The Federal Government Should Legalize Recreational Marijuana

“According to the United Nations, 158.8 million people around the world use marijuana—more than 3.8% of the planet’s population” (Drugfreeworld.org, 2014). Marijuana is one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world (Sewell). It has received a plethora of criticism in the past and its negative reputation has carried on throughout history, making the legalization of marijuana one of the most controversial topics today. Marijuana does not deserve the reputation it receives, and in actuality it serves many medicinal purposes for the human body. Marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states for medical use.

Drug policy is a crucial topic in the country today. Substance abuse, as well as drug-related crime rates, are a huge problem. This is a fact. The way to fix the problem of substance abuse, however, is widely disagreed upon. Some think that stricter laws regarding drug possession and use would solve the problem, while others believe that loosening the restrictions would be a better option. The issue of legalizing drugs, especially marijuana, is one that is debated all the time. In fact, in 1995, a survey was conducted on the most important policy issues and eighty five percent of the country placed drugs at the top of the list (Falco 1996). Many states are actually beginning to decriminalize, and even

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.

For many years, there has been a war against society and the federal government on whether or not marijuana should be legal in the U.S., for medicinal and recreational purposes. There are so many positive aspects as to why it would be a highly viable asset to communities all over the U.S. Though there are some aspects to be looked at and taken into consideration when it comes to legalizing this drug, it still stands as an important fact that marijuana should be in fact legalized by the federal government, so that the development of hemp crops can be used as a valuable agricultural crop in the U.S., creating a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions we consume every day, so that we can expose majority of the prohibitions on the dangers of marijuana are solely based on disinformation and lies, and so that dollars collected in tax revenue from marijuana sales can be used for bettering our communities instead of spending our earned taxed dollars on criminalization costs keeping it illegal.

Currently, drugs continue to be extremely high on the lists of concerns Americans have and it is a serious problem that we need to take charge of. To a lot of people drugs aren’t really a big issue because they aren’t users, but actually they impact everyone – users and non-users alike. I believe that if the entirety of the United States adopted a policy towards the decriminalization of marijuana then the negative demeanor that is often associated with drugs would be diminished. The drug policy we have now -- sucks. Drug laws have only inspired illegal activity, whether it be illegal trafficking, sale, use, development, growth, and MANY people have been killed because of

We should decriminalize drugs in the U.S. instead of legalizing them. Decriminalization refers to the lessening of criminal penalties of certain acts. According to De Marneffe, “… the legalization of drugs … [is] the removal of criminal penalties for the manufacture, sale, and possession of large quantities of recretational drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine” (346).

The fight to legalize marijuana has been waged for decades and it’s about time that we find a resolution. I’m not a supporter of marijuana, I detest the culture associated with the drug and have no interest in consumption of the drug. But the effects of enforcing laws outlawing marijuana have done more harm than good in the US. The United States imprisons too many minorities due to minor drug infractions, the costs of enforcing these laws are too high, and the government is missing out on tax opportunities due to the current drug laws.

claim is based on a study of the rehus monkey by Dr. Robert Heath in the late

I do not believe that the Federal Government should continue to regulate –and outlaw- marijuana. I believe that the issue should be a concern of the states and not the federal government. According to the Controlled Substance Act, (CSA) (21 U.S.C. § 811), there is no federally recognized difference between medical and recreational marijuana. Importantly no matter what the use is, marijuana is illegal in the United States as far as the federal government is concerned.

The legalization of marijuana is a controversial issue in North America today. Despite the outstanding benefits of legalizing this drug, we haven't gotten any closer to ending the war on drugs. There are major social, law enforcement and fiscal benefits with very minor drawbacks. Many European countries have proven than legalizing drugs can reap many benefits and we should follow these liberal ideas so we can also enjoy the benefits.

This one statistic alone is absolute proof that current drug enforcement programs and policies are not effective. Marijuana is widely available to the masses, arrests are at an all-time high, and there is a potential to make billions of dollars through taxation. Marijuana is accepted all over the world, and is by far the most popular illegal drug. A recent Gallup poll showed that 50% of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana. (Newport, 2011)

We must develop public policies on substance abuse that are guided not by moral righteousness or political expediency but by common sense. The United States should immediately decriminalize the cultivation and possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Marijuana should no longer be classifies as a Schedule

According to the article named An End to Marijuana Prohibition, all levels of government, including federal, state and local have engaged in a program named “War on Drugs”. As the result, we are currently spending a lot of money on arrest, prosecution and imprisonment people who didn’t actually do anything to endanger others. In my opinion, it is quite ridiculous for the taxpayers to pay for it. I believe that unless those people do harm to others, they should not be punished by locking up in prison-- even if they engaged in self-destructive behavior. We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money on this fruitless drug control strategy. There are better ways to control drug use, such as research, education and treatment, ways that will ultimately lead to a healthier and happier

When you think of prohibition, one typically thinks of the roaring twenties. This was when the government prohibited the sale of alcohol. Looking back through history, we see trends from then happening today with the prohibition of marijuana and other drugs. Many people have many opinions if marijuana should be legalized or not. It’s not as easy as just looking at the pros and cons. Our government needs to determine if the prohibition of drugs is actually promoting greater health, safety, and productivity, as well as lowering violence and criminal justice costs. After reading this research paper and seeing the evidence, hopefully you will agree with me that the drug war we are fighting is not promoting greater health, safety, and

Drug use is part of human nature, but the unimaginable wealth involved leads to the corruption of the police, judges, and elected officials. There is no reason to have the government regulating what goes into an individual’s body. An extreme case of what we’re letting the government do is letting them take away our own self, an individual’s ownership over his own body. I think it’s in everyone’s interest to legalize all drugs, since this war is going nowhere, letting