According the federal government, an estimated 15 million people recreationally use marijuana at least once a month. In fact, a national survey done in 2009 states more than 104 million Americans over the age of twelve have tried marijuana at least once. These are overwhelming numbers that cannot be ignored. If every one of those people were put in jail it would be more people than in four large states combined! The thought of arresting that many citizens for something so harmless is ridiculous. Marijuana should be legalized because it would increase national revenue, it has medical benefits, and it less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
What could our country do with 42 billion dollars? Perhaps the U.S Government could feed the poor or make higher education affordable. Those are just two of the many good causes that need funding from the American Government; however, the funds of the United States are as unhealthy as ever. The government has spent many years mismanaging money with seemingly no place to acquire more, but there is place money can be found. In Fact, American taxpayers pay an estimated 42 billion dollars a year on current marijuana laws. Instead of taxing citizens for the control of marijuana the government should tax the sale of marijuana. Taxes from the sale of marijuana could total more than 6.2 billion dollars! In addition to taxes, legalizing marijuana would provide much needed jobs. The created jobs would then put more money into circulation which would give a huge boost to the economy. The legalization of marijuana has even bigger benefits than financial; it can be used for medicinal purposes.
Medicinal marijuana has been explored for many years and even legalized in some states already. Many physicians t...
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... failed to support the gateway idea. Over and over they find that the number of people who try marijuana dwarfs the number of those that try harder drugs. The fact is there is no “gateway effect”. This argument is just one of the most convincing since it takes real thought to dispel.
In conclusion, legalizing marijuana makes sense. The U.S Government needs to take their focus off controlling every illegal way to obtain marijuana, and instead they should focus on the easier task of controlling and taxing its sale legally. Making marijuana available for all means more people can enjoy it recreationally as well as medicinally. Finally, if you cannot find a dealer to sell you marijuana then you cannot find one to sell you heroin. By taking away its illegal status you keep millions of people away from the real dangerous criminals such as drug dealers and drug cartels.
Today’s economy is struggling and it is in dire need of relief. As of 2013, the United State’s debt was $17 trillion, and if marijuana were to be legalized than it would help raise more money. It could be taxed and distributed for consumption sold like alcohol and tobacco. Taxes on cigarettes amounted to more than $43.3 Billion in 2012 (RJReynolds). The legalization of marijuana could possibly one day make that money helping to reduce this nation's debt. But, as the United States continues to prohibit the use of marijuana, it will make the taxpayers pay more money each year on the illegal usage of the drug. The marijuana prohibition costs both state and federal governments more than $20 billion a year (CATO Institute). One drug policy could change how much it wastes on the prohibition but the government has done so. A study by the CATO institute showed that...
There have been 20 million arrests since 1965 for the possession of marijuana, also known as cannabis. The amount of crime and arrests for possessions of the illicit drug has increased due to the prohibition. Cannabis was a major cash crop for the industrial production prior to its illegalization. It has been estimated that the United States spends approximately $7.7 billion each year to prohibit the use of marijuana alone. Currently the number of people incarcerated is six to ten times higher than European countries (NORML). Today the United States wastes billions of dollars to fight against the war on drugs, for the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of people, and etc. It’s also brought a raise of violence and crime relating to the dealing and production of the drug. Marijuana should be legalized because its ban has been futile in preventing illicit production, regulating it would allow new development in medical treatments, and would give a boost to the economy. The illegalization of the drug has a much more negative impact then it does well, in fact it’s pushed drug cartels to produce more of the drug because of the high demand and the millions of dollars they’ll make from profits.
Marijuana is the cause of much commotion and debate, as the question of legalization becomes more of an issue. Drugs are a major influential force in countries all over the world today. Legalization is an option that has not had a chance, but really should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of drug use, legalization would benefit for the following reasons: 1)reduction of money spent on law enforcement 2)increase in the countries revenue 3)lessen crime 4)useful in treating certain medical conditions. Many feel today we are losing the war on drugs.
Marijuana can do so much for the society if it is used right, which is why marijuana should be legal. The government should try and do their best if they do not want to have more people in jail , and that way they can build more schools by using the taxes of marijuana. Marijuana legalization can help so many people by taking away the pain and not have to worry about money on medication. Legalizing Marijuana is not as bad as alcohol or tobacco, which will not cause so much deaths, unlike alcohol or tobacco. If marijuana is legal then people will not have to worry about being prosecuted or even arrested for the simple possession of marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized and the government should stop making it such a big deal and not get more people into prison because studies have shown that there has been more prisons built since the 1980s compared to schools, and more money goes to prisons than to
Marijuana has a greater beneficial impact on society then many people realize. Marijuana should be legalized for medical as well as recreational purposes. This is a highly controversial issue that is being debated throughout the country. In essence marijuana is evaluated by the effectiveness of the drug. It is defined as the dried flowered clusters and leaves of a hemp plant smoked for the intoxicating effect. Whether it should be legalized or not is the real question.
Drugs have largely been viewed with fear and disgust by society, and rightly so. Certain drugs do horrible things to people. They can make one lose their self control, see things that aren’t there, damage the mind, deteriorate the body, and cause a dependency in the user that utterly consumes them. But while this is the case for many drugs, it is in no way universal. This is the case of Marijuana, which has long been subject to the same treatment as other, illegal, drugs and, despite it’s many benefits, is currently illegal in The Greater United States. Marijuana is not only less dangerous than other drugs, legal or otherwise, but provides many medical benefits. And yet, someone in The United States found using or possessing the substance can face harsh jail time. Marijuana should be legalized because it would provide medical benefits, help the economy, and it is no more harmful than other legal substances.
