In 1545, the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. It was introduced in Jamestown in 1611, where it became a major commercial crop grown as an innocent source of fiber (specifically, hemp). By 1927, the production and possession of marijuana had been outlawed throughout the United States, causing a prohibition that is still in effect 80 years later. Since then, the world has seen the violent rise of drug cartels and the high price of fighting illegal marijuana use (Narconon). Marijuana should be legalized because significant research shows that legalization will benefit our society socially and economically.
In the perspective of America's war on drugs, marijuana is one of the biggest enemies. Not because it is a dangerous drug but …show more content…

45). Marijuana also has proven benefits for patients with brain cancer, breast cancer, glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
Before cannabis was used as a narcotic, hemp was a major crop used for numerous textiles. Hemp is the world’s strongest natural fiber; from hemp alone one can produce paper, rope, cotton, and ethanol (Narconon). Marijuana is one of America’s top-selling agricultural products. One California politician estimates that marijuana sales in his state top 14 billion dollars annually. Putting a tax on legalized marijuana would create a new multi-billion dollar revenue (Mjlegal.org) for the United States. By growing hemp as a commercial crop the US would create new jobs, have new agricultural products, and once again; additional revenue.
To keep marijuana illegal is a waste of time and money. The prohibition of alcohol did not prove to be successful, and neither is the prohibition of marijuana. The US spends 7.7 billion dollars annually on the enforcement of prohibition alone (Bonnie and Whitebread 43). In 2010 approximately 872,000 arrests were made related to marijuana; 775,000 arrests were just for possession, not for sale or manufacturing. If it costs an average of $78.95 to keep a person in jail for one day, taxpayers pay the price to fight a never ending battle.
No recorded deaths have ever occurred as a result of marijuana use, it is not physically