preview

Should Marijuana Be Legal?

Decent Essays

Marijuana has been a hot topic of conversation over the last few years, as some states in America have legalized it medically and recreationally. By discussing the legal aspect of marijuana, the economic benefits, medical usage and how marijuana affects the family, we can see the positive and negative impact that marijuana has on sociology. Except for a few select states, marijuana usage, sale and distribution of marijuana is in some manner illegal. As a result, there is immense legal considerations behind the marijuana conversation. In 2007 alone, fifty-seven percent of all drug arrests in Indiana involved marijuana (Gettman). For all fifty-seven percent of those drug arrests, money and time had to be spent on arresting, processing, jailing, prosecuting and imprisoning those involved. Currently, merely possessing marijuana is a criminal offense, however, it would be a great benefit to the legal system to treat it as other legal substances. One such similar substance is alcohol, which is legal in all states. As with alcohol, marijuana usage should have consequences if associated with other actions, such as: driving, abuse and murder. Thus, the court system would only be spending time and money on individuals that abused the use of marijuana rather than all users of marijuana. Users are not the only ones impacted by the illegalization of marijuana, as growers and sellers of marijuana face steep punishment, if caught. Since marijuana is illegal, it is grown and sold

Get Access