Rough Drafts

Economic prosperity could come as a result of legalizing cannabis. The two states that made marijuana legal this past year have already seen economic growth as well as a notable increase in tourism. Legalizing cannabis would cause economic growth by creating jobs and generating tax revenue, and also by causing an increase in so-called “pot-tourism” (Dighe). Another reason why legal cannabis will be good for the economy is because it will greatly reduce law enforcement costs. Lots of our Justice System's time, money, and resources are wasted on pot smokers who aren’t harming anybody. The only reason why they are labeled as illegal is because of the U.S. government's counterproductive war on drugs which has been going on since 1970 and has wasted billions of Americans' tax dollars.

If the federal government chooses legalize marijuana, the economic benefits could be enough to help lift the United States out of its $17.5 trillion national debt. The savings in law enforcement costs alone come out to an estimated $9 billion annually, combined with $10 billion coming from the sale of industrial hemp, as well as a possible $8 billion increase in tax revenue between excise and sales taxes. These are only a few of the ways that the legalization of cannabis could be effective in stimulating the economy (Gieringer). These numbers are also conservative estimates, and the marijuana industry could certainly expand beyond one’s expectations, especially in a legal market. For example, the numbers for industrial hemp could easily double from $10 billion annually to $20 billion depending on demand. The legalization of cannabis would also be very effective in creating jobs not only at the retail level, but also at the agricultural level. This job creation would definitely help to stimulate our economy by bringing down the unemployment rate as well as creating a whole new industry and source of revenue (Gieringer).

Legalizing cannabis would be a very smart move on the part of the United States government, especially at this point in time. The idea of decriminalization is one that differs slightly from full on legalization. The differences lies in that decriminalization simply entails less severe repercussions for use or cultivation of cannabis, compared to legalization which involves cannabis being taxed, regulated, and sold commercially in the same manner as alcohol and tobacco (Gieringer). I believe that either of these two solutions will work just fine. Whether it is simply decriminalized or fully legalized, either option is better than continuing to waste time and money on the war on drugs.

Marijuana is the third most widely used recreational drug in the United States, falling only behind alcohol and tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking causes over 480,000 deaths annually in the United States. Moreover, alcohol abuse kills over 80,000 Americans each year, whether it comes from disease or car accidents that happened as a result of drunk driving. However, alcoholism is not only an epidemic inside the borders of the United States. A World Health Organization report from February 2011 stated that alcohol consumption is responsible for four percent of all fatalities worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis, or even violence (Armentano). Clearly, the problem is present not only in the United States but all around the world.

Even acetaminophen can cause liver injury which results in a hundred or so accidental overdoses each year. However, unlike all of these substances, cannabis has never caused a single death in its 5,000 years of recorded use. Alcohol and tobacco legally kill hundreds every day, but out of the millions of people who use cannabis regularly, not a single death has ever come from consuming it. These numbers speak loud and clear to me as to which substances are harmful to our society. Yet somehow, alcohol and tobacco are both perfectly legal in the United States just long as you are of age, while marijuana is still considered illegal under federal law. It seems like it is time for our country to finally rethink its counterproductive war on drugs.

Since alcohol and tobacco remain legal in the United States, despite causing thousands of deaths each year, it is only right to legalize cannabis and regulate it the same manner. Published recently in the Journal of Psychopharmacology was a paper stating that "a direct comparison of alcohol and cannabis showed that alcohol was considered to be more than twice as harmful as cannabis to users, and five times more harmful as cannabis to others” (Armentano) The United States government classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug, putting it on the same level as heroin. Schedule II is considered less dangerous than Schedule I, and includes substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, OxyContin, and hydromorphone. All of these other drugs are far more harmful than cannabis, so why are we still treating this plant as if it is something dangerous? I believe that our nation’s federal drug laws are outdated, and the American public is finally beginning to realize that.  

The term "marijuana" typically refers to the flowers of the cannabis plant, which are grown for their high levels of THC and are harvested for either medical or recreational use. After being harvested, the flowers are usually dried and cured before being consumed, but on the street you never know what you are going to get. The buds which are harvested off of the cannabis plant can contain up to 20-30% THC if they are grown to their full potential, and they can then be sold either at a dispensary or on the black market, depending on where you live. Hemp, on the other hand, is a different variety of the same cannabis plant. Also known as “industrial hemp,” this term refers to varieties of the cannabis plant which are harvested more for agricultural purposes, usually containing less than 1% THC. Once harvested, the industrial hemp crop can be used for a wide variety of purposes such as fabric, paper, and many others. However, even though industrial hemp lacks tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the chemical which gets you high, it is still illegal to grow in the United States, which means we have to import all of our hemp from other countries.

