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If Marijuana Were To Be Legal
Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem
has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control
it or even solve it. Ending the drug war seems to be a bit impossible.
The war on drugs seems to be accomplishing a lot but this is not true.
Different options need to be considered. Legalization is an option that
hasn't gotten a chance but should be given one. Although many people feel
that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of use, marijuana
should be legalized because it will reduce the great amounts of money spent
on enforcement and it will increase our country's revenue. There are also
many benefits that can be uncovered to help people if legalization of
marijuana is given a chance.
Legalizing marijuana would increase our economy's revenue.
During Prohibition alcohol use was still sold and used, but people were
doing it illegally. The 21st amendment repealed prohibition and alcohol
taxes were increased. The same thing should happen with drugs. Marijuana
should be taxed heavily to increase our revenue. Marijuana and other drugs
would be made by the same people who make aspirin so the quality would be
assured, containing no poisons or adulterants. Sterile hypodermic needles
will be readily available at corner drug stores. These could be taxed
heavily because the users will be assured of "clean drugs."
Making drugs legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on
enforcement every year. Drug dealers and users are one step ahead on the
enforcement process. If one drug lord is caught, another one will show up
somewhere else. We cannot win. "In 1987, 10 billion dollars were spent
alone just on enforcing drug laws. Drugs accounted for about 40 percent of
all felony indictments in the New York City courts in 1989. This figure is
quadruple what it was in 1985. . Forty percent of the people in federal
prison are drug law violators" (Long 114). One can only imagine what this
figure would be like today. Too much money is wasted on a cause that seems
to be no end to. "In 1989, a Republican county executive of Mercer County
N.J. estimated that it would cost him as much as 1 billion dollars to build
the jail space needed to house all the hard-core drug users in Trenton
alone" (Long 128). All of this money could be used on better things.
By lifting the ban on marijuana use and treating it like other drugs
such as tobacco and alcohol, the nation would gain immediate and long-term
benefits. This change in the law would greatly improve the quality of life
for many people. Victims of glaucoma and those needing antinausea treatment,
for example, would find marijuana easily available. Also, the cloud of
suspicion would disappear, and doctors could get on with investigating
marijuana's medical uses without fear of controversy. In the essay, "Drugs",
Vidal states, " Nevertheless many drugs are bad for certain people to take
and they should be told why in a sensible way" (321-322). It might become
possible to discuss the dangers of marijuana use without getting caught up
in a policy debate..
Meanwhile, the black market would disappear overnight. Some
arrangement would be made to license the production of marijuana cigarettes.
Thousands of dealers would be put out of business, and a secret part of the
economy would come into the open. It is difficult to say whether this
change would reduce crime because criminals would probably continue to sell
other drugs. But it would have an impact on the amount of money flowing
through criminal channels, and this might weaken organized crime.
The legalization of marijuana would benefit the federal budget in two
ways, the federal revenues would increase, because marijuana cigarettes
would be taxed at the point of sale. In return, the companies that make the
cigarettes would also pay income taxes.. Second, there would be a reduction
on the amount spent on law enforcement efforts to apprehend and prosecute
users and sellers of marijuana. The drug enforcement authorities might
reduce their budget requests, or, more likely, focus more intensely on hard
drugs and violent crimes. The courts would be relieved of hearing some drug
cases, as well.
The most important gain would be in the quality of government. The
sorts of temptations and opportunities that lead to corruption would be
significantly minimized. The illogical pattern of law enforcement, which
now treats marijuana as more dangerous as alcohol, would end. It would set
more achievable goals for law enforcement, and this would lend strength and
credibility to the government.
In the essay "drugs," Vidal states, "It is possible to stop most drug
addiction in the United States within a very short time, Simply make all
drugs available.
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