Legal Marijuana, Essay Example

Abstract

The documentary demonstrated that medical marijuana was the origin of economic growth and job creation.  In the creation of economic growth and employment, the state has the capacity of realizing revenues.  This was demonstrated by the “We Grow” medical marijuana centers and the “Weedmarts” that had been created.   The perspective of the state, business and not for profit organizations had been reviewed regarding the perspectives conveyed by the documentary.  The perspectives of Hickey (2013), Sherer (2014) and Smell the Truth (2013) were accessed.

Legal Marijuana

The essay is based on the PBS Frontline documentary: “The Pot Republic”.  In my opinion, medical marijuana should be legal.  My opinion is based on the resources needed by the State of California.  The thesis of the essay is the role of government, commercial interests and not for profit establishments in the growing of medical marijuana in California.

There are differences between the municipalities, state and federal government over the right to grow medical marijuana.  The state and the federal laws have been in opposition for eighteen years regarding the availability of medical marijuana.  There are many people who need marijuana for medical purposes and the federal government has been directing its attention toward the criminalization of marijuana.  This has proven to be a war over the rights of obtaining medication for millions of people.  There have been many dispensaries which have been authorized by the state governments that have been subject to raids and seizure by federal law enforcement officials (Sherer, 2014).

The Cromnibus bill is a medical marijuana CJS amendment that legalizes the cultivation of medical marijuana and defines the roles of the state, municipal, and federal governments.  There is presently the Rohrabacher- Farr addendum to the Cromnibus bill.  In short, The Rohrabacher- Farr amendment states that if a person is obeying the state law, the federal government cannot come into a home or medical establishment and arrest the physicians and the patients.  This infers that people do not have to live with paranoia regarding the law enforcement officials coming into their residences and places of medical treatment to arrest individuals (Sherer, 2014).

During the past twenty years, the DEA has applied “dynamic entry”, which means breaking down doors and physically assaulting individuals in places where people are receiving medical marijuana treatment (Sherer, 2014, p.  1). The victims are vigorously interrogated and searched.  The marijuana plants, medicine, money and documentation are seized and the victims do not have the right of recovering their property.   The role of the government is not clearly defined in the legalization of marijuana in the State of California (Sherer, 2014).

Medical marijuana establishments have stimulated a number of business related concerns into becoming industries.  One of the industrial concerns that has had the most success with the process of legalization of marijuana farms and distribution centers has been security.  Security is one of the most essential parts of the marijuana industry.  The legalization can only function if the efforts of the establishment are made legitimate and the marijuana is restricted from black market commerce (Hickey, 2013).

If there are not state of the art security systems during all phases of the marijuana growing and distribution process, the success of the establishment becomes threatened.  The security requirements for a marijuana establishment are different from the security needs of other types of establishments.  There are the needs for specific recording devices, wiring and cameras that must be applied.  There is a significant potential for internal theft.  In addition, the security is required in order to ensure that all of the Marijuana that is grown on the farms makes it into the medical dispensaries and not the black market (Hickey, 2013).

The marijuana distribution centers initiated in 1996, with the Compassionate Use Act.  The Compassionate Use Act had been able to use criminal defenses for the legal violations that included growing marijuana for medical reasons.  The main requirement in order to start a growing operation was to have a doctor’s note stating that there had been a medical condition with the respondent that was relieved by the ingestion of marijuana.  The doctor’s note would be used in order to procure a medical marijuana identification card.  This card would be shown to law enforcement officials in order to deter the officials from arresting the patient for the possession of medical marijuana.  The average fee in order to get the identification card is fifty dollars (Smell the Truth, 2013).

In each of the counties within the State of California, there are particular guidelines regarding the number of plants that a patient could have growing.  Notwithstanding, the Supreme Court of the United States came to the determination that the guidelines had been illegal and that a respondent could grow the amount of marijuana that they needed in relation to their medical requirements.  This infers if the doctor’s note states that the patient has a medical condition where they needed to smoke five pounds of marijuana per day, the state authorities would not have the authority to restrict the person from having the marijuana needed to comply with the requisites of the doctor’s note.  Consequently, multiple patients were able to combine their rights under marijuana collectives (Smell the Truth, 2013).

My personal opinion of marijuana before seeing the documentary: “The Pot Republic” was that marijuana was illegal and possession was a criminal activity.  After seeing the documentary, I changed my opinion.  The documentary showed people who were working and happy in the State of California as a result of the legalization of marijuana.  The documentary showed the “We Grow” store that created revenue and employment for members of the community.  The documentary showed the “Weedmart” where people could sustain themselves and generate revenue by the sale of marijuana and marijuana related items.  The documentary changed my opinion regarding marijuana.

References

Hickey, W. (14 May 2013). This marijuana security firm struck gold after solving one of the toughest problems in legalization. Business Insider.

Sherer, S. (18 December 2014). The federal government recognizes battle over medical marijuana.¨ Americans for Safe Access.

Smell the Truth. (21 December 2013) California medical marijuana laws: Starting a grow  collective and dispensary. Smell the Truth.