Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Kevin Frey
Writ 1133
8 April 2011
The marijuana debate in the United States is one that has been going on for decades and
will continue for the foreseeable future. The question that presents itself is relatively simple;
what are the possible impacts of legalizing marijuana (in this case in the Denver local area)? In
this paper I will argue that legalizing marijuana in Denver will not only negatively affect the
community at large but also provide a dangerous precedent for other states to follow in this
constantly growing debate. In order to accomplish this, I will provide a basic understanding of
the drug and its history, an explanation of a few of the arguments that lead the debate about
marijuana and it’s legalization, and facts that support the argument I’m making. By doing this I
will show that legalizing marijuana will have a negative effect on Denver and it’s surrounding
areas through increased use and access of the drug by youth, a significant increase in social costs
to include health care, criminal justice, and work productivity, and finally an environment that
for abuse and no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States”
the United States stamps marijuana as exactly what it is; an addictive drug with no proven
medical use. “Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with nearly
17 million Americans age 12 and older reporting past‐month use, and 374,000 people entering
Frey 2
an emergency room annually with a primary marijuana problem” (Marijuana Legalization, 1).
This statement reflects the fact that even today in a society where the “war on drugs” rages, the
youth have access to drugs and it causes them harm. Legalizing marijuana would increase that
availability through lower prices and higher supply. “Illegality helps keep prices higher. And
because drug use is sensitive to price, especially among young people, higher prices help keep
use rates relatively low” (Marijuana Legalization, 2). This availability would in turn lead to
social issues many fail to consider when making an argument for marijuana legalization.
Take alcohol for example, it is well known that alcohol consumption leads to medical
complications, decreased motor and sensory capabilities, and dependence. Furthermore although
alcohol is taxed by both federal and state governments, the revenue generated “is less than 10
percent of the estimated $185 billion in alcohol‐related costs to health care, criminal justice,
and the workplace in lost productivity” (Marijuana Legalization, 2). The same can be said for
marijuana, although taxing the drug may lead to more revenue for both the federal and state
governments the cost to the taxpayer for increased health care, criminal justice and work place
productivity lost. Additionally, it is this writers opinion that federal and states budget issues
should not rely on taxation of an illegal substance to fix over spending and financial
mismanagement that have continued for decades. Although a different debate all together, one
must consider that if the government involves itself in the regulation and legalization of
marijuana it is possible that mismanagement and ineffectiveness will continue to plague this
issue.
The next issue, which is considered to be the gateway to fully legalized marijuana, is
medical marijuana. Many states within the US have enacted laws allowing for the sale and
prescription of marijuana as “medical” however the fact remains that there is no factual evidence
Frey 3
that marijuana serves any medical purpose other than feeling good. Furthermore after much
testing and research the FDA has approved a drug called marinol that is derived from THC, a
“Though it is not frequently prescribed, the U.S. supports the right of doctors to
prescribe this drug if they feel it would best serve their patients’ needs. The U.S. Drug
easier for doctors to prescribe the drug (What Americans need to know. 9)”
Many argue that the government fails to recognize the benefits of marijuana as a medical drug
while they themselves neglect to recognize that the government has a scientifically proven
alternative already on the market. With an increasing number of states both allowing marijuana
for medical purposes and decriminalizing it possessions many would argue that we are moving
towards an industry that requires regulation rather then limitation or prohibition. Here, a large
factor in the argument boils down to money; what could be earned on taxing the drug and what
could be saved on not enforcing “ineffective” laws. Although taxing marijuana would yield
revenues for many states one must consider the social impacts of its legalization.
“Legalizing marijuana would increase use of the drug and, consequently, the
harm it causes, thus adding to the burden on the criminal justice system. Arrests for
driving under the influence, totaled nearly 2.7 million in 2008. Marijuana‐possession
arrests under current laws in 2008 totaled around 750,000. (Speaking out against.)
In a similar part of this argument, pro-legalization argues that legalization would result in the
drastic decrease in drug related violence to include cartel violence and street violence in inner
cities. Although it maybe true that legalization and regulation would give the governments the
Frey 4
ability to somewhat control marijuana import and distribution, it fails to address the chances that
cartels would continue to find a way to undercut the government in illegal sales and distribution
which would continue to fuel violence. One must also take into account the chance of drug
cartels using the opportunity of legalization of the drug to extort the federal and state
governments and communities in order to maximize profits lost from regulation and legalization.
