Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

“In any civilized society, it is every citizen’s responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen’s responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Martin Luther King Jr. The topic of legalizing marijuana is a very conversational issue in American politics today. Although many malicious claims have been made about marijuana, the truths are slowly beginning to resurface. Unfortunately, these truths are under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as atypical “pot smoker”. This is the problem with society. Those who don’t know enough facts or realizations about the topic, automatically go with what everyone else believes is right without even learning about it. Which is a result into misinformation

Most Americans believe that marijuana is a dangerous addictive drug that has destroyed the lives of millions of teens as well as adults, and then what is alcohol? According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 37,000 annual U.S deaths, including 1,400 in Colorado, are attributed to alcohol use alone. On the other hand, the USCDCP does not even have a category for deaths caused by the use of marijuana. The official publication of the Scientific Research Society reported that alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs and uses just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect this could lead to death while marijuana is one of, if not the least toxic drug, requiring thousands of times the dose one would use to get the desired effect that can lead to death. Many of us hear that marijuana kills brain cells but in reality, studies show teens that use marijuana as well as alcohol suffered significantly less damage to the white matter in their brains. Marijuana is also safer for the community. With the recession that we are currently facing, you would think the U.S would do anything to get more money. According to the recent figures, U.S consumer’s number anywhere from 25 million to 60 million dollars’ worth of marijuana. By taxing marijuana, the government could make an estimated $45 billion to $110 billion a year. Legalizing marijuana would also reduce the

Marijuana became dramatically more popular after its prohibition than it ever was before. Over one hundred million Americans have tried it, including the three most recent occupants of the Oval Office. Billions, perhaps tens of billions, of dollars are spent and earned illegally on it each year. Marijuana is routinely described as the first, second or third most lucrative agricultural crop in many states. And taxpayers are obliged to spend billions of their own dollars each year in support of futile efforts to enforce an unenforceable prohibition. Clearly marijuana prohibition is unique among American criminal laws. No other law is both enforced so widely and harshly yet deemed unnecessary by such a substantial portion of the populace. Police made roughly 800,000 arrests last year for possession of marijuana, typically tiny amounts. That 's almost the same number as are arrested each year for cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Ecstasy and all other drugs. Meanwhile recent polls show that over 40% of Americans think that marijuana should be taxed and regulated like alcohol; and it 's closer to 50% among Democrats, independents, adults under age 30, and voters in a growing number of western states. Contrary to the beliefs of those who advocate the legalization of marijuana, the current balanced, restrictive, and bipartisan drug policies of the United States are working reasonably well and they have contributed to reductions in the rate of marijuana use in