Marijuana The use of marijuana has been going on since the early 1600’s when it was actually mandatory that every farm owner grow hemp, but now there are strict laws that have been set to weed out the use of marijuana. The prohibition of marijuana is a topic that is big to the public. Many believe that marijuana is a gateway drug that leads users to more serious drugs such as heroin or cocaine, while others believe it is not even a drug at all. Marijuana should be legalized because, there are medical advances that can be made with it, it could boost the economy if legalized and passed, and it has nutritional value. Behind alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug used in the US.. In the past year 25 million people have used marijuana (“NORML”). During the Civil War the production of hemp, which is an active ingredient in marijuana, flourished. In 1910, during the Mexican Revolution, Mexicans flooded into the U.S. and brought with them the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Even though …show more content…
Colorado, for example, legalized marijuana almost two years ago and has been seen as flourishing ever since. In the first 4 months after legalization in that state it had made about $10 million in tax revenues and after the first $40 million was reached it designated for public schools. Also, with marijuana stores opening in the state it has created about 10,000 jobs and growing. They estimate to save $12-40 million in just a year for ending the arrests for possession. If the legalization has done wonders for just a few states then imagine what it could do for the entire country's economy (“Roberts”). In the U.S. it is said that every one in four people in prison are there for nonviolent offenses related to marijuana (“Smith”). Legalizing marijuana could help not only Colorado flourish, but the U.S. as a