Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

In 2013 simple pot possession accounted for 67% of every drug crime that police managed to uncover. It’s just common sense that legalizing marijuana would lower the crime rate because there would not be people illegally, growing, selling and most importantly, smoking since 67% of all drug crimes were simply minor possession with intent to use.

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.

This paper will look at the benefits and drawbacks to legalizing marijuana by looking in at Colorado.The state made forty million dollars by taxed marijuana in 2014 alone, also Colorado saved countless millions because of the extremely lower amounts of marijuana arrest and court cases. It is not clear how having new recreational marijuana stores opening will affect the cannabis market, or businesses expanding around them. Gov. John Hickenlooper says that the economy is thriving with record setting numbers of tourists (73.1 million). 49 percent of those tourist said that legal marijuana influenced their decisions to vacation in Colorado. The ER’s in Colorado have also seen a rise in numbers of marijuana related cases and those cases in non-residents have almost doubled. An unexpected situation that arose from legal cannabis was the amount of electricity that is being use to grow the drug. Some cannabusinesses have to go green with solar or wind power. There are many varying views on the effects of legal marijuana have developed in Colorado since marijuana became legal in 2014.

Marijuana legalization will help reduce illegal activity surrounding the plant too, again, reducing the need to pay for those people to go to jail. This includes, but is not limited to, people who, after its legalization, still want to grow and sell their own marijuana.

Growing up everyone is always told “drugs are bad for you” over and over. As children, we have no perspective and do not fully understand the use of drugs. Drugs are always around us, especially marijuana. It is the most commonly used drug in the world. As much as we are told not to use this substance or be around it, many have encountered it in some way before. Marijuana being illegal in most states does not stop people from using the substance. Since this illegal drug is still used no matter the situation why not benefit from it and legalize it throughout the United States? Marijuana could have a positive effect on America in relation to health and the economy.

To begin with, legalizing marijuana will have a positive influence on reducing crimes. Many people are convicted of crime for using marijuana. According to Brennan (2014), as referenced

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

The article "Common Sense Is Needed in Marijuana Policy." By Cathy Young talks about how Marijuana should be legalized to reduce crime rates because experts believe that if marijuana were to become legalized it will reduce the amount of drug dealers, which would then get rid of many crimes revolving around narcotics. The legalization of marijuana would lead to less possession charges if it were legal to carry and it would reduce the smuggling process if marijuana were legal to grow in the United

Legalizing marijuana is one of the biggest controversial debates in America today. Although legalizing marijuana would be beneficial to America, the government will not allow it. Marijuana should be legalized because it can help in medical areas, help the economy, and lower crime rates

By legalizing marijuana less harm will be caused. This creates high levels of crime; addicts are forced to commit crimes to pay for a habit that would be easily affordable if it were legal. Police sources have estimated that as much as half the property crime in some major cities is committed by drug users. More drastically, because drugs are illegal, participants in the drug trade cannot go to court to settle disputes, whether between buyer and seller or between

The legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the “high” feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasons. First, I will present two common arguments against the legalization of marijuana and then refute them. Second, I will explain how there is no proof of harmful effects from marijuana and that there are many health benefits prominent. Third, I will describe how legalization would bring in tax revenue for the government. Finally, I will go into detail on how legalization would decrease crime rates.

Through the years marijuana has been known by many names, and almost as many opinions have been held concerning its effect on people. Not all of those opinions have been correct in fact; most have been pure propaganda. Marijuana is not a gateway drug. It does not have fatal side effects, and it is not only used by lazy people. These are just some of the stigmas that have plagued marijuana over the years. The truth is that marijuana is a medicinal plant and, as such, should be used to treat medical conditions instead of the chemicals created by big pharmaceutical companies. Though today marijuana still has a negative stigma associated with it, medical marijuana should be legalized nationwide due to its health benefits for those with terminal

Cannabis is widely known for its advantages on the improvement that it has on various diseases. It has been proven that marijuana can help/treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), arthritis, cancer, epilepsy, chronic pain, and depression, just to name a few. According to an article on CNN, patients with PTSD stated that there are way too many medications that they are obligated to take to help with their disorder and with this marijuana plant they have made much progress and seem to be more commencing on day-to-day life. Arthritis is when your joints begin to get inflamed and causes restraint which may make daily life more difficult, therefore many people use marijuana to reduce swelling of the joints and also reduce the over usage of opioids that can potentially be life threatening. Studies also show that cannabis has made a tremendous difference on cancer patients. Cancer can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue and lack of hunger, THC (which causes the “high” feeling that everyone raves about) and CBD (interacts with the human body without giving you the “high”) are two components of pot which can be used to relieve the effects that cancer can have on a person. Along with many women in my family, my mother and aunt have used pot to help with their nausea, headaches, and their lack of hunger and has proven to them that it can help ease their pain after numerous chemotherapy treatments. There are many researches that have been made to assess the positive effect on pot and cancer. In 2007 there was a study done by the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco which stated that the use of CBD in marijuana can even help prevent cancer from spreading. Another disease that is widely known around the world is depression; marijuana has been used as a

Unfortunately, under the current laws, marijuana is considered illegal which then forces the selling, swapping, and money making of this drug into the hands of the prominent and potentially destructive distributors: drug syndicates, cartels, and mafias. If we legalize marijuana, this cash crop can become a benefit to both the individual and society. Under the rule of law and properly regulated legalization, marijuana can boost the economy, create jobs, and serve as medicine to the terminally ill. Legalized Cannabis can also substantially decrease the hold drug cartels have on marijuana by making it accessible through mediums other than the black

The first benefit to the legalization of marijuana would be the decreased spending on law enforcement. Many of America’s jails are filled to the brim with people who got long and unfair sentences for possession of the drug. Part of the