The Issue Of Legalizing Marijuana

First and foremost, majority of society is uneducated and unaware of the many benefits legal marijuana can bring about. These benefits are for us as individuals, for our economy, and for our government as a whole. You can have thoughts and opinions, criticize ones who use marijuana, say that they are a drug attics or bad people, but you would clearly be uneducated having said that. The plant, cannabis, “marijuana”, has a class of

marijuana at some time in their lives. 18 million have smoked marijuana within the last

The fight to legalize marijuana has been waged for decades and it’s about time that we find a resolution. I’m not a supporter of marijuana, I detest the culture associated with the drug and have no interest in consumption of the drug. But the effects of enforcing laws outlawing marijuana have done more harm than good in the US. The United States imprisons too many minorities due to minor drug infractions, the costs of enforcing these laws are too high, and the government is missing out on tax opportunities due to the current drug laws.

Anslinger also tried to confront the public relations nightmare that resulted from many popular entertainers, such as musicians and Hollywood actors, who were known marijuana smokers. Anslinger warned that there were “100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.” Some jazz musicians even celebrated their marijuana use with songs such as “That Funny Reefer Man” by Cab Calloway, “Gimme a Reefer” by Bessie Smith, and “Muggles” by Louis Armstrong. Accordingly, he kept personal files or “gore files” on many celebrities.

Legalization of marijuana is an important issue; most people recognize it as “harmful and addictive,” from the essay “Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized,” while others regard the ban on marijuana as ineffective, expensive, and unjust (1). According to Senator Bernie Sanders, “too many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use. That’s wrong.” The ban is unjust for Americans because it is a complete waste of our tax dollars to continue criminalizing citizens for marijuana use. Legalization of marijuana in every state will be beneficial; for our economy, medical value and breakthroughs, lowering crime rate, aiding people who are victims of drug abuse, and more. The following paragraphs will explain further.

On average, Americans spend about 5 billion dollars on marijuana every year. Thats about how much the country contributes to the purchase of alcohol! The only problem is that the money made from people selling marijuana illegally mostly goes into the pockets of mafias because they contain the largest portion of distribution in the marijuana chain. On average each state spends right at about 1 billion dollars to make sure the marijuana laws are enforced. Asa Hutchinson, the former DEA director mentioned in a CNBC interview that "The cost to fight marijuana is worth it and the people should not mind the cost, but instead look into the benefits it would bring to the country." However, its difficult to see what the benefits really are, because the law enforcement says that criminalizing marijuana will reduce the number of accidents associated with people under the influence of marijuana, reduce violence caused by the intoxication of the drug, and reduce the number of drug dependents. But these arguments to criminalize the use of marijuana are completely unproven. Alcohol also intoxicates the drinker, which obviously causes vehicle accidents. Tobacco poses health risk to smokers after years of continuous use, but they are still considered legal? Therefore, the reasons given to criminalize marijuana aren't very accurate and unproven. It is ironic that the given effects of marijuana are almost the same that made it illegal and are the same

For years people that have used marijuana have been looked down upon in America and it's wrong when a person looks at the facts marijuana is a harmless plant that is more beneficial to society than negative. Marijuana prohibition cost the American taxpayers approximately 41.8 billion dollars annually including a loss in potential tax revenue (16 Facts about Marijuana and the U.S. Economy). Thirteen billion dollars being what the U.S. government spends annually for marijuana to stay Illegal (16 facts about Marijuana and the U.S. Economy). Ninety four million U.S. citizens admit to trying marijuana at least once in their lifetime (Smith). Consequently, six hundred and ninety three thousand people getting arrested each year for less than an eighth ounce of marijuana (About Marijuana). Currently, marijuana occupies 40% of all drug related arrests (Smith). Therefore people that serve jail time for small amounts of marijuana cost taxpayers one billion dollars every year (16 facts about Marijuana and the U.S. Economy). In the past marijuana had a reputation of being horrible for you, but research says that it is a safer alternative to alcohol or tobacco (Whitley). Alcohol and tobacco have a combined death rate annually in the U.S. of four hundred and fifty thousand people

