The Legalization of Marijuana

So by now everyone has heard of the attempt to legalize marijuana to bring in tax revenue. This is my response to this whole debate.

First off, I wonder if those who call marijuana a "harmful" drug and a "gateway to more dangerous drugs like cocaine or heroine" have ever actually smoked it, or hung around people who do. Marijuana, for the most part, is the most harmless drug of them all if you get straight down to immediate effects. According to erowid.com these are the effects:

mood lift, euphoria
laughter
relaxation, stress reduction
creative, philosophical or deep thinking : ideas flow more easily
increased appreciation of music. More aware of, deeper connection to music.
increased awareness of senses. (eating, drinking, smell)
change in experience of muscle fatigue. Pleasant body feel. Increase in body/mind connection.
pain relief (headaches, cramps)
boring tasks or entertainment can become more interesting or funny
general change in consciousness (as with many psychoactives)
increased appetite, snacky-ness
slowness (slow driving, talking)
change in vision such as sharpened colors or lights
closed-eye visuals (somewhat uncommon)
tiredness, sleepiness, lethargy

In all of this, no where do you find aggression or easy agitation. It is a peaceful drug and in more cases than none, it knocks the user on their ass, making them lazy and incapable of doing much else. Alcohol in large doses causes many to lash out and fight, say things they want to keep secret, and participate in actions they normally wouldn't and probably shouldn't. Driving under this influence is also extremely dangerous and causes more deaths than many others. Weed use does not produce these same effects and are relatively harmless.

While it does have an addicting nature, many find that they do not become completely dependent on it. Just like alcohol and tobacco, and even food, and any substance or action can become addicting. If addiction is a valid case for criminalization, then let's ban shopping, eating, exercising and countless other things. Just because some people are unable to handle drugs does not mean that others can't. Anything is ok in moderation.

I personally feel that marijuana is not a gateway drug towards more harmful ones. "Studies" have shown it is, but they are funded by anti-marijuana parties. Anyone who has ever experienced it first-hand would know that it's quite the opposite. Steady users are quite content to continue it's use, and in my experience if a stronger drug is necessary, shrooms are the drug of choice (I've never done them, just seen it happen).

I'm not advocating complete and total freedom if it's legalized. Rules will have to be implemented for its use. Age limits, driving laws, and public use laws will be necessary in order to maintain stability in our society. Distribution will also have to be watched, eliminating illegal drug cartels from the south and ensuring quality marijuana. An expert on CNBC said this will only further the illegal cocaine and heroin industries, but I feel that marijuana legalization would have no effect on it whatsoever.

More modest studies are showing that by legalizing weed we could earn $14 billion a year in taxes, and others are showing estimates in the 40 billion dollar zone. As we enter the inevitable, and quite possibly greatest depression the country as ever faced, we now realize the status quo is not working. Tax cuts to the rich are bullshit and do not encourage more spending. The unbelievable amount of money spent on the now futile war in Iraq is draining U.S. accounts and plummeting us further and further into debt. A new source of revenue that does not include overtaxing the already suffering middle and lower classes is necessary.
Not only would legalization create a new source of revenue, it would create stable, accepted jobs. People could work as dealers, or continue to keep a job lost due to use.

To end this long rant, we've seen with prohibition that criminalization does not work and leads to fighting and sending hundred (and in today's case, thousands) of people into prison. If we could earn $40 billion/year just by legalizing marijuana, I feel it would be worth it. It's a pretty harmless drug.

[Note: This opinion was not written because I am a frequent marijuana user. I admit I have used it in the past, but I do not like smoking it and will not in the future. I simply believe there are worse drugs out there and out time, money and effort should be spent on fighting those drugs.]

To see the CNBC debate, follow this link: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1010175323&play=1