In recent years, marijuana legislation has been a bit of trending and “hot button” topic in our nation. There are many positions and opinions on the topic, with no shortage of support or opposition. Those who support the movement to legalize cannabis often bring up the research of medical professionals who have found a wide variety of beneficial medicinal uses for marijuana. Supporters also point out the obvious economic benefits that marijuana has the potential to create nationwide, after looking at states who have already had recreational use legalized for years (Washington and Colorado). One more argument that has been garnering support over the years is the sentiment that the burden on law enforcement will be dramatically decreased. The percentage of incarcerated individuals in the United States is the highest percentage among democratic nations in the world, and most those who are incarcerated are those who have been charged and arrested for possession of marijuana and/or the distribution of the drug. The decriminalization of cannabis would be a big step towards lowering the nation’s number of incarcerated individuals as well as another way to save local and federal governments money by no longer having to enforce laws related to marijuana. These and other factors have led to public opinion on legalizing the cannabis to sway in favor of legalization. Over half the country (polls come in gauging support between 54 and 61 percent) is in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational and/or medicinal use.

 But with that said, there are also opponents of the movement. Those not in favor of legalization note how marijuana has a similar effect to alcohol when behind the wheel. Marijuana, like alcohol, impairs decision making and slows down reaction times, and increases the likelihood of accidents when driving under the influence. There are also negative effects associated with heavy use of cannabis. Many medical professionals state that marijuana has adverse effects on brain development in younger users and is linked to sub-par achievement in the workplace and academics. Marijuana is also linked to some psychological breakdowns, with users more likely to cite the loss of an important friendship or loss of contact with family members. There is also a stigma that many traditionalists associate with pot-smokers. Traditionalists view drug use as a sign of lack of morality, and believe legalization will lead to a nation without morals. They believe people will become lazy and motivated, and lead to the United States becoming a less prosperous nation. 

All arguments presented have weak and strong points, but I believe there is a solution that puts our nation in the best position possible: I believe the United States should consider the outright legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use. It is important to note that I am not arguing to legalize it for the sake of cannabis being a legal substance, but I am arguing to make the conservative lawmakers, economists, and citizens see that legalizing marijuana is a move that will help America grow into a more prosperous nation in the long run and benefits everyone. 

While some arguments for those who support the movement to legalize were briefly mentioned previously, it is important to look at each argument in detail. Let’s look at the medical benefits of marijuana. A study done by Robert J. DeLerenzo shows that marijuana can help control epileptic seizures. Robert performed the study by giving marijuana extracts to epileptic rats, and found that after ten hours the rat were free of the seizures (“23 Health Benefits of marijuana”, 2014). As DeLerenzo states in his findings, the marijuana worked to stop the seizures, “This study indicates that cannabinoids may offer unique advantages in treating seizures. It shows not only the anticonvulsant activity of exogenously applied cannabinoids but also suggests that the brain's cannabinoid system works to limit seizure duration by activating the CB1 receptor”. To put in simpler terms, DeLernzo’s findings indicate that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, an active ingredient of marijuana) bind the brain cells that are responsible for controlling excitably, thus stopping seizures by controlling those cells. This is invaluable for people who are epileptic, as it gives them a means to cope with their condition. Marijuana is not just used to fight epileptic seizures though; it can also be used for a wide variety of other medicinal uses.  

 Some of the medicinal uses are the alleviation of certain terminal diseases and aliments. Marijuana is known to stop the spread of different types of cancer, slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, decrease anxiety and help with dealing with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as well as several other aliments (Parkinson’s disease, Crohn disease, Lupus, Etc.)( (“23 Health Benefits of marijuana”, 2014). It is a tool that alleviates pain from many aliments and treats so many symptoms that it is no wonder that over 28 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal use. The rest of the states would do right by their ill citizens to follow in the footsteps of the states have already legalized it and provide a way for ill citizens to cope with their medical issues. These are a fraction of the discovered medicinal benefits of cannabis, and its outright legalization in the United States would be a very big step to improving the health of our ill individuals. Also, important to note, it seems that, according to an article written by Christopher Ingraham (a political journalist for the Washington Post), that doctors around the nation are calling for the legalization of the substance in the interest of public health (“More and more Doctors want to make marijuana legal”. A healthy nation is a prosperous nation. Marijuana also provides economic benefits as well as medicinal benefits.

