Pros and Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana

Marijuana is a very common street and recreational drug that comes from the marijuana plant. The plant that produces marijuana, as is well known, is the hemp plant cannabis sativa. The pharmacologically active ingredient in marijuana is tetra-hydro-cannabinol. Marijuana is used to heighten perception, affect mood and relax. It is estimated that about thirty percent of adults in the U.S. use marijuana. Many people think marijuana is harmless. It is not. Signs of marijuana use include red eyes, lethargy and uncoordinated body movements. The long-term effects may include decrease in motivation and harmful effects on the brain, heart, lung and reproductive system. People who smoke marijuana are more …show more content…

Legalization of marijuana would free up those people to concentrate on more important things like terrorism, harder drugs, rape, murder, and so on. In addition, an already overloaded civil court docket would be improved; and, the wait time for other legitimate court cases would be reduced. Border agents, TSA staff, drug-sniffing dogs, and scanners are some of the resources that are being directed to drug law enforcement. When these resources are focused on drugs, less time & energy is devoted to protecting against terrorism and the closing of our borders. For example, dogs are trained to sniff for drugs rather than bombs. (marijanatodaypros.com). Another pro of legalizing marijuana is that the government could regulate the quality and safety of drugs. Many people die or become sick because of what is added to the marijuana they purchase. Last but not least if marijuana is legalized the government would have one more thing to throw a tax on and profit from. An enormous amount of money is raised through government taxation of alcohol, and cigarettes. The legalization of marijuana would create another item that could be taxed. I'm sure the government would have no problem spending all that extra money. The federal government's argument for criminalizing marijuana appears to be based on pressure from tobacco and pharmaceutical industries who find the