MARIJUANA

Marijuana

Marijuana

Introduction

Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control it or even solve it. Ending the drug war seems to be impossible. The war on drugs seems to be accomplishing a lot but this is not true. Different options need to be considered. Legalization is an option that hasn't gotten a chance but should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of use, marijuana should be legalized because it will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement, and it will increase our country's revenue. There are also many benefits that can be uncovered to help people if legalization of marijuana is given a chance.

Analysis

Legalizing marijuana would increase our economy's revenue. During Prohibition alcohol use was still sold and used, but people were doing it illegally. The 21st amendment repealed prohibition and alcohol taxes were increased. The same thing should happen with marijuana. Marijuana should be taxed heavily to increase our revenue. Marijuana would be made by the same people who make aspirin so the quality would be assured, containing no poisons or adulterants (Barbers et al, 1997).

Making marijuana legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement every year. Drug dealers and users are one step ahead on the enforcement process. If one drug lord is caught, another one will show up somewhere else. (Marijuana Legalization Organization 3) We cannot win. "In 1997, 10 billion dollars were spent alone just on enforcing drug laws. Drugs accounted for about 40 percent of all felony indictments in the New York City courts in 1989. This figure is quadruple what it was in 1985. Forty percent of the people in federal prison are drug law violators. One can only imagine what this figure would be like today. Too much money is wasted on a cause that seems to have no end in sight. All of this money could be used on better things (Barbers et al, 1997).

Since the 1970s, more than a dozen government-appointed commissions have examined the effects of marijuana, and made public policy recommendations regarding its use. Overwhelmingly, the conclusions of these expert panels have been the same: marijuana prohibition causes more social damage than marijuana use, and the possession of marijuana for personal use should no longer be ...