Drugs: Legalization of Marijuana (Essay Sample)

The Legalization of Marijuana
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The Legalization of Marijuana
The legalization of marijuana is a matter that has elicited a sharp debate in the globe. The proponents have consistently given their views as to why the drug should be legalized. The facts about marijuana have long been hidden by the mythical misconceptions held and passed from one generation to the next in almost all cultures and legal jurisdictions. Today, Washington and California are on the verge of legalizing marijuana. The legalization of the drug would lead to additional revenue to the government, reduced the rooted hatred between the consumers and non-users of the drug, and exterminate the misconception that it is harmful to the health of individuals. This paper seeks to explain reasons as to why marijuana should be legalized.
First and foremost, marijuana should be legalized because it is less harmful to individuals as compared to other legalized drugs. A point to note is that this drug is consumed in its natural form that makes it have less harm to its consumers. Experts argue that, contrary to what may people believe, the cigarette is much dangerous than the discussed drug (Thies & Register, 1993). This is because the cigarette filters are full of tar, which is likely to cause lung cancer and other complications to the respiratory system. Similarly, alcoholic drinks are more detrimental to the health of an individual than Cannabis Sativa. Beer, for instance, is dangerous to the liver since it is a common cause of liver cirrhosis. Moreover, there is no known disease or health ailment that can be directly linked to marijuana. For this reason, marijuana should be legalized.
Secondly, the drug should be legalized because this would lead to additional revenue to the government. A situation where a marijuana vendor is required to be a license holder would have positive changes in the amounts of tax collected (Caulkins, Hawken, Kilmer, & Kleiman, 2012). The proponents of legalization argue that, upon such legalization, the government should introduce a policy requiring that all marijuana consumers hold a government issued a permit that should be renewed on a monthly basis at a reasonable fee. With these levies and fees, the government is likely to raise a considerably large amount of money in the form of taxes and legal charges (Caulkins et al., 2012). It should, as well, be considered that anyone found consuming Cannabis Sativa without permit and authorization shall be subjected to the force of the law and shall be duly fined. Such fines are a source of government revenue, as well.
Thirdly, the legalization would reduced suspicion and enhanced peaceful coexistence. It is typical for an individual that is opposed to the use of marijuana to hold negative prejudices towards the users of such drug. As such, there emerge social classes within the society with each holding contrary opinions. The non-consumers see the users of marijuana as a security menace and an antisocial group (Waugh, 2015). Similarly, in response to the ideas of the non-users, the consumers of marijuana develop hatred for the non-users who see them as criminals and social out...