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Anntoinette M Hyer

3/29/10

Advocacy in Human Services

In November, voters in California will decide whether or not to be the first Americans to

legalize marijuana for personal use. The initiative would allow adults 21 or older to buy

grow or possess up to an ounce of pot for personal consumption state officials estimate

that legislation would save tens of millions of dollars in law enforcement costs and

generate potentially major revenue from the production and sale of marijuana. The

initiative would include to possess cultivate and transport marijuana for personal use. It

would permit local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of

marijuana to people 21 years or older. It would prohibit people from possessing

marijuana on school grounds, using in public, and smoking it will minors are present, or

providing it to anyone that is under 21 years of age. The initiative would also maintain

current prohibitions against driving while impaired. Summary of estimate by legislative

analysis and Dir. of finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: saving up

to several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments on cost of

incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Unknown but potentially

major tax, fee, and benefit assessment revenues to state and local governments related

to the production and sale of marijuana products.

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There are several reasons I would advocate for this legislation to be passed. The

government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75

years: and yet marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually. Cannabis is

currently the largest cash crop in the United States, generating nearly $14 billion a year [

CITATION Joh09 \l 1033 ].

Marijuana is too expensive for our justice system and should instead be taxed to

support beneficial government programs. Law enforcement has more important

responsibilities than arresting 750,000 individuals a year for marijuana possession,

especially given the additional justice costs of disposing of each of these

cases[ CITATION Tnr10 \l 1033 ]. Marijuana arrests make justice more expensive and

less efficient in the United States, wasting jail space, clogging up court systems, and

diverting time of police, attorneys, judges, and corrections officials away from violent

crime, the sexual abuse of children, and terrorism. Furthermore, taxation of marijuana

can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social

programs.

Marijuana is not a lethal drug and is safer than alcohol. It is established scientific fact

that marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and

marijuana is not nearly as addictive as alcohol or tobacco. It is unfair and unjust to treat

marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.

The illegality of marijuana makes it more valuable than if it were legal, providing

opportunities for teenagers to make easy money selling it to their friends. Legalized

marijuana would reduce the flow of money from the American economy to international
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criminal gangs. Marijuana's illegality makes foreign cultivation and smuggling to the

United States extremely profitable, sending billions of dollars overseas in an

underground economy while diverting funds from productive economic development.

Marijuana's legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable

and diverse agricultural including its development as a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon

emissions.

Some dilemmas I would face advocating for marijuana to be legalized would be

that people don't like change. Its illegal now, therefore they think it should remain illegal,

even though up until 1937 marijuana was legal.

People also mention that marijuana is a gateway drug to harder drugs. Also that

marijuana can cause serious motivational problems and can be an impediment to

learning capabilities. Marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired

coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and

memory. Research has shown that marijuana's adverse impact on learning and memory

can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. As a result,

someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a sub optimal

intellectual level all of the time. However, let me include that it's never been scientifically

proven of anyone having a fatal marijuana overdose.

Holland and British Columbia have decriminalized marijuana with no harsh effects.

Millions are attracted to Amsterdam yearly in search of legal hashish bars. When

looking at the facts of whether or not to legalize marijuana. It seems that the pros

outweigh the cons.

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Works Cited

A, T. (2010, March 24th). ''Sacramento Bee''. Retrieved March 28, 2010, from California will
vote on legalization of marijuana: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/25/2631903/california-will-
vote-on-legalization.html

Lovell, J. (2009, October ninth). The "law enforcement establishment. Retrieved March 28,
2010, from ''Ventura County Star'': http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/oct/07