Legalization of Marijuana

My classmate BLindsey wrote an article titled The Money Plant which is basically about how marijuana should be legalized in order to help with the deficit of Texas. “Aside from its agricultural uses, marijuana also serves as a medical aid, helping people with conditions like anorexia, asthma, nausea, pain, alcoholism, glaucoma, epilepsy, depression, hypertension, and cancer. Imagine being able to replace expensive, lab-made chemicals with a cheaply grown natural plant?” Now, although my classmate does point out some possible positives with the legalization of marijuana, I believe there are a lot more negatives associated with this.

I believe that the greatest costs of marijuana come from the actual use of it rather than the prohibition of it. Marijuana is already one of the leading causes of substance abuse and by legalizing it; it would only further increase the amount of addiction. Some people do not use it for the simple fact that it is illegal and they do not want to suffer the consequences associated with getting caught. This would also be opening more doors for our youth to become addicted early and begin using. Rapid accumulating research shows that marijuana is associated with serious mental and physical problems. Marijuana is also seen as a gateway drug leading to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

As far as closing some of the deficit gap, I am not actually sure how much it would actually close. It has shown that even the legalization of alcohol and tobacco is a disastrous trade off financially already. "Alcohol related costs total over $185 billion while federal and states collected an estimated $14.5 billion in tax revenue; similarly, tobacco use costs over $200 billion but only $25 billion is collected in taxes."

Drug impaired driving would also increase. Marijuana is already a significant casual factor in highway crashes, injuries, and deaths. “In a recent national roadside survey of weekend nighttime drivers, 8.6 percent tested positive for marijuana or its metabolites, nearly four times the percentage of drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL (2.2 percent)."

When looking at the negative things associated with the legalization of marijuana, it only further makes me believe that only more harm than good can come from it. If we are trying to improve the nation’s education, health, and productivity then legalization is definitely not the way to go. No money is worth destroying more lives both in the youth and adult community.

If (when) He Runs, Can He Win?

It says a lot about your political leverage and viability on a national scale when you’re polling in second place for your party’s nomination. The fact that Perry has not even officially entered the race and in polling in a not so distant second place behind party nominee front runner Mitt Romney (according to the most recent preliminary polls) speaks volumes about his influence and clout in the Republican Party.

Rick Perry has a few things working to his advantage and the following may result in Perry, as soon as he officially declares his candidacy, facing President Barack Obama for the highest executive office in 2012. The first and perhaps most significant weapon working in Perry’s favor has been his attitude and (political) actions towards the Federal government, particularly as of recent. His rejection of stimulus funding from the Federal government was, in the eyes of fiscal conservatives in the state of Texas and across the nation, a bold courageous affront to “big, overbearing government” in Washington. The faux pas immunity from the national recession the state of Texas seemed to be enjoying up until 2009 only further justified Perry’s decision to decline Federal funding and to verbally critique the Obama administration.

Furthermore, Rick Perry has balanced his conservative persona. The election of current President Barack Obama produced the polarizing political faction the “Tea Party”, a group that advocates for fiscal responsibility, limited government spending/intervention and strict adherence to the constitution. This faction of conservatives and their increasingly growing presence has split the Republican Party in two, between the former and moderate conservatives. As a result, candidates vying for the Republican nomination in 2012 have had to walk the tightrope of appeasing both groups, moderates and tea party activist, to gain as much consolidated support as possible. Because Rick Perry is able to appeal to the fiscal hawks of the tea party, the religious part of his base and to the moderates who may be under the impression that Rick Perry has been good for Texas, at least economically, the current governor is in the driver’s seat of a Republican race that is aimed straight for the Whitehouse. Rick Perry can certainly win the Republican nomination and maybe even the presidency in 2012. Whether or not he’s capable of running this country is yet to be seen.