In order to understand how marijuana positively effects an economy and state, one must look at Colorado and Washington to see how legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use has affected them. Per another article written by Christopher Ingraham, Colorado saw tax revenues of 129 Million while Washington saw them as high 220 million dollars (“Here’s how legal pot changed Colorado and Washington”, 2016).  These tax revenue dollars have been used to fund better infrastructures by improving roads in the states, as well as funding local schools and building new and better schools for the children. Tax revenues have also been used to improve the training of new and current law enforcement, in addition to providing funding for programs that educate their public on substance abuse.  As the years pass with legal marijuana, tax revenues will only go up, and help us improve our communities. Retail marijuana also has provided opportunities for job growth in these states.

 Recreational marijuana in these states has been the cause of major growth in the workforce of Colorado and Washington. In a video published by the Seeker daily channel on YouTube (a channel who is focused on news about political situations), reporter Trace Dominguez states that in eight months after legalization, over ten thousand jobs were created as a result. With it being over two years since implementation of legislation that made marijuana legal, one can safely assume that the job force will continue to grow to match the growing demand of medicinal and recreational marijuana consumers. It has created a growth in the online marketing industry for marijuana dispensaries, a revival in the storage and warehouse industries, and helped a new wave of entrepreneurs come about in the states.  In addition to these economics benefits, legalization has also seen the improvement of life in the communities of Washington and Colorado.

As stated in “Here’s how legal pot changed Colorado and Washington”, arrests for marijuana related charges dropped dramatically. From 2012 to 2014, arrests dropped fifty-two percent in Colorado, while dropping at a surprisingly high ninety-eight percent in Washington.  The money saved by the dropping number of arrest has also been great, as an estimated 200 million dollars was spent to enforce marijuana related laws in Washington from 2000 to 2010 alone, and an estimated 20 billion dollars is used to enforce marijuana laws nation-wide. Evidence also suggests there have been minimal changes in teen usage of marijuana as well as little to no change in traffic fatalities.  While there have been negative effects, they have been very minimal since legalization came into effect in Washington and Colorado and have ultimately left the two states in better positions than they were previously. Crime has dropped, local economies have been growing and revived in some cases, and tax revenue from the retail sale of legal recreational marijuana has been used to improve the communities, making the two states more prosperous. Marijuana has the potential to be an economic juggernaut, but it can also help lessen the workload of our men and women in uniform across the nation.

An argument that is often most overlooked when looking at groups of people who support legalization is the support garnered from our great men and women who risk their lives every day to make sure the communities of America are safe and great places. Per another article written by Ingraham, “A Pew Research Center survey of nearly 8,000 police officers finds that more than two-thirds of them say that marijuana use should be legal for either personal or medical use” (“Survey: Two-thirds of cops say marijuana laws should be relaxed”, 2017). Many police officers around the country support legal marijuana in some form, but you may be wondering how exactly legalizing marijuana positively affects law enforcement. 

For starters, think about the number of people who are arrested on charges related to distribution or possession of marijuana. The New York times states that in 2015, 574,641 arrests were made on people possessing, “small quantities of the drug intended for personal use” (“Marijuana Arrests Outnumber Those of Violent Crimes, Study Finds”, 2016). This number was about fourteen percent higher than the number of arrests for violent crimes. If marijuana is decriminalized around the entire nation, the number of incarcerated individuals will fall, and law enforcement will have an opportunity to take care of the real crimes such as murder, missing person’s cases, and even more serious cases. Making officers enforce marijuana related laws takes away time that could be used for serving the people of their community, but instead, they are jailing small-time offenders for marijuana possession. Another reason legal marijuana would be beneficial to law enforcement is the rekindling of relationships with the communities they serve. It is no secret that people and communities of color are often persecuted more for possession offenses. Because of this, communities of color often have strained relationships with law enforcement and don’t trust the people who have been tasked with protecting them. Legalization allows for police officers to stop targeting people of color for simple possessions offenses and start rebuilding trust in the communities who have been the victims of wrongful persecution due to skin color.  A nation that trusts its law enforcement to do as they are supposed to is a nation that has a stronger sense of community, making us stronger and more prosperous. Legalization also results in another economic benefit that affects law enforcement.

