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Should it be or shouldn't it? here is my take on this.
I think is should be and here are some concrete facts and logical arguments to back me up.
The first and most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask 'why should marijuana be legalized?" but we should ask "Why should marijuana be illegal?" From a philosophical point of view, individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual's actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will. The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco.
The second important reason that marijuana should be legal is that it would save our government lots of money. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the "War on Drugs." We currently spend billions of dollars every year to chase peaceful people who happen to like to get high. These people get locked up in prison and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes.
The third major reason that marijuana should be legal is because prohibition does not help the country in any way, and causes a lot of problems. There is no good evidence that prohibition decreases drug use, and there are several theories that suggest prohibition might actually increase drug use (i.e. the "forbidden fruit" effect, and easier accessibility for youth). One unintended effect of marijuana prohibition is that marijuana is very popular in American high schools. Why? Because it is available. You don't have to be 21 to buy marijuana -- marijuana dealers usually don't care how old you are as long as you have money. It is actually easier for many high school students to obtain marijuana than it is for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and therefore regulated to keep it away from kids. If our goal is to reduce drug consumption, then we should focus on open and honest programs to educate youth, regulation to keep drugs away from kids, and treatment programs for people with drug problems. But the current prohibition scheme does not allow such reasonable approaches to marijuana; instead we are stuck with 'DARE' police officers spreading lies about drugs in schools, and policies that result in jail time rather than treatment for people with drug problems. We tried prohibition with alcohol, and that failed miserably. We should be able to learn our lesson and stop repeating the same mistake.
The war on Marijuana has failed. It's been outlawed for 75 years and millions of people continue to use the drug annually. Marijuana is currently the nation's largest cash crop and it's grown worldwide. There is no evidence to suggest that this trend will reverse itself anytime soon. So instead the government should legalize and regulate it. Government weed would costs a fraction of street prices and effectively "wipe out" the marijuana black market.
Because of prohibition, non-violent drug offenders have faced fines, penalties, and even jail/prison time due to a drug that is much safer than the legalized alcohol. Why do we continue to punish those who use a drug that doesn't threaten society? Hell even over the counter drugs are more dangerous! take a quick look at robo trips for example.
A regulated legal market for marijuana would do several good things for society. A) the drug would be cheaper so we'd save money and be able to spend towards other things, thus boosting the economy. B) Children wouldn't be exposed to other illegal drugs that are often sold alongside marijuana through dealers. C) Teenagers would have less incentive to sell to their friends and peers since the drug would be readily available at designated retailers/locations.
Smoking pot isn't dangerous. There have been ZERO deaths directly related to the smoking of marijuana. Can we say the same for legal drugs such as alcohol? Simply put you cannot o.d. on weed. You can get the spins and hurl your munches by smoking to much, but its physically impossible to o.d. on marijuana.
The following are excerpts of Mr. Anslinger’s (The Father of the Marijuana Prohibition) testimony before a Senate hearing on marijuana in 1937:
"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others."
"…the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."
"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."
"You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother."
"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."
Now if you took the time to read that then thank you for keeping an open mind on the subject no matter which side you are on. But even with these few facts (as i'm sure there are many more) it is painfully obvious, to me at least, that marijuana should be legalized, regulated and taxed. Comments and counter arguments are welcome! just keep things civil ^^
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