In the early 1930’s, right after the end of the prohibition, Marijuana was outlawed in the United States. Now, almost a century later, the nation is moving towards the federal legalization of recreational marijuana. This paper will examine the issue of marijuana legalization, and how both the pro-legalization and anti-legalization sides are fighting for what they believe. Reasons for the support of legalization broadly include: the belief that marijuana cultivation and research can boost our economy, and the belief that the war on drugs has failed. Reasons for the opposition to legalization include: the belief that legalization will lead to more underage drug use, and the belief that marijuana use can lead users to try harder drugs. Overall,
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are in favor of legalizing recreational pot (Swift, 2016). There is a strong belief among legalization supporters that marijuana cultivation could bring a huge boost to the national economy. Mrinalini Krishna, a writer for Investopedia, recently stated, “An RCG Economics and Marijuana Policy Group study on Nevada says that legalizing recreational marijuana in the state could support over 41,000 jobs till 2024 and generate over $1.7 billion in labor income.” (Krishna, 2017). Other economists say that taxes from marijuana growers and retailers could boost state and federal revenue hugely. Another popular belief among supporters is that the marijuana prohibition has simply failed in all regards. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a political interest group dedicated to supporting the full legalization of recreational marijuana, recently released a concise list of reasons why marijuana should be fully legalized based on their views. Among these reasons was the negative impact of enforcement of current marijuana legislation in states that haven’t legalized weed. In some instances, people who are otherwise harmless are prosecuted and their lives are ruined because of outdated and unnecessary laws. The MPP stated that the prohibition is not only a waste of taxpayer resources, but also keeps law enforcement from focusing on more serious problems (MPP,
are in favor of legalizing recreational pot (Swift, 2016). There is a strong belief among legalization supporters that marijuana cultivation could bring a huge boost to the national economy. Mrinalini Krishna, a writer for Investopedia, recently stated, “An RCG Economics and Marijuana Policy Group study on Nevada says that legalizing recreational marijuana in the state could support over 41,000 jobs till 2024 and generate over $1.7 billion in labor income.” (Krishna, 2017). Other economists say that taxes from marijuana growers and retailers could boost state and federal revenue hugely. Another popular belief among supporters is that the marijuana prohibition has simply failed in all regards. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a political interest group dedicated to supporting the full legalization of recreational marijuana, recently released a concise list of reasons why marijuana should be fully legalized based on their views. Among these reasons was the negative impact of enforcement of current marijuana legislation in states that haven’t legalized weed. In some instances, people who are otherwise harmless are prosecuted and their lives are ruined because of outdated and unnecessary laws. The MPP stated that the prohibition is not only a waste of taxpayer resources, but also keeps law enforcement from focusing on more serious problems (MPP,