(This is what a hemp field looks like)
Lets look at the difference between decriminalization and legalization. With decriminalization, it is still an offense to have cannabis but you wont go to jail for it, but is still frowned upon by society. This approach does not stop organized crime and violence. With legalization, it makes marijuana legally available for adults, like alcohol. It would be better to legalize it and regulate it. This would keep the drug out of the hands of children because it would be regulated like cigarettes and alcohol. For kids today, it is easier to obtain weed than it is for booze. The system as it is now cannot control the sale of the product.
The positive that this society can gain from cannabis and hemp are outstanding. The legalization of this plant would bring in revenue. It would deflate our bloated prison system. It would decrease crime and violence. You can eat the hemp seeds and they contain amino acids. Marijuana is the worlds most natural plant that has the most medicinal advantages. Hemp would solve global warming and deforestation, this is the biggest advantage and it blows my mind how it is still illegal. It would stop global warming because you can make bio-diesel fuel from it, and the hemp crops put out as much oxygen as it burns off, so it is a closed cycle. ''Tree-free'' paper, this could come true if hemp became legal. We need to be responsible for our next generation and try to create a better world. We need to make use of this plant.
With all that said, we as criminal justice majors still do not want to see this plant become legal. Government have set up certain squads just for the purpose of drugs, ie. DEA, creates jobs for us. Also when a grow house gets raided the police seize the assets and money which goes towards our wages and gear.
*Most of the data above I obtained from the documentary ''The Union: The Business Behind Getting High'' it is on Netflix, and the whole movie is on youtube.
My stance on marijuana is that it should remain illegal. It just seems to me that pro-pot individuals are essentially making up uses for the plant that could save the country. I think it is a guise. People just want to smoke it legally but don't want to admit it.
ReplyDeleteWhen smoked, marijuana releases tars similar to cigarettes that wind up in your lungs. Human lungs were not made to take in any kind of smoke. Marijuana also contains carcinogens.
Another argument of pro-pot people is that marijuana is the new medicinal miracle. The thing is, there are already patented medicines on the market that contain THC (Marinol) without the natural chemicals in marijuana. Ask a nurse how many medicines are given through smoke form. It's zero. There are no FDA approved medicines that can be smoked.
And finally, I think that the general "legalization would take power away from cartels and give our government money" idea is unfounded quite frankly. I don't root for the murderous drug cartels any more than the next person, but if their cash cow got taken from them, would they really just disappear? Would they all make a turn towards a legitimate business model? I do not believe so. I think they would find another way to make their money. Maybe the cocaine problem would intensify, or maybe we would see a far worse drug become prevalent in America. I also do not think our government is quite ready to deal with something like marijuana. They seem to be too busy trying to get re-elected right now, and pro-marijuana legalization doesn't seem to lend itself to positive poll numbers.
I willingly concede to the fact that marijuana has never directly killed anyone, and as far as drugs go marijuana is one of the safest out there on the streets today (assuming it hasn't been tainted by something). I think in the future the plant will be decriminalized as newer, more liberal generations begin to take hold in the government.
I have also seen The Union and agree that the makers argue strong points for the benefits of legalizing marijuana. The fact that one plant can have so many uses and we don't take advantage of it is astonishing to me. I also agree that the government could benefit from the taxes of regulating the crop, but in reality, I don't see this happening in the near future.
ReplyDeleteRelating to criminal justice, I also believe that legalization and regulation could potentially be beneficial to the system as a whole. For one thing, police would be able to focus more on serious drug issues such as cocaine and methamphetamine as opposed to petty neighborhood pot dealers. Hard drugs like these are really the big problem, not marijuana. Also, it could lead to less over-crowding of our jail systems. Overall, I think that the benefits of this "drug" (but really just a plant) would be beneficial to society as a whole.
This is always a great topic to debate in criminal justice. I just finished the "The Union" and it made some pretty good points, and I can see where your coming from with your argument. I really enjoyed your article but this is what I think...
ReplyDeleteMarijuana is a subject for great debate. However, its legality is a much larger topic to argue. I can never see it becoming legalized, but can see it becoming decriminalized in the United States in the future, only because I see America taking a more liberal approach, and straying away from its traditional republican stance. Now, I honestly think the idea of Hemp creating more products like efficient bio-diesel fuels, paper, and rope and whatever it else it could make as a good "American made" product that would most likely create a a ton of US dollars, but I just don't see it pulling us out of the red. American people see marijuana as bad, like a taboo or against the norm and I think it is going to stay that way for a long time. Hemp to me is not the billion dollar crop, there are a ton of natural crops that can make many by products and many other things that can create billions. Take corn as example, we create many things from corn like sugars and even a bio-diesel fuel that modern fuel efficient cars can run on. Theres more options then most people think, but i also feel too many people see Hemp (not cannabis) negatively because of its affiliation to the THC filled cannabis, even though it does not have THC.
