Marijuana Legalization Argumentative Essay
In 1545, the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. It was introduced in Jamestown in 1611, where it became a major commercial crop grown as an innocent source of fiber (specifically, hemp). By 1927, the production and possession of marijuana had been outlawed throughout the United States, causing a prohibition that is still in effect 80 years later. Since then, the world has seen the violent rise of drug cartels and the high price of fighting illegal marijuana use (Narconon). Marijuana should be legalized because significant research shows that legalization will benefit our society socially and economically.
In the perspective of America's war on drugs, marijuana is one of the biggest enemies. Not because it is a dangerous drug but because the demand is so high. Drug cartels have seized this opportunity and turned it into a multi-billion dollar industry. What people have to understand is that the war on drugs it is not even about drugs; it is about money. According to a Library of Congress report, "an estimated 50 percent of the marijuana available in the United States is imported… There seems to be general agreement among law enforcement officials that only a maximum of 10 percent of the marijuana being smuggled into the United States is intercepted" (Drugscience.org). In 2002, roughly 2,412,365 pounds of marijuana was seized in the United States. If the 10 percent rule is correct then that means 24 million pounds of marijuana was smuggled into the US in 2002 alone (Drugscience.org). A pound of marijuana can easily go for $800 to $5000 per pound, depending on the location and type (Narconon). If the US provided legal supplies of marijuana it would lead to a fall in street price. The US could receive revenue of 20 billion to 120 billion dollars annually from legalized marijuana. By legalizing marijuana in the US and growing our own crop, there would be no need to smuggle marijuana into the US, which would lead to a collapse of drug cartels, which would
In the perspective of America's war on drugs, marijuana is one of the biggest enemies. Not because it is a dangerous drug but because the demand is so high. Drug cartels have seized this opportunity and turned it into a multi-billion dollar industry. What people have to understand is that the war on drugs it is not even about drugs; it is about money. According to a Library of Congress report, "an estimated 50 percent of the marijuana available in the United States is imported… There seems to be general agreement among law enforcement officials that only a maximum of 10 percent of the marijuana being smuggled into the United States is intercepted" (Drugscience.org). In 2002, roughly 2,412,365 pounds of marijuana was seized in the United States. If the 10 percent rule is correct then that means 24 million pounds of marijuana was smuggled into the US in 2002 alone (Drugscience.org). A pound of marijuana can easily go for $800 to $5000 per pound, depending on the location and type (Narconon). If the US provided legal supplies of marijuana it would lead to a fall in street price. The US could receive revenue of 20 billion to 120 billion dollars annually from legalized marijuana. By legalizing marijuana in the US and growing our own crop, there would be no need to smuggle marijuana into the US, which would lead to a collapse of drug cartels, which would
Citations: Annals of Internal Medicine. Philadelphia, Penn. American College of Physicians, 2006. Print. Bonnie, Richard J., and Charles H. Whitebread. The Marijuana Conviction: a History of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States. New York: Lindesmith Center, 1999. Print. DrugScience.org. "The Supply of Marijuana to the United States." Marijuana Research: Science, Law, Medical Marijuana, Rescheduling Petition. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. Druglibrary.org. "How Many People Are Actually Killed by Drugs?" DRCNet Online Library of Drug Policy. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. "Marijuana History." Narconon | Drug Rehabilitation | Drug Education. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. Marijuana Legalization Organization. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.mjlegal.org>. Sisse R., Hassan Aladdin, Henrik Ullum, Jan Gerstoft, Peter Skinhaaj, and Bente K. Pedersen. "Immune Function and Phenotype Before and After Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy." Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 21.5 (2006): 376. Print.