The Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana - 1645 Words

The legalization of recreational marijuana has recently been a widely debated topic, especially since medical marijuana was legalized in several states. Critics say that cannabis is a Class I drug that has both negative health effects and behavior effects. However, there is minimal evidence to support these claims, and none of the benefits of marijuana are taken into consideration when the arguments are made. The possession and use of recreational marijuana should be legalized in the United States because it would provide a steady source of income for the government in the form of taxation, it would reduce the sale of more dangerous drugs since they would not be present in dispensaries. Taxation collected from regulated marijuana sale†¦show more content†¦Not only that, but the jobs would be easy to access for all Americans, seeing as marijuana is fairly easy to grow. According to Rich, Alex K,, and Alexander Stingl, who speak out about the positives of marijuana legalization, â€Å"Cannabis is very easy to grow and can be grown in relatively large quantities in small places, such as apartments or garages.† Although legalized marijuana would have to be more regulated than this, the fact that marijuana is easy and cheap to grow makes it a more profitable job. Beyond the economic growth through new jobs, taxes on marijuana will also provide the government tremendous revenue. With the legalization comes an increased demand for marijuana, which will allow the government to raise taxes. According to Jason Shubnell, â€Å"Colorado recently reported $2 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales for the month of January.† Such a large sum of money collected in only a month of sale shows how profitable the legalization of marijuana in U.S. states would be. The possible heavy taxation, in combination with the economic gains from new jobs, is an adequate reason alone to legalize marijuana. Not only that, but the government will save a large amount of money because the amount of funding needed to hire police to enforce drug-related laws will no longer be as big of an expense. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, Washington state â€Å"is now