Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

Joe wakes up in Denver, Colorado and lights a joint. His brother Ricky wakes up in Atlanta, Georgia and does the same thing. One is a lawbreaker and the other is perfectly within his rights established by the state. Who is right? Ultimately, the answer to that question boils down to which power is superior: that of the state or that of the national government. This is an example of the debate over federalism. Federalists, who seek to limit the power of the federal government relative to the states are vying for the federal government to back off and let states make their own laws on marijuana. Supporters of the federal government, on the other hand, strongly believe in the maintenance of an established social order and want to let the federal government continue to make laws about marijuana. While there has not been a …show more content…
The United States government has been enforcing strict antidrug laws, which include the use of marijuana for any purpose. The debate began when states across the country began legalizing marijuana for medical use. However, recreational use marijuana is an entirely different story. Over the years, federal government efforts to reduce drug use has not paid off. The state and national government spend fifty one billion dollars each year to lock up and prosecute drug offenders, only to find that drug rate continues to rise. This drug policy is driven by a desire for a strong government, but has yet to find a solution to the drug problem. Colorado and Washington developed a solution and it involves legalizing marijuana. With marijuana legal, you do not have to worry about attempting to regulate the extremely high number of people using marijuana. In fact, in 2012, an arrest relating to marijuana occurred every forty two seconds. The federal government is doing its best to keep the marijuana policy under its