10. This House Believe That Marijuana Should Be Legalized Indonesia

THIS HOUSE BELIEVE THAT MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED INDONESIA 1. BACKGROUND

The debate regarding the legalisation of drugs, particularly that of soft drugs like cannabis (or marijuana) is capable of being characterised as one which pits the concept of freedom of the individual against the concept of a paternalistic State. Advocates of legalisation argue, amongst other things, that cannabis is not only less harmful than legal substances like alcohol and tobacco, but as a matter of fact has been proven to possess certain medicinal properties. Marijuana is one of the most valuable plants in the world. Every part of the plant is used. Hemp for paper, fabric, plastic. Did you know the U.S constition was written on hemp paper? The seeds can be used as a food source. It contains many of the necessary fats such as omega 3 and 6. The seeds oil has been used as a cheap source of fuel. The flowers have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times and has been known to help people going through chemo therapy and people diagnosed with aids.

In stark contrast, those opposed to legalisation argue 2. DEFINITION Marijuana (cannabis) is a depressant drug that made from the leaves of cannabis plant. THC (Delta 9 tetrahidrokanibinol) is one of the 400 chemicals found in marijuana that causes the effect and mood swings. As a depressant drug, marijuana affects the nervous system by slowing down brain activity. This annual plant can reach 2 meters height. Marijuana grown only in tropical mountains with elevations above 1,000 feet above sea level. Marijuana became a symbol of the hippie culture was popular in the United States. It is usually denoted by the distinctive shape of marijuana leaves. Besides marijuana and opium is also touted as a symbol of resistance to flow imposed capitalist globalism to developed countries. We should legalized marijuana in Indonesia and marijuana can only be bought by healthcare people who have health permit from doctors and medical indication, and marijuana only can be found in the hospital pharmacy 3. ARGUMENT A. GOVERNMENT

1

a. Legalized Marijuana Profits to the Government Stephen T. Easton argues that if marijuana was legalized, we could transfer these excess profits caused by the risk-premium from these grow operations to the government: If we substitute a tax on marijuana cigarettes equal to the difference between the local production cost and the street price people currently pay--that is, transfer the revenue from the current producers and marketers (many of whom work with organized crime) to the government, leaving all other marketing and transportation issues aside we would have revenue of (say) $7 per [unit]. If you could collect on every cigarette and ignore the transportation, marketing, and advertising costs, this comes to over $2 billion on Canadian sales and substantially more from an export tax, and you forego the costs of enforcement and deploy your policing assets elsewhere. The study estimates that the average price of 0.5 grams (a unit) of marijuana sold for $8.60 on the street, while its cost of production was only $1.70. In a free market, a $6.90 profit for a unit of marijuana would not last for long. Entrepreneurs noticing the great profits to be made in the marijuana market would start their own grow operations, increasing the supply of marijuana on the street, which would cause the street price of the drug to fall to a level much closer to the cost of production. Of course, this doesn't happen because the product is illegal; the prospect of jail time deters many entrepreneurs and the occasional drug bust ensures that the supply stays relatively low. We can consider much of this $6.90 per unit of marijuana profit a risk-premium for participating in the underground economy. Unfortunately, this risk premium is making a lot of criminals, many of whom have ties to organized crime, very wealthy. b. Marijuana is fairly harmless health There is no evidence that marijuana decreases cognitive functions A 15-year John Hopkins University study published in May 1999 found "no significant differences in cognitive decline between heavy users, light users, and non-users of cannabis." Marijuana is no more harmful than tobacco and alcohol Although cannabis does indeed have some harmful effects, it is no more harmful than legal substances like alcohol and tobacco. As a matter of fact, research by the British Medical Association shows that nicotine is far more addictive than cannabis. Furthermore, the consumption of alcohol and the smoking of cigarettes cause more deaths per year than does the use of

2

cannabis (e.g. through lung cancer, stomach ulcers, accidents caused by drunk driving etc.). The legalization of cannabis will remove an anomaly in the law whereby substances that are more dangerous than cannabis are legal whilst the possession and use of cannabis remains unlawful. Legalization would change drug consumption from a criminal to a health issue The biggest issue with marijuana relates to the health problems it creates, with lung problems, "addiction", short-term memory loss, energy loss, and even the risk of schizophrenia. The social costs are little different than those with alcohol or cigarettes. Therefore, it should be treaty as a health issue, rather than a crime issue. •

Marijuana is not toxic to humans James Randerson, Science Correspondent.

