Once marijuana became illegal in 1937 legal prohibitions against the drug have cost tax payers billions of dollars in law enforcement. Billions of dollars have also been lost in revenues if marijuana had been taxed in the same manner as are alcohol and tobacco. Decriminalizing marijuana has a very large potential for becoming a large source of additional tax revenue. The government profits millions of dollars in cigarette and alcohol taxes. Imagine how much more money could be made if marijuana became legal.
America should have learned this from the prohibition of alcohol. The government uses criminal penalties in an attempt to stop users, but over 25 million people use marijuana annually. Cannabis is the largest cash crop in the United States, currently. I believe prohibition could actually increase drug use for teenagers. Marijuana, now days, is extremely easy to get, and most drug dealers don’t have age restrictions.
After endless amounts of research it has been concluded that legalizing cannabis would be the best financial decision for the United States. Taxation on marijuana could bring estimate revenue of 14 billion dollars annually, according to Professor Miron. Since you can make jewelry and satchels marijuana becoming legal could also provide jobs. There would be manufacturing
With the value of the illicit marijuana market estimated to be $113 billion, maintaining marijuana prohibition costs the taxpayer a further $31.1 billion (Gettman, 1). Legalizing and taxing marijuana would not bring the United States into virgin territory. For the past 20 years, marijuana use has been legal for individuals over the age of 21 in the Netherlands. Contrary to popular belief, legalization in that country has not led to a surge in marijuana usage. For most age groups, marijuana usage statistics are similar between the Dutch and the Americans.
South University Legalizing Marijuana Computer and Literacy ITS 1000 Michael L Smith October 18, 2013 Michael L. Smith Computer and Literacy: ITS 1000 Instructor: Carmen Flores October 18, 2013 Legalizing Marijauna In regards to illicit drugs, an epidemic that has a stronghold on our country caused a movement. That movement was and still is today, “the war on drugs”. Illegal drugs enters this country at an unexplainable alarming rate. In the United States alone the drug market is one of the most profitable in the world. (Agency, 2004) My intent is not to focus on the profitability of illegal drugs but the debate of legalization in particularly marijuana.
The topic of legalizing marijuana is a very controversial issue in American politics today. Marijuana has been vilified in America for over 70 years. Despite it’s many practical uses, medicinal and industrial, our Federal government insists on maintaining the status quo that the growth, possession and use of marijuana is criminal despite the evidence that the legalization of marijuana would have a positive influence on America. The illegality of marijuana has hurt society more than it has helped, legalization would benefit America both economically and medically. Twenty years ago, only 16% of the public said the use of marijuana should be legal and 81% said it should not be legal.
Michael Wallman Professor Scott English Composition 008 February 10, 2013 Compare and Contrast Alcohol and Marijuana If you’re like most Americans, you have been led to believe that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug that has destroyed the lives of millions of teens and adults. You have also been made to believe that marijuana causes lung cancer and is a “gateway” to harder drugs. People are also convinced that people who use marijuana are losers who sit on the couch all day doing nothing. To say that marijuana has been given a bad rap over the past few decades is an understatement. So, lets wipe the slate clean and start over.
Marijuana can have dras-tic effects on the American culture medically and economically. Being outlawed in most of the states, it has since been falsely accused with having many negative side-effects... almost none being scientifically proven. It causes a knowledgeable person to wonder why marijuana is kept prohibited, while harmful substances such as alcohol and tobacco are kept legal and supported by the government. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking.
According to The World Health Organization, even though the United States has more stringent marijuana laws than the United Kingdom, the United States’ use rates among teenagers are significantly higher (Backett). Recall that when alcohol was prohibited, not only did the demand go up but so did the supply— exactly what can be seen with marijuana in today’s underground economy. This insatiable demand creates a vacuum between the United States and Mexico, where foreign marijuana is smuggled into the country, thus causing the drug czars to become rich off of American money which they may use, in part, to supplement their weaponry needs. So, through a chain of processes, Prohibition is actually fueling the very thing it is made to prevent. Marijuana’s Underground With the black-market marijuana industry becoming increasingly wealthy, the drug czars, are finding themselves dealing with several competitors.
They say that marijuana is not as harmful as alcohol or tobacco products so why shouldn’t it be legal? One of the biggest things on people’s minds is the money that can be made from the growing and selling of marijuana and how much the government wastes each year trying to fight a losing battle on the war against marijuana.