Marijuana Legalization Essay

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.

Growing up, I’ve always been taught that drugs are bad, and my parents have always told me that there is nothing good to them. I remember taking D.A.R.E in fifth grade, learning how marijuana was bad for you and that you should go to jail if you use it. My teachers and parents were my role models though, so I took in everything they told me as a fact, until now. Now I realize that drugs are a good thing. Drugs are a way of life, and they are used by millions of people everyday. There are drugs such as advil, which is used to help patients who suffer from many things, including headaches and fevers. But the drug i’m talking about is marijuana.

Marijuana isn't as bad as people say it is. These are reasons why marijuana isn't as harmful for your body for you as you think. There are actually many benefits from marijuana that can help you.

Marijuana has been used in religious ceremonies or for medical purposes for thousands of years. I have always been against the use of Marijuana up until four years ago when my husband at the age of twenty seven underwent invasive surgery on his knee and has never been the same since. Colorado took a huge step several years ago legalizing marijuana for medical use and in recent years took the plunge to legalize it for recreational use. Marijuana is not always a bad thing nor is it always a good thing. A lot of people will compare it to any other mind altering substance and have very valid points. I would rather have a loved one or myself smoke marijuana or ingest it, instead of popping pain pills or other harmful substances put on the market by the pharmaceutical industry; Recreational use can be safe and accepting if it is regulated correctly and used responsibly.

With the future legalization of marijuana, it would boost the economy. It is estimated that Washington’s legalization of marijuana could bring in $500 million dollars in tax revenue per year, Nationwide. The inmates that are incarcerated on marijuana related charges cost the U.S 1 Billion dollars annually according to a 2007 study. In the state of Colorado, it raked in 53 million in tax revenues. Colorado enacted a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), which provides that if state and local tax revenue grows at a rate that exceeds the combined growth of the inflation rate and the population, the excess must be refunded back to the

Marijuana is a substance that has become very much a part of American culture. Nearly 65 million Americans have either used it occasionally or regularly. The use of marijuana hit mainstream America about thirty years ago and it has been accepted by a large segment of society ever since (Rosenthal 16). The debate on whether this substance should be legalized or not remains a very hot topic today. Despite government efforts

In America’s present-day society, it’s people are faced with the question of whether marijuana should be legalized or not. The issue brought with the legalization of cannabis is the fear that it is a gateway drug that will lead users to try other, harder drugs. More states have decided to legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use but not all agree with the decisions. There has been much research done to show the positive and negative effects of marijuana, itself, and the legalization of it; some concerns dealing with health, economic, and societal issues. Marijuana is a mixture of dried flowers of the Cannabis Sativa and may be consumed in many different forms. In a video made by ASAPScience called “ Your Brain on Drugs; Marijuana”, the speaker explains how the THC in marijuana is what creates the mind-altering effects on the brain, which considers it a “drug”, although it comes from a natural source. Some people are against the legalization of cannabis simply because it is considered a drug, which they may tend to stay away from in general. It is clear that both sides discussing the issue of whether marijuana should be legalized or not contain valid arguments, but there must also be a clear solution to what must happen.

The subject of marijuana legalization has been an exceedingly popular discussion topic in recent years and, as time goes on, only seems to grow more popular. This discussion has resulted in many arguments that support marijuana’s legalization. One popular argument says that since alcohol is worse for you, and alcohol is legal, marijuana should be legalized. However, this argument that marijuana should be legalized because marijuana’s effects when consumed or smoked are better than those of alcohol is a purposeless argument. This argument fails to consider the many negative effects marijuana would have on the individual, environment, and, society.

The argument of legalizing or prohibiting marijuana has been going on for very long time all over the world. In most countries, possession and use of marijuana is considered illegal. Today, some countries have legalized marijuana while other countries have not. In the United States, some states such as Washington and Colorado have also legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes for adults. There are a number of advocacy groups that stand for its legalization for health related claims and also for a responsible recreational usage. On the other hand, various penalties are imposed for use or possession of marijuana in most countries. The use of marijuana is a very serious question as it always deals with the life of human being and its impact to our society. The risk of addiction, poor health and socio-economic problems associated with the use of marijuana are few of the many reasons why Marijuana should be illegal in United States or any other country in the world. Lots of research has been done to provide substantial scientific evidence as to why Marijuana use is harmful to oneself and to the society.

Marijuana usage is a topic that has been discussed for some time now but the recent medical and recreational legalization of this drug has brought about a new area of unchartered territory. The business industry will have to revise many of their employment and safety requirements. After viewing some current policies many businesses are likely to be forced to established new protocols for intra and inner state practices. There are many types of complications as to why the marijuana usage laws should stay at the federal level and not within the state.

Beyond the economic growth through new jobs, taxes on marijuana will also provide the government tremendous revenue. With the legalization comes an increased demand for marijuana, which will allow the government to raise taxes. According to Jason Shubnell, “Colorado recently reported $2 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales for the month of January.” Such a large sum of money collected in only a month of sale shows how profitable the legalization of marijuana in U.S. states would be. The possible heavy taxation, in combination with the economic gains from new jobs, is an adequate reason alone to legalize marijuana. Not only that, but the government will save a large amount of money because the amount of funding needed to hire police to enforce drug-related laws will no longer be as big of an expense. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, Washington state “is now

The world has been involved in a long debate over the legalization of marijuana. Although this would be a great choice, I have found that there is one more option that makes the most plausible and logical pathway in the future. After you hear the compelling arguments for the decriminalization of marijuana, you will agree that this will work for the public good. This essay will utilize information from scholarly journals, statistical data, and newspaper articles to prove decriminalization is the best choice for our nation.

Additionally, legalization will decrease the burden on an already over taxed criminal justice system and will alleviate related property and violent crime in society. This difference of legality between the states of the union and the federal government has created an untenable situation that cannot last. Conversely, the common arguments against legalization, tend to focus on the increased availability to youth or a common belief, that allowing marijuana use to be legal will cause a drastic increase in crime rates. These fears are simply unfounded; voters and legislators alike need to look at the issue of marijuana from a more pragmatic standpoint. Realizing that cannabis is no more dangerous to use than alcohol and that marijuana offers an incredible opportunity for generating revenue, to this point only employed by deviant elements of society. Much like the prohibition era of the 1930s, we learned that outlawing alcoholic beverages did not make the populace safer; conversely, it put them in more danger since the product’s quality was always questionable and enforcement was costly and dangerous. Now people are more likely to use alcohol responsibly due in part to the education of the dangers rather than just being

In a study for the Cato Institute, Jeffrey A. Miron, senior lecturer on economics at Harvard University, estimate that legalizing drugs would save the government approximately $41.3 billion annually on expenditures related to the enforcement of prohibition (Ghosh 2010). Marijuana is believed to be the nation's number one cash crop, exceeding the combined value of wheat and corn. This leading cash crop is legal in nine states now allowing adult-users recreational marijuana and 29 states have approved medical marijuana programs. However, many anti-legalization advocates say that the use of marijuana often leads young people to experiment with harder drugs such as, heroin, crack, etc. Marijuana legalization could reduce government costs, raise