Legalization: What Has Marijuana Learned From Alcohol?

When considering the legalization of products previously said to be dangerous, I think positive and negative lessons can be learned from the Prohibition era of alcohol. Marijuana is the primary drug to compare to alcohol for this topic as it reaches the repeal stage of its life cycle. There is a slow progression towards it becoming legal to use after several years, decades even, of resources being dedicated to stop its proliferation. Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have already authorized recreational use. The process began with medical use similar to how wine was allowed for religious use. There may not be a religious reason to use marijuana but the health benefits to patients suffering from pain, difficult radiology treatments and improper nervous systems are well documented. Marijuana has been found to help patients through their most difficult times both physically and psychologically. Alcohol is also taught to have health benefits. Some say a glass of wine, periodically, is good for the heart. It is possible that some substances in moderation are actually good for us and it is excess at which they can become destructive. So reflecting on the situation today, we can see that some form of regulation is always necessary but absolute restriction may not be fair to society as a whole.
          During the time of prohibition, alcohol was controlled by organized crime units who opposed the law. The legislation created to remove public access to alcohol did not mean the demand to have it diminished entirely. Bootlegging and the black market began and grew at a similar pace, if not faster than law enforcement. Marijuana distribution is a known service across the United States. Even with it being illegal, some of our favorite musicians, movie stars and athletes kept the drug in the public’s eye and popular. People would sell in their local communities as if it were as common as tobacco. Sometimes prosecutors and police officers would punish violators to the fullest extent and other times users would simply get warnings. The variations of discipline are subjective to say the least. It seems that eventually a democratic government will always respond to the population it serves. Meaning what the people clamor for will be given to them in due time. It just takes time to assess the actual benefits versus the dangers and study the long-term effects for the betterment of all involved.
          Now we can move away from the criminal element and consider how these decisions affect the omnipresent topic of our economy. As illegal substances are still pursued, any money spent on those efforts is not taxable. In the case of alcohol there was production, bottling, transportation and the direct sell to the user who knew that this was against the law. The makers of the beverage knew it was against the law. Every intermediary in that process knew it was against the law. There was still a market for it and therefore a way to make money. No one in the course of that transaction worked for free. Marijuana has a process it goes through today. Somewhere it is grown, harvested, bundled, transported, packaged and distributed. Again, with all parties involved aware of the risks being taken. Why is it so important to have the after-effect of its usage that one willingly ignores the consequences of breaking the law? These were potential billion dollar industries that the government could not lay any claim to without making an adjustment. In fact, they spent money for training and equipping a workforce to combat it in both eras. With acceptance of the demand and legalization, there is a huge growth of a taxable product market. As users no longer have to hide and be mysterious, purchasing will go up. Alcohol experienced an increase of the average user after the government endorsement.
          More importantly, with government regulation people may actually have access to a safer and more natural product. One could never be sure that the product you purchase through illegal means is actually good for you. How could you? The purity of the substance as well as its condition prior to your possession is always in question. The government can step in and be sure that if its voters want something then they can provide it a better way. Is the problem prevention from use or it is public safety? Those that want it will get it by whatever means they have available to them. So legality is not the concern of a constant user. I assume sustainability would also be enhanced with government intervention. Once a product is approved, does a new sector develop to try the once illicit item? This is usually the case with alcohol, as scores of young adults begin to drink at age 21. Those habits continue as long as they never have a really bad experience. There are some people who do not decide to start however. I cannot be sure of how marijuana will be received but it may be similar. There could be an age limit and tolerance level established to what is rational from a governing body. 
          In conclusion with the legalization of marijuana almost inevitable, I think there are reasons to prevent it and reasons to accept it. The main cause of prevention would be to continue to discourage the use of a dangerous substance. Even now, alcohol usage is a leading contributor to deaths and physical ailments of all kinds. To promote responsible consumption is not a concrete deterrent. This leads to the reasons to accept it. As stated earlier, the product whether legal or illegal will be sold and purchased. The least we could do is allow it to be retailed and distribute those resources to other causes. Think of the results of lower income taxes, better roads, improved schools and emergency personnel that are less busy all from the money that states could use from lawful marijuana profits. Usage may be at an all-time high, I cannot help the pun there, but will it have the same trend as alcohol. Already there are less cigarette advertisements. We have learned the lessons from smoking and what it can lead to. So maybe marijuana will not be as popular. Maybe people will try it and discover it is not for them. Maybe those who really need it will be helped by this latest advancement. All I know is that we can never be sure until we take the time to find out.

