Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Arguments Supporting Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana is an ongoing controversial topic that seems beyond measure. There are many legitimate reasons marijuana should remain against the law; on the other hand, there are loads of bona fide reasons the government should decriminalize marijuana. First, the government spends too much money keeping marijuana prohibited. According to MLO (1999-2007), "Taxpayers are forced to pay billions of dollars to persecute, prosecute, and incarcerate people for having marijuana." Legalizing marijuana would allow juries, court reporters, public defenders, prosecutors, prison guards, and law enforcement to focus on more crimes of greater magnitude such as terrorism, sexual abuse of children, rape, harder drugs, murder, aggravated assault, robbery, etc. Moreover, permitting marijuana would enable the government to have an extra item to tax. Brown (2003) stated, "The government could also raise revenues by placing an excise tax on marijuana, much like the excise taxes imposed on alcohol and cigarettes. A federal excise tax of 6 percent on the $11 billion U.S. consumers spend on marijuana every year would produce $660 million for the federal government. A 6 percent excise tax would bring in $13.2 million every year for the state. The average state and local sales tax is around 8 percent, which would bring in another $17 million every year" (para. 7). The previously mentioned amounts would allow the government to fund areas such as unemployment benefits, medical benefits, housing, public aid assistance, social programs, create jobs, and other significant causes.

Hartney (2011) revealed, "Crime related to marijuana production, trafficking and dealing will be reduced or eliminated" (para, 1). For example, the marijuana trade has caused the Mexican drug cartels to kill anyone in the way of making profits. In addition, people in my old neighborhood, in Chicago, committed and continue to commit numerous robberies, attempt murders, or murder to gain access to the large quantity of merchandise to sell for profit. Drug dealers assemble large sums of money because of the lack of competition and the atrocious prices charged in the streets because there is a chance the dealer may get caught by the police. Legalization would initiate competition and lessen the cost; as a result, drug dealers would suffer the loss of the majority or all their enterprise. Furthermore, alcohol and tobacco are two deadly drugs, and they are more harmful and addictive than marijuana; however, they are legal. M.L.O (1999-2008) mentioned, "Alcohol causes a wide variety of health problems, alcohol abuse increases cancer risk, alcohol abuse kills over 100,000 Americans every year, nicotine, the active chemical in tobacco, is highly addictive, tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, responsible for roughly 5 million deaths each year, and cigarette smoking is the