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Arguments Against Cannabis Prohibition

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Cannabis Prohibition: The Beginning of the End It is understandable that most Americans question the benefits and drawbacks associated with the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Federally, marijuana has been considered a Schedule I substance since 1970; it is classified amongst the most dangerous of drugs and is said to induce psychological and physical dependence or addiction. Regardless of its DEA classification, twenty-three states have legalized the medical use of marijuana to date. In The Cole Memo (2013) the Department of Justice vaguely announced that it would not interfere with state legalization of marijuana. The states of Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska as well as the District of Columbia have since legalized …show more content…

state legislation. They are generally unable to set up bank accounts, lines of credit, or take out loans because banks are reluctant to fund projects or accept money associated with a Schedule I drug. Consequently, growers, processors, and sellers operate largely on a cash basis. Buyers are expected to pay dispensaries in cash, however reselling cannabis bought from recreational dispensaries is prohibited. This legislation acts as a means of preventing underage use. It is also illegal to drive while under the influence of cannabis. Roughly 12% of DUIs in Colorado are issued to drivers under the influence of marijuana, not …show more content…

States that would like to legalize cannabis for recreational use can look to Washington and Colorado’s triumphs and tribulations when establishing their own legislation and recreational markets. Perhaps the Department of Justice will issue another Cole Memo regarding its official authorization if these recreational markets succeed. Currently it appears that buyers are interested in purchasing recreational cannabis at the lowest price possible, which is consequently less taxed. I think that the changes occurring in Washington and Colorado legislation this upcoming year will balance out the new markets’ instabilities and further satisfy customers, investors, and

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1063 Words | 5 Pages

There were 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010, 88% of the arrests were for just having weed. In the first 11 months of Colorado having marijuana recreationally legal, there was a 2.2% decrease in crime compared to the first 11 months of 2013. Traffic deaths were also thought to increase after legalization but instead did the opposite. In the same first 11 months of 2014, there was a 3% decrease in fatalities compared to 2013. This kept a 12 year long continuing decline to keep going down.

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906 Words | 4 Pages

Of course, just like alcohol; regulations are placed upon how much marijuana a citizen can purchase at one time (Colorado Pot Guide). In order to purchase cannabis you must be twenty one years old, you can only purchase one ounce of marijuana in total a day and seven grams per transaction and you can only purchase cannabis from eight in the morning to seven at night (Colorado Pot Guide). If you drive under the influence with alcohol in the U.S. you can receive a DUI and become arrested if you are over the limit prohibited of the substance. As for weed in Colorado, the legal limit is five nanograms per millimeter of blood (Colorado Pot

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LEGALIZE IT — The Economic Case for Authorized Marijuana Bringing a storm into scorching hot summer, the legalization of recreational marijuana, also known as cannabis, has brought about hot and cold feedbacks from the critics worldwide since it is becoming a more general reality in the United States. Certainly, the corroboration of marijuana is a stirring new development. Two states (i.e., Washington and Colorado) had full legalization, while others are mulling over the gains and glitches, with more states likely decriminalizing over some subsequent election phases in a sense that the benefits of permitting the drug outweighs the cons.

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1409 Words | 6 Pages

Although it has never been proven it is thought that it is hard for any cannabis user to stop using this drug on their own. This is due to the effects on the thinking of smokers. Another opposing argument speaks about driving while high, many studies have shown that it may slow reaction time and focus. Although, this may not be true considering the accident rate in Colorado has gone down ever since the legalization of the drug. Some people say that it should be illegal because it is used as a painkiller, but then you could argue that there are prescription painkillers sold daily around the country.

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1611 Words | 7 Pages

If it were legal for recreational use in America, it would save taxpayers 100 million per year in police, court, and prison costs (Ross 4). It would lower the number of police on duty and inmates in cells. Over 10,000 people were arrested in 2010 in Colorado for possession, which costs taxpayers an estimated 3.8 million for incarceration, police, judicial, and legal expenses (Ross 5). It would save courts time and taxpayers money. Banks will not deal with dispensaries because it is federally illegal which forces them to keep making cash targets out of dispensaries (Turkewitz 2).