Renee Johnson wrote a report titled “Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity” which was published just last year in July of 2013. Johnson, who is a specialist in agricultural policy, published this report on behalf of the Congressional Research Service, an organization that works primarily for members of Congress. The following is an excerpt from her findings, "Hemp fibers are used in a wide range of products, including fabrics and textiles, yarns and spun fibers, paper, carpeting, home furnishings, construction and insulation materials, auto parts, and composites. Hurds are used in various applications such as animal bedding, material inputs, papermaking, and composites. Hemp seed and oilcake are used in a range of foods and beverages, and can be an alternative food protein source. Oil from the crushed hemp seed is used as an ingredient in a range of body-care products and nutritional supplements. Hemp seed is also used for industrial oils, cosmetics and personal care products, and pharmaceuticals, among other composites" (Johnson).

In other words, whether or not you believe that marijuana should be legalized, there is no denying that cannabis is on the rise in the world today, whether it is in the form of recreational or medicinal marijuana or hemp. The fact that cannabis plant can be used for so many different products makes it extremely lucrative. If cannabis were legalized, it would not only bring the medical and recreational marijuana market into the U.S. economy. Legalizing cannabis would also open up our economy to the endless possibilities in the profitable world of industrial hemp. Washington and Colorado, the two states that legalized recreational marijuana this past year, have both seen significant economic growth and an increase in tourism as a direct result of the legal marijuana market. And with our country currently $17.5 trillion in debt, why not give it a try?

Skeptics of legalization may believe that legalizing drugs . Some people may believe that legalizing cannabis could lead to a huge increase in addiction and crime, as well as causing a drain on our criminal justice system. However, the prohibition of alcohol in the early 20th century caused a notable increase in consumption, addiction, and organized crime all throughout the country. The prohibition of cannabis which is seen today is no different. Why should the United States government continue to waste billions of taxpayers' dollars on the pointless war on drugs? The belief that prohibition works is highly illogical based on historical evidence, and there are several instances which demonstrate that legalizing cannabis could actually have very positive results on our society.

For example, Portugal legalized all drugs in June of 2001, and skeptics predicted disaster just like they do today in the United States. However, a lawyer and author by the name of Glenn Greenwald began researching the effects of legal drugs in Portugal, and the results were very good. Greenwald told Time magazine, “Judging by every metric, drug decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success. It has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country" (O’Neil). Glenn Greenwald’s research study concluded that rates of drug addiction and HIV both decreased drastically as a direct result of Portugal’s decision to decriminalize all drugs. Greenwald is quoted as saying, "By freeing its citizens from the fear of prosecution and imprisonment for drug usage, Portugal has dramatically improved its ability to encourage drug addicts to avail themselves of treatment. The resources that were previously devoted to prosecuting and imprisoning drug addicts are now available to provide treatment programs to addicts” (O’Neil).

An essay titled “The Decriminalization Movement” by Dr. James Austin outlines the potential effects of the legalization of cannabis on our society. Dr. James makes a very convincing argument for why we should decriminalize marijuana, and he discusses the positive effects that it would have on our overcrowded justice system. An excerpt from the essay says the following, “Perhaps the most powerful and appealing argument for marijuana decriminalization (and/or decriminalizing other drugs) is that it would save a huge amount of government money now being spent on the enforcement of such laws. The basic tenets of the cost saving argument can be summarized as follows: 1. The criminal justice system, ranging from police to corrections, now allocates a significant portion of its budgets arresting, prosecuting, sentencing and incarcerating marijuana users, dealers and others involved in the illegal drug infrastructure (e.g., transporters, manufacturers of drug paraphernalia, etc.). 2. If these behaviors would no longer be labeled as criminal, criminal justice agencies would reduce the enforcement and processing tasks now associated with such crimes. 3. There is a direct relationship between the proportion of arrests or cases processed for marijuana crimes by the criminal justice system and the amount of money expended by these same agencies. 4. By reducing or eliminating these marijuana related events, there would be a proportionate decrease in the agency expenses” (James).

