Professor Needham
English 1010 ESL
November 2, 2015
Legalizing Marijuana If alcohol and tobacco are legal, then what about marijuana? Many people consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes knowing that it is unhealthy for their bodies. But with an illicit drug like marijuana, why does it still remain illegal in most of America? Although only a few states have legalized the sale of marijuana, many states are allowing the use of medical marijuana because it helps many people with their illnesses. In addition, Tennessee should be the next state to legalize recreational and medical marijuana to reduce crime, relieve the economy, and especially benefit people with illnesses.
Unfortunately, there are many crimes in society today. Prohibition of marijuana encourages more crimes and corruption throughout the year. Nadelmann states that, “Police make about 700,000 arrests per year for marijuana offenses.” About 87 percent of those arrests are just a small possession of the drug (Nadelmann). If the United States starts to legalize marijuana, then the crime rates will decrease dramatically. According to the Drug Policy Reports, the crime rates for Colorado and Washington, the two states that legalized marijuana, significantly decreased after a year. If Tennessee …show more content…
However, marijuana can help to boost the economy. Researchers say, “Marijuana legalization would reduce government expenditures by roughly $8 billion annually” (Miron). Several billion dollars are a huge amount of money that the government can spend to improve its economy. The Drug Policy Reports also states that Colorado has about $40 million in tax revenue; on the other hand, Washington gets nearly $83 million. Due to marijuana sales, both states see a big change in their economies. They can use the money to fund schools, health programs, and government programs. Overall, marijuana’s legalization will not harm the economy but encourage economic