preview

Marijuana Should Be Legalized In The United States

Decent Essays

Marijuana has been prevalent in the United States of America since its birth in 1776. Currently, there is a prohibition on marijuana, similar to the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Most arrests in the United States are first time nonviolent offenders who are in possession of the illegal substance, due to this prohibition. Despite being illegal at a federal level, Colorado and Washington have passed laws to legalize medicinal and recreational use of the substance. On top of that sixteen other states offer medicinal marijuana, including the nation’s capital, the District of Columbia. Marijuana should be legalized in the United States of America as a whole, because of the amount of revenue that it would generate, the medicinal benefits that it can offer to those who are sick, and the legalization would stop the incarceration of nonviolent offenders who wish to use marijuana. …show more content…

According to The Encyclopedia of Criminal Justice Ethics, by Bruce Arrigo, a study by the National Household on Drug Abuse and Health reported that “18.1 million Americans are current users”( par 1). This is a solid chunk of the America’s population that is buying an untaxed illicit substance. Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana for legal use and Jacob Sullum states in Americans Love Pot Taxes that “voters approved pot taxes three times in four years, each time by a bigger margin.”(par 2). If marijuana was sold in gas stations or even just strictly dispensaries the tax revenue would be incredible. If other states followed Colorado’s lead, which most likely would

Get Access