Causecast

by MELISSA JUN ROWLEY, Contributing Writer

It has been referred to as the gateway drug to serious narcotic abuse, but it also relieves pain and nausea in cancer and AIDS patients. It has been called immoral and dangerous, yet no evidence indicates that anyone has ever died directly from using it. For more than 70 years, the U.S. government has tried to eradicate its growth, but it is currently the largest cash crop in the country. Marijuana – let’s give it gander.

The 72nd anniversary of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 is upon us. No doubt, views on the controversial plant have changed throughout the last seven decades, as medicinal purposes have come into play, and the idea of taxing and regulating the plant has been endorsed by activists and some lawmakers. During this time of economic crisis, in a year marking monumental social and political transition, perhaps it’s time for the White House to open its doors to the potential socioeconomic positives of putting pot on the market. As a U.S. citizen and a Californian, living in a state that’s facing the worst budget deficit in generations, I believe it’s imperative for the country to stop criminalizing marijuana, and start marketing its benefits, and monitoring its cultivation and distribution.

In 2006, cannabis reform activist Jon Gettman released a study indicating that marijuana is by far the biggest crop grown for direct sale in the United States. The report estimated marijuana production at a value of $35.8 billion, exceeding the combined value of corn and wheat. There are 30 states in which marijuana is in the top three cash crops – California alone churns out almost $14 billion worth of marijuana each year. In addition to fueling the economy, the legalization of marijuana would create a plethora of jobs in farming, packaging and marketing.

Before the Marijuana Tax Act was passed, cannabis hemp was actually a popular plant used to make rope and cloth. Since it became illegal, manufacturers have used other materials to create rope and cloth. The legalization of hemp is unsettling for those businesses which would be threatened by the re-opening of the hemp market. However, during a crisis such as America’s current situation, resource-maximization should be at the forefront of every sector.

Historically, during times of financial strife, political leaders have had to get creative to turn a bleak situation around. Take for example, the legalization of alcohol in 1933. During his first 100 days in office, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Beer and Wine Revenue Act, which imposed a tax on alcoholic beverages, and gave individual states the right to regulate and sell beer and wine under their own terms. Roosevelt saw that Prohibition was difficult to enforce and merely created an illegal industry, so he chose instead to legalize it and use its sale to raise federal funds.

Today, Democratic assemblyman Tom Ammiano is attempting to make history repeat itself with his proposed marijuana legalization bill, which would tax and regulate recreational marijuana the same way as alcohol. Both the State Board of Equalization and California NORML estimate that this legislation could rake in about $1.3 billion per year in tax revenue. If the law is passed, citizens will be able to reap the benefits of the market net value of marijuana, and will no longer be paying taxes to keep pot-crime offenders imprisoned.

According to the New York Times, the United States has the largest incarceration rate in the world. In May, the Justice Policy Institute released a report stating that America spends $68 billion a year on the prison system. One third of the prisoners are serving time for nonviolent drug crimes, and nearly 50 percent of those arrests are pot-related. From 1995 to 2008, nearly 10 million people were arrested for crimes involving marijuana.

The evidence is clear – pot prohibition does not work. In spite of all the energy and legal resources that go into banning the distribution of marijuana, nearly one million Americans have consumed the plant. Prohibition may look like the obvious answer to decreasing sales and usage, but it actually renders the legal system powerless in this fight.

Forbidding marijuana has created an underground marketplace, which is readily accessible to young people. It’s quite simple – drug dealers don’t check IDs. The bottom line is if people want the drug, they will get their hands on it. This should give the government all the more reason to step in and guide the crop’s farming, circulation and usage. In fact, decriminalization and legalization of the substance could have a positive impact on society.

Honest discussions about health consequences between marijuana reform groups and their opponents need to take place, in order for this process to potentially start on the right path. The world has been talking about the health hazards of alcohol, tobacco, and certain foods and ingredients for decades. Marijuana, a natural resource that possesses medicinal benefits, deserves the same consideration. The Food and Drug Administration regulates the quality and safety of products everyday. The same could and should be done with marijuana. The justice system monitors alcohol consumption by mandating a legal drinking age of 21-years-old, and by issuing DUIs to intoxicated drivers. The same could be done with marijuana.

The United States is running out of money, but there is plenty of marijuana. Why not make the most of it?

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Photo by r0bz, Flickr.