I volunteered to help write a paper for a friend's English class about the economy and the benefits of legalizing marijuana. This is a subject I feel quite strongly about so I kinda took over writing it altogether. I am so proud of this bad-boy I thought I would share it with all of you. Yay for blogs, freedom of speech, and my writing skills (a little pat on the back, took me over four hours to write this thing!)
Well folks, here it is. Hope you enjoy!
The legalization of
marijuana has been a controversial topic of conversation for decades. How would the legality of this proscribed substance
influence American society and culture? Could the use of marijuana be monitored
in such a way that it could be deemed safe? Could America’s economy actually
benefit from its legalization? These are all important issues to be addressed.
The fact of the matter is that the history of marijuana is surrounded by false
rumors, propaganda, and taboo. In today’s rapidly declining economy, the
justification of marijuana could be a long awaited remedy.
To understand the influence
of marijuana on our culture and economy, one must first understand the history
behind its legality and rumored affects on users. At the birth of our country’s democracy hemp
was grown and used by many well-known business men, and even our nation’s
forefathers for many different types of products. For example, hemp paper was
used to print school books, hemp fibers were used to make sails and ropes for
sailboats. Fabrics were made of hemp until the invention of the cotton gin in
1812. Even our U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence were first
drafted on hemp paper. The forefathers of our great nation were once proud
owners of hemp plantations, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and
Benjamin Franklin.
So, why the big change
over? The answer is disturbingly simple: greed!
Paper companies and oil refineries owned by business moguls in the 19th
century propagated the use of hemp products in order to eliminate threats to
their own wealth. William Randolph Hurst, a well-known newspaper owner and
writer was the first to aid a hand in the illegalization of marijuana, using a
stereotypical claim that Mexicans were lazy because of their marijuana-smoking
habits. Soon after, tree-forged paper and cotton fabrics replaced their
hemp-based counterparts. Rumors and fallacies
spread about hemp, or marijuana, including propaganda films like Refer Madness,
which aided in the newfound and misguided distain for marijuana use.
Industrialists claimed it had drastic effects on users’ behavior, producing
violent mood swings and incurable insanity, among other ridiculously fabricated
allegations. These falsities aided in the passing of bills outlawing the earth
and economy-friendly plant.
The fact of the matter
is that there has not been enough scientific testing to prove these claims
regarding the effects of smoking the herb. There have, however, been studies
proving the vast improvement to current ecological and economical standpoints
regarding the use of hemp in modern society. Ten states have already passed
laws approving medical use for marijuana. It is said to improve the quality of
life for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, as it increases appetite and
decreases side-effects of chemo-treatments such as nausea, vomiting, and
weight-loss.
Ecosystems can also
benefit from the implementation of hemp production and uses in people’s daily
lives. Reinstituting hemp paper products would greatly decrease the need for
butchering forests for paper, which results in relocating, or endangering
species of rain forest creatures. Hemp
may also one day be used as a renewable alternative for fossil fuels, ending our
need for oil trade with foreign countries, as well as eliminating harmful
exhaust emission from gasoline fueled transportation.
According to some
studies the retail sales and taxation could raise an annual estimated $1.5 -
$2.5 billion dollars and generate 50,000 new jobs. Taxpayers would also be
relieved from funding police force man power and housing jailed individuals
arrested for marijuana sales and distribution. Countless amounts of tax dollars
and man hours are spent every day to hunt down, search, prosecute and
incarcerate harmless “pot smokers” for possession of marijuana. All this only results in housing, feeding and
clothing these harmless “criminals” in over-populated jail cells with the much
less harmful degenerates, rapists, murderers, and thieves.
The legalization of hemp would generate jobs
for the growth, production, packaging, sales and distribution of the new
product and products used to consume the organic herb. Jobs would also be
created to transition the use of fossil fueled transportation to the more
eco-friendly hemp oil we could use instead.
The financial security of individuals
nationwide would see an incredible change for the better, while bringing down
the unemployment rate, and the need for tax-based things such as welfare, and
food stamps. These tax-based funds could then be more responsibly directed
toward society, improving social security benefits to the elderly and disabled.
The nation could eventually explore funding more productive educational
programs. Potential funding could better afford art and musical departments in
schools which have been previously eliminated due to lack of finances.
Well-known cafes in Amsterdam that use
marijuana in teas and snacks, as well as for smoking have attracted tourism
from all over the world. The United States could only benefit from this type of
tourism and spending from across the globe if these types of establishments
were allowed to flourish. This would increase the country’s income dramatically,
allowing enormous debts with foreign countries to be paid quickly and deficits
to dissolve.
In closing, there is a wealth of benefit to be
had by realizing the potential gain our country could see from legalizing
marijuana. Funding could be redirected in more productive ways. Jobs would be
created and reliance in government assistance would decrease. Detention
facilities would become less populated. Our future generations could enjoy a
cleaner and greener planet free of pollution, high unemployment statistics, and
national debt. We have everything to gain by reinstituting hemp into our
country’s daily routine. We are running out of things to lose, what better
place to start then with the planting of a few seeds.
References
7.
Illuminati
News. (2005). Retrieved from
http://www.illuminati-news.com/marijuana-conspiracy.htm
