There is no feasible way to completely abolish drug use in the United States. As with Prohibition of Alcohol in the earlier part of this century, the fight against drugs has backfired. The United States is spending billions of dollars a year to fight a war, which over the last 60 years, has shown that it cannot be won. So let’s use a little reverse psychology on the subject. What would happen if marijuana or other illegal drugs were legalized?
First, the billions of dollars that the government is spending trying to abolish illegal drugs would be put to better use and the government would be able to tax the “new drugs” just as they do alcohol and tobacco. These monies could then be spent to provide better education on the affects of drugs
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Second, with government regulation, including sale and distribution, the big drug dealers would no longer be in control. The drugs would be made affordable or free to those who are addicted, thus decreasing crimes such as petty theft. The streets would be much safer to walk on, because the crack dealer on the corner would no longer be pushing drugs to young children. Since the drug dealers would no longer have “areas of distribution” (turf), there would be a decline in gang war crimes such as murder and accidental shootings.
Third, if legalized, hemp and marijuana crops could take the place of part, or all, of the small farmers regular crops. They are both good rotational crops that need little tending, and it has been shown that they replace nutrients back into the soil that are lost in the growth of normal crops such as wheat and corn. This would bring in additional revenue to the farmers, keeping them in business, and provide even more tax revenue to the government. Also, a new retail market would emerge since hemp can be manufactured into clothing, paper products, oils, and fuels, and marijuana has medicinal purposes.
As Adam Smith said, “the market is regulated by an invisible hand” this statement is as true with an illegal market product as with a legal market product. As was seen with the Prohibition, just because it was illegal to drink doesn’t mean that it didn’t
The legalization of the drug marijuana is a hot topic nowadays. Many people want this substance to be legalized and regularly available like cigarettes. But what some people do not know are the serious health risks involved when using marijuana. There is a lot more to marijuana than just smoking it.
Socially, legalizing marijuana would create a safer nation and economically, the US has the potential to earn billions of dollars in extra revenue that the economy desperately needs.
In order to find an alternative to the United States current drug policy, it is helpful to look at the current options. Governments typically take three broad approaches toward drugs. The first is legalization, in which possession and sale are lawful but still subject to regulation and taxation. The second is criminalization, which consists of the banning of possession and sale with criminal punishment (i.e incarceration). Lastly, there is the combination of the two—where sale and possession are prohibited, yet possession is punishable only by sanctions, such as fines or abuse treatment but not jail time.
The United States should decriminalize drugs because it would keep people out of jail and stop overcrowding of jails, there are people with worst crimes that should be in jail. It will also stop wasting the taxpayers money, and it could increase the economy, also some states have already legalized drugs and the banning of drugs isn’t effective.
Illegal drugs are inevitable and are not going anywhere no matter how hard the United States fights. Reforming the United States War on Drugs would strategically bring money into the states and deplete the bank accounts of the drug lords. The United States abandon the prohibition on drugs and allow the government to control the shipment, production and distribution of drugs recommends The Latin American Caribbean. (Francis, J. N., & Mauser, G. A., 2011) If the United States Federal Government controlled the market place and brought in massive amounts of sources for taxes brining in a vast amount of money. By utilizing this strategy and approach the United States Federal Government would have a start to ending the war on drugs.
