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Comment RSSThe United States of Marijuana
February 9, 2010 # 12:12 am # Columns, Opinion # One CommentAccording to CNBC and ABC News, marijuana is the U.S.’s biggest cash crop. Growers make an estimated $35.8 billion a year in illegal sales. With that in mind, states across the country have been taking a slice of this pie by legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. The federal and state governments place taxes on the medical marijuana, meaning they make money off the deal.
States that have legalized medical Marijuana include Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Each regulates medical marijuana in their own way, some stricter than others.
The whole process leaves me with only one question… Where is New York?
I might have found my answer. According to Syracuse.com, New York is close to joining the other 14 states by legalizing medical marijuana. Several early versions of the bill have failed, but now legislators seem to be leaning toward a bill modeled after Rhode Island’s plan, letting the patient have up to 2.5 ounces at a time.
Rhode Island prescribes medical marijuana for a broad range of illnesses, according to Pain Management of America. They include problems like Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, Hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, or any debilitating, chronic condition that produces spasms, seizures or severe pain or nausea.
Even though medical marijuana is often cheaper than “street prices,” legalizing it across the board can do a lot of good for our economy. By producing jobs from farming to manufacturing, medical marijuana can give the U.S. economy a shot in the arm. And let’s not forget state and federal tax. If legalized, the cost of the purest marijuana would decrease but the quality would likely increase.
Detractors argue that marijuana is harmful, but they’ve never proved that marijuana kills, though they have established that alcohol and cigarettes do. Here is an opportunity to push a large amount of money into our economy, yet everyone seems scared to do it. Why?
This could also open the door for more extensive uses of hemp, which is a more environmentally safe alternative to paper, clothes, fabrics, ropes, and more.
I think that it’s time for New Yorkers to take a stand. Students who agree with me should join the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws at UB, today. Let’s change our economy together.
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Wow, thank you for the shout out. we can be found at UB NORML on facebook. Fridays in 250 SU at 6 PM are our general body meetings!
any questions can be thrown out to us at a meeting or on the facebook group!
-UB NORML President
Matt Kopalek