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Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

1087 Words5 Pages

“That is not a drug. It’s a leaf,” says Arnold Schwarzenegger, a successful actor who won the Mr. Olympia title seven times. Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in America, with an estimated 2.2 million users each month. In 1970 marijuana became illegal under Richard Nixon to restore “law and order” to America and has been illegal since. Flash forward to the 1990s, when it was legalized in a few states for medical use for cannabis patients. Now in 2018 9 states and Washington D.C have legalized recreational marijuana, bringing us closer to a legalized nation. After all these years, it’s time for recreational marijuana to be legalized for its health benefits, its economy boosts, and to protect our citizens.

Firstly, legalizing marijuana …show more content…

Canada is a country considering legalizing marijuana and is foreseen to make big bucks from legalizing weed, from the tax of marijuana they could fund government projects like roads and parks. “According to recent estimates from Marijuana Business Daily, an industry publication, annual sales of Canada's recreational marijuana market could range between $2.3 billion and $4.5 billion by 2021 “ (CNN) In response, this money would be made by taxing all marijuana sold at dispensaries, as they currently do with cigarettes and alcohol. Also, marijuana dispensaries would create an abundance of jobs. “In 2015, the legal marijuana industry in Colorado created more than 18,000 new full-time jobs and generated $2.4 billion in economic activity, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis of the economics of legal cannabis in the state.” (MPG) In the same fashion, these jobs increase the employment rate, GDP, and the well-being of citizens. On top of all that legalizing marijuana would decrease taxes. Marijuana being illegal makes for a lot of criminals because it is the most used illegal drug. Keeping people in jails and prisons isn’t free, and the funding for these establishments comes directly from citizen paid taxes. Another example is, “Since the start of the decade, our prisons have incarcerated nearly 12,000 federal prisoners and about 33,000 state prisoners for marijuana-­related crimes.The average cost of each federal prisoner was about $29,000 in 2011 and every state prisoner cost taxpayers $31,286 as of 2010.” (CDC) So, not only do the people arrested for smoking a plant that makes them happy suffers from this law, but the average person does as well. In total, Legalizing marijuana would get people money and

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and article ‘Potential Tax Revenue from a Regulated Marijuana Market: A Meaningful Revenue Source’ by Michael R. Caputo and Brian J. Ostrom states, “The demand for marijuana has created a multi-billion dollar industry.” If the Drug Enforcement Administration would allow marijuana to become legal, it could potentially boost our economy due to taxation, create employment through marijuana dispensary collectives as well as stores, and provide another source of revenue in each state. “... A consumption of 13,600 metric tons would entail 38 million people smoking one gram each, 365 days a year ” The concept of taxing marijuana would essentially be exactly the same as how the government taxes cigarettes or alcohol today.

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U.S. states raising billions of dollars on the basis of tax revenue of marijuana could be put towards good use. Each state struggles with underfunded programs, jobs that make too much, and jobs that should make more. With increases in revenue, states could afford to fund their underfunded programs or better fulfil their duties. A good example of this are road treatment and handling; this is a responsibility for each individual state. If one were to drive from Missouri to Illinois, they would notice a difference in the road conditions.

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But the financial benefits of legalization go beyond taxing the sale of marijuana and keeping drug money out of the hands of criminals. All across the nation, wherever the drug is illegal, state and local governments spend enormous sums of money on the enforcement of marijuana laws, the prosecution of offenders, and incarceration of the convicted. The Wall Street Journal estimates that the American taxpayer spends $40 billion per year on the administrative costs associated with the criminalization of marijuana (Becker). On the state level, we can again look to the example of Colorado. Conservative estimates by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy show that legalization will save the state $40 million per year by no longer administering marijuana laws (Drug Policy Alliance).

