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Marijuana: The Simple, Logical Benefits of Legalization
Richard Sepulveda Associated Content
Wednesday 16 Aug 2006 Economic, Legal and Medical Reasons Marijuana is the most recreationally used illegal drug in the United States. It has been estimated that literally millions of otherwise law abiding Americans use the drug to get "high". Still there are millions of others that use the drug to ease their suffering from ailments like: Insomnia, Cancer, Aids, or chronic aches and pains. While it is true some states have legalized Marijuana for medicinal purposes on the federal level Marijuana remains illegal to: possess, cultivate, import, sell or consume. Thus doctors that could prescribe it to their patients as a treatment are fearful to do so even though they reside in a state that has medicinally legalized. It is truly ridiculous that Marijuana should be illegal in a nation where Tobacco kills thousands of people each year from lung cancer and Alcohol causes a majority of fatal car accidents and petty disputes. Especially considering that Marijuana is not as nearly harmful to the body as the negative advertising around it (payed for by alcohol and cigarette companies by large) would lead someone to believe. In fact In a study deliberately covered up by the U.S. gov't until recently, The National Toxicology Program found no evidence that Marijuana causes cancer. In fact the study proved the exact opposite. Animals that were exposed to THC (the acronym that stands for the active chemical in Marijuana also known as Tetrahydrocannabinol) showed less of a risk of getting cancer then those that weren't. Study after study has shown that Marijuana actually decreases a persons risk of getting cancer and that smoking Marijuana does not increase a persons risk of getting any of the cancers associated with smoking. So besides the fact that the drug may actually fight cancer why else should we legalize marijuana? Now I will give you some common sense reasons for legalization: ECONOMIC REASONS: Legalizing Marijuana would create a new multi-billion dollar industry in the United States with a substance that can be taxed by the gov't thereby generating more money to fund gov't programs and create more gov't jobs. The currently labor suffering Midwest would be saved by Marijuana processing factories requiring large amount of labor creating thousands of new jobs for middle America. Shipping commerce from middle America to the big cities and their ports for exporting and importing marijuana would increase dramatically. The increased trade with marijuana producing nations would help to stabilize their struggling third world economies. This would also help to curve illegal immigration to the states from major marijuana producing nations like Mexico by creating a new Mexican industry fresh with new jobs. Lowing incentive for illegal immigrants to cross the border in search of work. Small businesses that sell marijuana would see increased profits which they have been needing since many former cigarette smokers are now quitting. Alcohol and Tobacco companies would be forced to push their products harder thereby dumping millions of dollars more into advertising. Televised anti-marijuana ads would be a thing of the past making room for other commercials to advertise their products. Marijuana can grow almost anywhere thus there is little danger of a weak crop and falling profits Not to mention that Economists at large have thrown their favor behind legalization. LEGAL REASONS: With marijuana users no longer being jailed for possession lots of room would be opened up in our already overcrowded prison system for more hardened offenders such as: murderers, rapists, child molesters and other violent criminals. The Judicial system would no longer be burdened by having to trial cases involving marijuana. The police will be able to allocate more resources to solving more violent crimes. Since marijuana could be purchased at any drug store after being legalized, violent crimes such as: robbery, drug warfare, contamination of drugs by other substances such as: LSD, PCP and Cocaine could quickly become a thing of the past. MEDICAL REASONS: Marijuana has been proven on more then one occasion to not cause cancer unlike its legal counterparts tobacco and alcohol. Patients suffering from a host of disorders and diseases such as: Cancer, Aids, Chronic pain and insomnia would have easy access to a pain reliever. The relaxing effects of marijuana use could prevent tension and stress that cause sore muscles and or agitation and high blood pressure We can plainly see that marijuana legalizations benefits are boundless I could go one listing for days but until Americans wake up and realize that the true crime surrounding marijuana is the cornering of the market by campaign contributions from Alcohol and Tobacco companies thereby denying the rest of us the: Jobs, Money, Health and pleasure from legalizing marijuana. More resources: http://www.ccguide.org.uk/nocancer.php, http://www.webmd.com/content/article/23/1728_57309 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/50880/marijuana_the_simple_logical_benefits.html?page=2
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