Do you wanna marijuana?
Legalizing marijuana will increase California’s tax revenue, decrease crime and prison populations and benefit recreational and medical users.
Let’s consider the facts involved in this controversy.
Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996. Marijuana is said to increase cancer patients’ appetite, cure insomnia, reduce anxiety and help relieve chronic pain.
Nobody can deny that California’s finances are in crisis.
Medical marijuana is already earning California about $14 billion a year.
According to a government study, legalizing marijuana for recreational use could generate $1.5 billion to $4 billion in additional tax revenue for California.
In addition, the United States spends about $68 billion a year housing prisoners.
According to the Office of Legislative Research Report, one-third of those imprisoned were convicted of non-violent drug crimes and half of those are marijuana offenders. This means that one-sixth of America’s prisoners are in jail for marijuana charges. Legalizing marijuana would mean that tax payers could save $11.3 billion a year.
Some people argue that marijuana is addictive and that it would therefore be irresponsible to legalize it.
However, studies have shown that unlike cigarettes, marijuana is not physically addictive.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana can be mentally addictive.
This means that users feel like they are dependent on it. They think that marijuana is what relieves their anxiety or helps them sleep at night. When really, it is all in there head.
In addition, although many would disagree, marijuana is far less physically harmful than other legal substances such as cigarettes and alcohol. Cigarettes include the addictive substance nicotine. Marijuana does not.
Smoking tobacco can lead to lung and throat cancer, emphysema, and bronchial and lung disorders.
Consuming alcohol can lead to irreversible brain damage, stomach ulcers, alcohol dependent hepatitis, cancer of the mouth and throat, high blood pressure and heart and liver diseases.
So why is there such an opposition to the legalization of this drug if, medically, its primary use is alleviating symptoms of the ill?
It’s the basic social stigma. Marijuana has been socially unacceptable for so long that many are not ready to accept its legalization.
Advocates need to overcome the negative perceptions so that the beneficial properties of recreational marijuana become socially acceptable.
Marijuana should be legalized for recreational use.
It is high time that the public be given the opportunity to partake in a victimless crime without fear of prosectution.
We need to overcome the social blocks so that we can see the crucial beneficial properties of recreational marijuana.
Legalizing marijuana will not only increase California’s income, but decrease crime and benefit recreational and medical users.
