How Can Legalizing Marijuana Improve Our Economy
Legalizing Marijuana “Marijuana is the most common illegal drug used in the United States. Approximately one hundred million Americans have tried marijuana at least one and twenty five million have smoked it in the last year” (31 Random). Legalizing marijuana in all states would be beneficial to the United States. Marijuana is not a harmful drug, it is much safer than alcohol, and legalizing it could be really helpful for most people. Making marijuana legal would help improve our economy, could be used for medicinal purposes, and it could even help decrease violence. Legalizing marijuana would help improve our economy, no questions asked. The government would be able to tax it and make lots of money. The economy is in a very bad state right now; the US owes so much money to China and our government should really step up. They could take all the profits from selling marijuana and pay back our debts. It could really only help us, not hurt us. Marijuana smokers are going to smoke no matter what. They are breaking the law everyday just to smoke it, but if it was legal they wouldn’t have to break the law and the government would have more money.
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Marijuana being legal would remove the cost of arresting, prosecuting, and monitoring people on parole and probation, which would be saving the government money.
In 2000, a total of 734,497 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 646,042 were for possession alone (Marijuana). If people are not being arrested for possession of marijuana, there will be more room in jail cells for people who actually deserve to be in there. In 2004, there were 11,630 marijuana prisoners for federal and there were 33,186 marijuana prisoners for state (Marijuana). That is a lot of extra space prisons would have and a lot of extra money the government would
save. Another way legalizing marijuana could help improve the economy would be that marijuana dispensaries could be located everywhere, which would be creating more jobs. More jobs means less people on welfare and on unemployment. This also means, less money the government has to give out. The economy will grow, more people will have jobs and the government will have more money just from making marijuana legal. Not only would legalization be good for the economy, it would be good for medical uses. “Marijuana provides relief from pain, nausea, spasticity, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications” (31 Random). Someone who didn’t feel well could just go buy some marijuana then smoke it and then they will feel better and very calm. Some over the counter medicines don’t work well or very quickly depending on the person. If they could buy marijuana, they could feel a lot better more quickly than taking medicine. Also it would be helpful for people who get migraines a lot because smoking would calm them, make them relax, and most likely distract them from the pain.
On the other hand, people with more serious conditions might find smoking medical marijuana very helpful. People who have cancer and people who are in a lot of pain shouldn’t have to suffer. They should be able to buy medical marijuana legally if they believe it’s going to make them feel better. Cancer patients need treatments like marijuana because chemo therapy and radiation can be painful, tiring, and even maybe nerve racking. Legalizing marijuana could also help decrease violence. In the 1890s, marijuana was commonly recommended as a substitute for alcohol because the use of marijuana did not lead to domestic violence while alcohol abuse did (31 Random). If more people are smoking marijuana and not drinking as much, there would be less violence in the United States. Violence is so bad these days, people are scared for their children and scared that it’s going to get harder to protect them as time goes on. If marijuana was legalized, people wouldn’t have to worry as much because there would be less crimes. Also there might less gangs, and it would make smuggling more profitable (10 Reasons). The gangs wouldn’t have to fight about not getting paid or chasing someone down who didn’t pay them. There would be no problems with people selling marijuana that they laced with cocaine or problems with teenagers selling marijuana to make money because the marijuana would be sold in dispensaries. Legalizing marijuana would decrease crimes associated with marijuana and lead to safer use of the drug.
Not only would there be less violence, there would be less teenagers associated with the drug. The less teenagers can get their hands on marijuana the better, less teens would be able to use and less would sell (10). Teenagers smoke because it’s a thrill and if marijuana was legal they probably wouldn’t even want to do it anymore. Legalizing marijuana would be very beneficial; marijuana smokers aren’t going to stop so why doesn’t the government make money off of it? People are suffering with cancer and illnesses, so why do they have to suffer through the pain? Let them buy marijuana legally to help them feel better. Violence could be decreased if marijuana was legal, so why not try it? Legalizing marijuana could only help everyone and make the world a more peaceful place.
Work Cited
"31 Random Facts About . . . Marijuana." Random History. N.p., n.d. Web.
06 Apr. 2014.
"10 Reasons Marijuana Should Be Legal." High Times. N.p., 17 Jan. 2014. Web.
05 Apr. 2014.
"Marijuana." Drug War Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Marijuana being legal would remove the cost of arresting, prosecuting, and monitoring people on parole and probation, which would be saving the government money.
In 2000, a total of 734,497 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 646,042 were for possession alone (Marijuana). If people are not being arrested for possession of marijuana, there will be more room in jail cells for people who actually deserve to be in there. In 2004, there were 11,630 marijuana prisoners for federal and there were 33,186 marijuana prisoners for state (Marijuana). That is a lot of extra space prisons would have and a lot of extra money the government would
save. Another way legalizing marijuana could help improve the economy would be that marijuana dispensaries could be located everywhere, which would be creating more jobs. More jobs means less people on welfare and on unemployment. This also means, less money the government has to give out. The economy will grow, more people will have jobs and the government will have more money just from making marijuana legal. Not only would legalization be good for the economy, it would be good for medical uses. “Marijuana provides relief from pain, nausea, spasticity, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications” (31 Random). Someone who didn’t feel well could just go buy some marijuana then smoke it and then they will feel better and very calm. Some over the counter medicines don’t work well or very quickly depending on the person. If they could buy marijuana, they could feel a lot better more quickly than taking medicine. Also it would be helpful for people who get migraines a lot because smoking would calm them, make them relax, and most likely distract them from the pain.
On the other hand, people with more serious conditions might find smoking medical marijuana very helpful. People who have cancer and people who are in a lot of pain shouldn’t have to suffer. They should be able to buy medical marijuana legally if they believe it’s going to make them feel better. Cancer patients need treatments like marijuana because chemo therapy and radiation can be painful, tiring, and even maybe nerve racking. Legalizing marijuana could also help decrease violence. In the 1890s, marijuana was commonly recommended as a substitute for alcohol because the use of marijuana did not lead to domestic violence while alcohol abuse did (31 Random). If more people are smoking marijuana and not drinking as much, there would be less violence in the United States. Violence is so bad these days, people are scared for their children and scared that it’s going to get harder to protect them as time goes on. If marijuana was legalized, people wouldn’t have to worry as much because there would be less crimes. Also there might less gangs, and it would make smuggling more profitable (10 Reasons). The gangs wouldn’t have to fight about not getting paid or chasing someone down who didn’t pay them. There would be no problems with people selling marijuana that they laced with cocaine or problems with teenagers selling marijuana to make money because the marijuana would be sold in dispensaries. Legalizing marijuana would decrease crimes associated with marijuana and lead to safer use of the drug.
Not only would there be less violence, there would be less teenagers associated with the drug. The less teenagers can get their hands on marijuana the better, less teens would be able to use and less would sell (10). Teenagers smoke because it’s a thrill and if marijuana was legal they probably wouldn’t even want to do it anymore. Legalizing marijuana would be very beneficial; marijuana smokers aren’t going to stop so why doesn’t the government make money off of it? People are suffering with cancer and illnesses, so why do they have to suffer through the pain? Let them buy marijuana legally to help them feel better. Violence could be decreased if marijuana was legal, so why not try it? Legalizing marijuana could only help everyone and make the world a more peaceful place.
Work Cited
"31 Random Facts About . . . Marijuana." Random History. N.p., n.d. Web.
06 Apr. 2014.
"10 Reasons Marijuana Should Be Legal." High Times. N.p., 17 Jan. 2014. Web.
05 Apr. 2014.
"Marijuana." Drug War Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.