Legalizing Marijuana - 4050 Words

Legalizing Marijuana Abraham Lincoln once stated that, Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man s appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimesÂ… A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded. In today s society, this statement still applies in reference to the illegal use of marijuana. Marijuana prohibition causes far more harm than marijuana itself. Keeping marijuana illegal is expensive and causes crime. Out of four possible connections between drugs and crime, at least three would not exist if drug prohibition laws were repealed. First, crimes which occur billions of times a year are producing, selling, buying, and†¦show more content†¦During the same period, FBI resources devoted to drug enforcement increased from $8 million a year to over $100 million; U.S. Marshals resources from $26 million to about $80 million; U.S. Attorney resources from $20 mi llion to about $100 million; U.S. Customs resources from $180 million to about $400 million; and Bureau of Prison resources from $77 million to about $300 million. Expenditures on drug control by the military and the intelligence agents are more difficult to calculate, although by all amounts they have increased by at least the same magnitude and total hundreds of millions of dollars per year (8-9). Federal, state, and local government spend about $75 billion a year on law enforcement and criminal justice programs. About $20 billion of that is directly related to drug law enforcement. Roughly another $15 billion is related to crimes committed to obtain drug money or is systematically related in some way to drug commerce. This means about $35 billion per year is spent on drug law enforcement and lost by crimes committed to obtain drug money. The $35 billion along with money squandered on the ineffective drug suppression activities of the government, and the money lost as a result of the unnaturally high price of drugs, creates a $100 billion total (Duke 354-355). Benson Roe believes, It is time to recognize that the problem isShow MoreRelatedLegalizing Marijuana2983 Words   |  12 PagesDecember 3, 2012 The topic of marijuana has been a big topic for the past few years. The United States considers marijuana as a drug, in some other countries they say it is a natural herb that is grown from the ground. The issue at hand is â€Å"should marijuana be legalized?† the congress of the US stay in a constant debate on this subject. Why is the subject of marijuana such in high demand, if the US already considers it a drug? There are many facts that need to be looked at before a finalRead MoreReasons for Legalizing Marijuana841 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana Abstract Marijuana can be used by the public for many purposes. Medicine is an important part of our lives and marijuana has been tested to cure cancerous cells as well as help people with their epilepsy. Using marijuana for medical purposes is one major aspect that people should take into consideration for legalizing it. Marijuana’s market has also been brought to many people’s attention because it has been poised to grow faster thanRead MoreThe Battle Of Legalizing Marijuana1289 Words   |  6 Pages Jake Mincher Mrs. Hasty English 1, 1st Hour 4/20/17 The Battle to Legalize Marijuana in the United States The United States is splitting up into two sides with the date of 4/20 coming closer with one wanting the legalization of the plant substance and the other opposing it. According to the United Nations, 158.8 million people around the world use marijuana—more than 3.8% of the planet’s population. Marijuana was legalized on the 20th of April in Colorado in 2014. It has been legalized in variousRead MoreThe Issue Of Legalizing Marijuana1324 Words   |  6 PagesDoes it really come to morality after all? The decision to legalize marijuana has been subject for debate since first introduced in 1969; many arguing the fact that we are sitting on an industry worth an estimated 113 billion dollars. For once we have an opportunity to make a real impact in our economy. We have an aid on â€Å"the war on drugs†. But are we then showing our children that legalizing drugs is really the answer to our problems or does only the big picture mater in the end? Will this bringRead M oreThe Issue Of Legalizing Marijuana1821 Words   |  8 PagesThe issue of Legalizing marijuana is a very controversial topic of modern times. The use of marijuana is all over the media with celebrities doing it and young people in on the craze. Marijuana is the world’s oldest illegal drug, not only that, it is also the drug that is most widely used among society today (Aanstoos, 2015). Different types of people use this drug for a variety of reasons, such as, as a way to disconnect from todays hectic world, something they are peer pressured into, or even medicalRead MoreBoth Sides of Legalizing Marijuana1316 Words   |  5 Pagesof us know, marijuana has been legalized in Washington and Colorado for recreational use. According to polls and predictions, Oregon may be one of the up and coming states to legalize it next. But here comes to question, Should marijuana be legalized? Why or why not? There are many pros and cons to this situation, and they all affect not just our s tate but our country as a whole. That is exactly why I chose this topic. Since middle school, there has been talk about whether marijuana should be legalizedRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana For Recreational Use926 Words   |  4 PagesLegalizing Marijuana in Texas for Recreational Use The well known debate over the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in The United States has been ongoing since 1935. Recently Colorado and Washington have legalized the use of marijuana for recreational use. By doing so, the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana has become more of an issue than it already was and now brings other states to question whether or not they should legalize marijuana (Breecher). Which brings aboutRead MoreThe Debate over Legalizing Marijuana967 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana is a drug which is used for recreational purposes as well as medicinal purposes. However, the medicinal use of marijuana has only been suggested in the recent years because previously it was just a drug which used to be exploited by the teenagers, adults and others for their own personal purposes. Many people get arrested for illegal possession of marijuana because it is still illegal to have marijuana despite the ongoing debate of making it legal. There are many people who are againstRead MorePositives and Negatives of Legalizing Marijuana1886 Words   |  8 PagesI have always been against the use of all illegal drugs including marijuana, but while researching this topic, I have learned a lot about some of the positives of legalizing marijuana use. Considering it is classified as an illegal controlled substance, I have always been under the assumption that marijuana was bad for people, no matter what my friends may have said about how good it was. I was peer pressured into trying it when I was fourteen. I knew right away that it was not for me. It madeRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana For Open Recreational Use1261 Words   |  6 Pagesand use of marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational use. While hotly debated on both sides, one of the more ironic factors regarding the issue of legalization is that it was found to be perhaps the most logically and fairly debated topics of the state’s recent mid-term elections. T he facts of legalization are becoming more black and white and less about morality, which may be a testament to why 24 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws legalizing medicinal marijuana. Of those