Stephen Tracey Professor Curran English 101 10 November 2011 Marijuana: Cause and Effect Today in America, millions of American citizens are both confused and outraged by the fact that there are still laws that are preventing people from using one of the most popular and controversial, illegal substances in the world: marijuana. According to recent polls, fifty percent of Americans want marijuana to be completely legal and decriminalized (Blodget), and a whopping eighty percent of Americans want it to be at least legalized for medical use (RangelMD). So why do so many Americans want marijuana to be legalized? To some this question can be easily answered, but to others, it’s not so simple. There are way too many reasons to count why …show more content…
Also, street violence would fall as a result of decriminalizing marijuana. The problem with marijuana being illegal is it causes people to resolve their disputes themselves instead of through law enforcement (Nick). This means that street gangs would have significantly less power than what they have now. A good analogy is how much power prohibition gave to Al Capone and other mob related persons. Americans who want marijuana legal don’t like giving street thugs power and money. Marijuana legalization makes us all safer, especially the kids. This is because of one simple fact, drug dealers don’t ask to see ID. Many teens have an easier time getting marijuana than they do getting alcohol or cigarettes. It may sound counter-intuitive, but legalizing marijuana would put street dealers out of business who don’t care about the people they are selling to. Finally, the main reason millions of Americans want marijuana decriminalized is the positive effects it could have on our despicable economy. First off, decriminalizing marijuana will prevent users from going to prison which will save all us tax payers a whole lot of money. In California alone, the cost of marijuana enforcement can be estimated at over $200 million per year (Gieringer). The money is being spent on state prison, jail costs, court and probation, felony arrests, misdemeanor
Although there are many positive effects that legalizing marijuana could have, there are some negative effects that it could have as well. These negative effects influence the consumers more than they affect the economy. Due to these negative effects influencing the consumers more, they counteract with the positive effects that impact the economy more. Some of the negative effects are things like more DUI’s, health problems, and it is a gateway
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.
The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans
The United States has, in some states, legalized the use of marijuana. Studies done have shown that it helps the state economies grow, and has given the states millions of dollars in tax revenue. So imagine the money that would be saved if marijuana were legalized in the whole country. The United States would benefit from a stronger economy, increased jobs, reduced prison costs, lower medicinal marijuana prices, and the availability of medical marijuana to the people who need it.
Marijuana these days is causing indefinite amount of problems because it is not legal. Since it is not legal in the U.S., Drug Cartels are taking advantage of that and illegally importing their products across the border by the use of “Drug Mules” or underground tunnels. That hurts us tremendously, since we invest millions of dollars every year to strengthen our border security to, but they always find a way to get it into the country because of high demand and price for illegal marijuana. Drug Cartels are also taking millions to billions of dollars illegally out of our economy, which is not helping our National Debt. If we legalize marijuana we can prevent the Drug Cartels from making money because people will have an easier way to buy it and we can also regulate how
Legalizing marijuana does not just benefit those who need or want it, it benefits America's economy. Since it is illegal and is the most commonly used, the crime rates are high. A total of 800,000 people are arrested for the possession, selling, or manufacturing of marijuana. In The Daily Caller News Foundation it is stated that “Crime rates on the drug are way down. Possession
Cannabis has copious amounts of effects on your body and brain. The effects range from bad all the way to good. Negative effects of cannabis may include anxiety, paranoia, and lowered reaction time, increased heart rate, distorted sense of time, and in some cases, psychosis. Cannabis does have positive effects for people with illnesses including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and many more. For teens, however, there is an increase of cannabis’ negative effects on the brain. This may include decreased brain activity, decreased neurons, trouble thinking and focusing, and a higher rate of dropping out of high school. Chronic users of cannabis may become dependent on it. It can also increase your rate of respiratory problems,
Legalizing marijuana has always been an interesting topic for many people to dispute about. Some people say it is good, while others say it is bad. No matter what topic you speak about, it has its pros and cons. For example, marijuana can be used in great ways if legalized. Through money given from dispensaries to the crime rate lowered because of the ability to acquire marijuana in legal ways. Some bad examples are that it can be a gateway drug and can cause one to want a “better high” to people thinking it affects people's lives. Legalizing marijuana (medical and recreational) will help the United States with money, crime, and other numerous ways.
With all of the complex issues facing the nation today, it seems as if the legalization of marijuana is being set on the back burner of legislation. There are so many opinions, sides, and overall arguments for and against it that many vote seeking politicians and policy makers have put up a strong resistance to this issue. In this paper I will illustrate the reasons why I think marijuana should indeed be legalized and also the arguments from people who disagree and feel that it should stay an illegal drug.
The legalization of marijuana will bring in much needed revenue to the US economy through tax revenue, the creation of jobs, decrease in the number of those incarcerated for marijuana possession, and help treat various health conditions that would otherwise cause an enormous amount of pain. Although marijuana is often looked down upon as a Schedule I illegal drug, this medicinal plant has been around for more than a decade and has been used for more than the "get high" purpose. Marijuana is non-toxic compared to multiple types of medications now on the market and it has never caused an over dose. It is also less expensive, if legalized than most of the overly priced medications provided by
Legalizing recreational marijuana will help the United Sates economy by combating the war on drugs. Regulation of the drug will bring money into the state and to the nation as well. Moreover, Clare Howard in his article, Why legalize recreational marijuana states, “America has lost the war on marijuana. The cost to taxpayers has been $1 trillion and has resulted in 40 million arrests. The war on marijuana needs to end like Prohibition ended in 1933 with the country recognizing failed public policy and formulating another plan with reasonable regulations and restrictions… perhaps regulating marijuana like alcohol and keeping it illegal for
There are many ways that marijuana would benefit the economy if legalized. An economy benefits when there is a healthy flow of monies within. This means internal spending by citizens on items of their choice. Citizen spending is what keeps the economy going. The use of citizen?s tax money would also be greatly affected. Tax money would be allocated more properly and used in more strategic ways. The taxation of items such as legalized marijuana brings a flow of money into the economy that would otherwise not be there. This increase of government funds would allocate more money to federal programs that are in financial need. Federal programs include public education, health education, treatment programs, etc. When the public?s way of
The first benefit to the legalization of marijuana would be the decreased spending on law enforcement. Many of America’s jails are filled to the brim with people who got long and unfair sentences for possession of the drug. Part of the
Marijuana can help save the United States. Taxes on weed to change how we live. It can give the government the money we need to fix roads and etcetera. “In Colorado, for example, analyst suggest that taxing the drug could raise between 5 and 22 million dollars annually”(Business insider, 2012, Para.7). This means we the
More than 800,000 people are put under arrest for marijuana for merely possessing marijuana and the rest were for selling or assembling marijuana. When marijuana use is legalized less and less people will be arrested for the right reasons. Also, it would be decreasing prices due to greater opportunity or quantity. Marijuana is great demand, hence the increasing the economy because more and more people will purchase them if it was legalized. Furthermore, we can look at new tax revenues and compare marijuana to tobacco. When marijuana is legalized, authorities can start taxing marijuana just like tobacco and start earning from it as well. The legalization of marijuana can also arrange more job opportunities especially when it comes