Abstract
Marijuana or cannabis legalization issue is a hot topic for discussion in the United States as there are four key elements argued: marijuana decriminalization, medical marijuana legalization, marijuana legalization for agricultural usage, and the problem of reducing its harm effects with or without legalization. Although there is a growing support for legalizing marijuana in the United States there are many more cons for legalization, including both social and economic costs paid by the American society as a result.
Keywords: Marijuana, legalization, United States, drugs, intoxication.
Con speech for the legalization of marijuana
Marijuana or cannabis legalization issue is a hot topic for discussion in the United States as there are four key elements argued: marijuana decriminalization, medical marijuana legalization, marijuana legalization for agricultural usage, and the problem of reducing its harm effects with or without legalization. Although there is a growing support for legalizing marijuana in the United States with three major players - Phoenix founder John Sperling, Ohio insurance executive Peter Lewis and New York philanthropist George Soros - investing more than $7 million to revise nationwide drug laws (GANJABUS, 2012), there are many more cons for legalization, including both social and economic costs paid by the American society as a result.
To argue against marijuana legalization in the US is important and essential task as, first, there is a well-organized drug trafficking with Mexico marijuana export to the US accounting for 15-26 percent of Mexican drug trafficking organizations revenues (Kilmer et al., 2010). Second, marijuana is so far a single illegal drug considered to be legalized in the US since 2000 with 40 percent of California, Colorado, Alaska and Nevada residents standing for its possible legalization (Zedillo, Wheeler, 2012). In 2010, Ammiano Bill in California needed 3.6 percent more votes to be adopted (California Statement of Vote, 2010, p.7) with California becoming a major opponent for legalization featuring Northern California as a center of marijuana production (Kilmer et al., 2010). Third, marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the US - 17 million Americans older than 12 years old justified the past-month marijuana use, while 374,000 users coming up to an emergency room with marijuana-related problems annually (SAMHSA, 2010). Moreover, 36.4 percent of high school seniors justified marijuana use in 2011 to compare with 31 percent in 2006 (Quinton, 2011).
When it comes to marijuana decriminalization, proponents argue that state control of marijuana production and distribution will weaken drug trafficking and related wars (The Economist, 2009; Johnson, 2010) as well as answer all economic problems through direct tax revenue and reduced state expenditures, in particular as regards to Californian case (Stateman, 2009; Grammy, 2012; Viliello, 2009). However, marijuana legalization is unlikely to solve illicit drug trafficking as licensed and legally grown cannabis will always include $50 tax surcharge engaging former gangs in various state regulations, such as minimum wage levels and standardization. Thus, productivity costs are likely to increase significantly, making their current business less attractive (Vitiello, 2009).
On the other hand, while license and marijuana legal sales can …