Economics of Legalized Marijuana in Amsterdam

When cannabis is legal, thousands of people would smoke cannabis instead of using other drugs or drinking alcohol because it provides a safer alternative. Since marijuana is illegal people don’t see a big difference between hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine and cannabis because both are illegal. But when marijuana is legal they might rather smoke cannabis to get high because it is cheaper, it would be less dangerous regarding the law, it is less addictive and because it is healthier. It is very important that people see the difference between a hard drug and marijuana which is why it should be legalized so criminals will use it as an alternative to drugs and alcohol.

Gwynne, Kristen. “Five Reasons Cops Want to Legalize Marijuana.” Rolling Stone. Wenner, Jane S., 27 June 2013. Web. 12 March 2014.

economy. While not an entirely identical comparison, the legalization of marijuana could bear some of the same positive effects as a legalization of sports betting could. Revenues could help public schools gain funds, improve communities, and decrease the

There have been some pretty apparent pros that have come with the legalization of marijuana. The state has put a hefty tax on the sale of marijuana, which has generated a lot of income. The state has used the profits for all sorts of things that will help to improve the lives of the people living there. “The first 40 million of this tax revenue is earmarked for public schools and infrastructure, as well as for youth educational campaigns about substance use.”(Roberts, Jeff). They have used these profits to improve education, infrastructure, and the local governments. So far it has generated hundreds of millions of dollars that have gone to the groups that were listed and many more. “It’s going so well in Colorado in 2015, that pot shops sold both medical and recreational weed for about $700-million with two months of sales

Legalizing marijuana has always been an interesting topic for many people to dispute about. Some people say it is good, while others say it is bad. No matter what topic you speak about, it has its pros and cons. For example, marijuana can be used in great ways if legalized. Through money given from dispensaries to the crime rate lowered because of the ability to acquire marijuana in legal ways. Some bad examples are that it can be a gateway drug and can cause one to want a “better high” to people thinking it affects people's lives. Legalizing marijuana (medical and recreational) will help the United States with money, crime, and other numerous ways.

First, one of the biggest reasons for many to legalize marijuana is the boost in revenue it can cause. Legalization will allow the government to form new taxes and apply them to the sale and distribution of marijuana. For example, in Colorado, analysts say that taxing could lead to raising millions of dollars each year. States who have legalized marijuana show higher numbers of usage than states who have not. That is why there is a higher demand for weed creating better economic opportunities for these communities in the future. Secondly, legalization could lead to improvements in the criminal justice system and law enforcement. If marijuana was made legal law enforcement agencies could spend less time going after weed related crimes and focus on more serious and violent criminals. This is a better for the criminal justice system because when it comes to decriminalization there will still be discretion on how each officer deals with possession. Therefore, legalization will

Another benefit accrued through legalizing marijuana would be a significant reduction in crime rates. Since Marijuana is currently illegal, it is sold on the streets country wide. Thousands purchase the drug from dealers, putting their lives and reputations at risk, simply because it is the only method to attain it. Both drug dealers and gangs fight to sell the drug in the street, causing their deaths and the deaths of innocent people. Legalizing the drug help decrease the street wars and gang violence by taking the “right” to sell out of the hands of dealers, and into the hands of the government. Since the drug will be legalized, it will be available in the same locations as cigarettes and alcohol, decreasing crime

Many states have legalized cannabis, for example, Colorado has already seen many positive results. The economy has been in an upwards advantage with raising over ten million taxes from the retail sale of cannabis within the first four months. They will use the first forty million of the tax collection to better the public schools in the area as well as improving the youth campaigns about substance abuse. Marijuana had not only raised more money for the state is has also saved millions of dollar in a single year.

The nation that we live in today proudly proclaims its perpetuation of freedom and democracy, and with these qualities it conveys supreme justice. The United States government and its constitution are regarded by many as the pinnacle of civil government, as the ultimate projection of civil justice. However, no government is perfect, for man himself is inherently imperfect. For over two centuries since its birth, The U.S. constitution, which many hold in such high esteem, has been continuously molded to fit our ever changing society. Many of these changes have been good and necessary, while others have caused unforeseen problems. Even in light of harm to society, however, the constitution and its

As shops for recreational and medical Marijuana open, more purchases of the product will be made which impacts the tax revenue. An example would be Colorado (a state that legalizes Marijuana) where “In 2015, Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fee on medical and recreational marijuana” (Krishna, 2017). Arcview Market Research also predicts that “Sales in North America grew 30%, to $6.7 billion, in 2016, and is projected to increase to $20.1 billion by 2021”. The legalization of Marijuana will also provide many job opportunities since a variety of different jobs will be needed that relate to Marijuana. Investopedia.Com states “A RCG Economics and Marijuana Policy Group study on Nevada says that legalizing recreational marijuana in the state could support over 41,000 jobs till 2024 and generate over $1.7 billion in labor income. The ICF study estimates at least 81,000 additional direct, indirect, and induced jobs in California as a result of legalized marijuana sales. It also projects an increase in total labor income by at least $3.5 billion”. Another way legalizing Marijuana would impact the economy positively is that the government can save money spent on enforcing the law of Marijuana being illegal. Huffington post states “Inmates incarcerated on marijuana-related charges cost U.S. prisons $1 billion annually, according to a 2007 study, AlterNet reports.” and “The government would save an estimated $13.7 billion on prohibition enforcement costs and tax revenue by legalizing marijuana”.This low risk substance saves the economy a lot of money and support it

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

To explore the economic benefits of marijuana legalization we must first look at the amount of marijuana that is purchased by users. The White House Office of National Drug Policy reported that between 1988 and 1995, Americans spent about 7 billion dollars on the illegal substance, averaging about a billion dollars a year (Prislac, 2009). This means that annually there is a billion dollars out there that is subject to no sales tax. The national average for sales tax is 5%, so if you calculate the billion dollars being spent on marijuana, this means there is approximately 50 million dollars in sales tax that our government never gets

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.

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?