Marijuana is more than just a criminal justice issue; it is a drug that can be used to treat medical conditions. The legalization of marijuana also helps in relieving symptoms such as pain and nausea when a person becomes ill. For example, let's take a person who lives in a state where prescription of medical marijuana is prohibited. This person has been diagnosed with cancer and is suffering from some of its symptoms including pain, nausea, and vomiting, which can be helped by the prescription of marijuana. A doctor is not permitted to do this so instead has prescribed him medication that is of somewhat help but is toxic. The patient have no other choice than to get their hands on marijuana and smoke it to relieve themselves, forgetting the fact that they can go to prison if caught. Sure some individuals misuse it and smoke it for fun, but there is no reason to deny its use to the ones who need it.
The government spends unnecessary money on the prohibition of marijuana. Nowadays, people using the drug are breaking the law and are being sent to prison and prosecuted. Where is the government getting all the money for this law enforcement? They are taking it from taxpayers who are forced to pay billions of dollars prosecuting individuals that break the prohibition law. This is unnecessary funding and is a waste of time. According to Cannabis News, “Washington State would save about $105 million a year if we legalized marijuana” (CN Staff). This number comes from a study done by Jeff Miron at Boston University. Economist, Jeff Miron studied the amount of money saved if the government did not lock people up for marijuana related offenses and the revenue if marijuana was to be taxed. Putting individuals in prison for offenses is expensive and it was calculated that in Washington, one in 20 arrests was for the marijuana use or sales. This totaled $88 million a year from the reduction in law enforcement costs. An estimate of $17 million came from collecting taxes on marijuana productions and sales. A large figure like $105 million can definitely help out our struggling economy and this money can go towards economic issues like health care and employment.
Marijuana should be put in the same category as cigarettes and alcohol in which they are also legal and regulated. The drug has its benefits to those who need it and does not cause harm to its users unlike many other drugs. It is actually found to be a safe and effective medicine for treating symptoms that are caused by certain illnesses. A large amount of money is being wasted on the prohibition of marijuana when there is much more important issues that call for this funding. We need to make marijuana legal and regulate it just like alcohol and tobacco. By selling it to those who want to take it as a tobacco substitute or for medical reasons, we can collect tax revenues. We can then use the money we would save from the reduction of marijuana enforcement laws and tax revenues to fund other activities that our country needs. The illegality of marijuana is drawing more attention to itself than other economic issues such as education, employment, health care, etc. Marijuana does not cause death but helps individuals in some ways while cigarettes have been proven to kill hundreds and thousands of people each year. So why is marijuana illegal while cigarettes are legal?
References:
Birchard, John. "Marijuana and Medical Marijuana." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 03 Nov 2010. Web. 13 Dec 2010. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/m/marijuana/index.html>.
Bonsor, Kevin. "How Marijuana Works." HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications Inc., 02 July 2001. Web. 13 Dec 2010. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/marijuana.htm#>
CN Staff. "Legalized Pot Would Save Money." Cannabis News. DrugSense, 17 April 2005. Web. 13 Dec 2010. <http://cannabisnews.com/news/20/thread20527.shtml>