I feel decriminalized marijuana would cause the same problem for the police as say alcohol, because they would still ticket and fine people who use it, they just don't arrest. You can use alcohol legally and still get arrested, fined, and ticketed in public, now what happens when you get behind the wheel drunk? prison time, large amount of money missing from your bank, and no license. Now alcohol gets you drunk, which impairs judgement, but marijuana also impairs your judgment. you can still harm someone from being high, ya it doesnt kill you but the choices you make can. So even if it is decriminalized, you can still get a ticket and still get a DUI if driving while "high" I honestly just don't see a reason to decriminalize it.
So yeah its very bad, like alcohol which is used just as much as marijuana, but society still sees it as wrong. Regardless, both substances are bad, and can kill you and other people if operating machinery like a car but then again it's a persons choice to drink, smoke and whatever else they choose to do.
Liked your stance, and liked the argument
Ahh yes, the infamous legalization of marijuana argument. It was only a matter of time before this was posted. I am going to keep my own opinion out on the matter and just list a couple points that I believe to be important when discussing this issue.
ReplyDeleteThe first is the topic of the government being able to regulate the sale of the crop. I wonder if the plant was made legal, how many people would start growing their own pot plants? Why buy the milk when you can have the cow, right? That's not really my point though; my point is that if the government was to regulate the potency of the drug you know there would just be another underground market out there for a more potent form of the drug. How do you enforce the potency of a drug like that? It would be a nightmare for law enforcement.
It's hard to say if drug related violence would really go down if marijuana was legalized. I kind of agree with Anthony's point in that the cartels would just find another drug to push and we'd just be dealing with something else besides marijuana.
One thing I've never been able to understand is how people can try and defend smoking marijuana like it's some kind of miracle drug? Yes, marijuana may not directly hurt you, but it sure as heck isn't going to help you from recreational use. Yes it can have its benefits as a pain suppressant and to help those who need to eat have an appetite but it's no miracle drug with healing powers or anything. So maybe it's best to leave out extreme medicinal uses when talking about everyday recreational use.
We as a nation are a long way from the legalization of marijuana. I just think as a society we are too conservative in our beliefs and smoking pot is still looked at as taboo. I do believe that it's possible as the younger, more open minded generations begin to take power, we might see the legalization of marijuana. As of right now, if any politician was to bring up the subject, their political career would be over.
I have mixed feelings on this. On the one side, i can see some valuable medical benefits to its use. On the other side, a large supporter to keep it illegal, are people who profit off it now. However, back during prohibition, organized crime thrived over the alcohol ban. Once made legal again, most organizations crumbled. The ones that survived, adapted and began dealing in new businesses, such as marijuana and other substances.
ReplyDeleteAlright, for Anthony i am not so concerned on legalizing marijuana, but im advocating for hemp to be legalized. But for your argument on the THC capsule Marinol; why do you think the pharmaceutical companies use it? They use it for the money they generate. The companies see its potential and are looking to make an insane amount of money. If someone is indeed sick, lets say they are going through chemo, then that person has to pay an unreasonable amount of money to get the care, and pill they need to reduce pain. Im sorry for saying this, and i do not mean it, and god forbid someday you get cancer. Just hypothetically think about it, would you pay a lot of money to see the doctor or would you just have a plant in your house that will essentially do what the doctor would do? And yes the natural properties in smoke will damage your lungs, but in moderate doses you will not see significant results.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you on how other drugs would be more prevalent. But the optimistic upside to that would be that PD's would switch the task forces they have on just marijuana to the cocaine problem, and try to control that.
And for Jacob, i stumbled onto this site;
Hemp seeds are 40% oil and can be used to create natural organic ethanol OR methanol. Ethanol blends of 10%-15% blend massively reduces emissions. Pure Ethanol releases NO black soot like how oil dirties car engines and exhaust pipes.
Farming 6% of the continental U.S. acreage with biomass crops would provide all of America's energy needs.
Hemp is Earth's number-one biomass resource; it is capable of producing 10 tons per acre in four months.
Biomass can be converted to methane, methanol, or gasoline at a cost comparable to petroleum, and hemp is much better for the environment. Pyrolysis (charcoalizing), or biochemical composting are two methods of turning hemp into fuel.
Hemp can produce 10x more methanol than corn.
Hemp fuel burns clean. Petroleum causes acid rain due to sulfur pollution.
The use of hemp fuel does not contribute to environmental pollution nor "global climate change". (http://relegalize.info/hemp/08-organic-biofuel.shtml)