in revenue for the state was unprecedented, and is obviously an amazing and beneficial increase to the state’s economy.  The economic boost which would be created by the legalization of recreational marijuana is immense and would be extremely beneficial to the United States.

There are also other uses of marijuana which make the need for legalization even more pertinent.  “Hemp, or industrial hemp… is a variety of the cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products” (Wiki Hemp).  Along with the medicinal and economic benefits of legalizing marijuana, there is also industrial advantages.  Hemp can be used in the creation of all sorts of various products, including fuel, vehicle parts, textiles, cosmetics, food, building materials, and solar panels (Colorado).  The legalization of marijuana would create an increase in hemp products, bolstering all of the markets listed.  The increase of monetary flow in these markets would subsequently create many new jobs, more taxable revenue for the government, and an increase in spendable money in households, the money which would then be used in other markets.  The legalization of marijuana and hemp products would create a monetary boost throughout the various markets within the United States, bolstering the economy, the increase in money which could then be used to lower the national debt and thus improve the lives of every single American.

Another benefit of the legalization of marijuana comes from the decriminalization of the plant.  According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the amount spent annually in the United States in combatting drugs is more than $51 billion (Drug Policy).  By decriminalizing the possession of marijuana, that massive amount of money spent to combat drugs could be lessened, or better used to combat drugs that are actually harmful and are comparatively worse.  In 2015, the number of people arrested for marijuana law violation was 643,121, with 89% of those individuals being arrested (Drug Policy).  By decriminalizing the possession of marijuana, the countries jails would have more room, for serious criminal offenders, rather than individuals which had been charged with simple possession.  Additionally, the decrease in individuals in jail would result in a decrease in taxes across the entirety of the country, as less money would be needed in the upkeep of jails, as there would be less detainees.  Another staggering fact about the criminalization of marijuana is that over 200,000 students lost federal financial aid eligibility over drug convictions (Drug Policy).  Many students are only able to attend college and receive higher levels of education because of financial aid.  By decriminalizing marijuana offenses, many students will be able to continue attending school, rather than having to drop out because of a simple possession charge.  By decriminalizing the possession of marijuana, not only would the mass expenditure on combatting drugs be decreased or more appropriately allocated, but many college students would be able to continue their higher education, and go on to be successful adults.

There are very few disadvantages to the legalization of marijuana.  The major claim by anti-marijuana activists is that it will harm an individual’s lungs and that it may cause short term memory loss for a small period of time (WebMD).  The claim that it could harm an individual’s lungs is essentially a moot point, as cigarettes, which are known to cause various types of cancer, including lung cancer, are legal everywhere in the United States.  Other arguments against marijuana legalization range from it being a potential gateway drug to religious beliefs, both arguments which have no empirical data and are simply up to individual interpretation, making them invalid arguments.  

There is essentially no reason why recreational marijuana should be illegal.  There are many medical benefits which are backed by research, showing that the consumption fo the plant can aid and even cure various ailments.  Additionally, legalization of the plant will allow for more research to be conducted in order to ensure that the plant being sold is safe and properly regulated.  There are also economic benefits to legalizing marijuana.  The legalization would provide a massive boost to the economy through the production and sale of marijuana and various hemp products, as well as creating entirely new job markets to help decrease the unemployment rate in the United States.  Decriminalizing the possession and consumption of marijuana would also mean that the mass expenditure in the war on drugs could be decreased or used more effectively.  Decriminalization would also lead to a decrease in arrests of college students, which results in a disqualification for financial aid, which causes many students to drop out and become unable to attend college and obtain higher level education.  In conclusion, the benefits of legalizing marijuana immensely outweigh the drawbacks of legalization.