"Cannabis Chemical Curbs Psychotic Symptoms". Guardian Unlimited UK. April 30, 2007 - "London -- One of the active chemicals in cannabis inhibits psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia, according to a study which compared it with a leading antipsychotic drug." •

Marijuana is not addictive There is no evidence that marijuana physically addictive.

While it may be psychologically addictive, in the sense that people like it and want to do it again, this is little different than alcohol. But, certainly, cigarettes are more addictive than marijuana. And, since cigarettes are physically addictive and yet legal, should addictiveness really be a barometer for a substance's illegality? No. •

Marijuana has many CONFIRMED medicinal uses. It was widely used to treat

glaucoma, give relief to chemotherapy recipients, and also as a TREATMENT for many psychological disorders (such as social anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder). Additionally, there is no contention, in any medical circle, that marijuana is an effective stress reliever, causing it to have IMMEASURABLE beneficial effects in the treatment of stress-related physical and psychological disorders... Marijuana supporters like to argue that marijuana is similar to alcohol. While alcohol is legal, it also accounts for tens of thousands of deaths every year in car accidents or other drinking-related misfortunes. But we can't turn the clock back on that one because it's too embedded in our society. Supporters of marijuana say that marijuana should be legalized because old people and women and children who have ailments like glaucoma or cancer or intractable seizures need it. One argument against the legalisation of cannabis is the 'evidence' which links the use of cannabis to the development of schizophrenia. Please note that I use the word links and not causes - This is very important as I hope I will be able to explain. Even the most hard-line right wing so-called experts in mental health will admit that only a small proportion of schizophrenia cases can be accounted for by

3

the use of cannabis. Yes, unfortunately the majority of cases of schizophrenia can be accounted for by genetic factors, brain development disorders and chronic stress. So, why are certain groups so convinced by the evidence that cannabis can cause schizophrenia? First we need to understand the neurological basis of schizophrenia (don't worry I will not get too technical here): Schizophrenia is caused by an imbalance in a neurotransmitter called dopamine, particularly in the frontal-lobes and limbic system of the brain. If you give a person with schizophrenia drugs which increase dopamine across the whole brain, their symptoms worsen. Specifically, people with schizophrenia show a decrease in dopamine levels in the frontal cortex of the brain and an increase in dopamine levels in the limbic region of the brain which is responsible for many functions including addiction (Rogers, 2001). Finally, let's consider the number of deaths caused by legal drugs compared to marijuana. According to national statistics in 2011 just below 8,750 deaths were the direct cause of alcohol. If one would like to read, 100,000 died from smoking every year. How many died directly from cannabis overdose? The answer is a big fat 0! It is physically impossible to overdose on marijuana. Furthermore it is physically impossible to become addicted to the active ingredients of marijuana because THC has such a long half-life that you do not become physically dependent upon it unlike alcohol and nicotine. Yes, okay you can become psychologically addicted to marijuana, but you can also become psychologically addicted to anything from alcohol to chocolate (regardless of whether it is legal or illegal). There is also the cost of alcohol and smoking on the NHS; according to the Daily Mail alcohol abuse costs the NHS £6billion a year, and according to the BBC news smoking costs the NHS £5 billion a year. It is true that schizophrenia costs the NHS £6.7billion a year, according to NICE (but only a tiny amount of this can arguably be the direct result of cannabis, if any at all). You may think having a large amount of THC in your system will kill you, but you are wrong. Ever since marijuana has been known to mankind, not one single account of death from overdose has been recorded. On the other hand, in 2010, 38,329 people died from drug overdoses. Sixty percent of those were related to prescription drugs. In that same year, 25,692 people died from alcohol-related causes. If you are completely fine with alcohol and cigarettes, then there shouldn't be a reason you aren't accepting of marijuana as well. As you can see in Lancet's study above, which was later published by The Economist, alcohol and tobacco are far more dangerous than marijuana. The negative stigma of pot use has certainly made it seem like it's worse, and since using the drug is still illegal, the fact that only people who are willing to break the law will smoke has inevitably made it associated with a "pothead" culture. These are just the preconceived notions we've been brought up in though. A world where instead of drinking cheap beer, a hopeful political candidate can roll a joint to seem like the "people's choice" doesn't have to seem crazy. This scenario would actually be the healthier choice.