One question is often asked about the issue of legal cannabis, and that is to what extent should it be legalized? Medical cannabis is available in twenty states to those who need it, with two of those states, Colorado and Washington, also enacting laws which allow for recreational use. These states treat cannabis somewhat like alcohol, allowing people twenty one years and older to consume it in the privacy of their own home but not out in the open. This creates an awkward loophole because marijuana is still completely illegal under federal law, and federal law supersedes state law.  However, the United States federal government is not challenging the states’ laws that allow for use of cannabis, whether it is for medical or recreational use.

Making marijuana illegal is very bad for society because then users are forced to turn to the black market. In Colorado or Washington, where recreational use is now legal, users can simply go into a store and purchase their goodies without thinking twice. However, in most states marijuana is still totally illegal, so people have no choice but to buy from drug dealers. This adds an unnecessary criminal aspect to the marijuana market. Someone could get killed over a small amount of pot simply because of this criminal aspect. Furthermore, the prohibition of marijuana also fails to keep the drug out of the hands of America’s youth because drug dealers will sell to anyone who's paying. If cannabis was simply regulated in the same manner as alcohol and tobacco, it would be more effective in keeping the drug out of the hands of children because it would be sold at legitimate retail business who check for ID. For example, you don’t see drug dealers standing on the corner selling beer or cigarettes.

I believe that cannabis should be legalized for both recreational and medical use. This system will work the best because an average citizen can go into a store and purchase quality marijuana for a somewhat reasonable price without fear of being arrested. Yet at the same time, a medical patient could walk into that same store and purchase their marijuana without having to pay steep taxes for their medicine. It is clear that the United States is seeing an increase in consumption of cannabis, and the two states with legal recreational marijuana have already seen a striking increase in tourism as well as economic growth. “Legalizing and regulating marijuana will bring the nation's largest cash crop under the rule of law, creating jobs and economic opportunities in the formal economy instead of the illicit market” (Drug Policy Alliance). With our country currently in a bad economic situation, now is the perfect time to legalize cannabis and reap the economic benefits.

Economic Benefits of Legalization

Legalizing cannabis will result in economic growth and prosperity if the United States chooses to embrace it. Washington and Colorado, the two states that made marijuana legal this past year, have already seen economic growth as well as a notable increase in tourism. Legalizing cannabis would foster economic growth not only by creating jobs and generating tax revenue, but also by causing an increase in so-called “pot-tourism” (Dighe). Another reason why legal cannabis will be good for the economy is because it will greatly reduce law enforcement costs. Lots of our Justice System's time, money, and resources are wasted on prosecuting marijuana-only related offenses, when these actions should not even be considered criminal. The only reason why they are labeled as such is because of the U.S. government's counterproductive war on drugs which has been going on since 1970 and has wasted billions of Americans' tax dollars.

If the federal government chooses to capitalize on the legal cannabis industry, the economic benefits could be enough to help lift the United States out of its $17.5 trillion national debt over time. The savings in law enforcement costs alone come out to an estimated $9 billion annually, combined with $10 billion coming from the sale of industrial hemp, as well as a possible $8 billion increase in tax revenue between excise and sales taxes. These are only a few of the ways that the legalization of cannabis could be effective in stimulating the economy (Gieringer). These numbers are also conservative estimates, and the marijuana industry could certainly expand beyond one’s expectations, especially in a legal market. For example, the numbers for industrial hemp could easily double from $10 billion annually to $20 billion depending on demand. The legalization of cannabis would also be very effective in creating jobs not only at the retail level, but also at the agricultural level. This job creation would definitely help to stimulate our economy by bringing down the unemployment rate as well as creating a whole new industry and source of revenue (Gieringer).

Legalizing cannabis would be a very smart move on the part of the United States government, especially at this point in time. The idea of decriminalization is one that differs slightly from full on legalization. The differences lies in that decriminalization simply entails less severe repercussions for use or cultivation of cannabis, compared to legalization which involves cannabis being taxed, regulated, and sold commercially in the same manner as alcohol and tobacco (Gieringer). I believe that either of these two solutions will work just fine. Whether it is decriminalized or legalized, either one is better than continuing the war on drugs. However, legalization would be better for the United States so that the cannabis that is sold at the retail level could be regulated and maintained, rather than staying in the black market where there is no supervision whatsoever.

Gieringer, Dale, Ph.D. “Economics of Cannabis Legalization (1994) Detailed Analysis of the Benefits of Ending Cannabis Prohibition.” NORML. NORML, June 1994. Web. 06 Apr.  2014.

