Last Dance with Mary Jane
Abstract Throughout this paper, there will be an extremely debatable discussion about legalizing marijuana. Though both sides to this discussion have valid arguments, the pros outweigh the cons by a substantial amount. According to norml.org marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America. Federal law prohibits marijuana; anyone found with possession by federal law is punishable by up to one year in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first conviction. With making this “troubling substance” legal, the government would be able to reduce the national debt and easily reduce the overcrowding of prisons. I am proposing that people take a second to look past the negatives of drugs and focus on a plant that could better the nation.
Purpose
Marijuana has a negative shame involved by the government and public, but is actually a natural and successful medicine. Recently marijuana arrests have been exceeding the amount of violent crime arrests and punishments. The Marijuana Policy Project counted 872,720 pot-related arrests in the United States in 2007 alone, according to Cato. Enforcing this prohibition has put taxpayers in almost 10 billion dollars of debt annually. I believe that there are definitely more important issues that the government should be focusing on rather than throwing harmless marijuana smokers in jail.
Problem or Need According to norml.org marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America. Nearly one in eight drug prisoners in America are behind bars for marijuana-related offenses. With marijuana being illegal, more people are subject to go behind the law and hide the activity of it. It was stated that the United States government spends $10 billion dollars a year in its attempts to keep Marijuana off the street. Instead of legalizing this harmless plant, and gaining revenue from the tax of it, the government is spending billions of dollars to keep this prohibition going.
Background After the 1940’s,
Purpose
Marijuana has a negative shame involved by the government and public, but is actually a natural and successful medicine. Recently marijuana arrests have been exceeding the amount of violent crime arrests and punishments. The Marijuana Policy Project counted 872,720 pot-related arrests in the United States in 2007 alone, according to Cato. Enforcing this prohibition has put taxpayers in almost 10 billion dollars of debt annually. I believe that there are definitely more important issues that the government should be focusing on rather than throwing harmless marijuana smokers in jail.
Problem or Need According to norml.org marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America. Nearly one in eight drug prisoners in America are behind bars for marijuana-related offenses. With marijuana being illegal, more people are subject to go behind the law and hide the activity of it. It was stated that the United States government spends $10 billion dollars a year in its attempts to keep Marijuana off the street. Instead of legalizing this harmless plant, and gaining revenue from the tax of it, the government is spending billions of dollars to keep this prohibition going.
Background After the 1940’s,
Cited: Nitti, T. (2013, September 24). Understanding The Impact Of Legalized Recreational Marijuana On State Tax Revenue. Forbes. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonynitti/2013/09/24/understanding-the-impact-of-legalized-recreational-marijuana-on-state-tax-revenue/ Pro 's of Marijuana Legalization - MarijuanaToday.com. (n.d.). Pro 's of Marijuana Legalization - MarijuanaToday.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://marijuanatoday.com/pros.php BalancedPolitics.org. (n.d.). - Legalization of Marijuana (Pros & Cons, Arguments For and Against, Advantages & Disadvantages). Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://www.balancedpolitics.org/marijuana_le