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Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

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Many states have started the process of decriminalizing marijuana and taking away the criminal offense associated with marijuana usage. The idea of making marijuana a legal drug is a cause for concern for many people. Especially, those who believe that using marijuana will cause more reckless and criminal behavior. Looking at research, there are other sides to the argument that recognize methods in which marijuana could be decriminalized with lower repercussions. Regarding the argument of decriminalizing marijuana, this paper will focus on the reasons for decriminalization and setting adequate and safe restrictions. In the efforts to control marijuana usage, it is almost impossible to fully control and restrict the use of marijuana as a illegal drug. One of the biggest arguments toward decriminalizing the usage of marijuana is that people are using the drug, despites it illegality. Although using marijuana is a criminal offense, the effects of people using marijuana and even getting convicted for use have continued. Many individuals caught with marijuana in their possession are given convictions that cost the state in terms of arrests, convictions, and in jail time, while also making it difficult for them to later acquire work (McGill, 2014). Therefore, criminalizing marijuana does not stop people from using the drug, but costs the person, the state, and doesn’t necessarily decrease later behavior. By decriminalizing marijuana, states would have the opportunity to

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