January 31, 2014
Exploratory Final Draft
Time for a New High
It seems that almost every year without fail there is a new topic that sparks the interest of the public and blows up into a huge debate. The current event has been the controversy over the legalization of marijuana in the remaining states. On November 6, 2012, Colorado Amendment 64 and Washington Initiative 502 were passed by popular initiative, thereby becoming the first American states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis under state law. However cannabis is still classified as a schedule I controlled substance under federal law and is subject to federal prosecution under the doctrine of dual sovereignty and Supremacy Clause. This has been one of the big topics discussed by almost everyone in the nation. Some believe that it should remain illegal and possibly even return to its previous illegal state in Colorado and Washington. Many who believe this are misinformed and have no actual reasoning behind their claim. I, however, believe that marijuana should in fact be legalized in the remaining United States because it is much safer than its legal counterparts (tobacco and alcohol), law enforcement can divert their focus to other infractions instead of dealing with petty crimes brought along with the illegality of marijuana, and finally, the monetary benefits of making the drug legal and taxable are endless. As long as the drug is kept in check, and regulated such as with alcohol, all will work out and America shall benefit from this decision.
One of the major reasons that many believe marijuana should be legalized is that the tax dollar profits are very impressive. "In the first month of being legal, marijuana sales profited $1.24 million in taxes alone to Colorado's revenue."(Sanders). Sales alone accompanied with taxes taken from jobs could bounce this nation back into the black. We as a nation are over $17 trillion in debt, and yes, the profits from the cannabis industry are...