4

In a blog entry on SFGate, writer David Downs explores the best strains of marijuana to help with insomnia. Downs found a quote from researcher I Feinberg, from "Clinical Pharmacology Therapy" in 1976, that says, "The effect on sleep of THC administration closely resembles those induced by lithium." Also, the National Cancer Institute announced in a study that patients who ingested a cannabis plant extract spray reported more restful sleep. Medical marijuana is important to a lot of people. According to a Discovery Health article, marijuana has been extremely successful in relieving nausea, which is extremely good news for cancer patients suffering from nausea as a side effect of chemotherapy. The drug also helps with people who have loss of appetite due to diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, it helps relax muscle tension and spasms and chronic pain.

c.

legalization reduce the consumption of marijuana Legalization of drugs will remove the rebellious glamor of it Many psychological

studies indicate that the attractiveness of a thing is often increased when it is scarce or when it is forbidden. This may have to do with a desire to be unique or to stand out. Some associate it with a frequently youthful desire to be rebellious. Whatever the cause, there is substantial reason to believe that the illegality of marijuana actually increases the appeal of it, and subsequently increases its consumption. The looser control of cannabis (as with cigarettes and alcohol), vs the chaos of the current structure, would mean a reduction in our debt. By creating fee and tax paying stores, you create income. By reducing the persecution and prosecution of persons of no harm but to themselves, we could reduce enforcement levels and concentrate on truly pressing problems. By taxing the growth and consumption (as we do cigarettes and alcohol), we could fortify our educational budgets. After all, nothing works better than education to orient behavior. We increase revenue, reduce costs, fortify the future through education and remove a substantial form of revenue from organized crime. That is what I see could happen if legalization occurred. B. OPPOSITION

a. Health •

Marijuana is worse for individuals and society than alcohol. Both alcohol and

marijuana impair judgement. But alcohol has lasting damage on the body and causes death when over consumed.Yet, the distinguishing feature of marijuana is that it has greater long-term effects on memory, cognition, and motivations. Marijuana is more the drug of "losers in life" than alcohol. If one primary objective in society is to produce as many succesfull winners, alcohol is less costly to this objective than marijuana. Also,

5

much less is known about he health effects of marijuana than of alcohol; making caution toward legalizing marijuana more appropriate. It is, therefore, fitting that marijuana be illegal while alcohol be legal. •

Marijuana is worse for individuals and society than tobacco. Both cigarettes and

marijuana do damage to the lungs. But, marijuana smoke is much more potent, and can do much more damage. •

Marijuana is addictive There are many studies that demonstrate a "dependency"

relationship evolving between individuals and marijuana. •

Marijuana use increases the risk of psychosis

•

Marijuana impairs brain functions. Many researches conclude that marijuana impairs

short-term memory, cognition, and motivations. The most important body parts (when damaged all surely damaged) is closely related to brain nerves. Whatever the benefits of marijuana, if the brain is already broken, then what's the point anymore? and let foils MOVEMENT legalizing marijuana

•

Marijuana smoke is highly damaging to the lungs. Marijuana smoke is more potent

than cigarette smoke, with some researches concluding that the negative effect of one joint is equivalent to a pack of cigarettes. •

Marijuana use impairs hormone production. It is frequently cited that marijuana use

leads to reductions in sperm levels. This reduction in hormone levels is a major cost of marijuana use. •

Marijuana use impairs the immune system.

