Argumentative Essay: The Legalization Of Marijuana

The legalization of marijuana is a very controversial topic. This subject has been debated numerous times over the past few years. The issues surrounding marijuana are both varied and complex. There are many people in the world who have their own personal views and beliefs on this topic. Some people believe that the legalization of marijuana is only acceptable for medical purposes. Supporters argue that it will greatly benefit our economy and that it is no more harmful than cigarettes or alcohol. Others feel that marijuana is a gateway drug and it can only lead to more serious problems. I believe we reach our own decisions on this debate from our religion, upbringing, morals, and the events that have happened in our lives. But let's not deny

They also have strong and powerful points for their reasoning. Supporters feel that legalizing marijuana will bring enormous economic wealth to our country. Heesun Wee said, "Wealthy individual investors already are tapping private equity firms for a bite of the potentially lucrative marijuana business. "Our investors are from the far left and the far right," said Brendan Kennedy, chief executive of Privateer Holdings, a cannabis-focused private equity firm. "There's old money and new money. You put them in a room and they wouldn't agree on anything else but this issue," Kennedy said". We can emphasize that legalizing drug can be lucrative and beneficial. They also believe the crop will be just as successful as tobacco and gross billions of dollars. In his " Should Governments legalize and tax marijuana?", Mike Moffatt argues that there is a massive growth in the drugs market and its always in a constant increase. He states, " The study estimates that the average price of 0.5 grams (a unit) of marijuana sold for $8.60 on the street, while its cost of production was only $1.70. In a free market , a $6.90 profit for a unit of marijuana would not last for long". Legalizing drugs will also help us save millions in drug enforcement. "The measure would apply retail sales taxes to marijuana sold for recreational purposes, while allocating that money equally to education, health care, law enforcement and drug abuse

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug. It is used so frequently and by so many people because of its availability and low cost. Another positive outcome is the taxation of marijuana producers and marijuana users. In Colorado and Washington, manufacturers and distributors have to be licensed by the state. Licensing would help the states’s economies increase because of the collected fees. Robert J. Corry, Jr. of The Denver Post said, “Marijuana licensing fees are higher than any other industry in Colorado, up to $18,000 per marijuana store, more than enough to fund regulation”. Whereas in California, the drug consumption is increasing enormously. In Divya Raghavan's "Cannabis Cash: How Much Money Could Your State Make From Marijuana Legalization?", he states " California could gain the most from taxes on sales of marijuana. The state stands to take in $519,287,052, which almost covers the 2013 budget for the California Department of Parks and Recreation". There is a large number of marijuana users already in the country and that amount increases daily. If this drug were made legal there would not be a drastic increase of marijuana smokers because those who choose to smoke already do. Often times, marijuana is mixed with more serious and deadly drugs to create a more intense high. If marijuana was legal, the Federal Drug Administration would be in charge.