If pot was made a legal drug it would also greatly affect the crime rates in the U.S. Legal prohibition does not stop consumers from purchasing or using illegal drugs. By instituting a system of regulations on the drug, as with alcohol or prescription drugs, illegal drug prices would fall, leading to lower prices of the drug, therefore related crimes such as theft would be reduced. Illegal drugs are higher in price because of the inherent risk involved in production and distribution of them, which gives them a “black market status”. When people develop drug addictions (although pot has not been shown to be addictive) or habits they will do anything to get money to support their lifestyles. Many times people will resort to robbery or theft to account for money to gain access to the drug. By legalizing pot, it in turn reduces the risks associated with an illegal drug and therefore can lower the prices, which helps cut down on the secondary crimes. Drug dealers are also affected by legalizing pot. Most marijuana dealers would go out of business because of a loss in profits. By making the drug illegal, the
The controversy of legalizing marijuana has been raging for quite a while in America. From some people pushing it for medical purposes to potheads just wanting to get high legally. Marijuana has been used for years as a popular drug for people who want to get a high. All this time it has been illegal and now it looks as if the drug may become legal. There has been heated debate by many sides giving there opinion in the issue. These people are not only left wing liberals either. Richard Brookhiser, a National Review Senior editor is openly supportive of medical marijuana yet extremely conservative in his writing for National Review (Brookhiser 27). He is for medical marijuana since he used it in
Marijuana is the cause of much commotion and debating, as the question of legalization becomes more of an issue. Drugs are a major influential force in countries all over the world today. Legalization is an option that has not had a chance, but really should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of drug use, legalization would benefit for the following reasons: 1)reduction of money spent on law enforcement 2)increase in the countries revenue 3)lessen crime 4)useful in treating certain medical conditions.
There are many ways that marijuana would benefit the economy if legalized. An economy benefits when there is a healthy flow of monies within. This means internal spending by citizens on items of their choice. Citizen spending is what keeps the economy going. The use of citizen?s tax money would also be greatly affected. Tax money would be allocated more properly and used in more strategic ways. The taxation of items such as legalized marijuana brings a flow of money into the economy that would otherwise not be there. This increase of government funds would allocate more money to federal programs that are in financial need. Federal programs include public education, health education, treatment programs, etc. When the public?s way of
Source: Colorado Legislative Council. Tobacco Products Tax. 2016. Colorado Department of Revenue. Colorado Liquor Excise Tax Report. December 2015. Colorado Department of Revenue – Office of Research and Analysis. "The Economic Impact of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado." Marijuana Policy Group.
If marijuana were legal, it would also bring a significant source of revenue to the United States. A lot of money currently is spent on drugs, and most of it goes to illegal operators outside of the country. If legalized, the pot revenue would go to Americans. In the current economic climate, this would definitely be welcome. A tax could also be put on the drug, and the companies that grew and possessed the plants would have to pay income taxes to the government. It is possible for marijuana to become one of the number one cash crops in though whole country. And with all the people who would smoke it, or use it in other ways, it could quickly become one of the main stimulators in our economy.
Marijuana has become one of the most controversial drugs in America. Ever since its cultivation began around 1611, marijuana has puzzled people with its effects. Many question marijuana?s classification as a schedule one drug. A schedule one drug is one that has a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value. Some argue that the war on drugs, in particular marijuana, has cost taxpayers billions and is wasting funds that could be used on more important tasks such as improving transportation or education. As drug arrests rise, so do the populations in state prisons. This has become an immediate problem with no real solution. The legalization of possessing small amounts of marijuana can contribute positively to the medical and
Most drug dealers would lose a great deal of business if not all. The illegal drug trade is the financial engine that fuels many terrorist organizations around the world (fff.org). What makes the drug trade such a success is the efforts of the United States to dispel illegal drugs. Legalization would reduce prices and open competition, eliminating the multibillion-dollar industry that supports crime at all levels.
Drugs influence physical and psychical health, it destroys human from inside. Drugs disorganize brain , heart, liver, intestine work. And almost all of these disorders are irreversible. If drugs would be legalised, some people would buy it instead of usual anaesthetics even though it would make more harm than benefit. Death statistic of drug abuse is horrifying. About 30% of drug addicts die. And this percentage would increase if drugs would be legalised. Also, usage of drugs is a cause of many diseases, like AIDS, hepatitis, cancer, mental trouble.
“ We realize that drug addiction is a sickness, but it is also a crime” according to Pam Bondi. As we all know drug abuse is a big problem that is not often discussed. The reason we do not discuss it because we tend to hide things that cause a mad image or problem in our society. But the issue is much bigger. The legalization of drugs would improve many things such as how the government would have control over its cost and sales, the decrease of crime rates and the way we treat the people in our community who seek help.