The fight against the legalization of marijuana in each state of the U.S. has significantly grown these past years. Laws and sanctions were applied in order to strengthen procedures and encourage people to abide and avoid the usage of this substance. An example is the marijuana law enforcement applied that covers tax revenue and marijuana prohibition. Due to this action, a large amount of budget was used for this cause to happen, $53.23 to be exact, a very generous amount it is which can be used for better purposes, such as the health and security of U.S. citizens.
How the U.S. is wasting $53 billion dollars by opposing legalizing marijuana
The usage of marijuana created panic all over the world due to its adverse effects on people. A notable result that happened during the early 90s was it increased the number of death tolls. Several people died from substance overdose because of using this kind of substance. Due to that, it led to the status of U.S. society today.
For the anti-legalization of marijuana to occur, as mentioned, several actions were implied. These actions were strictly implemented and followed in all of the states in the United States. For this cause to happen, a large sum of money was lost. Significantly, a total of $53.23 billion was used for this prohibition to occur in each state.
In the article by American Marijuana, it showed how each state accumulated a large amount of loss for enforcement and the tax revenue. The statistics state that a total amount of $1.4 billion from California was lost due to opposing the legalization of marijuana. Among all the states, California was tallied to have the most total loss. Meanwhile, the District of Columbia was tallied as the least to have the number of total loss, $16.9 million.
These actions implemented can be quite understandable due to the past events that happened. The new era of government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from any means that may threaten their safety, thus health implications from marijuana usage. Unfortunately, analyzing the data accumulated from observing this action, it seems that they overboard in terms of releasing an amount of money for the implementation of laws against marijuana. Moreover, some aspects need the attention of the government. It is the safety and security of their people in terms of health.
How we can spend that money
As of the recent events, people all over the world are being threatened due to the existing pandemic. COVID-19 raised alarming situations as there is an increasing number of positive cases and deaths from contracting this disease. In the U.S., California stands as the 5th state with most confirmed cases of COVID. Imagine, if some portion of the 1.4 billion were used for this cause, it could somehow make a difference.
Clearly speaking, if the amount of loss by the U.S. was maximized to other aspects, it would seem to deal and may somehow solve the present problems that people are having.. Let’s dwell on how much difference it could make with these aspects.
A. The money can be used for treating flu
In this article, by using at least $10.4 billion from the $53 billion allotted for preventing marijuana legalization, it can be used to finance and treat flu cases in America. With that large amount of money, cases for at least 5 years can be financed well. Through that, vaccines and cures for severe cases of flu can be easily handled as time passes by with well-budgeted facilities and the likes.
Furthermore, dealing with health is a critical decision; that’s why the right amount of budget should be allotted for this cause. In that way, prevention and solutions may arise quickly without the fear of lacking the needed funds.
B. Fast solution for the rising pandemic
As fitting in this current event, COVID-19 is a kind of virus that is critical to handle. It has provided terror to all as it threatens safety in the global aspect. Putting in mind the $53 billion that the government has, this amount of money may help treat those carriers of COVID-19 and avoid death. According to this article, as of April 6, 2020, there are a total of 337,477 confirmed cases in the country. As time passes, this digit may increase further, which is critical for the citizens of the U.S.
As for the treatment, Business Insider states that the fee is around $1425 per every case of COVID-19. Now, imagine how much patients won’t need to worry about the costs if the $53 billion can be allocated to this cause. It does help to pursue more numbers of cured patients rather than deaths.
C. Assurance for health insurance
On the other hand, another way to allocate the $53 billion wisely is to invest it in the health insurance of every American citizen. With this amount of money, 42,858293 citizens can be included under medical insurance. It is a great way to assure and ensure the safety of their people.
D. Safety supplies for preventive measures
Meanwhile, as the problem with COVID-19 is at large, limited safety supplies can be turned around with the use of this budget. According to USA Today’s article, $149 amounted to buying a pack of sanitizers, which are 12 ounces. In that case, allotting the billion dollars identified for preventing marijuana legalization can help provide supplies for each citizen in the U.S. Plus, there are issues as well about the limited quantities of face masks. By using that money, it can help provide enough supplies of face masks for all.
Conclusion
There’s nothing wrong with preventing threats of marijuana to the health of the people. It is an action for a great cause, but of course, there are also valuable aspects that need attention. By weighing the causes and effects of every situation carefully, it may lead to a breakthrough.
About the Author
Dwight K. Blake – Editor in Chief
Before AmericanMarijuana, Dwight was a Mental Health counselor at Long Island Psychotherapy & Counseling in Westbury, New York for more than 15 years. He helped patients dealing with mental health problems, such as grief, depression, and anxiety. Since the understanding of physical and mental well-being evolved drastically, he believes that CBD is the prime solution to this mental illness and more– with proper research, medical acknowledgment, and application.
Through his work at AmericanMarijuana, together with the rest of the team, he wishes to provide everyone with genuine results and high-quality product reviews for everyone to enjoy for free.