A final reason to consider when thinking of how legalization benefits law enforcement is thinking about how much money could be saved when police no longer must enforce laws related to cannabis. States collectively spend billions of dollars to enforce marijuana related laws, money that could be used for many other reasons. The money saved from legalization could be used like tax revenues have been used in Colorado and Washington, by putting money back into the communities of America to fund education, law enforcement training, after-school programs, drug prevention programs, and a large variety of other things. There are endless possibilities for the money we save by stopping this war on pot, but it is reasonable to be assume that all possibilities make for better communities which makes for a better nation. 

While the positive aspects of legalizations have been addressed, it is important to mention how opponents of legalization feel about the matter. Many citizens and legislators fear legalization will increase the number of fatal car accidents caused by “drugged driving”, or driving under the influence of marijuana. According to Joanne E. Brady, since legalization in Colorado and Washington, marijuana has been increasingly involved in fatal car accidents. Statistics show that there has been an eight percent increase in the number of people who test positive for marijuana in fatal car crashes (“Trends In Alcohol And Other Drugs Detected In Fatally Injured Drivers In The United States, 1999–2010”,2010). While these statistics are alarming, people must also consider the number of accidents that involve alcohol. While cases of “drugged driving” have increased slightly since legalization in Colorado and Washington, drunk driving accidents still far outnumber those that involve marijuana. Alcohol is involved in over half of all fatal crashes, and is one the leading causes of death for young Americans between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four. Crashes that involve cannabis make up a much smaller percentage, and it is still up for debate how much of a role cannabis plays in the accidents as it not as prevalent as crashes that involve alcohol. Many opponents also believe that legalization will cause a dramatic increase in the number of teenage marijuana users across the nation, but data from Washington and Colorado have only shown very little change in teenage marijuana use, per Christopher Ingram. One opponent specifically, Cully Stimson of the Daily Seeker, pointed out multiple shortcomings that legalization has caused. Stimson talks about how youth in Colorado have a higher percentage of youth smokers, how more college students in Colorado are more likely to use marijuana, and how hospital visits related to marijuana have increased at a high percentage (“7 Harmful Side Effects Pot Legalization Has Caused in Colorado”, 2014).  While Cully ‘s findings could lead to some skepticism, I Believe it is important to look at all the positive effects marijuana has had in Colorado. Examples include lower crime rate, increased tax revenues, improved funding for education for the children of Colorado and the huge economic boost that retail marijuana has caused in Colorado. The Opposition has other concerns though, especially with how marijuana can potentially affect its users.

Marijuana is linked to underachievement in academics and in the workplace, is cited to negatively affect brain development in users under the age of twenty-one by making some areas in the brain abnormally shaped due to the loss of fibers in areas connected to the hippocampus (the area in the brain responsible for memory and learning), and a small risk of addiction or dependence of some kind (“Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana use”,2014). While effects like these are undesirable outcomes, there are legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, that have health risks that are way higher of that than marijuana. Marijuana has been the cause of zero deaths while alcohol and tobacco take the lives of thousands of people every year due to health complications such as lung cancer and liver failure. Tobacco and alcohol have been known to cause complications for years, however they are still legal substances to people of age. With this logic, I believe the concerns of the adverse effects of marijuana should not be something that keeps it from being legalized. The concerns presented by the opposition are fair and valid, but with the use of compromises and well-written legislation there should minimal cause for concern.

Legalization opens a gateway for this country to become better than it has been previously. The legalization of marijuana gives sick individual an opportunity to cope and heal their aliments, making for healthier citizens. Healthier citizens mean we have more productive citizens, which increases growth in all fields and helps contribute to prosperity. The economic benefits enjoyed by legalizing marijuana for retail sale are surprisingly large, as added tax revenue gives communities a way to improve themselves by using revenues to fund infrastructure improves, fund bigger and better schools, provide new training for law enforcement and help fund programs that educate citizens on drug abuse as well as other things. It also gives would-be entrepreneurs an avenue to cash their dreams, and unemployed people a way to get themselves out the hole. It also gives industries such as marketing and warehouses an opportunity to expand in given area which contributes even more jobs to any area. With added tax revenues and job growth, it is easy to see how making marijuana legal for retail sale can contribute to the prosperity of a nation. Looking at the benefits that law enforcement can receive from legalization, it easy to see that the United States can become more prosperous. By focusing on more serious crime, rekindling their relationship with traditionally targeted communities, and saving money on not enforcing laws related to marijuana, law enforcement can become stronger and more connected with the citizens it protects. For these reasons, I believe it is in the best interest of this nation to legalize cannabis.
