Legalizing Marijuana

Marijuana: To Legalize or Not to Legalize?

There is no doubt that the drug problem in our country has reached outrageous proportions. Ending the drug war may not seem to be the best answer at first, but the "war on drugs" in reality has accomplished very little. Different options need to be considered. Let's be honest, the war on drugs has shown poor results, if any at all. As opposed to trying to combat drugs, like weed, we should consider another option that hasn't gotten much of a chance, legalization. Marijuana should be legalized. Many feel that the legalization of marijuana would result in an increase in the amount of crime and drug abuse, I believe that in fact the opposite is true. Yes, there might be an initial increase in use. However, I feel that over time it would eventually slow down, and that the crime rate would be reduced immediately.

Supporters of marijuana legalization, such as, the former presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, recognize the beneficial effect the drug's legalization would have on our economy. As a progressive leader, Nader realizes the valuable asset an open mind is and has assessed this situation from all angles. I fear that, unlike Nader, our nation has been brain-washed into believing that Americanism is the ideal way of life and has in turn prompted our society to turn a blind eye to anything "un-American," this includes weed. Let me put an end to this governmental faÐ*ade. In all actuality legalizing weed would reduce the baseless allocation of enormous amounts of tax-payers money towards drug law enforcement, while at the same time helping to increase our GDP.

The illusion of American superiority is our most deeply-rooted problem. Since we have been raised with American television and propaganda, we have lost touch with the actual occurrences in our vast world. Michael Moore describes America's belief that it is the ideal society saying, "this country of mine, is known for bringing sadness and misery to places around the globe." Unlike Moore, the American people have begun to believe the illusions of the most morally "right" society produced by American commercialism. Anti-drug propaganda has influenced people's minds; it has disallowed them from truly comprehending the benefits of legalization. Let us not fall into this state of unquestioning loyalty. We must question our government in order for it to work properly. This is one of our most basic Democratic principles. It is clear the U.S. government has tried to dissuade the use of marijuana, however without sufficient debate on the issue.

One argument for legalization points to the prohibition and the eventual re-legalization of alcohol. During the prohibition, alcohol was sold and used, but people did it illegally. The twenty-first amendment repealed the prohibition, and alcohol taxes were increased. The same should thing should happen with pot. Nader spoke out for the legalization of marijuana comparing its use with the use of alcohol saying, "Addiction should never be treated as a crime. It has to be treated as a health problem. We do not send alcoholics to jail in this country. Over 500,000 people are in our jails who are nonviolent drug users." (New York Times sept 9 2000) Marijuana could be taxed to increase our nation's revenue. Moreover, major companies that are now operating under

strict government regulations would legally produce marijuana, resulting in a more pure product free of chemicals. Therefore the drug would be produced in a botanically more refined form.

Making marijuana legal would help to reduce the inane amount of money spent on drug law enforcement every year. Drug dealers and users seem to constantly be one step ahead of the authorities. If one drug lord is caught another one turns up somewhere else to take his place. Several million dollars have been spent on combating drug use. All of this money could be used on better things. By lifting the ban on marijuana and treating it like other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, the nation would gain in both immediate and long-term benefits. This change in law would immensely improve the quality of life for people in need of the drugs medicinal purposes, as well as those people who simply enjoy smoking. The suspicion over the usage of marijuana would disappear, and doctors could continue with experimenting of the plant's medical benefits without any fear of controversy.

In result, the black market would disappear. It would be arranged to allow the production of marijuana cigarettes. The multitudes of dealers would be put out of business; in essence this major source of financial loss to the economy would become one of financial gain. It is hard to say what results this change alone would have on our crime problem, however, since criminals would probably continue to sell other drugs. It would definitely have an impact on the amount of money flowing through the channels of crime, allowing for a reduction in the money available to organized crime.

Marijuana's legalization would benefit the federal government and budget in several ways. The state revenues would increase, because marijuana would be taxed at the point of sale. In return, the companies that distribute the marijuana would pay federal income taxes. In this quote by Janice Prentice from her article "Marijuana Papers", she describes the importation and exportation benefits of legalization to the U.S. economy. She writes,

"Since the harvesting of marijuana is illegal in the United States, we import hemp products from other countries instead of making the products ourselves. The hemp fiber is essential for the manufacturing of certain types of rope, paper, and cloth. Oil extracted from the plant for use in manufacturing caulking materials, paints, plastics, varnishes, and soaps. Entrepreneurs could provide consumers with products made from the plant. Governmental control of this organically grown substance could generate revenue through taxes. This translates into U.S. currency staying in