The flip side: To legalize, or not to legalize?

Tina Hsu • October 22, 2010

Legalization of marijuana has both advantages and disadvantages for California and its citizens

Legalization of marijuana can introduce both health and economic benefits to California	Marijuana legalization has too many social costs to bring in significant tax revenue
Let's face it—people on our campus smoke marijuana. Whether you know it as weed, pot, or ganja, it is impossible to deny that high schools are one of the easiest places to obtain illegal drugs. Ask around; it will soon become clear that plenty of students know at least a couple people who have tried it; yet, possession or distribution of the drug is still illegal in California. Keep a lid on the pot, joked a writer against legalization in an issue of the North County Times. However, what those against legalizing marijuana fail to recognize, is that the simmering discontentment of those for legalization is rising to a boil. Since elementary school, children are taught that drugs are bad. Therefore, marijuana must be bad. Though true to some extent, marijuana is simply not as dangerous as many believe it to be; marijuana is safe enough to be prescribed by doctors as a medical treatment. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, marijuana cannot be overdosed unless mixed with other substances. In contrast, alcohol and tobacco are extremely harmful to the body, but they are legal in California. The question is, then, why are these other substances perfectly lawful, while marijuana is not? The method of combating excessive marijuana abuse is not to ban it, but to legalize it. As seen during the Prohibition era, banning a substance only increases its value; people naturally want something more when they cannot have it. Marijuana users who cannot gain access to the drug without taking a risk only want it more, instinctively finding other ways to bypass the law. By legalizing marijuana, most of the mystery is taken out of the equation, and the drug becomes merely another product sold with an age restriction, like spray paint and lottery tickets. People would find less excitement in selling and procuring the drug, therefore reducing its use in an ironic fashion. Lately, it seems like everyone has been complaining about California's extremely large debt. Marijuana legalization is one of the most obvious sources of extra funding for the state. The NORML reported that over 700,000 arrests were made in 2009 for possession, and the government spends billions of dollars to combat the illegal smuggling of drugs by foreign gangs. If marijuana is legalized, this large sum can be reduced, helping out the state's large deficit. Truthfully, marijuana is nothing more than a plant, and for the everyday person, there is no reason why marijuana is still illegal. To be honest, it can almost be considered organic. Many people have tried marijuana, and it is simply not as wrong as people might believe. There will always be those who smoke marijuana, so voters should legalize it and help the state benefit from its legalization, rather than stay in a sort of self-induced, delusional sense of denial. Murder, arson, and rape are obviously illegal because they harm others, but people have the right to do what they want to their own bodies. If someone wants to smoke a joint, why shouldn't they be allowed to do so? California has a majority of liberal Democrats and progressive minorities, so why are we still stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to legalizing marijuana?	Drugs are bad for you. Even an eight-year-old child who has been through the D.A.R.E program could tell you that. And that child could also tell you that marijuana is considered a drug. Most of us have learned about substance abuse as kids and know all about its negative psychological effects on the user. Legalizing marijuana isn’t going to change the fact that it’s a drug, and it definitely isn’t going to change the fact that it’s harmful. Just because possession of marijuana may become legal, doesn’t make it okay. As people living in a democracy, we live based on the belief that those with the power to make changes are doing what is best for us. However, it’s hard not to question the common sense of those in power when our state is seriously considering legalizing a substance that is known to cause addiction, hallucinations, and lack of motivation. Those who support legalization argue that since there are no immediate physical consequences of using marijuana it should be open to all users, not just those who are medical need. Although the effects of using marijuana aren’t immediately visible, marijuana has a long term effect on memory, judgment, and increases the risk of certain cancers. Although medical marijuana has been passed, the trade off for cancer risk certainly doesn’t seem worth it. There are those eager to get California out of debt who lay their faith in the tax benefits of legalizing the drug. However, in comparison to the social costs associated with legalizing the drug, the billions of dollars we are losing now are far more affordable. Although a significant amount of money will be brought in, there is no guarantee that it is enough to compensate for the decline in worker productivity, academic performance, and further costs to counter addiction, such as rehabilitation and treatment centers. Expecting marijuana to bring in tax revenue is only slightly foolish, but grossly underestimates the common person’s ability to bypass the law. In 1996 California legalized medical marijuana, and if I were a pot head, whose neighbor was allowed to grow medical marijuana, I’d much rather illegally purchase from my neighbor, rather than be taxed by the government. Those who believe that legalizing the drug will make the forbidden fruit less attractive don’t realize all the attention will throw the debate back into the spotlight only to glorify it once again. According to a CNBC report the Alaskan government legalized marijuana in the 1970s, and had to go back and reban it because the teen marijuana usage jumped to more than twice the national average. Legalization will increase usage of the drug and potentially abuse of the drug. The legalization of marijuana isn’t about what’s good for you, it simply comes down to understanding the numbers and what they mean for our society. Those who believe that marijuana can bring in money for the state, don’t factor in the social costs, and the potential psychological effects on our society. The couple billion dollars it could theoretically bring in aren’t worth the side effects.

