Ending Marijuana Prohibition

 

The debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana has been ongoing for years, and has very recently heated up. In the U.S. there are now 17 states that allow medical marijuana, 14 states that have decriminalized marijuana, and Washington and Colorado who just legalized marijuana this past year. For marijuana advocates this is definitely a step in the right direction, however even with a majority of the country (52%) believing that marijuana should be legalized, the federal government still views marijuana as an illegal and dangerous substance. Why is there such a rift in opinion about a little, green plant?

The reality is that there are many misconceptions about marijuana. There has always been propaganda saying that marijuana is a dangerous drug that can lead to a life of turmoil. The fact is marijuana has been proven to have incredible medical benefits, and has never been ruled as a cause of death in any, human, ever. Yet marijuana is still treated as a dangerous drug by the federal government. While opponents of medical marijuana argue over its dangers, FDA approved drugs that are prescribed in place of marijuana kill thousands of people every year What can and should be done about this? Not only do we have to consider the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes but also for economical purposes as well. In addition to the taxes, jobs created, and general revenue that would be generated, we have to consider how much money we are spending on the war on marijuana. 72% of Americans in a recent poll said they agree with the statement, “government efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they are worth”. People’s values are changing and so should marijuana laws.

Yet marijuana is only the tip of the iceberg, and hidden under the water lies the issue of hemp. Under federal marijuana prohibition, hemp is illegal to cultivate in the United States.  Commonly confused with marijuana, hemp was once a cash crop of the United States and was even once coined the “New Billion Dollar Crop”. But what exactly is hemp, and why is it illegal? With the potential to create thousands of jobs, generate billions for the economy, and save forests world wide, we must take a close look at hemp and figure out a way to revive this long lost crop.

Marijuana and hemp go hand in hand, and while federal government maintains a prohibition of marijuana, it will be illegal to cultivate hemp. In a country that allows tobacco and alcohol companies to make billions of dollars in profits while their products result in the deaths of  thousands of people every year, we must generate awareness and critical thinking about marijuana and hemp. At such a progressive, and tough economic time in America’s history it is simply irresponsible to ignore the obvious benefits that marijuana and hemp have to offer. Below is an interesting video comparing marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol.

The facts: cigarettes vs. marijuana vs. alcohol