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Amanda Chee
Melvin Cobb
Educational Technology 171
November 7, 2013
Marijuana Legalization
Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is illegal to possess, use and sell in many states.
Currently in California, you are able to use cannabis if you obtain a medical card. Colorado has
also just recently passed the use of marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized in all states because
it is safer and less addictive than alcohol and tobacco and will also generate huge amounts of tax
revenue for the federal government.
The restriction of marijuana causes our youth to believe that all drugs are similar. Despite
this belief, the use of marijuana has had zero deaths. Cigarettes and alcohol which are both made
with lots of toxins are both legal and more addictive. Marijuana on the other hand is a natural
plant that has been grown and used for everyday life dating all the way back to 3000 BC and was
first used as medicine in China. It is also less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco as alcohol
poisoning kills someone everyday. Long time use of tobacco and alcohol consumption lead to
many other diseases and marijuana is used as an alternative to pain killers for some of these
diseases. Studies made by British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal showed that
the health-related costs for those who consumed alcohol were eight times greater than those who
used marijuana and forty times greater for those who used tobacco. In terms of costs per user:
tobacco-related health costs are over $800 per user, alcohol-related health costs are much lower
at $165 per user, and cannabis-related health costs are the lowest at $20 per user (norml). Not

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only are the health costs of tobacco and alcohol much more expensive but tobacco and alcohol
are far more toxic, addictive, and harmful than marijuana.
The United States first began to regulate marijuana during the mid 1930s for all the
states. A similar regulation was also done on alcohol on January 16, 1920 but the prohibition of
alcohol caused a huge abuse of alcohol consumption among many. There also became a steep
rise in organized crime because of such high demand. Alcohol restriction in the early 1920's and
marijuana restriction today are similar. Alcohol was legalized thirteen years after December 5th
1933 and eventually lead to less crime. Todays main problem for marijuana as an illegal
substance is that it causes distribution by criminals which means that it is only putting money
into their pockets with zero tax dollars. If we legalize marijuana, we can tax it highly and make
money for our government just like with alcohol and tobacco products.
Marijuana is Americas number one cash crop topping out at $35.8 billion while
exceeding corn at $23.3 billion and wheat at $7.5 billion. Why shouldnt we legalize it so
America can finally tax it and get all of marijuana drug trafficking off the streets? The
government arrests over 700,000 Americans for possession every year which is more than the
population of Wyoming! This unnecessary process causes an overwhelming amount of wasted
money that could be used for more important things like building highways, or helping fund
schools but is instead wasted on the process of putting harmless civilians under arrest and put to
trial. We also have to pay tax dollars on their prison housing. Every year 2.4 million people use
marijuana for the first time. Cannabis laws are rarely ever in effect and many cannabis users will
never be arrested for it. If the laws for marijuana usage were to be enforced that would take a
huge toll on tax payers money while also putting kids and others into trouble for trying to smoke

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a plant. By enforcing these laws it costs America $7.7 billion per year. In the long run, enforcing
marijuana laws for Americans is not practical because of this.
By legalizing marijuana America can become more financially stable while also reducing
the crime rates and with it, the amount of organized crime being held in America as well. Due to
the elimination of underground marijuana market, and on the rise of state regulated marijuana
dispensaries. American adults can be the buy marijuana for recreational use and ever so bringing
America a consistent amount of tax revenue such as alcohol and tobacco do so
presently.Legalizing it would only bring good to our society.

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References
Ferner, Matt. "Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized: 'Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol
Campaign Discusses Why Pot Prohibition Has Been A Failure. The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2012.
Gable, Robert S., "The Toxicity of Recreational Drugs," American Scientist (Research Triangle
Park, NC: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society,
May-June 2006) Vol. 94, No. 3, p. 207.
Head, Tom. "8 Reasons Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized." About.com Civil

Liberties.

About.com, n.d. Web, 2012

Venkataman, Nitya. "Marijuana Called Top U.S. Cash Crop." ABC News. ABC News Network,
18 Dec. 2006. Web. 9 Dec. 2012.