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(Rabinski, 2015) The Huffington Post listed the many economic advantages of legalizing medical marijuana in the story “14 Ways Marijuana Legalization Could Boost the Economy” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/marijuana-economy-14-reasons_n_2089107.html). Some of the surprising benefits include: • $13.7 billion saved on prohibition enforcement costs • Estimated $500 million in tax revenue for Washington State • Estimated $60 million saved by Colorado legalization • Legalization could reduce marijuana prices • Huge prison cost savings (for prisoners on marijuana-related charges) • Marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers $41.8 billion a year • California marijuana crop worth $14 billion a

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The government isn’t just spending too much on the war on drugs, they could instead be making billions in tax revenue from the marijuana trade. There will always be money to be made from marijuana, but the government needs to decide if the money will go into their pockets, along with legitimate business owners, or into the pocket of drug dealers. When regulated and taxed correctly, marijuana legalization can produce remarkable economic benefits for a state. As proven by marijuana trade revenue in legal states, “In 2015, the legal marijuana industry in Colorado created more than 18,000 new full-time jobs and generated $2.4 billion in economic activity” (Ingraham). The fact of the matter is that the jobs and economic activity related to marijuana continue to persist in the unregulated states, however it goes unrecorded and untaxed, because after all it is illegal.

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“People who consume cannabis products may be more inclined to visit places that have legalized cannabis when considering vacation destinations” (Blackburn 2). There is a big business opportunity because of marijuana. It can provide jobs for people and it can also provide revenue from sales and taxes (Blackburn 2). The legalization of marijuana would be the goose that lays the golden egg to not only the people that use it, but to the government and the economy. The United States is trillions of dollars in debt and legalizing marijuana could over time help reduce that amount a little bit.

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To add, recreational marijuana is taxable! Therefore, it is money that can be put into our communities. Recreational marijuana as intimidating as some may think, can actually benefit our community in many ways. To begin, many believe legalizing marijuana would cause crime to increase, on the contrary legalizing it will lead to a decrease of crime. Imagine that getting your hands on marijuana was as accessible as cigarettes in a gas station, how many illegal cigarette dealers have been punished in jail with the maximum sentence for selling cigarettes?

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Cannabis is a simple, organic plant that can benefit each and every one of us. One of those benefits is an economic one, don't believe me, ask Colorado, one of the leading states in legal marijuana use “pot is a stronger economic driver than 90% of the industries active in Colorado. Legal weed created 18,005 full-time jobs and added about $2.4 billion to the states economy last year.” (Pyke).

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Examining how legalization impacts the economy is fundamental to understanding the overall effects of recreational marijuana legalization. States that legalize recreational cannabis experience significant increases in tax revenue, positive changes in the labor market, and higher housing values. The additional tax revenue that states

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If you think about it that can mean many dispensaries and much more tax revenue. The money that can be made by taxing marijuana through dispensaries can go to our education system and even on our transpiration system. Millions of dollars that can be made to help our economy, our transportation system, paying our officials, help with resources for our law enforcement, and infrastructure. Even with legalizing marijuana and having tax money we still have a huge problem at our borders. The borders of Mexico and Canada are filling in our country.

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There are many reasons legalizing Marijuana would be beneficial. It turn our country into a booming economy and save many lives. Some states have already made this changed and haven’t looked back. Marijuana should be legalized for recreational use across America because of the many benefits it could bring our country. First let’s take a look at the subject loved by most, Money.

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To better understand, it’s important to look at the model Colorado has set being the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use. CNBC’s very own Trey Gillies interviews Colorado governor John Hickenlooper regarding economic impact of marijuana. Hickenlooper said, “More than anything we wanted Colorado to think of itself as a place, not just for outdoor recreation, but a place to go and start a business.” With that mindset and openness towards marijuana related businesses it is clear to see why Colorado has the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 2.3 percent. Demonstrating how the legalization of marijuana can create more jobs.

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In addition to the taxes going down there are plenty more jobs for the people shown in an article called “Need a Career? Here are 16 in the Marijuana Industry”. Edible Creator is telling you how much you can have. Concentrates Processor you have to have a lot of skill and with be messing with potentially dangerous chemicals. Glass Merchants selling the pipes and bongs that’s you would use.

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Twenty six of fifty states in the U.S have already seen great economic improvements since legalizing marijuana. For example, California. According to research done by the latest report from New Frontier Data and Arcview Market Research, “Tax revenue isn’t going to start rolling in until 2018. When it does, California’s looking at an additional 1.5 billion flooding into the marijuana market. That number swells to just shy of $3 billion in 2019, and nearly $4 billion in 2020.”

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Ending the prohibition on marijuana helps the economy by generating loads of revenue. Colorado’s department of revenue says the first 4 months of legal marijuana had resulted in $10.8 million in taxes. Other tax revenue will be proposed to youth and public education campaigns about marijuana. A hidden benefit to legal marijuana is

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