            This was a very useful report that I found on the NORML website, which stands for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The report, dated June 1994, is written by Dale Gieringer, Ph.D., and is titled “Economics of Cannabis Legalization (1994) Detailed Analysis of the Benefits of Ending Cannabis Prohibition.” What I foundparticula rly useful about this source was the charts and tables that contained information about the impact of legalization on the economy. Also, it is apparent that the author of   this report also went to great lengths to make sure that his numbers were accurate and that he did not skip over anything. Gieringer also goes into specific detail about the subtle differences between decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing marijuana.

Dighe, Ranjit. "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument." The Huffington Post.TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.

This is an article written by Ranjit Dighe published in The Huffington Post on January 30, 2014. The author makes a joke about the two teams competing in this year’s Super Bowl coming from the two states which made history by legalizing recreational marijuana. Dighe seems to be an economist based on his language throughout this article, saying facetiously that he would legalize marijuana if the expected net benefit was positive. The author also points out that nobody has ever died from consuming cannabis, as well as mentioning President Obama’s comments that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. However, I found that the author placed more of an emphasis on the moral aspect of the issue of legalization, rather than focusing on the economic argument like the title suggests.

Nobody Has Ever Died From Consuming Marijuana

Marijuana is the third most widely used recreational drug in the United States, falling only behind alcohol and tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking causes over 480,000 deaths annually in the United States. Moreover, alcohol abuse kills over 80,000 Americans each year, whether it comes from disease or alcohol-related traffic incidents. However, the effects of alcoholism are felt not only in the United States. A World Health Organization report from February 2011 stated that alcohol consumption is responsible for four percent of all fatalities worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis, or even violence (Armentano). Indubitably, the problem is not only prevalent in the United States but all around the world.

Even Tylenol can cause liver injury which results in a hundred or so accidental overdoses each year. Unlike alcohol, tobacco, and even Tylenol, cannabis has never caused a single death in its 5,000 years of recorded use. People die as a direct result of alcohol and tobacco literally every single day, but out of the millions of people who use cannabis regularly, not a single death has ever come from consuming it. These numbers speak loud and clear to me as to which substances are harmful to our society. Yet somehow, alcohol and tobacco are both perfectly legal in the United States just long as you are of age, while marijuana is still considered illegal under federal law. It seems like it is time for our country to finally rethink its counterproductive war on drugs.

Since alcohol and tobacco remain legal in the United States, despite causing thousands of deaths each year, it is only right to legalize cannabis and regulate it the same manner. Published recently in the Journal of Psychopharmacology was a paper stating that "a direct comparison of alcohol and cannabis showed that alcohol was considered to be more than twice as harmful as cannabis to users, and five times more harmful as cannabis to others” (Armentano) The United States government classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug, putting it on the same level as heroin. Schedule II is considered less dangerous than Schedule I, and includes substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, OxyContin, and hydromorphone. All of these other drugs are far more harmful than cannabis, so why are we still treating this plant as if it is something dangerous? I believe that our nation’s federal drug laws are outdated, and the American public is finally beginning to realize that.  

Armentano, Paul. "Alcohol or Cannabis? No Question Which Substance Poses a Greater Risk to Health.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.

This was an article written by Paul Armentano which was published in The Huffington Post on August 23^rd, 2013. This article provided me with the statistic regarding alcohol fatalities in the United States as well as around the world. The author clearly made an effort to include information that was relevant not only to the United States, but to the whole world. Armentano also points out that nobody has ever died from consuming cannabis, and he mentions that he agrees with President Obama's statement that cannabis is far less harmful than alcohol. Furthermore, the article also included several studies which compared alcohol to cannabis and concluded that alcohol is more of a danger to our society.

Hemp vs. Marijuana

The term "marijuana" typically refers to the flowers of the cannabis plant, which are grown for their high levels of THC and are harvested for either medical or recreational use. After being harvested, the flowers are usually dried and cured before being consumed, whether it is for the purpose of getting high or for the plant’s medicinal properties. The buds which are harvested off of the cannabis plant can contain up to 20-30% THC if they are grown to their full potential, and they can then be sold either at a dispensary or on the black market, depending on where you live. Hemp, on the other hand, is a different variety of the same cannabis plant. Also known as “industrial hemp,” this term refers to varieties of the cannabis plant which are harvested more for agricultural purposes, usually containing less than 1% THC. Once harvested, the industrial hemp crop can be used for a wide variety of purposes such as fabric, paper, and many others. However, even though industrial hemp lacks the chemical which gets you high, it is still illegal to grow in the United States, which means we have to import all of our hemp from other countries.

