Sunday, April 14, 2013

Why Not Go Green?

     As a non-smoker of marijuana who favors the legalization of the drug, I feel obligated to express my reasons for my opinion, sort of in the way a non-gay person might support gay marriage, since this is one of those issues that seems not to greatly affect those not involved.  In a recent post, blogger Eric Matthews writes:

     "All the people who say [marijuana] legalization will help America are just ignorant and uniformed. Tax revenue would be offset by higher social costs, increased usage would be a huge burden on the criminal justice system and legalization would do nothing to stop drug cartels from continuing their operation."

     While this is wrong on so many levels, the quote itself is ignorant and uninformed, but as a supporter of legalization, I am neither.  The bottom line is that the law is not stopping anyone who wants to smoke marijuana from doing it.  If I wanted to light up I literally know several people I could call anytime to get it.  For the people who don't smoke, like me, it's not because of the illegality of it, it's most likely because they just don't like to smoke it for one reason or another.

     Everyone knows the staggering statistics that the state pays to combat minor crimes like possession and use of marijuana as well as the violent war on drugs to keep out Mexican drug cartels.  Why not make the drug legal, stop cartels, and make a little coin by taxing the hell out it while we're at it.  We arrest over 750,000 people a year just for possession.

    Legalization would allow American companies to step in and compete for the business, driving cost down and cartels out.  Teens who want to smoke marijuana already do, and I'm not encouraging that, but legalization would make teens less likely to use and sell marijuana.  The sheer illegality of marijuana gives it value among teens, allowing them to capitalize on the opportunity to sell it to their peers.  Of course teenage use of alcohol and tobacco remain serious public health problems even though they're legal for adults, but the availability of alcohol and tobacco is not made worse by providing kids with economic incentives to sell either one to their friends.

     The bottom line is it doesn't cost the non-user anything, and we only have positive things to gain from the legalization.  If you don't want to smoke weed, nobody will force you too, just like how you don't have to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. In fact, marijuana is less harmful than cigarettes AND alcohol.

6 comments:

  1. I completely agree with your view point. In fact, I think there are much more comprehensive arguments to be made against cigarettes rather than marijuana. The comment Eric Matthews about the legalization of marijuana causing an undue burden on the criminal justice system is nothing short of hilarious when you actually factor in the number of inmates arrested for marijuana related crimes. The legalization would substantially decrease the number of these inmates.

    Moreover it would finally put an end to this drug that is constantly teetering on the edge of taboo and what is considered to be a norm.

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  2. While I too support the legalization of marijuana I disagree with your all or nothing statement that all people who don’t smoke choose not too for some other reason, not because of the illegality of it. While you may know other people like yourself where this is the case, I know people who do not smoke purely because it is illegal, just as they do not drink until they are 21 or speed on the road. This law abiding population may be small but it does exist. I do agree with most of your other arguments and think it is also important to note that legalization may make marijuana safer because growers and sellers will be regulated rather than in the back alleys.

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  3. Wallace,
    your points are valid yet changing a law because it is not enforced to it's fullest potential is not a good enough reason. If the case is that a great amount people are disregarding the law of smoking marijuana, maybe this means the penalty needs to be increased. If America wants this to be illegal, the fine needs to be more than just a measly ticket.

    I also agree with Environmental Examiner. Many people do follow the law and refrain from smoking weed. If the law is lifted, than that many more people will be smoking and I fully believe the legalization will cause more substance related crimes.

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  4. This comes back to the point of whether or not it's in fact a law worth enforcing. California spends an average of $10.7 billion in direct law enforcement costs for marijuana law enforcement already. Is this really an issue we want to allocate MORE law enforcement resources to??

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  5. I wonder if the comparison of marijuana to alcohol and tobacco is an equal comparison. The reason I say this is it is extremely difficult to produce your own alcohol or grow your own tobacco. Sure, it's possible, but have you ever tried that stuff? Underage drinkers and smokers abound, but they are gaining their fix through illegal purchases of legal product. I cite this because the argument that making marijuana legal would drive out the illegal cartels seems to be fairly optimistic. What is to stop someone from growing their own marijuana at home (much easier to do that to distil alcohol) and sell it to those who don't want to/can't buy it at Vons?

    The free market made businessmen out of marijuana dealers and the legalized free market will not force them to leave. Tax the hell out of the legal stuff and the cartels will make sure their product is always cheaper.

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  6. I agree with your point. I think the reasons for weed being illegal are outdated and they cause more problems than they solve. There are so many people incarcerated for weed related crimes when more serious and violent criminals are being released due to prison overcrowding. This also has a very negative effect on communities. These people who are being incarcerated for minor drug offense are fathers, sons and brothers. Even though they were dealing or using marijuana the support that the family will lose from them being incarcerated can negatively effect their loved ones and is definitely not worth it in my opinion.

    I also don't think there will be a permanent spike in marijuana usage. Sure some people will give it a try just to see what it is like but those who had their reasons for not smoking before will continue to hold those beliefs after it is legal. It is likely that their feelings toward marijuana have nothing to do with the law.

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