Healthcare - The New Inalienable Right

As we reach a point of constantly evolving our society to meet the needs of our people, I believe the next advancement would be to accept healthcare as a right that should be accessible to all citizens.  Healthcare has become a necessity to many people but the majority of us were only aware of it through forms of employment.  Once upon a time as a new employee, I was confused about the choice between a health maintenance organization and a preferred provider organization.  I did not know what advantage I would have if I were to choose a personal doctor or pay slightly more for a network of doctors that would all be under that same plan.  I knew that I wanted to pay for one or the other via a deduction from my paycheck however.  The PPO was eventually my choice and I used it to its maximum extent.  There were times that I partially paid for dental care, surgery, hospital stays, biannual check-ups and prescription medications for infections.  I know what health insurance can mean for a person and I am sure my life has been drastically reformed for having that happen.  Healthcare can be an integral service similar to that of public transportation, education and telecommunications.  It can become something that is available to anyone who wants it.  As insurance suggests, it is constantly available for us to use and primarily only awaiting our interaction. When considering the landscape of our population, why would we not want to see as many physically and mentally healthy people as possible?  Can there ever be a reason to interfere in someone being able to restore their health to full capacity?  Having been a victim of sickness, I know the penalty of not being in the best condition each and every day.  Mental deterioration and physical exhaustion are just some of the invisible constraints I had to battle due to reduced vitality.  Showing signs of calamitous pathogens with skin conditions and organ failure are the more worrying indications that care was long overdue.  We could be arranging prevention methods for never having to suffer from some of the more common ailments.  And this would not be just for the adults like me.  Furthering eradication of disease in the forms of immunizations and treatments for our youth are equally as important to living in a developed society.  Children will be able to grow into adults not having to consider certain maladies with taking the proper steps for deterrence in their early stages.  We can observe the progress made from the previous generation and know that we have more work ahead of us to do.  As you assess all that can make healthcare a beneficent cause, I cannot envision many revolting or adverse consequences from expanding its accessibility.  The benefits far outweigh the risks and should be handled appropriately with that premise in mind.

The discussion for having healthcare as a right should start with addressing the role of government in our lives.  A democratic government, as we have, will cater to its citizens and voters to improve the country entirely.  The United States government has created amendments for freedom of speech, right to bear arms, abolishment of slavery, repeal of prohibition and voting rights for women and young adults.  Each resolution was a controversial change that was contested or down right enjoyed by some prior to the correction.  All of these were brought to a colloquy to make a decision on the concerns of the time and enacted into legislation.  This country started from humble beginnings and has seen its share of war and compromise.  It has also proven that it can yield to minority requests when presented with a sufficient argument to permit the greater good.  Though there are people who complain about authority, we tend to see that government’s place in our life is not to merely dictate rules and regulations that we must uniformly conform to.  It has shown the ability to neutralize a past wrong if we acquiesce to the emerging conflict of interest.  See government officials are usually sworn to help to create a better nation as their chosen professions.  We have a system where everyone from the President of the United States to your local City Council person is selected to have their position by the people who reside in the area.  Elected representatives respond to the population it serves by providing what it wants and introducing what can be viewed as enhancements.  So why would healthcare need to be restricted from the voters?  As long as medical personnel agree to be part of the system and cost can be relatively fair, there should be no reason to refrain from proliferation of the concept of universal healthcare.  If we were to witness overcrowded lounges and emergency rooms as a result, it should not be the fault of overuse of insurance.  Nor should we pinpoint the deficiency of doctors to answer our beckoning calls.  We should simply accept that this is the aggregate of the populace who warrant some degree of medical attention and an unspecified quantity would not be there if it were not for insurance.  And again it would be the role of government to finesse the structure of this proposal behind the scenes for the betterment of all.  