Renee Johnson wrote a report titled “Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity” which was published just last year in July of 2013. Johnson, who is a specialist in agricultural policy, published this report on behalf of the Congressional Research Service, an organization that works primarily for members of Congress. The following is an excerpt from her findings, "Hemp fibers are used in a wide range of products, including fabrics and textiles, yarns and spun fibers, paper, carpeting, home furnishings, construction and insulation materials, auto parts, and composites. Hurds are used in various applications such as animal bedding, material inputs, papermaking, and composites. Hemp seed and oilcake are used in a range of foods and beverages, and can be an alternative food protein source. Oil from the crushed hemp seed is used as an ingredient in a range of body-care products and nutritional supplements. Hemp seed is also used for industrial oils, cosmetics and personal care products, and pharmaceuticals, among other composites" (Johnson).

In conclusion, whether or not you believe that marijuana should be legalized, there is no denying that cannabis is on the rise in the world today, whether it is in the form of marijuana or industrial hemp. The fact that only one plant can be used for so many different products makes it extremely lucrative. If cannabis were legalized, it would not only bring the medical and recreational marijuana market into the U.S. economy. Legalizing cannabis would also open up our economy to the endless possibilities in the profitable world of industrial hemp. Washington and Colorado, the two states that legalized recreational marijuana this past year, have both seen significant economic growth and an increase in tourism as a direct result of the legal marijuana market. And with our country currently $17.5 trillion in debt, why not give it a try?

Johnson, Renee. "Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity." Federation of American Scientists. Congressional

                Research Service, 24 July 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.

This was a report published by the Congressional Research Service on July 24, 2013 by Renee Johnson, who is a specialist in agricultural policy. This is a very detailed report which outlines the specifics of the industrial hemp crop. This report outlines the specific agricultural differences between marijuana and industrial hemp, even though they both come from the cannabis sativa plant. For example, if the two plants were to cross pollenate, the hemp would greatly decrease the THC content of the marijuana. Johnson goes into detail about how the different parts of the cannabis plant are used for different purposes in the hemp industry. She also discusses the wide variety of products that are made from industrial hemp, and provides statistics to show how profitable the hemp industry is in the world today.

Impact of Decriminalization on Society

Those who are skeptical of legalizing marijuana may have this view because they fear that the legalization of such a drug could have harmful effects on our society. Some people may believe that legalizing cannabis could lead to a huge increase in addiction and crime, as well as causing a drain on our criminal justice system. However, the prohibition of alcohol in the early 20^th century caused a notable increase in consumption, addiction, and organized crime all throughout the country. The prohibition of cannabis which is seen today is no different. Why should the United States government continue to waste billions of taxpayers' dollars on the pointless war on drugs? The belief that prohibition works is highly illogical based on historical evidence, and there are several instances which demonstrate that legalizing cannabis could actually have very positive results on our society.

For example, Portugal legalized all drugs in June of 2001, and skeptics predicted disaster just like they do today in the United States. However, a lawyer and author by the name of Glenn Greenwald began researching the effects of legal drugs in Portugal, and the results were very good. Greenwald told Time magazine, “Judging by every metric, drug decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success. It has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country" (O’Neil). Glenn Greenwald’s research study concluded that rates of drug addiction and HIV both decreased drastically as a direct result of Portugal’s decision to decriminalize all drugs. Greenwald is quoted as saying, "By freeing its citizens from the fear of prosecution and imprisonment for drug usage, Portugal has dramatically improved its ability to encourage drug addicts to avail themselves of treatment. The resources that were previously devoted to prosecuting and imprisoning drug addicts are now available to provide treatment programs to addicts” (O’Neil).

An essay titled “The Decriminalization Movement” by Dr. James Austin outlines the potential effects of the legalization of cannabis on our society. Dr. James makes a very convincing argument for why we should decriminalize marijuana, and he discusses the positive effects that it would have on our overcrowded justice system. An excerpt from the essay says the following, “Perhaps the most powerful and appealing argument for marijuana decriminalization (and/or decriminalizing other drugs) is that it would save a huge amount of government money now being spent on the enforcement of such laws. The basic tenets of the cost saving argument can be summarized as follows: 1. The criminal justice system, ranging from police to corrections, now allocates a significant portion of its budgets arresting, prosecuting, sentencing and incarcerating marijuana users, dealers and others involved in the illegal drug infrastructure (e.g., transporters, manufacturers of drug paraphernalia, etc.). 2. If these behaviors would no longer be labeled as criminal, criminal justice agencies would reduce the enforcement and processing tasks now associated with such crimes. 3. There is a direct relationship between the proportion of arrests or cases processed for marijuana crimes by the criminal justice system and the amount of money expended by these same agencies. 4. By reducing or eliminating these marijuana related events, there would be a proportionate decrease in the agency expenses” (James).

