Roger Cassi
Persuasive Writing
Final Project 1st Rough Draft
October 29, 2008


Imagine a place without a care in the world. The stresses of everyday life would no longer exist. Not one citizen would have to worry about pricey tax increases, killing the earth we live on, and any other negative thought that plagues us throughout our day. America as we know it is far from being this imaginary place. Economically we are in a crisis, our citizens have been measure to be the most stressed in the world, and out contribution to negative effects on the earth is at all time high. But it is not to late. There are many changes America can make to take steps towards being just like this imaginary place. One step that in crucial is legalizing the production and use of marijuana. Legalizing marijuana could jump start our nation into an overall happier nation. The legalization of marijuana can drastically improve Americas well being through improvements of our economy, environment, regulations that promote safe usage, and endless medical uses
It is no secret that the current state of ore economy is very poor. Taxes are rising with no end in sight and the stock market is plummeting. This is where the legalization of marijuana could really help our countries overall well-being. A system similar to the tobacco industry could be implemented. Taxes on the production and selling of marijuana products could aid our economy a great deal. The national average tax rate is 2.00 dollars a pack of cigarettes (FTA). In theory the government could possibly double the amount of tax dollars they are making in that market by legalizing marijuana the way tobacco is legal. Reallocating the funds that go towards the war on drugs could also help build our economy back up. On average, the federal government spends 19 billion dollars a year on the war on drugs (Drug Sense). Adding to that larger number is the average of 30 billion spent by local and state governments (Drug Sense). In all fairness, these programs are not just focusing on marijuana, but marijuana is one of the main drugs they are trying to diminish. Even a small chunk of these fund allocated for another use could help tremendously. Currently I would vote to have that money used to solve our debt issues. However, in the future when our economy is more stable, these funds could be used to fund a great number of meaningful causes such as cancer research. Another way legalizing marijuana would help our economy is through its numerous industrial uses. These uses include paper, textiles, construction material, livestock feed and many more. These uses could create much-needed jobs for our country.
These industrial uses not only help our economy but also help our environment. The demand for paper has become the number one cause of deforestation in the world. The world has finally recognized this as a dire problem that needs to be fixed. As stated before, one major industrial use for marijuana is the production of paper. Creating paper from marijuana is both cost effective and environmentally friendly compared to the cutting down of trees. Marijuana plants are much easier and faster to grow the trees used to create paper. Also the amount of pollution generated by the machines used to farm and cut down trees is more then double what it would take to farm marijuana for paper production. Also it could be used as feed for livestock. Unless you’re a PETA member you may not know all the harmful feeds the food you eat is eating. I know that sounds weird but it is true. Livestock such as cows and pigs are being feed many feed pumped with steroids and other chemicals you could not pronounce or even want to know what they are. The all natural feed that the marijuana plant could produce would be a great deal better for livestock, which would in turn be a great deal better for you.
The way marijuana is sold and used now is extremely unsafe. For users to get marijuana, often times they must travel into parts of towns no one feels comfortable in. These areas can be very dangerous. The danger does not end after getting out of the neighborhood you bought the marijuana from. The strength of marijuana is becoming more and more potent as years pass. The increase of strengths generates an increase in harmful side effects, such as breathing difficulties and increase in heart rate. Also often times marijuana can be laced by another, more powerful drug such as angel dust. The lack of regulation and supervision of marijuana make it a very dangerous drug. If the government would legalize marijuana they could prevent these negative with regulations. Similar to alcohol the government could regulate the strength of marijuana. Alcohol has a proof system in place. Some states don’t allowed proofs that exceed certain numbers. This would allow the user to know how strong the drug they are using it is and use it accordingly. Also it would diminish the risk of unwanted drugs being added to your marijuana. The user could see right there on the package what was in there marijuana cigarette and not feel at risk.
It has been known for years that there are some obvious medical benefits to marijuana. There are countless illnesses both physical and mental that can be treated with medical marijuana. Some of the more serious diseases and illnesses include glaucoma, cancer, aids, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis (Gieringer). You would think that the government would be on board with any treatment for these horrible drugs. Well they obviously are not. Supporting the continued illegalization of marijuana is like supporting the illegalization of aspirin. I know this may sound absurd to most, but there are many similarities. Aspirin, similar to marijuana, is chemically based on natural ingredients. Aspirins main ingredient is salicylic acid, which is found in many plants. Also like marijuana, aspirin treats a great number of illnesses. It can be used as an anti-pain, anti-inflammatory, and fever-reducing medication. On top of these common uses it can be used during a heart attack to reduce the risk of death and even as a supplement to prevent heart attacks all together. More recent studies even show that it can help prevent and slow the development of certain cancers. What makes this comparison even more relevant is the numerous negative side effects caused by aspirin that must be overlooked because of its major benefits. Some common negative side effects of aspirin are stomach and kidney problems, metabolic acidosis, hyperpyrexia, Reye's syndrome, and even cause asthma attacks. Aspirin can also be considered a dangerous drug because the user can easily overdose with fatal results. However, our government legalizes aspirin and drugs like it because they trust us to use them properly. They want us to be able to utilize the benefits of these drugs. Should we make all legal drugs with negative side effects illegal? If the government can trust us with drugs like aspirin that can have so many negative effects, why cant they trust us with marijuana?
Overall, It is obvious that legalizing marijuana is the right choice to make. It could help our country tremendously. Our economy would be stronger, we could do our part in saving the earth, we could make the drug safer for all, and it could blow the medical worldwide open. The imaginary, stress free place I spoke of earlier does not have to be just a figment of our imagination. Take a step forward toward this utopia and fight to legalize marijuana.











Works Cited




"Drug War Clock." Drug Sense. 24 Oct. 2008 .
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Gieringer, Dale H. "Review of Human Studies on Medical Use of Marijuana." NORML. Aug. 1996. 24 Oct. 2008 .
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"STATE EXCISE TAX RATES ON CIGARETTES." 1 Jan. 2008. FTA. 24 Oct. 2008 .