FREE ESSAY ON MARIJUANA

MARIJUANA

Marijuana is a relatively harmless drug that governments around the world have made
illegal. If legalized, marijuana can be beneficial to society in a number of ways:
whether it be for medical, economic, or public safety reasons. Marijuana has been proven
to treat several life debilitating, and even life threatening diseases. Although it is
not a cure, marijuana can ease the pain and suffering of a dying person. Another benefit
of legalization is the financial gains that governments will accomplish through the
taxation of marijuana. This is a realistic claim if marijuana sales are compared to that
of cigarettes; governments make billions each year from cigarette taxes (Caputo and
Ostrom 484). Every year law enforcement spends countless man-hours trying to apprehend
marijuana dealers and growers. This time would be better utilized in dealing with more
serious crimes. This essay will display some main reasons why marijuana is a substance
with beneficial uses and applications. 
First, marijuana can be used as a treatment for the effects of diseases such as AIDS,
cancer, glaucoma, and other terminal diseases. A study carried out in California clearly
demonstrates the effectiveness of marijuana as a treatment for cancer: "Over 74 percent
of the cancer patients treated in the program have reported that marijuana is more
effective in relieving their nausea and vomiting than any other drug they have
tried."(Zeese 1990). Chemotherapy for cancer patients often produces nausea and vomiting.
Marijuana has been proven to relieve these symptoms and there have been no known side
effects recorded (Ad Hoc Group of Experts part 4). The people who would benefit the most
from the legalization of marijuana are the terminally ill. These people are not criminals
at heart, because they only require marijuana as a way to bring relief from their
ailments. Moreover, a government should feel obligated to provide terminally ill patients
with marijuana to relieve pain. Governments such as Canada and the United States are
supposed help its' people, and by legalizing marijuana, many terminally ill citizens will
feel less pain and suffering. 
If marijuana were to become legalized, governments could make a large amount of revenue
through taxes. In the United States, billions of dollars each year in revenue are
produced through tobacco taxes (Caputo and Ostrom 484). If marijuana became a
manufactured product, the government could set taxes on the sale of that product. Once
legalized and regulated by the government, the money raised through taxes could be used
to improve the country. Moreover, several other things can be produced commercially using
the marijuana plant. There is a possible revenue obtainable from hemp, which can be
manufactured into clothing material, vegetable oil, paper product, and livestock feed
(Caputo and Ostrom 485). If legalized, marijuana has the potential to generate a lot of
revenue for a government, and this gained revenue can only help the country. 
Crime is a problem just about anywhere in Canada and the United States. However, crime
enforcement energy is often spent dealing with cases that are not necessary. The police
spend useless time trying to arrest marijuana growing and smokers. If marijuana is
legalized, drug-fighting resources could be better used against the drug trade of
cocaine, heroin, and other dangerous substances. Furthermore, if the government regulated
the sale of marijuana, a majority of drug dealers would go out of business. This would
decrease the amount of black market drug money, and increase the revenue for the
government. Also, legalization of marijuana could also take some pressure off of the
court system. The court system would have less cases to deal with, and more important
cases could be processed faster. 
The legalization of marijuana would make Canada and the United States a safer place to
live, because law enforcement would be directed fully at the true criminals in society.
Marijuana is a substance with many useful applications in Canada and the United States.
It has been proven to be a great treatment for the pain and discomfort of terminally ill
patients. Legalization would make marijuana easily accessible to these people. Also, if
the government would legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana, large tax revenues
could be available to the government. This increased revenue could help the country
become a better place to live, whether it be through improved highways or new schools.
Legalizing marijuana would take pressure off of the legal system. Law enforcement could
concentrate on severe criminal problems, rather than getting overloaded with marijuana
cases. All of these benefits are from a simple plant called marijuana, and yet the
government will not allow their country to enjoy all of the good things that could come
out of the legalization of this crop. 
Works Cited: 
Caputo, Michael, and Brian J. Ostrom. " Potential Tax Revenue From A Regulated Marijuana
Market." The American Journal Of Economics And Sociology. Ed. Frank C. Genovese, Ph.D.
New York: The American Journal Of Economics and Sociology, Inc., 1994. 475-489 
Zeese, Kevin. "Summary of Results of State-sponsored Medical Marijuana Studies." 
http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/science/zeesestates.html. Nov. 1990
Ad Hoc Group of Experts. "National Institutes of Health -- Workshop on the Medical
Utility of Marijuana." http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/reports/nihpt1.html