Argumentative Essay On Legalization Of Marijuana

One of the biggest hot button issues of the last ten years has been over the legalization of marijuana. Proponents of legalization claim that the plant is harmless compared to other legal drugs: alcohol and tobacco. They also claim that it has medicinal benefits and that the financial benefits of legalization and government regulation far outstrip the regulations of an illegal drug. Opponents of legalization will argue that marijuana is a gateway drug, starting with marijuana and quickly graduating to harder more dangerous drugs: cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines. They also argue that the medicinal benefits are untested and unregulated by any legitimate body of medical testers. And lastly, the no one knows the effect on the human body of prolonged marijuana use; especially the effect on younger users. We will go over these facts on both sides of the issue and issue rebuttals for some if not all of them.
Arguments for Marijuana Legalization:
1. Marijuana is a harmless drug. Compared to other drugs: heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine; marijuana is harmless. The above mentioned drugs are all essentially chemical constructs. They begin with plants, or in the case of meth a pile of

The financial ramifications of legalization. In the first year of legalized, for recreational use, marijuana, the state of Colorado racked up $53 million dollars in additional tax revenue. The other plus from legalization is that it would, or should, release thousands if not tens of thousands of “criminals” from jail. Prisoners who were jailed for possessing what is now legal in several states and the District of Columbia. The money saved there would be innumerable. The tax money, in Colorado is earmarked to go towards education about marijuana abuse and to the schools. Money saved from the entire legal process surrounding criminalized marijuana would be able to go towards more important things like getting true criminals: murderers, rapists, thieves, etc. off of the