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The Legalization of Marijuana Essay

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In the United States marijuana has become of the most widely used drugs (drugpages).
A number of movements to legalize marijuana have been gaining attention lately. Currently there are 14 states where marijuana is legal for medical use (medicalmarijuana). 41% of U.S. citizens believe marijuana should be legalized (drugpolicy) but others are still concerned about health damage. American society has lost the war against marijuana, and that's okay. We should stop wasting time and money trying to reverse history and instead legalize both medical and recreational use of this mild narcotic widely seen as no more harmful than alcohol. Marijuana is usually smoked as a joint (rolled with paper) or in a pipe. Marijuana can also be consumed, but …show more content…

It is estimated that marijuana is the largest cash crop in California, with annual revenues approaching $14 billion. A 10% pot tax would yield $1.4 billion in California alone (time). The taxation of marijuana would create more jobs and stimulate the economy.
Most drug dealers would lose a great deal of business if not all. The illegal drug trade is the financial engine that fuels many terrorist organizations around the world (fff.org). What makes the drug trade such a success is the efforts of the United States to dispel illegal drugs. Legalization would reduce prices and open competition, eliminating the multibillion-dollar industry that supports crime at all levels.
Law enforcement resources would be freed up for more severe crimes. Marijuana accounts for almost three-quarters of all drug-related arrests in the United States (drugpolicy). Most consider the war on drugs an expensive failure. Resources of all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) partake in the fight (mjlegal). Think about the cost for every person employed to support fighting the war against marijuana, it adds up quickly. The United States spends $68 billion per year on corrections, and one-third of those being corrected are serving time for nonviolent drug crimes. We spend about $150 billion on policing and courts, and 47.5% of all drug arrests are marijuana-related. Most the

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