Legalization of marijuana can introduce both health and economic benefits to California

Marijuana legalization has too many social costs to bring in significant tax revenue

Let's face it—people on our campus smoke marijuana. Whether you know it as weed, pot, or ganja, it is impossible to deny that high schools are one of the easiest places to obtain illegal drugs. Ask around; it will soon become clear that plenty of students know at least a couple people who have tried it; yet, possession or distribution of the drug is still illegal in California. Keep a lid on the pot, joked a writer against legalization in an issue of the North County Times. However, what those against legalizing marijuana fail to recognize, is that the simmering discontentment of those for legalization is rising to a boil.

Since elementary school, children are taught that drugs are bad. Therefore, marijuana must be bad. Though true to some extent, marijuana is simply not as dangerous as many believe it to be; marijuana is safe enough to be prescribed by doctors as a medical treatment. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, marijuana cannot be overdosed unless mixed with other substances. In contrast, alcohol and tobacco are extremely harmful to the body, but they are legal in California. The question is, then, why are these other substances perfectly lawful, while marijuana is not?

The method of combating excessive marijuana abuse is not to ban it, but to legalize it. As seen during the Prohibition era, banning a substance only increases its value; people naturally want something more when they cannot have it. Marijuana users who cannot gain access to the drug without taking a risk only want it more, instinctively finding other ways to bypass the law. By legalizing marijuana, most of the mystery is taken out of the equation, and the drug becomes merely another product sold with an age restriction, like spray paint and lottery tickets. People would find less excitement in selling and procuring the drug, therefore reducing its use in an ironic fashion.

Lately, it seems like everyone has been complaining about California's extremely large debt. Marijuana legalization is one of the most obvious sources of extra funding for the state. The NORML reported that over 700,000 arrests were made in 2009 for possession, and the government spends billions of dollars to combat the illegal smuggling of drugs by foreign gangs. If marijuana is legalized, this large sum can be reduced, helping out the state's large deficit.

Truthfully, marijuana is nothing more than a plant, and for the everyday person, there is no reason why marijuana is still illegal. To be honest, it can almost be considered organic. Many people have tried marijuana, and it is simply not as wrong as people might believe. There will always be those who smoke marijuana, so voters should legalize it and help the state benefit from its legalization, rather than stay in a sort of self-induced, delusional sense of denial.

Murder, arson, and rape are obviously illegal because they harm others, but people have the right to do what they want to their own bodies. If someone wants to smoke a joint, why shouldn't they be allowed to do so? California has a majority of liberal Democrats and progressive minorities, so why are we still stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to legalizing marijuana?

Drugs are bad for you. Even an eight-year-old child who has been through the D.A.R.E program could tell you that. And that child could also tell you that marijuana is considered a drug. Most of us have learned about substance abuse as kids and know all about its negative psychological effects on the user. Legalizing marijuana isn’t going to change the fact that it’s a drug, and it definitely isn’t going to change the fact that it’s harmful.

Just because possession of marijuana may become legal, doesn’t make it okay.

As people living in a democracy, we live based on the belief that those with the power to make changes are doing what is best for us. However, it’s hard not to question the common sense of those in power when our state is seriously considering legalizing a substance that is known to cause addiction, hallucinations, and lack of motivation.
Those who support legalization argue that since there are no immediate physical consequences of using marijuana it should be open to all users, not just those who are medical need. Although the effects of using marijuana aren’t immediately visible, marijuana has a long term effect on memory, judgment, and increases the risk of certain cancers. Although medical marijuana has been passed, the trade off for cancer risk certainly doesn’t seem worth it.

There are those eager to get California out of debt who lay their faith in the tax benefits of legalizing the drug. However, in comparison to the social costs associated with legalizing the drug, the billions of dollars we are losing now are far more affordable. Although a significant amount of money will be brought in, there is no guarantee that it is enough to compensate for the decline in worker productivity, academic performance, and further costs to counter addiction, such as rehabilitation and treatment centers.
Expecting marijuana to bring in tax revenue is only slightly foolish, but grossly underestimates the common person’s ability to bypass the law. In 1996 California legalized medical marijuana, and if I were a pot head, whose neighbor was allowed to grow medical marijuana, I’d much rather illegally purchase from my neighbor, rather than be taxed by the government.

Those who believe that legalizing the drug will make the forbidden fruit less attractive don’t realize all the attention will throw the debate back into the spotlight only to glorify it once again. According to a CNBC report the Alaskan government legalized marijuana in the 1970s, and had to go back and reban it because the teen marijuana usage jumped to more than twice the national average. Legalization will increase usage of the drug and potentially abuse of the drug.

The legalization of marijuana isn’t about what’s good for you, it simply comes down to understanding the numbers and what they mean for our society. Those who believe that marijuana can bring in money for the state, don’t factor in the social costs, and the potential psychological effects on our society. The couple billion dollars it could theoretically bring in aren’t worth the side effects.

El Estoque

El Estoque

El Estoque

The flip side: To legalize, or not to legalize?

El Estoque