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905 Words | 4 Pages

According to http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org in 1972 the Federal Food and Drug Administration FDA classified the marijuana as a Schedule 1. This is the must restricted of the drugs meanwhile others more harmful drugs are categorized as a lenient schedule. The schedule 1 is composed of drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical

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867 Words | 4 Pages

This negative propaganda that surrounded us only allowed people to make this drug to not be able to become legal in this state today. Marijuana is also not as addictive as most media outlets would lead you to believe. There are way more addictive drugs such as, heroin, and nicotine. After nicotine and heroine comes crack, and then alcohol. Below that is caffeine, and at the very bottom of the chart is marijuana; less addictive than but yet still illegal.

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1256 Words | 6 Pages

The Federal Statute governing marijuana as a Schedule 1 Drugs/Substance is flawed. Marijuana is labeled as a schedule one drug or substance. As a result of this classification, marijuana cannot be legal at the state or federal level. One part of the definition of a schedule one drug is: “no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse”, according to dea.gov. However, the United States is currently using marijuana as an accepted medical treatment.

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623 Words | 3 Pages

But, what about when someone is driving under the influence of cannabis? According to a report released on September, 2015 from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA), in Colorado ¬–the only state with legal recreational cannabis– driving tickets under the influence of cannabis doubled from 33% to 66% in just one year. Cannabis-related fatalities also doubled, from 37% in 2007 to 77% in 2014. So, we should not consider cannabis to be harmless.

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1347 Words | 6 Pages

Marijuana is a misunderstood drug. Many assume that the marijuana usage is dangerous, while in fact, marijuana actually has many medicinal and practical benefits. For years, the general consensus of the population was that marijuana, also known as cannabis, was a “gateway drug”, and the use of marijuana would only lead to the use of more dangerous drugs. Despite these negative connotations, marijuana reform has been happening effectively since about 1996, with California being the first U.S. territory to legalize its usage. When discussing the legalization of medical and/or recreational marijuana, the real question is “when will Texas pass measures to do so?”

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2143 Words | 9 Pages

Colorado and Washington are living testaments of what kind of money legalization of marijuana can bring in through taxing and fees. When in 2014 Colorado alone raked in a whopping 60 million dollars. This statistic found in an article by, Katie Mulvaney named “Advocate says Colorado received $60 million in taxes and fees from marijuana in 2014”. This is a large amount of money that could be useful to our country that is undergoing an economic slump. This is desperately needed in money deprived communities around the United states.

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947 Words | 4 Pages

“Marijuana has become quite a popular topic, in term of politics. There are some who want it legalized, and some who think it should stay illegal. As of June 19, 2015, marijuana is legal in 23 states for medical purposes, and four states for recreational use. Marijuana should be legal in all 50 states, because it can boost the economy, free up police resources, and put less money into organized crime’s pockets. It would be a win-win for citizens and the government.

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1324 Words | 6 Pages

Since the legalization of marijuana there has been in increase of underage consumption. According to a recent report written by Charles Stimson, “Drug-related suspensions/expulsions (mostly for marijuana) increased 32 percent over a five-year period” as well as “the majority of DUI drug arrests involve marijuana” (Stimson, Charles. Is Legalized Marijuana Going up in Smoke?, infoweb.newsbank.com). Also fifty percent more arrestees in Denver test positive for marijuana since the legalization.

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715 Words | 3 Pages

To date, close to half of the country has legalized Marijuana in either medicinal or recreational drug use, despite federal law challenging this

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1693 Words | 7 Pages

In the past decade, a number of movements to legalize the use of marijuana has been gaining momentum. According to the 2016 Gallup survey, a record high 60% of Americans say that marijuana should be legalized and this figure marks a 9% increase compared to 2014. Support for legalizing marijuana was 31% in 2000, 50% in 2016 before reaching 60% last year. This shows that despite government efforts to eliminate its use, marijuana is becoming more popular. It is clear that

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