Marijuana has been the subject of controversy for many years. Aside from the negative ideas put forth by those politicians on the march for the war against drugs, marijuana (a.k.a. hemp) has an interesting history and thousands of uses that could greatly increase state and even federal revenue.
According to the North American Industrial Hemp Council, "Hemp has been grown for at least the last 12,000 years for fiber and food." Hemp fibers also tend to be longer, stronger, and more absorbent and more mildew-resistant than cotton thereby making it a better, more viable option; and if cotton were displaced by hemp, the state could save money by not having to use massive amounts of harmful chemicals that are usually used in growing cotton.
Aside from its agricultural uses, marijuana also serves as a medical aid, helping people with conditions like anorexia, asthma, nausea, pain, alcoholism, glaucoma, epilepsy, depression, hypertension, and cancer. Imagine being able to replace expensive, lab-made chemicals with a cheaply grown natural plant?
So by incorporating hemp usage in many facets of our society, we could not only cut spending in many areas but increase revenues in others. Of course, this is assuming that the use of marijuana were legal. And if the long "War on Drugs" campaign is any indication, we might be waiting a long time to see any leniency toward such usages. Even Dan Webb, a recently retired anti-narcotics lieutenant with the Texas Department of Public Safety said "They are never going to stop it", referring to the campaign. But as long as there is a demand for it, there will be a supply, regardless of any campaign efforts.
The legalization of marijuana might not completely bridge the gaping hole that is our budget's deficit, but it would sure come a long way in improving it.
I agree with you. The legalization of marijuana is a completely logical move. It would be an additional source of revenue (especially if there is a tax on it), and it would mitigate some of the violence caused by drug trade by narrowing the illegal drug market (though there are certainly other illegal drugs that would continue this aspect of the informal economy).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have to point out a few problems with your argument. For starters, you make a large point in the benefits of hemp as a reason for the legalization of marijuana. Well, hemp is legal because hemp usually refers to the strain of the plant with low levels THC, the chemical that creates the high. There are hemp products left and right here in Austin, from clothing stores to grocery stores. In fact, as a vegan, I consume hemp products on a fairly regular basis. Therefore, it’s important to make a distinction between hemp and marijuana and not use the terms interchangeably.
Second, you point out the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana, and yes they do exist. But a stronger case could be made when discussing the additional social benefits and how those would help a struggling budget as well. As I’ve already stated, legalizing marijuana would knock down a huge part of the illegal drug trade. Less drug trade means less drug dealers (both petty dealers and those affiliated with gangs). Less dealers translates to less money spent on law enforcement and criminal corrections (not to mention less violence, but certainly money is the more valuable aspect…). That right there would tack on even more capital gain for the budget in addition to any money raised from a taxed marijuana, though both would certainly help.
Lastly, I disagree that marijuana legalization seems far off. We’ve already made some gains in the usage of medicinal marijuana, and the growing acceptance and popularity of hemp products suggests a shift in the American psyche regarding all strains of cannabis. That being said, the War on Drugs is definitely a thorn in America’s side at this point in time. It’s not only halting a wonderful source of revenue, but it fails to address the real social problems that created the violence and issues associated with drug trade: poverty, social disorganization, and mental illness among other things, and even the legalization of marijuana won’t fix those.
In the post "The Money Plant"by BLindsey, the topic of marijuana is discussed. It is brought to the audience's attention that marijuana, or hemp, serves many purposes other than the most know illegal act of smoking it. The debate of legalizing marijuana has been around for years. Research has shown that the plant can be helpful for pain tolerance and "treatment"of many illnesses. Some states have authorized prescribed marijuana for these medicinal purposes already. So what should Texas do? As BLindsey has pointed out, hemp is a strong fiber that might prove to be more cost effective than growing cotton in Texas. This could help the state of the Texas deficit.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think the biggest issue for the government is going to be the reaction of the people. If they legalize marijuana even in order to save money to help pull us out of debt, the public will see the legalization as showing support for a controlled substance. As BLindsey pointed out, as long as there is a demand, there will be a supply. This remains true whether marijuana is legal or not. It has been this way for a long time. With that said, for the public who are against the legalization of marijuana should consider that it has always been available as a drug and the legalization won't really change that cycle. Sure, it will make things easier for the drug dealers but consider this: alcohol is a drug. Teenagers get ahold of alcohol even though it is illegal for them; they drink and get drunk. Same thing for marijuana. Some people choose to use it as a drug, they will continue to whether it is legal or not. There are some things, such as controlling marijuana, that are too big to be nailed down by law enforcement. So if the government thinks it can save money by legalizing marijuana, I'm all for it. They might even turn it around and sell it in small amounts, at inflated prices to the public. It's just like anything else. It's a choice for individuals and it always has been, legal or not.
For the record, I have never smoked, smells, looked at, or thought of smoking marijuana. I do not support the legalization because I think it would benefit me in anyway. I think BLindsey has a point, if Texas can save any money anywhere (other than education) the government should do it. As I have pointed out, the control of marijuana has been an issue for a long time. The dealing will always be around. It happens all the time. I haven't heard of any crimes being committed because a person was high. It's a personal choice, a stupid one in my opinion, but that's not the issue. I think the reason for this controversy is the people who only see the plant as a drug. They are naive to think that keeping it illegal will stop the use of marijuana.
My classmate BLindsey wrote an article titled The Money Plant which is basically about how marijuana should be legalized in order to help with the deficit of Texas. “Aside from its agricultural uses, marijuana also serves as a medical aid, helping people with conditions like anorexia, asthma, nausea, pain, alcoholism, glaucoma, epilepsy, depression, hypertension, and cancer. Imagine being able to replace expensive, lab-made chemicals with a cheaply grown natural plant?” Now, although my classmate does point out some possible positives with the legalization of marijuana, I believe there are a lot more negatives associated with this.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the greatest costs of marijuana come from the actual use of it rather than the prohibition of it. Marijuana is already one of the leading causes of substance abuse and by legalizing it; it would only further increase the amount of addiction. Some people do not use it for the simple fact that it is illegal and they do not want to suffer the consequences associated with getting caught. This would also be opening more doors for our youth to become addicted early and begin using. Rapid accumulating research shows that marijuana is associated with serious mental and physical problems. Marijuana is also seen as a gateway drug leading to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
As far as closing some of the deficit gap, I am not actually sure how much it would actually close. It has shown that even the legalization of alcohol and tobacco is a disastrous trade off financially already. "Alcohol related costs total over $185 billion while federal and states collected an estimated $14.5 billion in tax revenue; similarly, tobacco use costs over $200 billion but only $25 billion is collected in taxes."
Drug impaired driving would also increase. Marijuana is already a significant casual factor in highway crashes, injuries, and deaths. “In a recent national roadside survey of weekend nighttime drivers, 8.6 percent tested positive for marijuana or its metabolites, nearly four times the percentage of drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL (2.2 percent)."
When looking at the negative things associated with the legalization of marijuana, it only further makes me believe that only more harm than good can come from it. If we are trying to improve the nation’s education, health, and productivity then legalization is definitely not the way to go. No money is worth destroying more lives both in the youth and adult community.