Matts+Essay

Matts Position

According to current cannabis statistics of cannabisStatistics.com, Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the whole world, Today, more than 83 million americans admit to have trying it, and perannually the total number of marijuana arrests in the US have risen steadily from .5 million in 1980 to 1.5 million in 2002. Marijuana is viewed as the largest, most profitable, cashcrop in california, and on a national standard aswell. The numbers of people who use marijuana seem to only be growing, and it appears as though the federal government's "war" on marijuana trafficking is a lost cause ( http://cannabisstatistics.com/). Federal money spent towards the control of marijuana is apparently serving no purpose, and in a time of economic instability, this is a frusterating dilemma. Thereore, I believe that instead of fighting marijuana trafficking, the federal government needs to embrace it. It makes total sense to legalize marijuana use, it would create revenue in taxes atleast, not to mention the possibilities for agriculutral production stimulation. According to the DEA website, the DEA's annual budget was 2,345.9 million in 2007, compared to the 65.2 million they were spending in 1972, this number is incredibly large (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/agency/staffing.htm), this money is being spent uselessy, the prevalence of drugs in the United states seemingly grows as the DEA's budget does, and this is an incredible waste of money.

The Drug Librairy says the current national policy on marijuana possesion is mainly addressed in the comprehinsive drug abuse prevention and control act of 1970. In this legislature, Marijuana is defined as an illegal substance, distribution, production, and trafficking of it is clearly defined as a felony. This legislature however, only vaguely gives a standard for simple possesion charges, thus leavign mass gray area for states to fill in regarding simple possesion and use charges. Under this legislature, Many states have adopted different types of marijuana possesion policies, in some cases, even allowing the possesion of it (http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/nas/overview.htm). However, the possesion of marijuana on a federal level is still considered a crime, and in many cases people who are breaking no laws according to their states are being prosecuted federally. In fact, california state is currently involved in a lawsuit against the federal government for this reason. More persons being affected by this issue are the ones who are getting arrested for marijuana, in 2001 the number of people arrested for marijuana was .7 million, in America, the country with the highest amount of people incarcerated in the whole world per capita, it does not make sense that all these people are being arrested, the .7 million people arrested for weed annually represesnt the American population of non-violent pot smokers (http://skeptically.org/recdrugs/id8.html).

People who support this current policy are people who are not willing to have marijuana become legal to smoke and produce on a federal level, these are the people who think that marijuana is a drug that shouldnt be allowed in the United States. Anyone opposed to the elimination of this act is one who thinks marijuana does not belong in the US. It appears as though the only factual statistics about marijuana these people act on, is the fact that smoking marijuana can damage your lungs, and also affect ones short-term memory (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/marijuana.html).

There are many people, that do not support marijuana use recreationally, however, medically. In fact, currently, despite national law, 11 states have approved medical marijuana laws. These are the people that beleive marijuana can serve medicinal purposes, especially in chronic pain sufferers. These people believe marijuana is very valuable for medicinal purposes, and currently,California State is involved with lawsuits against the federal government, that is trying to shut down their medicinal marijuana programs (http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/factsheets/06_09_04mmjfactsheet.cfm).

The policy that Amsterdam has created is exactly what America needs. In Amsterdam, posession and purchase of small amounts of marijuana is legal for adults. It is regulated by a legal system. This means, that in Amsterdam, which has about the same amount of pot smokers as in California, everytime someone buys weed, their government is getting paid (http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0503-09.htm).

The Cannibis Liberation Front, a yahoo group i've found, represents a populuse of people that are fighting for the re-legalization of marijuana. These types of people beleive that cannibis, the plant marijuana comes from, should be a legal because it has many potential uses that should be utilized (http://health.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/canlibfro/?tab=s).

After considering the pros and cons of each viewpoint, i beleive that the best solution to our problem would be to model after Amsterdams policy. First, because this policy creates a taxable product out of marijuana, secondly, this policy does so with limitations on marijuana, so this way the assure that marijuana buyers will be taxed. Finally, i believe that we should model after Amsterdams policy because, as prooven by statistics, by having the government control marijuana sales, it is discouraging people from buying pot from the streets, and this has prooven to reduce the likeliness of a marijuana user escalating to more, heavier, drugs (http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0503-09.htm).

key findings that have influenced me most in selecting the course of action i propose are largelly the success that amsterdam has had. Additionally, statistics on government expenditures, arrests, and marijuana user prevalence, have made me believe that marijuana plays a major role in society today, and it needs to be dealt with differently. After thinking about the issue, weighing the pros and cons of various solutions and courses of afctions related to the issue of legalizing marijuana, i've concluded that marijuana legalization should be done in a controlled manner by the government, so they can controll the distribution of it without it getting out of had.

Opposers of my position are senseless. As they keep marijuana from becoming legal on a taxable level, the number of marijuana users year to year will only continue to climb. Millions of people will keep getting arrested, but more importantly, that possible revenue will be lost, a painful thought during Americas time of economic unsettlement.The solution to this problem is simple. Cannibis needs to be legalized on a federal level, only then can the federal government begin to makeup for all the wasted money spent during americas war on pot.Yes, marijuana is a drug, as is tylenol, and peopel should be able to take this drug, it appears anyone opposed to this plan of action have no reason, and this is a frusterating fact. LEGALIZE IT MANEEE!