The economical and medical benefits of the Federal Legalization of Marijuana.

1. The Federal Legalization of
Marijuana
Robert Machiaverna

2. My research topic is the federal legalization of
marijuana.
● There are many benefits to legalizing marijuana in terms of both medical and
recreational use. It would benefit America’s economy, as in Colorado and
Washington alone, retail sales from marijuana exceeded $1 billion annually. It
can help with various diseases such as AIDS/HIV, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis,
Asthma, Cancer, Chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, Epilepsy, Glaucoma, and
Multiple sclerosis. It would also result in less money being spent on the legal
systems and jails, as we would not have people getting charged and locked up
for petty marijuana charges.

3. History of Marijuana
● Marijuana first became banned in 1937 and was then placed on Schedule I of
the CDC’s drug schedule in the 70’s, while yet even at this time the Schafer
commision objected this classification and was discounted by Nixon. The first
state to eventually legalize medical marijuana was California in 1996. In more
recent times, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize
the recreational use of marijuana in 2012.

4. Players/Individuals involved in the federal legalization
of marijuana.
1. Steve DeAngelo - Steve DeAngelo is a national cannabis leader who has
inspired millions throughout his four decade career as a cannabis activist,
advocate, entrepreneur and educator.
2. Marijuana Majority - exists to help people express their positions on
legalization of marijuana and not be afraid to do so.
3. NjWeedMan - was incarcerated because of marijuana in 1997 and now speaks
out supporting the substance ever since he got out of his sentence.

5. Questions I have about the Federal Legalization of
Marijuana
1. Why did people believe marijuana was so bad in the first place as it has been
used for medical purposes throughout human history?
2. Was the constitution written on hemp paper?
3. How much money is wasted each year on the incarceration of “marijuana
criminals”?
4. How much money can the government make off of the taxation of marijuana?

6. A Viewpoint about the Federal Legalization of
Marijuana I disagree with
● In an article I found, a pharmacist argues that the use of marijuana will create costs that exceed the
sales tax revenue. This is because of the apparent costs that would come from marijuana related
treatment, injuries, loss of work, and damage to property. The first reason I disagree with this
because I feel that treatment is not required for marijuana, I feel that it is just simply a habit that needs
to be broken if one appears “addicted”. The second reason is because I have never heard of
someone getting injured from smoking marijuana and if anything one who uses this substance
becomes cautious and paranoid. The third reason is because I feel that someone who went to sleep
drunk is way more likely to skip work than someone who went to sleep high. The last reason is
because I feel that people who use marijuana become relaxed and non-violent/destructive so I can
not really see damage to property being a cost unless people are driving way too high, the same way
you can’t drive if you drink past a certain point.

7. Bibliography
Berke, Melia Robinson Jeremy. “This Map Shows Every State That Has Legalized Marijuana.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 28
June 2018, www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1.
Robinson, Melia. “Here's Where You Can Legally Consume Marijuana in the US in 2018.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 20 July
2018, www.businessinsider.com/where-can-you-can-legally-smoke-weed-2018-1#colorado-3.
“How Did Marijuana Become Illegal in the First Place?” Drug Policy Alliance, www.drugpolicy.org/blog/how-did-marijuana-become-
illegal-first-place.
Christensen, Jen. “10 Diseases Where Medical Marijuana Could Have Impact.” CNN, Cable News Network, 16 Apr. 2015,
www.cnn.com/2015/04/15/health/marijuana-medical-advances/index.html.
Franciosi, Anthony. “12 Pros & Cons Of Marijuana Legalization.” Honest Marijuana, Honest Marijuana, 23 July 2018,
https://honestmarijuana.com/legalization-of-cannabis-pros-and-cons/?age-verified=1688c038d2.

8. Bibliography Continued...
“We Are the Marijuana Majority.” Marijuana Majority, www.marijuanamajority.com/.
User, Super. “About NJWeedman.” NJWEEDMAN.COM, www.njweedman.com/index.php/about-njweedman-top.
“Welcome.” Steve DeAngelo, www.stevedeangelo.com/.
Mabee, Robert L. “A Pharmacist Makes the Case Against Legalizing Marijuana.” Drug Topics, 13 Mar. 2018,
www.drugtopics.com/viewpoints/pharmacist-makes-case-against-legalizing-marijuana.