Responsible Legalizing Marijuana

962 Words4 Pages
Responsible legalization of medicinal marijuana Bea C. Anton Comm 215 March 7, 2012 Hope Umansky Responsible legalization of medicinal marijuana In 1996, the California Compassionate Act or Proposition 215 was passed by 52 percent of voters. This law legalized the sale and consumption of marijuana for medical purposes. The act allowed for the medicinal use of the drug by the terminally ill (Wood, 2011). People suffering from cancer and the effects of treatment were exempt from criminalization. Although legal in the state of California, the sale and use of marijuana still remains illegal under federal law. Despite the overwhelming support of the voters and medical professionals, prop. 215 continues to be a controversial issue. The U.S.…show more content…
Patients could grow the plant in their home for little to no cost. Taxation of marijuana can generate millions of dollars, boosting the economic revenue. According to Ludlum & Ford (2011), a store in San Diego generated $700,000 in sales in only six months. The imposed sales tax can generate revenue ranging from $220 million to over a billion dollars annually and save $13.5 billion in law enforcement spending (Ludlum & Ford, 2011). During these troubled economic times, one cannot argue that this income would generate a fortune and help in improve the state’s financial…show more content…
Removing the incentives for legality and protection will only force more patients into underground markets. The solution is to lift the prohibition and responsibly regulate the industry. These measures involve limiting the medical eligibility for obtaining marijuana. Patients should only be eligible if they have specific conditions which truly benefit from the drug. This will avoid misuse and prohibit the expanded use. Second, the number of sellers should be limited. Doing so would limit access by unintended users such as children. Another option would be to require patient to grow their own plants. This would eliminate the for-profit-exchange and decrease marijuana costs. Lastly, the administration should impose heavy taxation on dispensaries (Ludlum & Ford, 2011) . Implementing a national standard for regulating medical marijuana would ensure the success of the law, protect patients, gain further support and boost the

More about Responsible Legalizing Marijuana

Open Document