Using the recent example of the affordable care act would be prudent to this topic.  The affordable care act, affectionately called Obamacare, was introduce as a bill in 2009 and signed into law on March 23rd of 2010.  After many attempts at expanding healthcare during the nineties, President Barack Obama was able to get an addendum by way of legislation.  This was a major step towards having made some version of healthcare available for more citizens in this country.  Part of the emphasis was placed on attending to those at or near the federal poverty level and did not qualify for Medicaid.  The connection between the poor and wellness has always been mired in turmoil for a long time now.  We have lost many lives due to illnesses not being identified and diagnosed soon enough.  Partial reasoning for this is that healthcare costs were so high for the uninsured.  Minor aches and pains would be treated with rest.  Worse conditions were treated with home remedies or over the counter options.  Advanced medicine or visits to the doctor would only be considered as a last measure resort.  That last measure maybe when they discover a severe infection, chronic condition or terminal illness with the interval they have left to live.  I can only imagine the feeling you get when you find out that the pain you felt for weeks which aspirin did not alleviate has become an inoperable form of cancer.  Even cases for rest would be taken with scrutinizing discernment.  Time adults missed from work would subtract from a future paycheck and time children missed from school would cause them to play catch up once they returned by compounding assignments.  When contemplating the repercussions, these are never easy decisions.  This is a meager cycle reproducing troubling results for the already underprivileged.  This situation can create the event of someone working themselves towards grievous levels of fatigue to maintain what they have in the present and completely jeopardizing their future in the process.  People have suffered far too long from improper health practices due to a lack of resources or care due to their circumstances but to label the occurrence as self-explanatory is a disheartening conundrum of its own.  Plans were designed to help these people get health insurance and request others to do the same.  There was an inclusion of an individual mandate where some will be required to have some kind of plan moving forward.  Individuals who are not part of an employer offered plan, Medicaid or Medicare can secure a privatized plan through the newly issued Obamacare.  Obamacare is a transformational model that has yet to see its full potential become realized.  It is being challenged by individual states however that do not agree with federal funding for the expansion of coverage.  Generations from now we may see even lower child mortality rates, longer life spans for adults and fewer citizens besieged with health concerns by not earning enough money if this venture were to be successful.

Government is incorporated into our lives to assist in the form of preparation in other areas.  As students, we are asked to register for selective service to be able to qualify for federal aid.  While wealthy parents can pay for college out of pocket and the best students earn scholarships, the rest of us are enlisted into a reserve bank to be draft eligible.  I believe this is only for males but has been challenged to be for both sexes.  Being a student that did not excel in high school, I needed aid in the form of loans and grants to attend school.  To discover that an extreme case would mean being removed from my university to be part of an active war was disturbing.  I am thankful that I have not been part of a military draft yet in my lifetime.  The military is usually filled with a copious amount of recruits each year and this may never actually be necessary until the most desperate of times.  As I said, it is required however.  This has not been petitioned or questioned on whether this obligation is still critical.  To drive in this country, you must pass a law test and a skills test after a certain age to acquire proper identification.  After getting your new driver’s license, you must become an insured motorist.  We must purchase insurance for each car on the road and every driver behind the wheel to be in accordance with legal regulations.  This is done so the people can be correctly educated about the risks of operating a motor vehicle before gaining the rewards.  It greatly increases the safety factor for everyone on the road.  Also if there are any devastating accidents, there are processes to determine who is at fault and remedy the situation as soon as possible.  Insurance can partially or completely cover the cost of automobile repairs and patience care in the event where someone gets injured.  With examples like this being present currently, why does healthcare need to be different?  If healthcare was a requirement for the employed, would circumstances be worsened for everyone involved?  Similar to how it is when choosing a plan with the twist of healthcare would no longer be optional but mandatorily taken from your paycheck with taxes and social security.  You would still get to choose your network of doctors or primary physician to identify for your care services.  If we could make it exactly like taxes where those that earn more pay more, we could have this for every level of employment.  Maybe we can present some stipulation of your contribution being congruent to the expertise and status of doctors available to you.  This way those at the lower level would be able to get primary care whenever it was necessary.  Assistance with hospital bills, emergency care and routine check-ups would be a great benefit to anyone who works forty hours per week.  Remarkable surgical care from byword A-list physicians would be the perks of paying more for your share. We would then have some form of coverage for more Americans in general.  This expansion would embrace non-citizens who were able to obtain legal employment from any entity within the fifty states of our country.  It could be a huge step forward in improving our nation to continue to be one of the premier destinations for anyone who has a dream to live better in this world.  This places us one step closer to making healthcare universal for all people as well.

I feel that we can make pronounced progress in providing healthcare for more people.  It would not only show concern for our most coveted resource, human beings, but it would also improve every other sector along the way.  As society becomes healthier and lives longer, we will see more productivity in the workforce.  We may see higher grade point averages and standardize test scores.  We can see attendance rising in schools and the office.  The positives would be exponentially replicated throughout society.  Healthcare does not have to be segregated and viewed differently than many of the services that exist today.  The government enables subway rail systems, flight schedules, public schooling and the postal service to the benefit of every single person who has access to these types of amenities.  Healthcare can be added to this list of courtesies with pragmatic measures put in place and parameters constructed to ensure that misuse and abuse does not occur.  We are working towards the aim of universal healthcare. Until we can hang our hat on that accomplishment, we will at least strive to develop the right plan to cure all that ails us.