EndingFederalCannabisProhibition

JakeBeekmann

Ithasbeen40yearssinceCongresspassedthecurrentbanonmarijuana,whileinflictingimpairmenton
societyforasubstancelessdangerousthanalcohol.ThetimeislongoverdueforCongresstorepealthat
decision.AccordingtotheHuffingtonPost,cannabisisthenumberonecashcropintheU.S,producing
upwardsof14billiondollarsayear.Thiscouldpotentiallycreateamassiveinfluxofjobsinthe
agriculturalindustry.ToensurejusticeamongcitizensoftheU.S,thefederalgovernmentmustlegalize
medicalmarijuanatoincreasetheeconomicopportunitythatiscurrentlyuntapped.Thelegalproduct
shouldbetaxed,andthetaxwindfallsshouldbeusedprimarilytofundourstrappedU.S.publiceducation
system.

Withregardstothis,asweprogressthroughtheproblematicdecreaseofGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)
sincetheGreatRecession,thelegalizationofmarijuanacouldboosteconomicopportunitysubstantially.
Wehavealargeamountofdistressassociatedwitheconomiccontroversyandtherecentlayoffof
200,000oilfieldserviceworkersaccordingtoForbesMagazine.Theincreaseinjobsnationwidethrough
federallegalizationofcannabiscouldfulfillthemassivejoblossandcreatemoreopportunityforthose
whostrugglefromsevereeconomicdepression.

Currently,marijuanaisunderaschedule1rating,meaningthatithasahighpotentialforabuseandishas
beenrecordedasaharmfuldrug.BasedonrecentstudiesrecordebyCableNewsNetwork(CNN),
marijuanahasproventohavepositiveeffectsonmedicalpatientsthatexperienceseizures,chronicpain,
stress,multiplesclerosis,Crohn'sdisease,andHIV.MedicalMarijuanapatientSarahjustifies,It
continuouslyamazesmehowmuchTHCfightsmycancerwithnosideeffectsorrisks.Alongsidethe
killingofcancercells,whichisthemostimportantfactortome,THCalsohelpswithpainandnausea.
Indeed,thequalityoflifeimprovesallaround.Giventhetoolsthatmedicalmarijuanahasprovidedto
thepublic,itisevidentthatitmustbeconsideredtoberescheduledtoaSchedule2drug.Stillwiththe
potentialforabuse,whileopenformedicaluse.

Recognizingthepublicmoralityofournation,wemustalsoprotectthelibertyofourcitizens.
PhilosopherJohnStuartMillsaid,Theonlypurposeforwhichpowercanberightfullyexercisedover
anymemberofacivilizedcommunity,againsthiswill,istopreventharmtoothersWhenMillstates
thatwemustactinsuchawaythatdoesnotposeharmtoothers,thenitshouldbethedutyofthe
Governmenttopunishtheindividual.Iftheindividualchoosestoactthroughnegligence,force,orfraud,
thefederalgovernmentshouldremovetheunconstrainedfreedomoftheindividual.Duetothereasons
stated,weshouldcontinuetofocusonthemoralbenefitsoflegalizingcannabisbutmustalsoconsiderthe
regulationsassociatedwiththeprocess.

Perhapswemustaddressthisissuebyunderliningthatwhensomeonedecidestousemarijuanainan
addictivemanner,itforcespeopletolosecontrolofthemselves,whileinflictingharmonthepeople
aroundthem.Thismaycausealargedecreaseincivillibertiesifpeopleuseitthroughdestruction.Mill
mightsaythatthereductionofcivillibertiesisimmoralthroughthecaseoflegalization.AlthoughIdo
notcompletelycomplywithJohnStuartMill'sideal,Ibelievethatitwouldnotbeimmoraltosupportthe

legalizationifregulationssetbythegovernmentwereinplacetoprotectindividualliberty,providehealth
benefitsforseriousillness,andbringjusticetocitizensthatareexperiencingthemorallyundesirable
unemploymentrate.

TheHuffingtonPosthassuggestedthattaxmoneyshallbepouredintotheU.S.educationsystems,while
providingthelowerclasswithaffordableeducationandbetterhealthcare.AlthoughIagreewiththose
guidelines,Isuggestthatapercentageofthetaxationbededicatedtosubstanceabuseandmentalhealth
programsinordertoaddresstheindividualsthatfromdrugaddiction.InreferencetotheNationalinstitute
ofDrugAbuse,17percentofindividualsthatbeginusingTHCintheirteenscanbecomedependenton
otherillegalandharmfulsubstancesintheirdailylives.Studieshavealsoshownthat18.2percentofthe
adultpopulationsufferfrommentalillnesswhichcanoftentimesrelatetosubstanceabuse.
Unfortunately,therearenotenoughprogramsinthecountrytoaddresstheseissues.Itwouldbe
beneficialtohavefederalfundingavailabletosupportthisneed.

Inreferencetothesecircumstances,theU.S.onaFederalRegulatoryscaleshouldestablishan
amendment,similartotheColorado'sAmendment64drugpolicy.Inpart,thepolicystates,Inthe
interestofthehealthandpublicsafetyofourcitizenry,thepeopleofthestateofColoradofurtherfindand
declarethatmarijuanashouldberegulatedinamannersimilartoalcohol.Inasimilarfashionto
Amendment64,IadvisethattheU.S.Governmentregulatetheindustry.Thisincludesproviding
identificationwhichprovesappropriateage,strictbackgroundchecksformedicalmarijuanalicensing,
andtaxationthatstrengthenseconomicopportunityandimprovesthementalhealthandsubstanceabuse
institutionfunding.Itwouldalsoberecommendedthatthereberegulatorymeasuresonthepotencyand
levelofmarijuanawithrespecttoMill'sharmprincipleonteens.Ourcountrywouldbenefitsubstantially
throughtheeconomicopportunityitwouldcreateandbythemedicalusesforthosesufferingfrom
diseaseanddebilitatingconditions.Legalizingmarijuanaonthefederallevelwillrestorelibertytoits
privatecitizensatasmallmoralcost,butwillprovideahugepublicgainintermsoftaxdollarsandwill
reestablishjusticeamongcitizens.

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WorksCited

Jonathan_Miller."TheMoralCaseforLegalizingMarijuana."
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Wikipedia
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Amendment_64

"IsMarijuanaAddictive?"
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http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/researchreports/marijuana/marijuanaaddictive

Miron,Jeffrey."WhyCongressShouldLegalizePot."
CNN
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19Nov.2015.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/19/opinion/mironmarijuanalegalization/

"JohnStuartMill."
:TheConciseEncyclopediaofEconomics
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http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Mill.html

"ConstancePureBotanicalExtracts."
ConstancePureBotanicalExtracts
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http://www.cbdfarm.org/about/testimonials.html
Paragraph3,Sarah'stestimonyaboutmarijuanause.