Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Comments on a Fellow Student's Blog


Legalization of cannabis (marijuana) is a very controversial subject.  In the blog titled, The Legalization of Marijuana, the writer, Jessica, is pro-legalization for medical and recreational use in the State of Texas.

I think there are medical benefits to using cannabis, such as nausea and glaucoma.  However the FDA states "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision". I found a Wikipedia article which gives very detailed information about its medical uses, the benefits derived, and the history of use.

In the blog, Jessica states “…federal government are recognizing the good uses that marijuana carries…” According to the research I did, this is not the stance of the federal government. Any use of marijuana remains illegal, per the Controlled Substances Act and is classified as a Schedule I drug (the strictest classification, same as heroin, LSD and ecstasy). In contrast to this position, there are new federal guidelines which have been enacted about pursuing the prosecution of medical users.  According to the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, "It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal."
I think there are many other criminals that are much worse than someone dealing marijuana and believe the law should provide for a less strict punishment so the jail systems have more room for hard criminals, such as murderers.  I also think the legalization of marijuana could be a beneficial tax revenue stream for the government.

Regardless of a person’s personal view the rules are changing when it come to the legalization of marijuana.

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