Argumentative on Why Marijuana Should Be Legal

¶ … Legalization of Marijuana

The growing approval and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has strengthened the debate as to whether marijuana should be legalized for general use. Eight states now have laws allowing the medical use of marijuana, and territories within Australia and Canada have pass laws legalizing the use of the drug. European countries, such as Switzerland have also passed laws that legalize the use, but in some cases, outlaw the possession of the drug (Joffe et al., 2004). In fact, there are a wide variety of compelling factors that support the legalization of marijuana. Legalization allows for regulation of the substance for medicinal purposes, ensuring that supplies used by the public are not tainted with harmful chemicals. By permitting the use of marijuana governments also have increased potential to reduce the amount of violent crime that often results when drugs are illegalized and trade is driven to an underground or black market. Finally, legalization allows governments the ability to tax the sale of the drug, as is commonly done with cigarettes and alcohol, allowing governments to commit these funds to education, crime diversion, and community policing.

According to studies by the American Academy of Pediatrics, many professionals regard marijuana as a fairly harmless drug when compared to other drugs like cocaine or heroin. The potential of addiction to marijuana is low, and the medical benefits of use often outweigh the risks. In fact, one study indicated that about 30% of pediatricians approved of the use of marijuana to treat conditions such as anorexia or multiple sclerosis. Researchers note that smoking tainted marijuana can expose people to harmful chemicals, but it is likely that edible forms of drug don't cause the same harmful effects. By legalizing the use, governments can make sure that the supplies used by people are properly grown and prepared similar to the way our food is regulated for health quality. Legalizing marijuana allows people to use it for medical and recreational reasons without worry about having trouble with the law. This also means that people who supply it would have to follow specific rules about how it is prepared and sold.

Our government currently spends a lot of money and resources enforcing laws against the use of marijuana. People who sell or are found in possession have to go through our jail or court systems, and all of this costs money. There is a good deal of evidence that shows that marijuana is not harmful enough to justify the amount of expenses required to enforce these laws, and changing them would allow the government to use the money and resources to educate young people about harmful drugs and prevent the sale and use of more dangerous substances or materials, such as guns, cocaine, or methamphetamine, all of which cause serious physical harm to people on a regular basis. The fact that marijuana is now commonly sold illegally causes increased violence. This issue is similar to what occurred in the United States during the prohibition era, when alcohol was outlawed. People illegally produced and sold alcohol, on the black market and there was often a lot of gang violence between the groups who produced and sold the bootlegged products. The current situation with marijuana is very similar. Dealers often have specific areas or populations that they see as their territory, and violence can occur if rivals try to take their area or steal their product. This is more common with larger amounts of marijuana, but it is an important consideration for police and government officials because any time something is outlawed people who use it or want it will often resort to violence in order to hide or protect their product.

If the government legalizes marijuana they can regulate the quality and safe use, and can also tax the dealers and customers. Like alcohol, people can produce their own marijuana by buying supplies and growing it themselves, but it's likely that a lot of consumers would buy from suppliers because it is simply easier. By taxing producers and buyers, the government can raise funds that can be used to research and promote the safe use of marijuana. This could include studies on the medical uses and potential hazards, which some professionals currently do not conduct or publicize because the drug is so highly criminalized by certain segments of our society. Taxation offer a solution and potential influx of revenue that can be used for constructive purposes as opposed to spending large funds on policing efforts which are currently costly and very ineffective.