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Argumentative Essay: The Legalization Of Marijuana

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About two weeks ago, Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C. joined Colorado and Washington State as the only states and provinces in the United States where it is completely legal to recreationally enjoy marijuana. Over the past few years, the debate on the legality of the cannabis plant and its uses has gotten much more attention as these states begin to change their laws, and the issue is brought to the federal level. Both sides of the matter have substantial reasoning for their stance, as well as holes in their arguments that need filling. Even though any two people do not have the exact same stance on the matter, I will look at the two polar sides of the debate and a middle-ground compromise that many are also calling for. An increasing majority of Americans believe that marijuana should be completely legal for …show more content…

For example, one thing that the local and federal governments could do once it is legalized is to regulate the sale and quality of the product. One never truly knows what they are getting when they go to a dealer; the marijuana could be poorly grown and not worth as much, or could even be laced with any other substances ranging from crack-cocaine to spray able glass used to increases the weight of the product. The consumers in legal states know the purity, cost, quantity and quality of every purchase before they even decide to buy some because it is closely monitored. In addition to being able to control these aspects, the government will be able to tax the purchase of every gram sold. The Colorado state government collected about $8 Million dollars in tax revenue in August of 2014, a number that has increased from only $3 Million dollars in January (Washington Post). This number is expected to continue to steeply increase as more retailers open and tourism continues to

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