420 Warrior
Well-Known Member
Legalization of drugs and alcohol has been a dilemma for our society almost since its inception. In the case of marijuana, the issue revolves around everything from religion to morals to media infatuation. But what is the truth about this polarizing substance?
The reasons for marijuana legalization are varied. An area that makes pot legalization a good idea is the money it would save law enforcement. "A new study by the Cato Institute found that turning cannabis into a regulated commodity would save $8.7 billion in law-enforcement costs annually, while generating $8.7 billion in revenue," reports Adam Cohen in his article "California's Prop 19: Leading the way to Pot Legalization?" All that money being saved by taking the focus off of marijuana-related arrests would free up funding for more important law-enforcement issues. Reporter Joe Klein says, "A 10% pot tax would yield $1.4 billion in California alone." Legalizing marijuana would be a great help to California, a state that is suffering economically.
Not only would legalization increase the amount of money saved, it would also decrease the crime rate. "Legalization, they say, would reduce the number of people in prison, and it would shift revenue from drug syndicates to government in the form of tax receipts," says Cohen. Police could focus more on rape, molestation, or domestic violence rather than people smoking pot, something that pales in comparison to these more serious issues.
When it comes to health, marijuana is less harmful than cigarettes and tobacco. Journalist John Cloud says, "No one has ever died of THC poisoning, mostly because a 160 lb. person would have to smoke roughly 900 joints in a sitting to reach a lethal dose." There haven't been any reported deaths of a marijuana overdose. Cigarettes cause lung cancer and have been the cause of many deaths. "But cigarette smokers may do greater harm to their immunity than pot users, who tend to smoke less. A study published earlier this year found that tobacco smokers, but not marijuana smokers, had high levels of a type of enzyme believed to inflame lungs," Cloud states. Alcohol is another substance that has been the cause of many deaths due to drunk driving, alcohol poisoning and, over time, liver disease. Cohen says, "Many supporters of legalization acknowledge that marijuana has bad health effects. They just argue that it is hypocritical to make pot use a crime, when alcohol – which has well-documented links to automobile fatalities, domestic abuse and birth defects – remains legal."
The case for legalization is somewhat affected by the fact that marijuana does have some negative health effects. Marijuana use kills brain cells and, if you smoke it, it will hurt your lungs says the article, "Health Effects of Marijuana." "Smoking marijuana, even infrequently, can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, and cause heavy coughing," reports Buddy T, a pseudonym used by the author of the piece. While a difference between marijuana and cigarettes is that marijuana is not as addictive, it is still addictive in roughly nine percent of those who use the drug reports John Cloud. Still though, as far as major substances go, it is still far less addictive than alcohol. Fifteen percent of drinkers become dependent on alcohol. Twenty-three percent of heroin users get hooked and a third of tobacco smokers become slaves to cigarettes, reports Cloud.
Many severe drugs should stay illegal but, because there are also drugs that are far worse in regard to health and societal impact that are legal, it's hypocritical for marijuana not to be. Ultimately, marijuana should be legalized because it would help decrease the crime rate, help the economy, and save money for law enforcement.
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Burtonsville, MD
Source: My High School Journalism
Author: Sarah Ehrman
Contact: www.hsj.org
Website: my.hsj.org
The reasons for marijuana legalization are varied. An area that makes pot legalization a good idea is the money it would save law enforcement. "A new study by the Cato Institute found that turning cannabis into a regulated commodity would save $8.7 billion in law-enforcement costs annually, while generating $8.7 billion in revenue," reports Adam Cohen in his article "California's Prop 19: Leading the way to Pot Legalization?" All that money being saved by taking the focus off of marijuana-related arrests would free up funding for more important law-enforcement issues. Reporter Joe Klein says, "A 10% pot tax would yield $1.4 billion in California alone." Legalizing marijuana would be a great help to California, a state that is suffering economically.
Not only would legalization increase the amount of money saved, it would also decrease the crime rate. "Legalization, they say, would reduce the number of people in prison, and it would shift revenue from drug syndicates to government in the form of tax receipts," says Cohen. Police could focus more on rape, molestation, or domestic violence rather than people smoking pot, something that pales in comparison to these more serious issues.
When it comes to health, marijuana is less harmful than cigarettes and tobacco. Journalist John Cloud says, "No one has ever died of THC poisoning, mostly because a 160 lb. person would have to smoke roughly 900 joints in a sitting to reach a lethal dose." There haven't been any reported deaths of a marijuana overdose. Cigarettes cause lung cancer and have been the cause of many deaths. "But cigarette smokers may do greater harm to their immunity than pot users, who tend to smoke less. A study published earlier this year found that tobacco smokers, but not marijuana smokers, had high levels of a type of enzyme believed to inflame lungs," Cloud states. Alcohol is another substance that has been the cause of many deaths due to drunk driving, alcohol poisoning and, over time, liver disease. Cohen says, "Many supporters of legalization acknowledge that marijuana has bad health effects. They just argue that it is hypocritical to make pot use a crime, when alcohol – which has well-documented links to automobile fatalities, domestic abuse and birth defects – remains legal."
The case for legalization is somewhat affected by the fact that marijuana does have some negative health effects. Marijuana use kills brain cells and, if you smoke it, it will hurt your lungs says the article, "Health Effects of Marijuana." "Smoking marijuana, even infrequently, can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, and cause heavy coughing," reports Buddy T, a pseudonym used by the author of the piece. While a difference between marijuana and cigarettes is that marijuana is not as addictive, it is still addictive in roughly nine percent of those who use the drug reports John Cloud. Still though, as far as major substances go, it is still far less addictive than alcohol. Fifteen percent of drinkers become dependent on alcohol. Twenty-three percent of heroin users get hooked and a third of tobacco smokers become slaves to cigarettes, reports Cloud.
Many severe drugs should stay illegal but, because there are also drugs that are far worse in regard to health and societal impact that are legal, it's hypocritical for marijuana not to be. Ultimately, marijuana should be legalized because it would help decrease the crime rate, help the economy, and save money for law enforcement.
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Burtonsville, MD
Source: My High School Journalism
Author: Sarah Ehrman
Contact: www.hsj.org
Website: my.hsj.org
