LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Should Prohibition of Marijuana be Ended to Help our Economy?

Corrisa Malat
James Madison University

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Introduction:
In this annotated bibliography, I discuss and evaluate five credible sources that I have used to
support my argument that prohibition of marijuana should be lifted to help our economy. The
debate between prohibition and decriminalization and/or legalization is a topic of interest and
relevance for today and years to come. As many states already have or are beginning to
decriminalize and legalize marijuana, many others are strongly against it, or are very unsure of
its possible outcomes. This issue is significant to me personally because I live in Maryland where
medical marijuana is legal and recreational marijuana is decriminalized. Coming to a school in
Virginia where marijuana is still fully prohibited has greatly increased my interest in opposing
views on this issue. The purpose of my research is to identify how exactly the decriminalization
and/or legalization of marijuana can help or hurt our economy in relation to tax revenue, police
efforts, crime forces, and medical bills.

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Bremner, B., & Giudice, V. D. (2014). The Mind-Expanding Economics of Pot. Business Week.
Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/businessweek
The Mind-Expanding Economics of Pot is a periodical that was published in
2014 in a business magazine called Business Week. This piece includes text, an
animation, and photographic representations that span over two full pages. The purpose
of this piece is to simply, state facts, raise awareness, and allow the audience to form an
opinion. Bremner and Giudice use current happenings, statistics, and quotes from
credible authority figures such as The U.S. Department of Justice and Harvard University
economic specialists to support their arguments. Positive and negative outcomes of
legalizing the commercial production, sale, and recreational use of marijuana are
discussed with no blatant influence from either of the authors opinions.
Throughout this periodical, the authors hold a neutral standpoint and gain
credibility in many ways. For one, its information is relevant. The debate between
prohibition and decriminalization and/or legalization of marijuana is a huge current issue
going on today. Another way they add to their credibility is by citing where their quotes
and statistics were extracted from. For example, paragraph three includes; In Colorado,
where authorities have levied a 15 percent wholesale and 10 percent retail tax on
marijuana transactions, the price of legal commercial-grade pot has doubled to $400 an
ounce since the start of the year, says Aaron Smith, executive director of the National
Cannabis Industry Association (P.3). This specific quote was used to argue that high
prices of legal pot would result in a stronger black market, but counter arguments were
also made to discuss sides of the argument. With that, Bremner and Giudices intended

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

audience is any individual who already has an opinion, is willing to shape one, or just
wants to be informed on the issue.
I believe examples and explanations from The Mind-Expanding Economics of
Pot did change my thoughts on this issue because I now realize legalization does not
have promising concrete outcomes. There are many possible outcomes that will all vary
depending on the authorities and public of each individual state. I also believe this text is
different from my other sources in many ways. Unlike some of my other sources, it stays
neutral while still acknowledging opposing views. This shorter piece does does not give
as much information overall as my other sources. It does however, help me shape an
argument for how marijuana laws can be altered and legalization can positively be used
for our economic benefit.

Duke, S.B. (2013). The Future of Marijuana in the United States. Oregon Law Review, 91(4),
1301-1318.
The Future of Marijuana in the United States is an academic journal that was
published in an Oregon University Law Review in 2013. This is a seven paged piece
strictly made up of text. This text thoroughly recites the transformation of marijuana laws
over time. It begins at the 1970s when states all over were starting to decriminalize
marijuana, then continues to tell of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 passed
by President Reagan, and ends with our current situation and ideas for the future. Duke
recalls information from numerous credible sources to make his piece factual,
informative, and persuasive.

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Above the Lexisnexis Summary and Introduction, Duke establishes his credibility
with the following text: BIO: *Professor of Law, Yale Law School. I thank John C.
Calhoun and Hank Moon for excellent research. Errors and opinions are mine (BIO).
After Dukes credentials are made known, he increases his credibility by citing experts
and documents like such: This is the principle of the Twenty-First Amendment, which
freed us from national alcohol Prohibition but allowed the states to make their own
decisions on the subject. The same principle should spur both the U.S. government and
the United Nations to withdraw from marijuana prohibition (P.29). Duke does have a
slight biased towards decriminalization and total legalization, however his opinions are
results of factual evidence and current reforms. His intended audience is those who
support prohibition because he wants them to see the potential in decriminalization and
total legalization.
The Future of Marijuana in the United States is the longest of my sources and
did the best job at discussing every important consideration in marijuana law reform. This
source did not change any of my previous thoughts, but I did take a lot away from it. I
learned a lot of new information concerning the history of this issue, its affects on law
enforcement, and how prohibition exhausts government resources. All of this information
will serve as great support for my argument.