•

Marijuana use impairs motor skills.

•

Marijuana use has been linked to various birth challenges

•

That marijuana is herbal does not mean it is safe Some argue that marijuana is "OK"

because it's "natural", "herbal", or "comes from the earth". But, on these criteria, poisons would be considered "OK" to consume. •

Marijuana use can lead to cancer Just like with cigarettes, the intake of carcinogens

in marijuana risks causing cancer. •

Marijuana use causes apoptosis or programmed cell death Unlike alcohol and

tobacco, cannabis has a hallucinatory effect on the mind. This is inherently dangerous in itself. It is painful to watch people suffer. I am not against helping people. In a perfect world, a woman suffering from cancer should be able to get a prescription from her doctor, go to a pharmacy, acquire

6

her medical marijuana, go home and recuperate from her last round of chemotherapy. But we don't live in a perfect world, and you don't need a Ph.D. to see that the spirit of that argument is being exploited by people who aren't using the marijuana for medical reasons at all; they are using it to get high. Though the long-term effects of cannabis have been studied, there remains much to be concluded; debated topics include the drug's addictiveness, its potential as a "gateway drug", its effects on intelligence and memory, and its contributions to mental disorders such as schizophrenia and clinical depression. On some such topics, such as the drug's effects on the lungs, relatively little research has been conducted, leading to division as to the severity of its impact. However, a study funded by the US government on the long term lung-related effects of marijuana has concluded that moderate marijuana use does not impair pulmonary function. More research is no guarantee of greater consensus in the field of cannabis studies, however; both advocates and opponents of the drug are able to call upon multiple scientific studies supporting their respective positions.[opinion] Cannabis has been correlated with the development of various mental disorders in multiple studies, for example a recent 10-year study on 1,923 individuals from the general population in Germany, aged 14–24, concluded that cannabis use is a risk factor for the development of incident psychotic symptoms. Continued cannabis use might increase the risk for psychotic disorder. Efforts to prove the "gateway drug" hypothesis that cannabis and alcohol makes users more inclined to become addicted to "harder" drugs like cocaine and heroin have produced mixed results, with different studies finding varying degrees of correlation between the use of cannabis and other drugs, and some finding none. Some,[who?] however, believe the "gateway effect," currently being pinned on the use of marijuana, should not be attributed to the drug itself but rather the illegality of the drug in most countries. Supporters of this theory believe that the grouping of marijuana and harder drugs in law is, in fact, the cause of users of marijuana to move on to those harder drugs, particularly due to common requirement to seek out a 'dealer' resulting in greater access to other drugs. There have been debates as to whether cannabis can lead to heavy addiction. According to one of the studies on the issue, the La Guardia Committee of 1944, smoking marijuana could help to get out of the addiction from substances like cocaine or morphine. Cannabis withdrawal is included in the proposed revision of DSM-5.Several drugs have been investigated in an attempt to ameliorate the symptoms of cannabis withdrawal. Such drugs include bupropion, divalproex, nefazodone, lofexidine, and dronabinol. Of these, dronabinol has proven the most effective.

