Southern Agrarians believed in a process of growing and cultivating produce through traditional methods in order to increase the rate of cultivation practices in the south. Traditional versus sustainability thinking is a debate that is evident in the country today. In the current climate, the legalization of marijuana is a hot button issue that poses to put a rift between different ideologies. This paper is an argumentative essay that outlines the various arguments and counterarguments for and against the legalization of marijuana. This paper aims to outline the impact that legalization would have on the economies of the south with an outlook on the state of Alabama which has an ongoing debate on the impact of the drug and whether or not to legalize it. This essay will look at the economic, medical and legal repercussions of the legalization of the drug in order to demonstrate how sustainability is important in the south through the legalization of marijuana for the wellbeing of the citizens of the region.
First, this debate should be examined from the point of the law. The point of establishing a legal system is in order to ensure that the will of the people is established in a manner that is fair to them. There is growing sympathy on the legalization of Marijuana with more than half the people in the country advocating for its legalization (Caulkins, Kilmer &Kleinman 136). However, pundits observe that the action of the law is not on the side for the legalization of the drug. The state of Alabama is a most conservative state. The state throughout history has shown slower gravitation towards change in its policies and legislation. Those who are against legalization also argue that the classification of the drug has yet to change in the country. Marijuana is classified as a class A drug and thus there is the problem of the precedent that would be set if the state allowed its legalization. This occurs mostly because of the perceived wasteful nature of the people who use the drug recreationally. Although the perception of the drug is changing throughout the nation, the autonomy of the American legislation system when it comes to states, further encourages the debate on legislation. This is because the states have full will to put laws that don’t concern the federal government as they will.
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However, on the flipside, the law is slowly evolving to encompass the people’s will. The term growth also involves the aspects of the legal system. The law is malleable in nature as certain laws and regulations have changed over time. Racial segregation and slavery once considered legal especially in the south are now abolished and considered crimes against Humanity. This means that the law has the ability to change to suit the current climate. In the south, this change would be part of the growth in the region in an effort to create congruence with the rest of the nation’s state that are quickly adopting new policies on marijuana. The effects of this would create sustainability in the judicial system because of the public’s view on the use of the drug both recreationally and medicinally as non-harmful to persons. The state has made significant moves towards the process of legalization of marijuana. First, the state passed two Canabioid oil laws, Leni’s law and Carly’s laws, which allow for the study of the use of marijuana based treatments on patients who suffer from seizures and other psychological illnesses (Maa & Figi 786). This law passed in 2014 was the first step in progression towards legalizing the drug. Secondly, the state recently debated on the Alabama Medical Marijuana Patient Safe Access Act, a senate bill 326, which would allow for the medicinal use of marijuana in patients. The advantages of this act is passed, would allow for the state to join the other southern states that have legalized the drug (Cohen 658). This would be a major key development in the laws of the state signifying the nature of growth of the legal system of the area. This is further bolstered by the fact that the region’s citizens now have the necessary awareness that is created by the various advocates of the legalization of marijuana throughout the country, the argument being that the drug is not medically harmful as outlined in the next argument.
Secondly, the debate on marijuana is examined through the analysis of its effects on the medical field. The argument for legalization of the drug first stems from the medical research benefits that are outlined by professionals in the field. First, in order for the south to grow, it must embrace new methods of medical practice which are proven as effective. Marijuana is effective in clinical trials in the treatment of chronic illnesses such as Cancer (Cohen 655). Its medicinal properties have been shown to suppress pain in the body of the people that are suffering from the body. It is more effective in treating chronic pain than other drugs. Secondly, the south is faced by the menace of having one of the largest ration of people living with drug addictions and substance abuse in the country. Studies have shown, that Marijuana is a safer addiction alternative to other addictions such as cocaine which is a schedule II drug while marijuana is classified as a schedule I drug. Lastly on the influence of marijuana and its growth in the south is the myth that is often mentioned on the harmful nature of the drug. Marijuana is grown in the south in legal territories. The medical implications of this drug have been shown to be at zero from numerous clinical trials. The drug is not as harmful as other legal drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes and the number of deaths that have directly been caused by consumption of the drug is at zero (Cohen 655). It is important for the growth of the south that the state of Alabama acknowledges the positive traits that are established by the use of marijuana in her people. The wellbeing of the population of the south is important and the medical advantages of marijuana in treating diseases that range from glaucoma to terminal illnesses is too important to ignore. In order to maintain the standards of healthcare, alternative forms of healthcare must be embraced by the region for the good of all southerners.