Most of the arguments above have been on the forefront of many debates across the United
States but as a leader in the national debate Denver and it’s surrounding areas (to include the
entire state of Colorado) have a particularly large stake in the end result of these debates. The
bottom line is that although marijuana has many qualities about it that can be debated, an
increased availability in any drug will increase the use of that drug.
For example, many are aware that the Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world
that allows the limited private growth, sale, and consumption of marijuana through coffee shops
as regulated by the government. However what few realize is “after coffee shops started selling
marijuana and use of the drug became normalized, marijuana use between 1984 and 1996
Americans Need, 10) Even if you are for the legalization of marijuana almost all agree that
youth, especially those between the ages of 12-20 who are in the prime of their learning years,
should not be exposed to the negative effects of the drug. It is no different then allowing a twelve
or thirteen year old to have a drink or smoke a cigarette, it’s just wrong. What’s more is that if
drug use become normalized the chances of other drug experimentation increases drastically.
“While our nation’s consumption of cocaine has decreased by 70 percent over the past 15 years,
cocaine consumption in Europe (primarily Western Europe) has increased” (What Americans
Need, 10). This statement fuels the argument that not only is marijuana a gateway drug in the
Frey 5
sense that allows for experimentation into hard forms of drugs but also is a testament to how
drug education and law enforcement have helped reduce the drug problem in our country. While
some would continue to argue that marijuana laws only serve to put innocent small time users
survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics showed that 0.7% of all state inmates were
behind bars for marijuana possession only (with many of them pleading down from more
serious crimes). Other independent research has shown that the risk of arrest for each
“joint,” or marijuana cigarette, smoked is about 1 arrest for every 12,000 joints.”
(Marijuana Legalization, 3)
In Denver, as with many other states and cites, the punishment for possession of marijuana (an
once or less) has been decriminalized and made a misdemeanor which is accompanied by a ticket
and small fine and has been made law enforcements lowest priority.
As a final word against the legalization against marijuana I ask you the reader to consider
the drug in the context of your own life. Have you used the drug? Do you know others who have
used the drug or continue to use the drug? What effects on you personally or those you know
have you seen? I’m willing to bet that most who read this have tired marijuana themselves,
known someone who has or at the very least been exposed to it presence. This being said in a
time when marijuana is still illegal, the drugs availability is undeniable. Legalizing it would only
fuel this availability and it’s negative impacts both on the individual and society as a whole. As
previously mentioned I believe that this increase in availability through legalization would lead
to an increased burden on society in the form of increased health care and law enforcement costs.
Along with these cost would be loss in work productivity similar to that experience as the result
Frey 6
of alcohol consumption and abuse. The bottom line is the “use of marijuana has adverse health,
safety, social, academic, economic, and behavioral consequences. And yet, astonishingly, many
people view the drug as “harmless.” The widespread perception of marijuana as a benign
natural herb seriously detracts from the most basic message our society needs to deliver: It is
not OK for anyone—especially young people—to use this or any other illicit drug” (Marijuana:
Myths, 1) Furthermore access of the drug to Denver’s youth would greatly increase having a
negative aspect in development of said youth along with the potential for an increase of “hard”
drug use like cocaine and heroin. In a society and economy that is already facing large problems
the last thing that Denver needs is a third illicit substance legalized that would have such drastic
Works Cited
Gorman, Denis. "Do medical cannabis laws encourage cannabis use?" International
United States. Marijuana: Myths & Facts. Washington, DC: ONDCP, 2010. Web. 5 Apr
2011.<http://webharvest.gov/peth04/20041109020633/http://whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publicati
ons/marijuana_myths_facts/marijuana_myths_facts.pdf>.
Wa s h i n g t o n , D C : O N D C P, 2 0 1 0 . We b . 7 A p r 2 0 1 1 .
<http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo699/mj_legal.pdf>.
United States. Marijuana: Know the Facts. Washington, DC: ONDCP, 2010. Web. 5 Apr
2011. <http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo696/Marijuana.pdf>.
United States. Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization. Washington, DC: DEA, 2002.
United States. What Americans need to know about Marijuana. Washington, DC:
<http://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/mj_rev.pdf>.