Going Green

Marijuana is a touchy subject for some, and every election year the question of whether to legalize it in some way rises to conversation.  Current legislation holds the substance in a grey area.  According to federal law, pot is illegal and held in the same regard as drugs such as cocaine and heroin; drugs that, in my opinion, are much more “hard” and impose much more danger on the public than marijuana does.  Some states have taken the matter into their own hands however.  California and Colorado are examples. 

In these two states, weed can be purchased legally at dispensaries that look similar to head shops on the east coast.  Colorado has even taken the step to enact an office dedicated to keep the weed sold in shops safe and in line with the state’s current business procedures. A resident of Colorado and California can go to a doctor and acquire a registry identification card that grants that resident the privilege to purchase weed at a dispensary, weed that costs about half as much compared to the local market (not to mention better quality too).  The reason this happens is because the entire market is allowed to breathe, and with the government helping instead of preventing, it has allowed for tremendous growth.  In a documentary by journalist Christof Putzel titled The War on Weed, he clearly shows the economic benefits, among other interesting information.  One example was that of a banker from Boulder, Co.  who was laid off from his firm when the recession hit in 2008.  After staying unemployed for close to a year, the ex-banker turned to the marijuana industry and opened up a completely legal dispensary that has been making profit since conception.  This Colorado resident refers to the industry as “recession-proof” and said that many people were taking refuge within this industry during the meager economic conditions. 

The documentary also pointed out the difference in the handling of marijuana on the west coast compared to the east coast within the U.S.  The show starts off with Putzel actually acquiring an ID card from a licensed doctor, purchasing the “medicine,” and taking it with him through airport security, landing in Seattle, Wa.  In Seattle, the view on weed is extremely relaxed and police officers will not stop, let alone arrest, people smoking weed in public places.  There was even a festival called Hempfest that had the mayor as one of the guest speakers, endorsing marijuana. He is one of the many politicians on the west coast actively trying to legalize pot as fully as possible.

Putzel then travels to New York City where the scene could not be more opposite.  Cops regularly perform Stop and Searches (primarily on African-Americans and Latinos) without warrants and without reason.  Numerous videos have come to light from people such as AllThingsHarlem and NYCResistance. Using pseudonyms in order to protect their identities, they have broadcast the illegal action of police officers reaching into the pockets of these people and arresting them for possession.  The law of the land clearly protects this kind of action from happening.  People were being forced to pay thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees for under a gram of weed in their pockets. Compared to the relaxed view of west coast officers, it really is ridiculous.

From all the benefits that weed presents, primarily its use as medicine within society and the positive economic affects it can have on a glum economy, I see reason for marijuana to be legal, or at least decriminalized to some degree. I believe the majority of society would agree.  When alcohol was placed under prohibition in the 1930s, an intense black market erupted causing tremendous violence compared to when alcohol was legal, not to mention the economic strain it placed on the economy (i.e. the Great Depression).  Weed is in an extremely similar position currently.  A huge black market is in place because of its illegality, and violence is a part of that.  We are also in a recession, a recession that we could snap out of tomorrow with the appropriate legislation.  This is an issue that not all Americans will ever agree on, but a significant amount of Americans do.  So I urge policy makers to rethink the usual strategy of weed and do what the people want: legalize it.