6). Dr. Gieringer's estimations prove that legalization of marijuana would create an expenditure of financial gain for the American government. Although this doesn't come close to the debit U.S. civilians have currently, the legalization of marijuana would theoretically generate thousands of legitimate jobs and opportunities for Americans today. We see in sociology that class determines the access people have to resources and because this drugs basis came from the foundation of the lower class, it will benefit them greatly to open up this market that they have been accustomed to for so long. Though marijuana has become a positive topic today the Schaffer Library describes how marijuana was related to social class a decade ago when they stated, "possibly ten or more years ago, it might have been fair to say that there was something of a negative relationship between social class and pot smoking. Probably the only two groups that used with any frequency were residents of the urban slum ghetto, and Bohemians and beats on the edges of the slum and the black culture "jazz enthusiasts especially " (par. 16). With this quote we see how the affiliation between marijuana and lower class was linked together and 10 years later we have representatives in congress speaking out for the progression of this drug which shows just how societies view point on marijuana has changed so much. Continuing the idea of economic enhancement, economists like Mark Thorton would agree with Dr. Gieringer's position on the ratification shown through this quote when he stated, that "a free market in marijuana enhances the economic welfare " (423). With marijuana bringing in profit by the masses we will see "economic restructuring " with transformation of the economy and an overall change within America's social classes today.
Even though marijuana has been thought to impact health issues, the drug actually contains mechanisms that have numerous medical benefits as well as influences towards the conflict and functionalism theories.