A New High for Society

The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic in the media for many years now. There is a major divide in those who believe it should be legal, those who do not, and those who think it could be legal with modifications on the usage. The number of those who support the legalization of marijuana is on the rise with nearly 50% supporting recreational marijuana legalization, and 81% supporting marijuana legalization for medical treatment as of 2015 ("Public Support for Marijuana Legalization, 2015”). Marijuana should be legalized on a federal level because it is safer than alcohol, it will increase the economy, and there is an unfair criminalization of marijuana.

A controversial topic often being advocated for by sitting governors is whether the legalization of marijuana is more beneficial or harmful to the economy. Marijuana, also known as weed, is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. It’s the most widely used illegal drug in the United States, even though studies have shown results that the benefits of using marijuana for medicinal or recreational reasons far outweigh the negative matters that may be associated with its use. While marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal law, thirteen U.S. states currently have compassionate use laws in place, which allow for regulated medical marijuana use. By legalizing marijuana, the government is helping the economy by reaping medical and financial benefits, not only at the state level, but also at the federal level. Taking into account the numerous studies done with marijuana on whether it is for recreational use or medical purposes, the government cannot go wrong in legalizing marijuana because of such an impact it will have. Marijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes because it will help society economically and socially.

The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans

The legalization of marijuana will lead to a boost to the economy. With the United States being trillions in debt, an increase in tax money would be a big help to lower the national debt. Colorado, one of the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal uses, is showing valuable data of an increase in tax money, “In 2015, Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fees on medicinal and recreational marijuana. Sales totaled over $996 million” (Krishna, Mrinalini). Now, Colorado is joined by seven other states, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada, in the full legalization of marijuana. With these states joining with Colorado, the United States is seeing sales “[grow] by 30%, to 6.1 billion, in 2016 and a projected 20.1 billion in 2021” (Krishna, Mrinalini). With that in mind, these sales are shared among only eight states, add another forty-two states and the rates could surpass the trillions. Considering the evidence, the act of not legalizing marijuana would be foolish.

There is an intensive debate in society, today, about legalizing marijuana. Supporters of marijuana highlight that legalizing will not increase its consumption, and in fact will provide individuals with a legal choice. Opponents argue that legalizing marijuana will increase consumption, which would expose consumers to health risks as extreme as cancer. I believe marijuana should be legalized by the federal government. It is already being consumed in the society, and legalizing marijuana will facilitate monitoring its growth, usage, and help collect taxes. Marijuana has overwhelming support in the medical field as an alternate medicine. Also, marijuana will provide a legal alternative to individuals who rely on illegal and dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Legalization will significantly reduce marijuana trafficking and curtail black market activities. Furthermore, legalizing will divert the cash stream from black markets to the states and the federal government, in the form of taxes. The additional revenue can be used to do additional research on

From providing citizens with efficient rehabilitation to funding public government programs, legalization of this naturalistic-growing plant would be reasonable. For the states that experimented with the legalization, came with a surplus of constructive results with little to no consequences. Instead of discriminating marijuana, opponents and legislators should consider the benefits than to keep it illegal. After all, “weed the people” have a say in the government and majority of citizens now support marijuana legalization in the United States of Amarijuana (Ingraham

Marijuana, the most abused drug in America, has had a lot of publicity recently. Marijuana has caused multiple economic problems within the U.S. A controversial question has arisen from the increased popularity and troubles of this drug. The question is whether or not the U.S. government should legalize marijuana possession and sale in the country. Many Americans believe that the drug should be legalized for various reasons; others, however, are against the legalization of the dangerous drug. While legalization has both pros and cons, the positives of legalizing marijuana for those people over the age of twenty-one far outweigh the negative aspects of legalization.

The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 52% of Americans support the

At some point in the not-too-distant future, America will confront the question of whether or not to legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana. A recent poll shows that support for legalization has reached its highest level since the question was first asked thirty years ago, with 34 percent supporting a liberalization of policy. Among political elites there is a growing consensus that the harsh penalties imposed on those who grow, use, and sell marijuana are disproportionate to its harmful effects. Even among conservatives, opinion seems to be shifting. Whether the change should be welcomed is another matter.

The legal status of marijuana in the US has been a subject of controversy since its introduction in (year?). A history of legal prohibition steeped in racism and misunderstanding has only recently given way to rational discussion based on scientific evidence and public health evaluations. Legalizing marijuana would not only be an economic boon for the US and be beneficial for our medical fields, but would also make it safer by introducing regulations and protection for consumers.

The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the government and the American citizens’ stipulations dealing with the drug, marijuana. Additional research was also conducted in order to discover the positive and negative results associated with marijuana being legalized if it were to occur nation-wide. The underlying reason for this topic is due to the recent debates within the federal government, concerning the issue of legalization for the drug. Also, because of the popularity of marijuana with not only the urban community, but with my close affiliates. There has been consistent discussions among my peers of how close the United States is to becoming a marijuana legalized nation.

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.

Everyone has an opinion on the reoccurring subject of cannabis legalization. Some people are against cannabis just because it is against the law. While others believe cannabis usage goes along with free will and that the government has no right to interfere. Some say marijuana is a gateway drug, leading to the use of more serious drugs. Still, a percentage of the population believes hemp is okay and legal growing in the U.S. could benefit our economy, with an abundance of uses that would be a better choice for the environment and our health, than other options we currently seek. There are many reasons that people want cannabis legalized, and many fears for which they don’t. Whatever the opinion, people need to

If one were told that the United States had all of the answers to their economic issues growing within their country wouldn’t people take advantage of it? Even if the solution was currently considered as an illegal substance. George Shaw stated, “If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience. Mr. Shaw’s wisdom particularly applies to the current debate on the legalization of cannabis, and if it should be legal state or nationwide. The present-day prohibition on marijuana is not any different than the past prohibition on alcohol in the roaring 20’s. The legalization of marijuana, similar to alcohol not only means more money for the government, but also more revenue, jobs, and savings. The debate can be tough to follow with all of the political jargon. Americans must keep in mind that is substantial to find a solution to the lingering question, should marijuana be legalized? It is vital for the United States to end the expensive and uneconomical prohibition. Besides the infinite reasons for legalization such as ending panic over drugs, lowering crime rate and ending drug-related pollution there is one clear motive for legalization, the money.

Gallup polls reveal that almost half of Americans think that marijuana should be legalized (Newport, 2011). It is a movement that does not happen overnight. The efforts of reformists to change public opinions are working. The poll data reveals that the percent of people approving of marijuana legalization is greater now than it was in the past. In other words, the efforts to change public opinion about marijuana are having an impact. However, it will still likely be a long time before any changes occur at the Federal