Marijuana in Texas

'Since 2015, marijuana has become the fastest growing industry in the U.S.' If cannabis were to become legal in the United State, the market would be larger than the market for organic food. Marijuana is known as one of the most illicit drugs. Our bodies aren't made to tell whether a drug is legal or not, but only to take in what reaction it has to offer. An Indian hemp plant is where it originates from. Essentially found within the flowers, not so much the leaves, seeds, or stem of the plant.

Marijuana has been named the largest drug market within the US. Now more than ever, there's more support for a marijuana law reform with new polls displaying more than majority of the country in favor of the drug being legalized.

Research has establish there are appropriate reasons for medical use of marijuana. There's been strong evidence that cannabis can correct muscle spasms, related to various sclerosis. It comes naturally to believe that by inhaling marijuana can sabotage lung capacity.

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There's a decent amount of data stating smoking once or smoking daily no harm to the lungs, unless you combine it with tobacco. The Journal of the American Medical Association has discovered that marijuana may increase the lung capacity and impair lung function. 'It's possible the increased lung capacity may be due to taking a deep breaths while inhaling the drug and not from a therapeutic chemical in the drug.' (Loria). The California Pacific Medical Center have proven that there's a chemical found in cannabis that stops the spreading of cancer.

Tested on cell cultures and mice, THC and CBD can slow down or possibly shrink tumors, but at the right dose. Whether smoking marijuana helps with the pain in your eyes due to glaucoma or prevents Alzheimer's disease. Not only will it help with medical issues, but clinical studies have proven that it can also help improve the quality of life. By not living day to day in pain, your life is going to be better and you're also going to feel better about yourself.

Many arguments states that marijuana is or can be a gateway drug, when simply it is not. Many studies have shown that those who smoke weed can prevent addictions from other drugs or even stop these addictions. 'After all, there are almost no heroin users who didn't start their illegal drug use with marijuana, and marijuana smokers are 104 times more likely to use cocaine than those haven't tried weed,' (Szalavitz). If marijuana was a gateway drug, other drugs would have a higher use percentage.

On top of marijuana helping with medical concerns, not a single individual has died due to an overdose. 'According to one frequently cited study, a marijuana smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC in a joint in order to be at risk of dying,' (Wing). Why is it that this drug hasn't killed a single person, but yet is still illegal? Even if you were to overdose on it, you still have no risk of dying. People are dying from drug overdoses on a daily, but here hasn't been any link to marijuana causing a sincere death.

By legalizing and regulating marijuana, it would bring more jobs to the table. By doing this, the economic opportunities. Reports from the New Frontier Data project by the year 2020 the marijuana market will have created more than one quarter of a million jobs. 'This is more than the expected jobs from manufacturing, utilities or even government jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,' (Borchardt). The cannabis industry already offers employment to 100,000 to 150,000 workers, and just about 90,000 are within the plant-companies. With this industry opening up so many positions the poverty rate would decrease greatly.

Law enforcement resources will have a better angle to ensure public safety, while also reducing court cost and corrections. Local and state government would collect momentous new sources of tax revenue, as a result of regulating marijuana sales. 'Each marijuana arrest costs taxpayers around $10,000.' (Leicht). One arrest comes with uncounted hours of paperwork and processing. By legalizing it, it would take a lot of time off law enforcements hands and give them more time to respond to other cases. Marijuana drug bust wouldn't be completely eliminated, but numbers would definitely drop dramatically. Estimates have shown a number that law enforcement would be saving anywhere from $8 billion to $16 billion on a yearly bases. Based on other states, legalizing it would also create a revenue. 'On the whole, the legal sales produced 4.6 billion in 2014. Just a year later, proving they weren't fluke, these sales jumped by 17.4 percent, hitting 5.4 billion for 2015,' (Gonzalez). Sells would also be taxes, creating a lot of money. With this tax revenue, we could be putting it towards public schools. Whether it's an upgraded gym, new computers, or a better parking lot. Or these taxes can go towards potholes around the city. The state of Texas would be saving money and making money, making a big improvement on the state itself.

Now that there are many states that have legalized marijuana, there's now research that has shown legalizing marijuana has reduce criminal behavior. One reason as assumed that the use of cannabis is a substitution for alcohol. Causing people to drink less, making the public a safer place to me. One major detail is it will weaken the black market. By being illegal, shoppers have to take illegal actions to get it. 'When a state on the Mexican border legalized medical use of the drug, violent crime fell by 13% on average,' (Doward). It would also prevent adolescence from being on the streets, creating trouble for themselves. Even though they wouldn't be of age, due to the regulation put on cannabis, it would make it harder for them to get their hands on it and sell it. By keeping the youth off the street and into trouble, a better and brighter future will be ahead for them. Legalizing this drug would keep the streets safe, whether you're of age or not.