In the last fiscal year alone, marijuana brought 70 million dollars in tax revenue in the state of Colorado. Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana recreationally in the fall of 2012, and since then three other states and the District of Columbia have legalized the plant. Based off of sales in states that have legalized marijuana recreationally, if all fifty states legalized marijuana, they would bring in a combined 3 billion dollars in tax revenue yearly. That much money from sales of the plant alone could help to stabilize the suffering economy. Moreover, the American Government would be able to control the plant and distribute it how ever they see fit. The economic growth marijuana legalization could bring to the United States outweighs any argument against
The legalization of marijuana has the potential to bring our economy back to life if it were to be legalized. There are a number of ways in which legalization could improve the economy. We could use the revenue from taxes on marijuana to provide for a better quality of life for Americans in need. Legalizing marijuana would also save us money by cutting the cost of putting someone in jail for harmless marijuana related charges that waste tax money. Also it would put more money into circulation by keeping the profits off the black market and into the legal and taxed market. With an estimated twenty-five million active marijuana smokers in America that consume nearly thirty-one million pounds of marijuana each year, we are missing out on extreme revenue that this country cannot afford to go without for much longer (Krulick).
The debate on Medical marijuana has been a controversial subject mainly because people have an abundance of opinions and very little scientific research to back up either side of the debate. The most important question here is “will medical marijuana be used for medical purposes or will it be used inappropriately?”
You will be in amazement at how long our government has despised such a great thing. Let’s begin with the US revenue gains that would occur from legalizing marijuana. Marijuana Offers Extreme US Revenue Boost in several Different Ways. Shouldn’t we want to collect revenue due to taxation other than criminalization? Marijuana is too expensive for our justice system and should instead be taxed to support beneficial government programs....
Stanley, Janet E., Stanley J. Watson, and John A. Benson. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington D.C.: National Academy P, 1999.
People have been fighting for the legalization of marijuana for a long time. Many people use this drug and find absolutely nothing wrong with it. Others find it disgusting and are opposed to the legalization of it. The earliest use of marijuana was documented in 7000 B.C. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and many others used it for medical purposes. Marijuana was first used in the United States during the 1800’s and was banned in 1937 without any reason given by the government except that “it was for our own good” (Block, “Why Marijuana Became Illegal”). Marijuana should be legal everywhere in the world because, although it is highly addictive, marijuana is not as harmful as tobacco and alcohol, having a regulated market for it would reduce the sale and use of it amongst people under the age of eighteen, and the government can save and make money off of it.
With America’s war on drugs being highly focused on the increased use of marijuana, there is not much time for officers to focus on crimes of greater importance. Crimes related to illegal marijuana use are becoming more problematic due to drug deals that go bad, occasionally ending with murder. It has been estimated that one marijuana-related arrest is made every 42 seconds. With marijuana being illegal, keeping crime related activities under control cost the United States approximately twenty billion dollars per year (Sledge). According to Brian Bremner and Vincent Del Giudice, “A 2010 study by the libertarian Cato Institute, forecasted that states could save $17.4 billion annually from reduced drug enforcement costs and increased tax revenue, assuming marijuana production and sales were legal nationwide” (11). Several law enforcement hours are exhausted with pursing, questioning, and arresting citizens that are in possession of or consuming marijuana. There would be a decrease in the number of misdemeanor possession cases that are pending hearing. These cases would be dismissed, decreasing costs affiliated with each case. There are excessive numbers of people who remain incarcerated for nonviolent crimes related to illegal marijuana use. Legalizing marijuana would allow these people to be released, opening jail space for the true criminals. Legalizing marijuana would free up law enforcement officers from focusing on illegal marijuana use and allow focus to be put on more serious
The topic of Legalizing Marijuana has been a very conversational argumentative issue in the American society and moreover in the American politics today. There are many good arguments on why Marijuana should be legalized and my argument is based on facts and supporting details to prove why Marijuana should be legalized. The legalization of marijuana would be profitable to our government and economy, according to Evan Wood, the founder of the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy. The U.S. taxpayers have spent an estimated $2.5 trillion on the war on drugs. The Legalization of Marijuana would have a medical use, and also useful in some religions; after all Legalizing Marijuana would eliminate the cost of keeping Marijuana illegal which cost the U.S government in excess of billions annually.
First of all, marijuana can have many positive effects on crime. Legalizing marijuana can actually decrease crime rates in the U.S. This past year, it was counted that 6.9 million people are inside the American’s jails and prisons. 60,000 of these individuals were there for marijuana according to one study. With the legalization of marijuana, it would cut the amount of tax we pay for these jails and prisons, costing us a total of 1.2 billion. Last year a total of 7 to 10 billion dollars was used towards arresting and processing against marijuana. The big picture here is that 90% of those arrests were just for possession. It is crazy that as a country we spend most of our time trying to stop the biggest drug in America when it is just wasting our money. There are less arrests on violent crimes than marijuana charges combined. These “violent crimes” consist of assault, rape, robbery, and murder. How awful is it that we waste our time on this drug when there are so many other bigger problems we could be solving or people to be saved. Cocaine and heroin arrests have actually decreased by 1/3 from 1991 to 2000. While marijuana has more than 700,000 people are ar...