If you are reading this, you are probably interested in why we should legalize marijuana. Well, I can up with five really good reasons why we should legalize it. Just take a nice blunt, sit back and read why we ALL should legalize it.
A big debate has been going on in the United States about the legalization of marijuana for not only medical uses but for recreational use as well. Politicians, such as the President of the United States Barack Obama, celebrities, such as Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Bill Maher, Jack Nicholson and, the state of Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington all support legalizing weed. Some say it impacts lives, causes car accidents, it's a gateway drug and more. Well, I am here to say that all these are false.
1. Marijuana is safer than alcohol
A big debate has always been going on about what is safer, marijuana or alcohol. The fact is, more things have happened due to the result of someone being under the influence than with marijuana. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, "Every hour, one person is killed and 20 are injured in crashes, involving drunken driver."
Acts of violence and bad behavior have happened while under the influence of alcohol. Haven't heard any cases of someone getting raped, killed, beat or anything to that extreme while being high. For example, everyone knows the story of the ex-Stanford student, Brock Turner, who was discovered raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster on campus in January of last year? Yeah, he was under the influence of alcohol.
Alcohol is more addictive than marijuana. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,"Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States." Approximately 17.6 million people, or one in ever 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates 9% of people who use marijuana will become addicted to it. Alcohol is more damaging to the body than marijuana. Binge drinking will affect your heart, liver, and pancreas. Excessive drinking can cause the risk of heart disease, liver disease, cancer, depression, dementia, and much more. You can also possibly have risky sexual behavior, miscarriage, stillbirth, and alcohol poisoning.
2. Marijuana helps with insomnia / medical issues
You probably are thinking how does smoking weed help with insomnia? It does in many plenty of ways. For example, you've ever not been able to fall asleep, well THC helps with that by relaxing the body. Sleeping longer helps for the fact by, increasing the dose of THC or CBD in your body. It also can put you in a deeper sleep. THC can increase the amount of slow-wave sleep or also known as deep sleep. Deep sleep helps with the restoration process when you go into it. You ever heard of REM sleep? Well REM makes dreams happen. THC fixes that for REM to happen less, bodily movement, faster pulse and breathing. It helps with breathing by helping with someone with sleep apnea. If someone suffers from sleep apnea, they wear a CPAP mask every night.
Marijuana is used for different medical issues such as Cancer, HIV, and Crohn's disease. It helps out with chemotherapy from preventing nausea and vomiting. Inhaling, smoking, and vaporizing marijuana can be used to treat neuropathic pain, which is caused by nerve damage. Marijuana is used in treatments for HIV. The THC decreases the immune tissue damage in the stomach and an increase in the number of cells. Overall in HIV infection, it spreads around the body and kills a certain part of cells in the gut and intestine which is called microbial translocation. It damages the gut in a certain way that allows HIV through the cell wall and into the bloodstream. When this happens, THC comes in and rebuilds new bacterial cells. Another way THC helps in medical is, through Crohn's disease, it helps calm down the pain and the swelling that happens through the disease.
3. States with legalization are doing just fine
I am pretty sure everyone remembers when Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational and medical. The internet went crazy from people saying they were going to move to Colorado and others saying Colorado was making a big mistake. Little does everyone know, it was a brilliant idea for Colorado.
In 2015, Colorado made $996.2 million but if you want to be exact it was $996,184,788 between medical and recreational. If you ask me, that's a lot of money made by an "illegal substance". They also collected $135 million in taxes and license fees. $35 million of that went towards school construction projects, other tax revenue funds will go towards different youth and abuse substance programs in the state. In 2014, the state's medical dispensaries sold about $699 million on marijuana. California, Washington, Oregon and the rest of the states are doing perfectly fine. So harmless to the economy? I don't think so.
4. Easy to grow and environmentally friendly
If you've seen a marijuana plant, you may have noticed that it looks pretty simple to grow. Did you know it's environmentally friendly? Do you know how many products are used with marijuana? Hemp and marijuana are both popular names to call a cannabis plant. Hemp's scientific name is Cannabis sativa. Hemp is used in different everyday things such as paper, rope, canvases, and textiles. One acre of hemp can produce four times more paper than one acre of trees.
Fewer caustics and toxic chemicals are used to make paper from hemp which results in less pollution. Products that have hemp in them are nontoxic, biodegradable, and renewable. Such as cotton, soap, ice cream, cosmetics, and hemp oils. Hemp can be grown in all 50 states. ALL OF THEM. Hemp was used in World War II as a substance to make rope, lubricating oil, shoe material, and other things. It was temporary re-legalized so farmers could grow it to help. Not one tree or plant on the commercial, economical, and environmental capability of hemp.
5. Fewer full jails and prisons
I personally believe that this is insane. You can go to jail for up to 180 days for having 2 ounces or less in the state of Texas. It is classified as a Class B misdemeanor and the fine would not be more than $2000. In Texas, the laws are insane for marijuana. If they suspect you are selling, you can get arrested. Like you can either get a ticket or go to jail for carrying a grinder.
Just between 2001 and 2010, 8.2 million marijuana arrests happened just for having marijuana. 8.2 MILLION? insane. 52% of all drug arrest in 2010 were for marijuana. Most arrests for having marijuana happen to African Americans. African Americans are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white males.
Instead of arresting someone for having marijuana, I think police should focus on other important things, like actual criminals commiting crimes.
The debate of legalizing marijuana is very sensitive to some people. Sooner or later, the public will open their eyes and see nothing is wrong with it. Obviously, the states that have legalized it aren't complaining. Colorado currently is living life with all the money they are bringing in. Marijuana can be used in so many ways such as producing more jobs, make the country a lot safer, and much more. Marijuana isn't bad so just smoke a blunt and get over it.
If you don't know the definitions of some abbreviations and words here it is...
- Medical Marijuana legalization means the use of cannabis or marijuana, including constituents of cannabis, THC and other cannabinoids, as a physician - recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy.
Recreational Marijuana legalization means you can't be arrested, ticketed, or convicted for the use of marijuana. You can still be get arrested for selling or trafficking marijuana if you aren't following state laws on licensure and taxation.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted disease caused by unprotected sex. HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight the organisms that cause the disease. Can result in AIDS if not treated correctly.
CBD (Cannabidiol) is is a compound in Cannabis that has medical effects but does not make people feel “stoned” and actually counters some of the effects of THC.
Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts.
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure.
REM stands for rapid eye movement.
XOXO,
Audsome_
