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Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

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Equally important is the effect that marijuana has on the justice system. Resources are being used every day that could be allocated to a number of other pressing issues that are facing communities across the country. If marijuana is legalized, the resources of agencies of law enforcement would be able to focus on much more pressing issues. By legalizing marijuana, it will promote a reduction in street crimes and it will also take business from illegal drug dealers and direct it to the government. This would hopefully lead to a decrease in violence related to drugs in the United States ("Legalization of Marijuana"). Decreasing petty street crime and violence would make local streets safer. That is something that would benefit civilians as …show more content…

It concluded that just under half of all drug related arrests are a result of marijuana. On average, that is an annual cost of nearly $4 billion dollars. The study also found that 25 percent of incarcerations that were related to marijuana were "low level offender:" which means that they were jailed for possessing only a small amount of marijuana ("Legalization of Marijuana"). That is a staggering amount of money. That $4 billion dollars is tax payer money that could be going towards catching other criminals or improving society. Things such as homelessness, serious drug abuse, and human trafficking are just a few of the many serious issues that could receive much needed funds and resources. Legalization would take the funds out of the hands of illegal drug suppliers and direct it straight to the government. As previously stated, the government is doing a variety of things with this money to give back to the community. It is also surprising to see the number of people that are being incarcerated on petty charges. Rather than chasing serious criminals, the justice system is wasting time and energy focusing on menial crimes. The legalization of marijuana would not only redirect money and resources to important issues; it would also help to promote safer

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