Legalization of marijuana has been an extremely controversial topic in the united states, as well as many other countries, for years. There is evidence that marijuana has been consumed since around 2700 B.C. It often served as a substitute for alcohol in the middle east, as the Quran banned followers of Islam from drinking alcohol. Marijuana was first introduced to America in 1545 by the Spanish. The colony of Jamestown used hemp, a variety of marijuana, as a means of creating paper, clothes, and many fibrous materials, creating a fair amount of jobs and income. The production of cotton took over as a cheaper and faster means of making those goods, replacing marijuana. Marijuana was then mostly used for recreational use, sparking clubs called “tea pads” to pop up. The increase in popularity of reefer in the 1920s is often argued to be the spark that birthed jazz music. In the 1930s, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) intended to give marijuana a bad reputation, stating that it is highly addictive, and would lead users into doing other narcotics. It was made illegal in the 1930s to give the alcohol market much more room to grow. Marijuana is now considered a schedule 1 substance, meaning it is very easy to abuse and has no medical value, despite the evidence that it has many potential uses in medicine. It is considered as dangerous as heroin, despite

Assuming that we are looking for the benefit of the greater good from a utilitarian standpoint the verdict is increasingly PRO-marijuana. But I aim to focus on three main points: firstly; excessive amount of taxpayer’s money is spent to both police and incarcerate marijuana offender. Secondly; there exists conclusive evidence that many positive environmental impacts to the environment, develops from the legalization of marijuana by way of the hemp industry. Finally, multitudinous medicinal benefits abound, countless more are continually being discovered, the totality of which are backed by scientific research. .

Abraham Lincoln once said "Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man 's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes.” The prohibition of marijuana has proven to be a failure and a waste of resources. In addition, prohibition has hurt society more than it has helped. Also, marijuana can be used as a medicine to treat many life threatening illnesses. The legalization of marijuana will generate enormous tax revenue, reduce crime, and give sick patients a new effective medicine.

Cannabis has been used for over 6000 years without its legality being questioned until the 1930's when the United States Government criminalized its possession. Now seventy years later, its prohibition is being reconsiderat both State and Federal levels of the government. The push for legality has never had as much support as it does now, with the legalization of medical marijuana in 20states, decimalization in 16 states, and 2 states that allow commercial cultivation, manufacture, and sale of cannabis. An overwhelming majority of the United States population,including me, see the legalization of cannabis as a profitable and harmless idea.

Numerous groups debate the topic of medical marijuana. Some people support the legalization of medical marijuana, while others oppose it. The rhetors in this discourse community come from a variety of places and backgrounds. In the medical profession, both the American Academy of Neurology and the American Lung Association speak out about medical marijuana. On the federal level, the White House and the U.S Federal Drug Administration consider the impact of medical marijuana. Medical marijuana also sparks interest with the creation of jobs. Specifically, farmers such as Gary Mangum and dispensaries such as Medical Marijuana, Inc. Insurance companies such as Prudential Life get involved with the debate. Lastly, activist groups like Americans for Safe Access and Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana make themselves known in the discourse community. Overall, these rhetors create the discourse community for medical marijuana.

Legalizing marijuana is a concept that can potentially benefit the public as well as the local economies. There has been a nationwide debate on whether marijuana should be legalized or not. The major consensus is that marijuana is not only bad for one’s health, but it is also dangerous to the community. These allegations are not true. Marijuana actually has health benefits that most people overlook. The following essay will address these health benefits in an attempt to present this concept in a way that the audience can better understand how legalizing marijuana can beneficial to an individual health, how it can give an increase to the economy.

Do you know what marijuana is? “Marijuana is a drug that is always being talked about all over the media. There is constant debate on whether it should be legalized or not. Also, debate on if it were to be legalized, how would they make it work. All these questions are things the government takes into account every day. There is a big divide between people’s beliefs on this matter. Some people think it should be, others think it shouldn’t, and some think it should be with some modifications on the usage. When you look at the benefits, there is no question that marijuana should be legal throughout the entire country. There are way more positive things that could come out of it being legal. The first reason weed should be legalized is because how many other drugs are legal. Weed is one of a few not too harmful drugs that are illegal.”

Marijuana is now legal for more states, but not every state. Marijuana should be legal, and watched the same way alcohol is. Marijuana being illegal leads to extra issues that are just not needed. “What have we gotten from our 80-year experiment with marijuana prohibition? Organized crime, increased use of stronger mari- juana, and government waste”(Erwin). It leads to people illegally growing marijuana, and smuggling it into the country. The government getting involved in the drug war of getting rid of all the drug dealers and pushers. Not all people feel that marijuana is bad. A lot of people argue that marijuana is just another issue that does not have to be dealt with by the government. I also agree with these people. If marijuana was legal then this country's war on drugs would be lowered greatly. I see it as leaving the weeds in a garden that do not bother the flowers. Marijuana is the drug that should not be categorized along with drugs like cocaine and heroin. The side effects of those drugs are much worse than marijuana. Even alcohol could be considered worse than marijuana. Legalizing marijuana would develop more jobs for the United States, receive more money, give people a choice to smoke marijuana, and decrease the war on drugs immensely.