Austin, James, Ph.D. "The Decriminalization Movement." NORML. The JFA Institute, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

This is an essay which I stumbled upon while browsing the website for the organization NORML, which stands for National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. This website was extremely useful in obtaining all kinds of information related to cannabis. This essay is written by James Austin Ph.D who is writing for the JFA Institute, an unbiased organization that evaluates criminal justice practices in order to create research based policy solutions. This article was incredibly useful to me for this project because it provided me with lots of solid statistics regarding the effects of decriminalization on our society. Austin addresses decriminalization’s effect on use, crime, arrests and court processing, as well as its impact on the correctional system and government expenditures.

O'Neil, Tony. "Ten Years Ago Portugal Legalized All Drugs -- What Happened Next?"Alternet. The Fix, 14 July 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

This was an article that I found when I was searching for information regarding Portugal’s decision to legalize all drugs. The article is written by Tony O’Neil and was posted on a website called Alternet in July of 2011, ten years after Portugal’s decriminalization of drugs. An attorney and author by the name of Glenn Greenwald conducted research about the effects of Portugal’s decriminalization on its society.  I feel that the United States, as well as other nations, can use Portugal as a model for how to address their country’s drug problems, and this article provides evidence to support that claim.

Medical Vs. Recreational

One question is often asked about the issue of legal cannabis, and that is to what extent should it be legalized? Medicinal marijuana is available in twenty states to those who need it, with two of those states also enacting laws which allow for recreational use. These states treat cannabis somewhat like alcohol, allowing people twenty one years and older to consume it in the privacy of their own home but not out in the open. This creates an awkward loophole because marijuana is still completely illegal under federal law, and federal law supersedes state law.  However, the federal government is not challenging the states’ laws that allow for use of cannabis, whether it is for medical or recreational use. At least, they haven't yet. 

Making marijuana illegal is very problematic because then users are forced to turn to the black market. In Colorado or Washington, where recreational use is now legal, users can simply go into a store and purchase their goodies without thinking twice. However, in most states marijuana is still totally illegal, so people have no choice but to buy from drug dealers. This adds an unnecessary criminal aspect to the marijuana market. Someone could get killed over a small amount of pot simply because of this criminal aspect. Furthermore, the prohibition of marijuana also fails to keep the drug out of the hands of America’s youth because drug dealers will sell to anyone who's paying. If cannabis was simply regulated in the same manner as alcohol and tobacco, it would be more effective in keeping the drug out of the hands of children because it would be sold at legitimate retail business who check for ID. For example, you don’t see drug dealers standing on the corner selling beer or cigarettes.

Cannabis should be legalized for both recreational and medical use. This system will work the best because an average citizen can go into a store and purchase quality marijuana for a somewhat reasonable price without fear of being arrested. Yet at the same time, a medical patient could walk into that same store and purchase their marijuana without having to pay steep taxes for their medicine. It is clear that the United States is seeing an increase in consumption of cannabis, and the two states with legal recreational marijuana have already seen a striking increase in tourism as well as economic growth. “Legalizing and regulating marijuana will bring the nation's largest cash crop under the rule of law, creating jobs and economic opportunities in the formal economy instead of the illicit market” (Drug Policy Alliance). With our country currently in a bad economic situation, now is the perfect time to legalize cannabis and reap the economic benefits.

"Marijuana Legalization and Regulation." Drug Policy Alliance. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 March 2014.

This was a very interesting article regarding the U.S. drug policy which makes the claim that marijuana should be removed from the Criminal Justice system and treated like alcohol and tobacco. The alliance claims that they were instrumental in raising funds for the passage of such legislation as Proposition 19 in California as well as the legalization of cannabis for recreational use in Washington and Colorado. The article claims that the criminalization of marijuana disproportionately harms young people and specifically people of color, the latter of which gave me an idea for a future blog post. Finally, this article gave me ideas as to exactly how the legalization of marijuana would play out in our country today.