In the past, marijuana was not always illegal in the United States. We can look back at marijuana and see that prior to prohibition, while it may have been regulated it was not criminalized. Even the Native American found medicinal uses for marijuana. Today however, marijuana or as its more common name ‘weed’ is illegal on the federal level but is legal in quite a few states and continues to gain traction by either decriminalizing it or allowing people to use it for medical reasons. It is my opinion that we need to test the benefits and effects of marijuana, and look at it through the reasonable person standard for legalization of it. We need to stop thinking that only criminals have a reason to smoke marijuana. By doing this we can see how the citizens of the U.S. may benefit from its legalization, The first effect of the legalization of marijuana will assist patience who are diagnosed with cancer. Medical advantages with the use of marijuana in cancer victims have been documented to assist with the pain and nausea associated with chemotherapy. Plus, marijuana assists in mental health disorders such as …show more content…
From what I understand the war on drugs has been costly campaign which has had no real benefit for the government. It is apparent that the prisons in the U.S. are overflowing, this puts a burden on prisons. This has allowed the private prison industry to come into play which promotes keeping prisoners in prisons for minor marijuana possession. The private prisons then charge a fee to the government if the prisons aren’t kept at a certain capacity. If we are able to make marijuana legal it would assist in freeing up the resources and target more important matters like terrorism. Finally, by legalizing marijuana will help with violence on the streets for those looking for “justice”. This could be a method to help end drug violence making it safer for the general