An 800-word Argumentative Essay on the Legalization of Marijuana

Although marijuana is an illegal narcotic under federal law, more than half of US adults, that’s at least 128 million people, have used it. Every year, about 600,000 Americans are jailed for marijuana possession — over one person every minute. Recently marijuana legalization has been a contentious subject since the public’s support for the legalization of marijuana has increased from 12% in 1969 to 66 percent presently. There are many societal benefits brought by the legalization of marijuana. This includes the positive financial impact since it boosts the economy, and leads to the elimination and phasing out of a large portion of underground cartels. It is also less harmful compared to other already legal drugs. The negative health effects brought by its addiction, and the increase in marijuana-related accidents are some of its cons.

Marijuana legalization boosts the economy.

Among the businesses that profit from legal marijuana is tourism, finance, food, real estate, construction, and transportation. For starters, agriculture is being boosted, beginning with the firms and individuals that cultivate and harvest the crops. Then there’s the marketing and transportation leading to an increasing number of cannabis-related companies. Legalizing cannabis production will create a plethora of job possibilities. Every dollar spent in the marijuana business generates between $2.13 and $2.40 in economic activity. This is a significant tax resource for the marijuana legal states, which would grow even more with universal legalization. According to research conducted by Jennifer (2017) marijuana generated three times the tax revenue as alcohol in the state of Colorado where it is legal. After launching retail sales, the state raised $78 million in the first fiscal year and $129 million in the second. In its second fiscal year of sales, Washington earned $220 million in tax revenues. Hence, the legalization of marijuana will lead to an increase in tax revenue and also increased job creation and opportunities.

Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, which are already legal.

Although alcohol and tobacco are legal, they cause cancer, heart failure, liver damage, and other health problems. This should come as no surprise, considering the massive number of studies showing that alcohol causes far more health problems than marijuana. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six people die every day from alcohol poisoning, and 88,000 people die each year in the United States because of excessive alcohol use. There have been no reported occurrences of marijuana overdose deaths. Regulation, rather than prohibition, would be a better and more justifiable policy for low-risk drugs like marijuana.

The legalization of marijuana is phasing out black markets and drug cartels.

Criminalizing marijuana puts money in the hands of street gangs rather than helping state government budgets. The consequent financial strength of the drug cartels destabilizes the underground market and escalates criminality on both sides of the border. According to data from the US Border Patrol, marijuana seizures have plummeted by millions of pounds and are at their lowest levels in more than a decade, showing that legal domestic production is reducing demand for marijuana trafficked in from Mexico. Scrapping today’s drug prohibition, beginning with marijuana, would do more to harm the cartels than any amount of law enforcement competence or dedication could do.

Traffic accidents and deaths increase when marijuana is legalized.

Marijuana legalization will increase the number of vehicles, motorbikes, and machine accidents. Monitoring marijuana use on the road and in the workplace will be impossible. A study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) showed that consuming marijuana before driving increases the probability of being involved in a car accident. This increases the number of deaths brought by marijuana.

Marijuana is addictive, and dependence on the drug will increase with legalization.

Heavy marijuana users who withdraw from consumption may have withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, melancholy, anxiety, nausea, chills, and stomach pain. Marijuana may also act as a gateway to other hard drugs. Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction medicine specialist, noted that when people are addicted to marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol, the drug they have, the most difficult time giving up his marijuana. This makes marijuana, according to scientific evidence, highly addictive and deadly.

Conclusion

All the downsides of legalizing marijuana are undeniably accurate and substantial. It will almost surely increase its dependency among the users and, by far, the biggest danger of legalized marijuana is that it will cause more traffic accidents and deaths. But these dangers pale compared to the dangers posed by substances that are already legal, e.g., alcohol. Besides showing dramatic economic improvements in states where it is legal, marijuana legalization would do more to hurt the black market and cartels.