7

A study of 600 mothers that reported smoking cannabis during pregnancy suggested that it was not associated with increased risk of perinatal mortality. However, frequent and regular use of cannabis throughout pregnancy may be associated with a small but statistically detectable decrease in birth weight. Melanie Dreher, dean of nursing at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, conducted a study of Jamaican women who used cannabis throughout their pregnancies, as well as their babies' first year. The study was published in the American Journal of Pediatrics in 1994. Dreher expected to see a decrease in birth weight, but saw none. Instead, the exposed babies socialized and made eye contact more quickly, had better organization and modulation of sleeping and waking, and were less prone to anxiety. On difference between the Jamaican and other studies' results, "Medicine hunter" Chris Kilham noted, "In U.S. studies where we've seen a similar investigation, women have concurrently been abusing alcohol and other drugs as well".

b.

Social: Would legalization entail heavy societal costs?

•

Marijuana is the drug for life's losers If we want to produce a better society, there is

some room for "big brother" regulations to prevent citizens from doing harm to themselves. This is particularly appropriate in the context of some individuals not having a "choice" in the matter, in the sense that they grow up in an environment that exposes them to marijuana and in which they don't have any knowledge of marijuana's costs. •

Legalization of marijuana jeopardizes public health

•

Legalization of marijuana would worsen schools performance Assuming that

legalization would lead to increased accessibility and consumption, and that marijuana impairs cognition and learning, it is fair to say that legalization will likely damage student performance in schools. There is data from wikipedia.org about "Several countries have either carried out or legislated capital punishment for cannabis trafficking" Indonesia In 1997, the Indonesian government added the death penalty as a punishment for those convicted of drugs in their country. The law has yet to be enforced on any significant, well-established drug dealers. The former Indonesian President, Megawati Sukarnoputri announced Indonesia's intent to implement a fierce war on drugs in 2002. She called for the execution of all drug dealers. "For those who distribute drugs, life sentences and other prison sentences are no longer sufficient," she said. "No sentence is sufficient other than the death sentence." Indonesia's new president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also proudly supports executions for drug dealers.

8

c.

Consumption levels: Will legalization reduce the consumption of marijuana?

•

The legalization of marijuana will increase consumption Legalization of marijuana

will make the drug more accessible, affordable, and acceptable, making its increased consumption a near certainty. Empirical evidence with countries that have moved to legalization appears to flush this theory out. Additionally, it will boost drug-related tourism to the given country, which is everything but desirable. o

Legalization of marijuana will make it more accessible.

o

Legalization of marijuana will make it more affordable.

o

Illegalization of marijuana helps deter use The illegality of marijuana deters

consumption through the threat of punishment. o

Illegality of marijuana sets moral standard against consumption. Laws provide a

clear societal standard. They make it clear what society holds dear and what it rebukes as immoral, harmful, or simply socially undesirable. This creates a symbolic boundary that deters consumption. If this barrier is removed, it may seen as a symbolic act of tolerance and acceptance of the marijuana consumption. This is likely to lead to greater consumption and social harm. If marijuana were to be legalized, consumption of it would likely increase. Along with that would likely come health and community costs: increase in accidents due to motor impairment, increase in associated illnesses such as cancer, as is the case with cigarette smoking, as well as the multiple hospitalizations and surgeries often accompanying those addicted to nicotine. Marijuana is not harmless; it is addictive, and it does affect the brain. Do you want to be on the road with a bunch of stoned drivers? Think about it.... Let's take a look at the medical marijuana issue in Los Angeles and we can see where legalization takes us. It has been my experience that anyone can get a medical marijuana card in L.A.; all you need is $25-$100 and the ability to lie about needing it. You just make an appointment with some company, walk in and state your problem(s) and why you need a card (with no proof of medical conditions whatsoever) and you will be prescribed a card that is good for one year. It's a toothless system that isn't well-regulated. Introducing legalized marijuana into our culture would be like using gasoline to put out a fire, because it stunts growth. Do you have any idea how many marijuana addicts that encounter at rehab on a daily basis? They talk about wanting to be productive. But what pot does is it kills their motivation -- it destroys people's ability to go out and work and to have a career. It makes them want to do nothing but lie around all day. Is that what you want for your children? Is that what you want for your loved ones?

9

10