It's only a Form of Technicality: Legalizing Marijuana

It's Only a Form of Technicality: Legalizing Marijuana

A very controversial issue in today's society is whether marijuana should be legalized or kept prohibited. As both sides make valid arguments to whether it should or shouldn't be permitted, I believe that marijuana should be legalized because it would be more beneficial than harmful from economical, medical as well as ethical perspectives. When legalizing something, anything, many factors come into play and it is viewed from many different points. When regarding marijuana, many aspects are taken into consideration such as economic, medical, and ethical angles. There are many reasons presenting why marijuana, more commonly known as: Weed, Mary Jane, Pot, Tree, Dope, Kush, and Herb, should be legalized beyond state medical reasons, and will be illustrated in a form of pro legalization of marijuana.

From an economic perspective, California spends an average of 40 billion dollars a year regarding the "War on Drugs," and their main target, marijuana (Weisheit & Johnson). If it were legalized, the majority of that cost could go to something else more useful such as the school budget to help with the many financial issues. According to "Marijuana Drug Dangers," by Gary L. Somdahl, in 2008, an estimated 800,000 were arrested in the country due to marijuana related charges. 90% of those arrests were due to possession. As you may or may not think the state benefits from this, it doesn't. It cost roughly $20,000 to fund a single person, per year, in prison, in the state of California. Though they won't spend a year locked up, it still costs the state millions of dollars for these people in jail. So it is clearly shown how many billions of dollars the state would save and put towards other fields if marijuana is legalized.

Not only would significant figures be saved, but the state would also make money as well. Today, on average, a gram of marijuana sells for twenty dollars. The price can fluctuate depending on what type and any add-ons, but the standard price is twenty dollars. If legalized, the state could not only raise that price, but also tax it. Aside from making more money, it would also create more jobs for people, which could be greatly used today with unemployment rates as high as they are. As you can see, legalizing marijuana would greatly help the economy by not only saving money, but earning as well.

Many people argue that marijuana disturbs a person's motor skills and should therefore be banned. They say that when under the influence of weed, people are unable to function properly. But is this really a compelling argument?

Why should marijuana be illegal when alcohol and tobacco are perfectly legal (once 21 or 18)? When under the influence of marijuana, otherwise known as being "high," reported affects are; problems with memory, distorted perception sights, sounds, time, touch, loss of motor function, increased heart rate, and may experience dry mouth (Connelly). Are these not relatively the same as when being drunk? Of course the state would never ban alcohol because of the billions of dollars it makes by taxing it. That's not the only way they make money; every store that sells alcohol or tobacco needs a separate license to do so. I have uncles who own gas stations and have to pay significant amount of dollars each year to