Nothing: Cannabis and New York Times Essay example

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Legalize Marijuana
The significant topic in American politics I will speak about is marijuana. Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since the 1930s, yet it is someway America's top cash crop. Those whom support cannabis are not solely the consumers; many of us who do not use are pro-legalization because we realize that prohibition does more harm than good. The legalization of marijuana would significantly spur the economy. Despite great efforts by the federal government against marijuana, it has become a large part of the national economy. Thus, if we were to legalize and impose taxes on marijuana, the government would make copious amounts of profit and increase the probability of repaying the seventeen trillion dollar national debt this country has. Moreover, many people previously imprisoned for drug related crimes would be released; in turn generating more jobs in the marijuana industry. According to The New York Times (2008), the United States contains only five percent of the earth's population, but holds twenty five percent of the world's prisoners. A substantial amount of those criminals are imprisoned for drug related crimes. Thus, the war on drugs is a complete failure. It has done nothing but waste taxpayers’ dollars, fill prisons with non-violent criminals, and create a black market. The main reason cannabis remains illegal is because lobbyists are making large sums of money due to the prohibition. For example, pharmaceutical companies lobby against cannabis because there are so many replacement drugs they offer at a much lower price, such as painkillers and sleep medication. Another group that greatly benefits from prohibition are drug cartels. Legalize marijuana and you diminish the majority of their profits, army strength, and political power. Otherwise they are going to do whatever they can to save the underground marijuana market. Cannabis is classified as a schedule one drug, this suggests that it is just as dangerous and addictive as heroin, meth, and even more dangerous than cocaine. Although many argue that marijuana is illegal because it is physically unhealthy for you, an explanation would have to be provided as to why alcohol and tobacco (which are far more detrimental than marijuana) are illegal . According to The City Insight (2013), seventy nine thousand people a year die from alcohol poisoning, while zero people have died from using marijuana. Furthermore, “some researchers believe they have identified a side benefit to increasing availability of the drug: It could lead to decreased consumption of alcohol among young people” (New York Times, 2013). Many individuals think that prohibition has kept marijuana out of children’s hands and that legalizing this drug would expose more
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