that, pressure is decreased for about five hours and the patient must keep smoking at regular intervals to keep this effect. The amount of pot needed to be smoked is such a level that the patient has "a near-debilitating level of intoxication" and large amounts of alcohol would have the same effect on glaucoma patients (Marshall 55). John Benson of the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine in Portland said he " sees little future in smoked marijuana as a medicine... smoking is not the best drug delivery system because of the respiratory problems"There are many economic advantages to legalizing marijuana as there are medicinal advantages to its legalization. Three hundred million dollars is spent on drug education, treatment, and research each year and 1.3 billion on intercepting drug shipments into the United States each year (Schleichert 46). Legalizing the drug would mean less money spent on law enforcement for marijuana, thus being able to focus on harder drugs and violent crimes. Although illegal, marijuana is the largest cash crop in the United States with estimated earnings of 32 billion dollars; Corn is the next largest crop with earnings of 14 billion. Ten years ago only 12 percent of the marijuana consumed in the United States was grown here, and that figure has more than doubled to around 25 percent. (HEMP) Many farmers are getting into growing marijuana illegally because of the great demand for the crop. For example, a cattle rancher named Dick Kurth of Fort Menton, Montana said he began growing marijuana because: "The family needed money for food on the table. It Appeared we could solve our financial situation Within a two-year period, wipe out our debts, and keep The family together like we had been for five generations.I figured people who produce alcohol and tobacco sleep at night, and we should be able to live with this." (Schleichert 49).Having people legally grow marijuana would increase federal revenu...
