Others, like me, think that the government shouldn’t have the power to outlaw if it’s not harming or endangering others. There are many reasons why I believe marijuana should be legalized. Marijuana could generate billions of dollars to use for more serious problems, prohibition doesn’t help anything, and legalization could possibly reduce drug use by teens. Our government currently spends billions of dollars annually to lock up marijuana users. These people are normally very peaceful, relaxed, and non-violent.
An estimated 1,663,582 arrests were issued in 2009 alone, this is an extreme amount of arrests, and it’s aiding to the overcrowding of jails. If Marijuana were to be legalized, these 1,663,582 jail cells would be open to inmates who deserve to be there. Another benefit to the jails is that with fewer inmates, they could control the populations easier, and have less trouble keeping peace amongst prisoners. Along with reducing inmate numbers, the legalization would also help free up time for attorneys and court appointed lawyers to help with larger cases. This intern will reduce the time for a prisoner to go through the judicial system, most inmates spend a good deal of time waiting for their court appearance, if they are innocent then this conflicts with their work and life.
Imagine how much more money could be made if marijuana became legal. The extra tax revenue would help society because there would be an extra income that could be used towards health care or other things that benefits society. Drug dealers cause a threat to society and if marijuana was decriminalized drug dealers would lose most if not all of their business and crime would decrease. (SASTISTIC PG 4 5 OF RESEARCH NOTES) if marijuana were to be controlled by the government people would more likely to buy from a store than a shady drug dealer. Thousands of job opportunities would be made available if marijuana were to be decriminalized.
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.
Economics : If we legalize marijuana from an economical view, the government would be able to put a tax on marijuana like they do alcohol and cigarettes, which would be a huge advantage to our economy. There would be less criminals out on the street selling illegal drugs because it would not be illegal. There would be less prisoners in the jail, which in return would decrease our taxes and we would not have to pay to food and housing of the prisoners. There would be less road rage because people would be laid back and our fine police officers could use there time with other more serious criminal matters. I want to add that there are at least 16 states that have already decriminalized marijuana use.
Some people think that legalizing marijuana is the only choice left. (Legalizing Marijuana) Others who disagree say that making marijuana legal will create more drug addicts and drug related crimes. (Zive, 2010) The people that want to make marijuana legal say that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. (Why Marijuana Shouls be Legal) We should have the right to make choices for ourselves as long as we are not harming others with our choice. The use of marijuana is far less harmful than other
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.
After looking into all the issues of legalizing marijuana and looking at the pros and cons, the only conclusion we should come to is to legalize it. Aside from our feelings against it, it makes no sense not to legalize it. To make it legal, and stop all the hardcore drug enforcement would save the U.S at least a couple billion dollars. Legalizing it would also bring revenue of up to $6.2 billion annually by taxing the sales of it. Plain and simple, we need to legalize marijuana.
Both sides of this issue will not be happy. I think the decision should be up to the people. I do believe that marijuana will be legalized because of its permissibility today compared to ten years ago. To prove an increase in acceptance of Marijuana, before this year, to work for the federal government, you had to have a record free of any drug charges. Now, you have to have a record free of any drug charges, but marijuana is excluded.
Our nation was made for the federal government and state governments to have their own separate laws, and that whatever federal law there is in place, states can’t make laws that affect the federal ones. In response to this, I feel that the federal government should let the state governments have medical marijuana laws, but work together to make the state laws legal on the stance that it doesn’t affect the federal laws that are already in place. Speaking on behalf of the federal government thinking that with state medical marijuana laws in place, will make the controlled substance act ineffective, my argument, which is also the state governments argument, would be that the state laws won’t make the act ineffective because the marijuana isn’t being sold from state to state. In addition, if it does end up effecting interstate commerce then the federal government can then prosecute those people not following the Act. All in all, if the medical marijuana is regulated properly then the federal government won’t lose oversight of illegal drugs.