How the Legalization of Marijuana Would Help the U.S.
How the Legalization of Marijuana Would Help the U.S
The legalization of marijuana has become a major issue in the United States. There are many strong arguments both for and against marijuana’s legalization. The strongest argument for it is the way it would boost the economy. Another argument for legalizing marijuana is that it is not as dangerous as alcohol, which is legal. Another reason is that marijuana has many other uses other than just being a drug. There are many positives that would come from the legalization of marijuana. If marijuana became legalized by the federal government it would greatly stimulate the U.S economy. “According to a 2010 study from Cato, legalizing marijuana would generate 8.7 billion dollars in federal and state tax revenue annually.” (Fairchild) The study assumed that marijuana would be taxed similarly to alcohol. “Taxes are not the only source of revenue that would come from legalizing marijuana, according to the study. State and local governments also stand to save billions of dollars that they currently spend regulating marijuana use.”(Fairchild) Plus it would create a large amount of jobs. Workers would have to be hired to grow, process, and sell the marijuana.
Marijuana is less dangerous for the user and for the community than alcohol is. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 37,000 annual U.S. deaths are attributed to alcohol use alone. Meanwhile nobody has ever died from a marijuana overdose. Alcohol users are also more dangerous to their communities than marijuana users. “The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that 25-30% of violent crimes in the United States are linked to the use of alcohol. According to a report from the U.S. Dept. of Justice, that translates to about 5,000,000 alcohol-related violent crimes per year.”() Meanwhile marijuana has never been linked to violence. Marijuana has many other uses than being smoked. It can be used as paper
The legalization of marijuana has become a major issue in the United States. There are many strong arguments both for and against marijuana’s legalization. The strongest argument for it is the way it would boost the economy. Another argument for legalizing marijuana is that it is not as dangerous as alcohol, which is legal. Another reason is that marijuana has many other uses other than just being a drug. There are many positives that would come from the legalization of marijuana. If marijuana became legalized by the federal government it would greatly stimulate the U.S economy. “According to a 2010 study from Cato, legalizing marijuana would generate 8.7 billion dollars in federal and state tax revenue annually.” (Fairchild) The study assumed that marijuana would be taxed similarly to alcohol. “Taxes are not the only source of revenue that would come from legalizing marijuana, according to the study. State and local governments also stand to save billions of dollars that they currently spend regulating marijuana use.”(Fairchild) Plus it would create a large amount of jobs. Workers would have to be hired to grow, process, and sell the marijuana.
Marijuana is less dangerous for the user and for the community than alcohol is. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 37,000 annual U.S. deaths are attributed to alcohol use alone. Meanwhile nobody has ever died from a marijuana overdose. Alcohol users are also more dangerous to their communities than marijuana users. “The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that 25-30% of violent crimes in the United States are linked to the use of alcohol. According to a report from the U.S. Dept. of Justice, that translates to about 5,000,000 alcohol-related violent crimes per year.”() Meanwhile marijuana has never been linked to violence. Marijuana has many other uses than being smoked. It can be used as paper
Cited: "Legalizing Marijuana: CQR." CQ Researcher by CQ Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. "Marijuana vs. Alcohol." SAFER -. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. Fairchild, Caroline. "Legalizing Marijuana Would Generat Billions In Additional Tax Revenue Annually." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013.