Fernandez 1

Isabella Fernandez

Mrs. Storer,

English III Honors, Block, 4

10 December 2019

Societal Norms Account for the Criminalization of THC & CBD

Over time, the decriminalization of drugs has become more acceptable throughout certain

states in the United States. (Rettner). There are a number of legalized drugs that are acceptable in

most societies, yet unknowingly cause more harm than those which are perceived as objectionable.

(Rettner). This can be further exemplified as the use of cigarettes and alcohol which cause

significantly more harm to people globally, due to the prevalence of them. (Rettner). The usage of

alcohol and tobacco, when combined, have cost more than a quarter of a billion number of deaths

lost to ill-health worldwide. (Peacock). In contrast, illegal drugs have only accounted for tens of

millions of numbers of deaths lost to ill-health worldwide. On the other hand, the use of THC and

CBD have shown far less health concerns, both short-term and long-term, than the use of a more

socially acceptable and decriminalized drug such as alcohol. (Peacock). The use of cannabis and

cannabinoid-base prescription medicines (mainly THC & CBD), if properly regulated, should be

made legal across the United States, to ensure the quality and safety of consenting adults who

choose to partake in its consumption as a result of medicinal necessity, issue of personal liberty,

and national job revenue.

Many consenting adults are prescribed the properly regulated use of THC and CBD. Over

recent years, the support for the medical cannabis has reached towering numbers, due to the

growing body of research that demonstrates the medicinal value for a vast amount of health

conditions. (Peacock). Cannabis may be capable of treating or alleviating the symptoms caused
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caused by a variety of serious illnesses, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, and epilepsy. (Carrier).

While it can’t cure cancer, it has shown the ability to drastically reduce the severity of symptoms

and improve the quality of life for patients. A study published by the National Center of

Biotechnology Information or NCBI, shows that both THC and CBD can stimulate appetite, which

may help with the weight loss, anorexia cachexia that many Cancer patients experience. (Carrier).

In addition, cannabis has shown to be quite effective when combating the nausea caused by

standard cancer treatments such chemotherapy. (Carrier). In addition, studies have shown that

medical marijuana can improve many HIV/AIDS related symptoms such as, anorexia, weight loss,

and severe nausea. For example, the study published by Journal of Pain and Symptom

Management, which shows that 97 percent of HIV patients reported that their appetite had

improved greatly since the use of cannabis treatment, while 94 percent said they experience muscle

pain and 93 percent reported improvements to both their nausea and anxiety. All in all, the

treatment of medical cannabis has shown to be quite crucial for patients with severe symptoms of

illnesses. In related use of medical cannabis, scientific study of the chemicals contained in the

plant, called Cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications taken place in pill form.

(Woolridge). Research and development of cannabinoid-base prescription medicines (mainly CBD

and THC) go through the same rigorous process by which other medicines are approved. Some

cannabinoid-base prescription medicines are currently at various stages of FDA approval like

dronabinol, nabilone, and epidiolex. (Woolridge). Medical marijuana of this kind is ought to be

supported.

If properly regulated, the consumption of cannabis and cannabinoid-base prescription

medicines should be a matter of individual liberty supported by basic personal rights. As a society,

we are allowed to partake in dangerous activities like skydiving, bungee diving, and drinking. Yet,
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why do personal rights collapse as soon as imbibed chemicals are involved? Thomas Jefferson

used the thoughts of the English philosopher, John Locke, when writing the Declaration of

Independence which states that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created

equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these

are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Jefferson). With so, the ideas that Locke inspired

to Jefferson in other words argued that, individuals should be free to make choices about how to

conduct their own lives as long as they do not interfere with the liberty of others. (Andrew). Locke

therefore believed liberty should be far-reaching. The right of every person to harmlessly do

‘his/her’ thing, is a key component of the American tenet of Life, Liberty, and pursuit of

Happiness. (Andrew). The liberty of choosing to partake in the consumption of THC and CBD,

should be a choice because it is enforced by the basic rights of human beings. Do humans have a

right to impeded personal conduct, including the right to alter one’s consciousness as long as no

one else gets harmed? Or is the personal harm caused by drug use sufficient enough for federal

prohibition? If we as a society are allowed to do a variety of dangerous things, why does the use

of cannabis cross the line between a ‘personal right’ and ‘societal danger’? And what really causes

more harm: the drug use itself or the war that was caused by prohibiting it?

The use of property regulated cannabis and cannabinoid-base prescription medicines, if

made legal in the entirety of the United States of America, could amount to vast savings and tax

revenue for the justice system of the union. Legalizing cannabis nationwide alone could account

to at least $132 billion dollars tax revenue and could create more than a million new jobs across

the United States. (Aguirre de Carcer). A study shown by New Frontier Data, a data analytics firm

focused on the cannabis industry, forecasts that if cannabis were to be legalized on a federal level,

the cannabis industry could create an entirely new revenue stream for the government, which
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would generate millions of dollars in sales and payroll deductions. (Aguirre de Carcer). Giadha

Aguirre de Carcer, the CEO of New Frontier stated, “If cannabis business were legalized tomorrow

and taxed as normal businesses with a standard 35 percent tax rate cannabis businesses would

infuse the U.S. economy with an additional $12.6 billion this year.” (Aguirre de Carcer). The tax

revenue generated from the cannabis industry would create an overwhelming amount of economic

boost nationwide. The American dream is characterized as the middle-working class, with a

sustainable job and family to come home to. Yet, without as many jobs to support the nation, the

amount of unemployment inflates. Former President Barack Obama previously stated, “Our top

priority has to be jobs and growth. We’ve got to build on the progress that we’ve made because

this nation succeeds when we’ve got a growing, thriving middle class”, on a press conference held

on November 14, 2012. If the nation has an opportunity to create a vast amount of jobs nationwide,

there should be no doubt to impede it.

If regulated properly, the consumption of cannabis and cannabinoid-base medicines (CBD

and THC), should be made legal to ensure the safety and quality of consenting adults who

voluntarily choose to partake in consumption as a result of medicinal necessity, issue of personal

liberty, and national job revenue. With all that said, if cannabis was legalized nationwide, it would

result in a great amount of benefits for the United States. The benefits can be exemplified by the

several medical issues that could be solved, trillions of dollars that would create a major boost in

the economy, and the societal unification of a much repressed and liberal population that could

become more unified as a nation.

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