Ferner, M. (2015, January 22). Obama Predicts Big Future for Legal Weed. Huffingtonpost.com,
Obama Predicts Big Future for Legal Weed is a one-page article that was
published in the Huffingtonpost in early 2015. This piece includes facts, but mainly
reflects the opinions of Obama and the author. Ferner and Obamas main claim is that

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

marijuana should be treated as a public health problem, and not a criminal problem. The
intentions are clear; Obama wants to redirect marijuana focuses on treatments. The same
way tobacco or drunk driving issues are. This piece could be viewed as a proposition
suggesting a new action to the issue.
Although this opinion-based source is biased, it is still credible for many reasons.
This source is current as of this year, and refers to multiple credible sources ranging from
the American Civil Liberties Union and Department of Justice, to the communications
director for Marijuana Policy Project. To mention another credible reference, Kevin
Sabet, co-founder of anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said, The
president is right that we need a balanced public health and public safety strategy for
drugs. Indeed, as he says, we need to focus on treatment. Legalization advocates would
rather just focus on letting people use drugs" (P.10). Because this is a proposition from
President Obama, it is inferred that the intended audience is the Department of Justice
because they can make a difference.
Obama Predicts Big Future for Legal Weed is the shortest of my sources, but
gives a unique viewpoint that the others did not. Obamas viewpoint on making
marijuana a public health problem that focuses on the health and safety of its users did
make me adopt some new thoughts. I now feel that our first steps towards
decriminalization and/or legalization must focus on restrictions that will keep users safe,
rather than restrictions that will put users behind bars. I plan to use this in my argument to
make a point that I support decriminalization and legalization, but I do not think it needs
to happen right away. It will be better for everyone if time is put into detailed plans to
ensure that health and safety come first.

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Hecht, P. (2013). Book on California Legalization; Future of Marijuana Law. In Author Peter
Hecht on How Marijuana Went Legit. Retrieved from
http://digital.films.com/PortalViewVideo.aspx?
xtid=65271&psid=0&sid=0&State=&IsSearch=Y&parentSeriesID=&tScript=0
Author Peter Hecht on How Marijuana Went Legit is a film that was published
in 2013. Book on California Legalization and Future of Marijuana Law are both two
minute segments from this film that focus on the history and progression of marijuana
and its economic impacts. Supported by both fact and opinion, the purpose of this piece is
to inform the audience of the growing potential in the marijuana industry and encourage
the viewers to read Hechts book, Weed Land to learn more. It is clear that Hechts
intentions are strictly to teach and allow viewers to make what they want of it, not to alter
anyones views.
Peter Hecht was awarded Best of the West journalism awards and earned an
Excellence in Journalism prize from the Northern California chapter of the Society of
Professional Journalists. In other words, Hecht is a credible author. In the first segment,
Book on California Legalization, of his video, it is said that; California no longer
leads the way when it comes to marijuana legalization having been leap-frogged by
Washington state and Colorado, but as Hecht thoroughly documents in his book, the
failures, the trials and the triumphs of the California Pot Legalization Movement have
shaped the drug policy debate in America in deep and unexpected ways that will certainly
have effects for years and maybe even decades to come. As explained, he documents
failure, trials, and triumphs, without favoring a certain side. Being non-biased adds to the

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

credibility of this source. This film is targeted towards no specific audience, but it is
relevant to many people today as many states continue to adopt the same laws as
California.
Author Peter Hecht on How Marijuana Went Legit did not change any of my
thoughts on marijuana laws, but it did stand out to me. Compared to my other sources, it
is much different because it is my only source that is not a text. Besides the medium, its
context is similar to other sources of mine. The information is presented at a neutral stand
point like in The Mind-Expanding Economics of Pot, and Hecht connects past
marijuana laws to the current and future laws like in The Future of Marijuana in the
United States. Like these other sources, this film will help me develop a strong argument
that provides details about the process of passing marijuana laws, their outcomes, and
how it affects citizens and other states in the future.

Nemko, M. (2014, December 16). Legalize Pot? You Must Be High. Time.com, N.PAG.
Legalize Pot? You Must Be High is a three paged periodical that was published in Time
magazine in 2014. The purpose of this piece is to argue that marijuana should be legal by
prescription only, not for recreational use. To support his argument, Nemko cites numerous
sources, including; Harvard/Northwestern Studies, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and many more. The information gathered from these
sources where used mainly to argue why marijuana legalization is an issue.
At the end of this periodical, a brief bio is included to state Nemkos credentials: Marty
Nemko holds a Ph.D. specializing in education evaluation from U.C. Berkeley and subsequently
taught there. He is the author of seven books and an award-winning career coach, writer, speaker

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS

and public radio host specializing in career/workplace issues and education reform (P.17). A
credible author is extremely important in an opinion-based piece, as well as his sources. Nemko
refers to many sources with recent data that is applicable to our current issue. For example, he
quotes Washington State Patrol and Washington State Toxicologist to argue that the roads have
become more dangerous since legalization: In 2013, the percentage of vehicle accidents in
which the driver tested positive for marijuana rose 40%. Contrast that with the two years before
legalization: From 2011-2012, there was only a 0.7% increase, and from 2010-2011 also a 0.7%
increase (P.12). Nemko centers his piece on the issues marijuana causes to persuade an audience
that views the opposite.
Legalize Pot? You Must Be High. has definitely changed some of my thoughts on
legalization. Nemko explained how marijuana legalization increases risk while driving, the
likelihood of the black market gearing towards younger teens, and the cost on society along with
decreasing productivity in the work area. Compared to my other sources, I would have to say the
affect this information had on me was most similar to that of Obama Predicts Big Future for
Legal Weed. Both of these pieces have made me realize that if marijuana is going to be
legalized, then well thought out restrictions need to be set in place first to protect the users and
non-users. I will use this in my argument to say that marijuana should be decriminalized and
legalized to help the economy after adequate restrictions are determined.