The legalization of marijuana is a controversial issue that has been debated heavily over the last couple of decades. Marijuana is a currently illegal drug made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, which is usually smoked to induce euphoria or “high” and to heal and soothe. In the 1930s, the American media spread many false stories and rumors that marijuana was an extremely dangerous drug and caused marijuana and hemp to become banned starting in 1938. It is obvious that the ban on marijuana in the United States is unnecessary due to the fact that the crime would be reduced if the ban was lifted and its results are proved to be better than those of prescribed drugs. Taxes on other products would also be reduced. I will be arguing the pro-legalization position because I believe the benefits outweigh the costs when it comes to the legalization of marijuana.
There are many people in the world that sell and/or grow marijuana. This is illegal under the Drug Act and can cause fines and even prison time. The U.S. Department of Justice statistics on the total number of state and federal drug prisoners suggests that there are now about 33,655 state inmates and 10,785 federal inmates behind bars for marijuana offenses. Multiplying these totals by U.S. prison expenditure data reveals that taxpayers are spending more than $1 billion annually to imprison pot offenders (Armentano 1). If marijuana was legalized it imagine what we could do with the wasted billion somewhere else. Legalizing would also decrease the crime rate and would eliminate many problems with adolescents.
Alcohol, a drug that is advertised on television and sold in supermarkets, is responsible for around 100,000 deaths annually, including deaths caused by drunk drivers. But the use of all illegal drugs combined like cocaine, heroin, marijuana, ecstasy, LSD, etc. accounted for 3,403 deaths in 1999 which is only 1 percent of those caused by the legal drug alcohol. According to the...