Marijuana merchandise examination is becoming a standard prerequisite for legalized marijuana markets. Causing consumers to be well aware about the marijuana they use. By being able to regulate it, similar to alcohol and tobacco. 'Flowers and other cannabis products sold to consumers should include cannabinoid profiles on labels, including the content of THC, CBD and other major cannabinoids, and the number and concentration of doses,' (Marijuana Legalization and Regulation). Those who are purchasing this drug out on the street have no idea what's actually in that strain of cannabis. For all they know, it could be laced. By having consumer regulations and the items information, it'll give the individual a little more knowledge on what's being purchased.

Plants can cloak themselves to shelter them from predators. They can also contain horrible toxins that can contaminate when eaten, causing to make the animal of prey sick or alter their mental capacity. Marijuana plants hold THC has their protective instrument. THC causes intoxications, causing changes in the body and mind, possibly creating a dependence on it. There has been research that pinpoint chronic use for it may cause defective learning, processing speed, and even memory. This will hurt an individual in the long run. A study coming from the Northwestern University that heavy users had an 18% score reduction on a long-term memory test, compared to those who've never used. Side effects are another reason why consumers should be aware of what they are putting into their bodies. For example, on a pack of cigarettes there's warning signs talking about how this substance may cause complications with the individuals health.

Having evidence that cannabis will alter one's mind, it can alter one's ability to drive as well. This makes the roads a little more dangerous. 'Nevertheless, there is no set level of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, that determines whether you're over or under the limit for being impaired,' (Williams). THC may stay within the bloodstream from anywhere between a few days to a few weeks. Unlike alcohol, determining whether a person is driving under the influence a little bit more difficult to keep the roads safe.

Marijuana is unfortunately addictive. Ratios show that one in ten users will become dependent towards it over time. Those who have been using the substance before the age of 18 are more likely to become addicted than adults. Users will start to feel ugly about themselves in many different aspects; such as being irritable, restless, difficulty sleeping, and many other withdraw symptoms. Laws are going to state you have to be 21 years of age to purchase this drug, preventing less addictions.

Marijuana should be legal in Texas, because there's so much research on it to where we can regulate it perfectly. Whether smoking marijuana helps with the pain in your eyes due to glaucoma or to calm your nerves, it'll generally make you feel better; mentally and physically. Bringing in money and also saving money, can help improve the state in many different aspects. By creating jobs and bringing many individuals out of poverty or possibly even saving them from going into it. Even though there are some negative reasons against it being legalized, there's still ways to go about them and prevent damage. Whether it's legal or not, it's going to be sold. Why not legalize it and benefit from it? Legalizing it would help the state more than it would hurt it.

Words Cited

Borchardt, Debra. 'Marijuana Industry Projected To Create More Jobs Than Manufacturing By 2020.' Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1 Mar. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2017/02/22/marijuana-industry-projected-to-create-more-jobs-than-manufacturing-by-2020/.

Doward, Jamie. 'Legal Marijuana Cuts Violence Says US Study, as Medical-Use Laws See Crime Fall.' The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 14 Jan. 2018, www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/14/legal-marijuana-medical-use-crime-rate-plummets-us-study.

'Does Legalizing Cannabis Reduce Crime?' Pot Guide, PotGuide, 19 Feb. 2018, potguide.com/pot-guide-marijuana-news/article/does-legalizing-cannabis-reduce-crime/.

Gonzalez, Michael. 'Would Legalizing Marijuana Save Money?' LinkedIn, 4 Mar. 2016, www.linkedin.com/pulse/would-legalizing-marijuana-save-money-michael-gonzalez.

'Is Marijuana Addictive?' NIDA, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive.

Loria, Kevin. '23 Health Benefits of Marijuana.' Business Insider, Business Insider, 7 Mar. 2018, www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-4.

Leicht, Angelica. 'The Top Ten Reasons Texas Should Legalize Cannabis, Y'all.' Houston Press, 22 May 2016, www.houstonpress.com/arts/the-top-ten-reasons-texas-should-legalize-cannabis-yall-6376330.

Szalavitz, Maia. 'Once and for All, Marijuana Is Not a Gateway Drug.' Vice, Vice, 13 Oct. 2015, www.vice.com/en_us/article/9bgn7a/why-marijuana-is-not-a-gateway-drug-1013.

'Marijuana Legalization and Regulation.' Drug Policy Alliance, www.drugpolicy.org/issues/marijuana-legalization-and-regulation.

'What Is Marijuana? How Is Marijuana Used? Street Names for Marijuana - Drug-Free World.' Foundation for a Drug-Free World, www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana.html.

Williams, Sean. '3 Arguments for and Against Legalizing Marijuana.' The Motley Fool, The Motley Fool, 22 Oct. 2017, www.fool.com/investing/2017/10/22/3-arguments-for-and-against-legalizing-marijuana.aspx.

Wing, Nick. 'Here Are All The People Who Have Died From A Marijuana Overdose.' The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/marijuana-deaths_n_3860418.html.