Although the benefits of marijuana are often argued for, the skeptics on the importance of implementation of marijuana often argue that the science behind the medicinal properties of the drug are inaccurate. This logic has to do with the effects the drug has on unborn children. There have been no conclusive studies on the effects of marijuana in pregnancy. This leads to the advocacy against legalization by the parents of students in the south. Secondly, legalization of marijuana leads to an increase of teenage users in the drug. In Colorado, there was a 17% increase of the use of the drug in pre-teen and teenagers after the state legalized marijuana (Lynne-Landsman, Livingston, & Wagenaar 1502). This increases the number of children who are exposed to drugs and drug abuse early in life. In Florida, a state that is in the south, the number of DUI’s that have been reported rose up 10% (Volkow 2225). The use of marijuana has also been outlined as a leading cause of addiction. Marijuana is often outlined as a gateway drug leading people to seek greater highs from other drugs after their bodies get used to the drug.
However the medicinal qualities of the drug in treating ailments is important because it helps create a healthier population which could help sustain the economy of the south thus bringing about sustainability in the region. It is also important to study this plant because its medicinal properties maybe the key to treating various ailments and thus reducing the mortality rate of the south.
Third is the outlook on the impact of the legalization of Marijuana on economies of states. The impact of marijuana on an economy cannot be ignored. An example to be taken into account is the state of Colorado. The legalization of marijuana for recreational use for adults created 18,000 jobs on a full time basis in 2015. This means that the use of the drug has injected 2.4 billion dollars into the economy of the state (Monte, Zane & Heard, 241. This is done from the taxation of the sale of the drug, licensing fees and various examples of regulatory fees that are paid to the state’s coffers. This means that the legalization of the drug could single handedly increase the economic viability of a state. The same has occurred in California after the passing of proposition 64 legalizing marijuana. Marijuana also has an impact in the medical economy. Its classification as a drug and thus can be prescribed by a doctor. This means that it is readily available as an alternative for pharmaceutical drugs. This is compounded by the fact that is relatively cheaper than these drugs and thus helps get a market share of the pharmaceutical companies that supply drugs and prescription medicines in the region. The growth of marijuana also has the advantage of creating opportunities of self-employment. The south would benefit from this as it contains a large workforce of unemployed persons. If Alabama passed the legislation to legalize marijuana, those who are unemployed could legally farm marijuana personally and create sources of income themselves instead of relying on state welfare such as unemployment checks.
Arguments against the legalization of marijuana on an economic front are few and far between. The main argument is proposed by the pharmaceutical companies which lobby the government against the legalization of marijuana. This is because the pharmaceutical companies are forced to compete with the prices of marijuana which is a perfect alternative to their drugs. These companies simply cannot because the cost of production between the two different types of drugs is inherently different. Thus the threat of legalizing marijuana forces the companies to look at the prospect of losses.
In order for the south to continue in its developmental path, it has to consider the various facets that can lead to the creation of funds for its citizens. It is important for development that states in the south adopt different strategies to increase revenue in their states. Marijuana is one such strategy as it creates revenues that are astronomical in monetary value and that would be beneficial to the citizens of the area through development by the states.
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In conclusion, the legalization of marijuana would be a key step for the development of the people in the region. In order to circumnavigate the argument by traditionalists, the marijuana can be grown right in the heart of the south. This helps cover the argument on traditional cultivation models. However, the difference would be in the modernization methods of growth. In order for the south to compete economically with the rest of the country, it has to embrace change before the change eventually comes and encompasses the region. Legalization of marijuana has advantages that can be experienced by the citizens through its medicinal and economic advantages. These two solely have an opportunity to create growth in the region of the level of health and the amount of revenue generated. These revenue sources could lead to the injection of funds into various projects and not have to rely so much on federal funding. The benefits of legalization of marijuana far outweigh the detriments and it is important for the south to embrace it in order to unearth its developmental potential.
- Caulkins, Jonathan P., Beau Kilmer, and Mark AR Kleiman. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know? Oxford University Press, 2016.
- Cohen, Peter J. “Medical marijuana 2010: it’s time to fix the regulatory vacuum.” The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 38.3 (2010): 654-666.
- Lynne-Landsman, Sarah D., Melvin D. Livingston, and Alexander C. Wagenaar. “Effects of state medical marijuana laws on adolescent marijuana use.” American journal of public health 103.8 (2013): 1500-1506.
- Maa, Edward, and Paige Figi. “The case for medical marijuana in epilepsy.” Epilepsia 55.6 (2014): 783-786.
- Monte, Andrew A., Richard D. Zane, and Kennon J. Heard. “The implications of marijuana legalization in Colorado.” Jama 313.3 (2015): 241-242.
- Volkow, Nora D., et al. “Adverse health effects of marijuana use.” New England Journal of Medicine 370.23 (2014): 2219-2227.