Agree that marijuana should be legalized?  There are actually quite a few reasons that marijuana should be made legal.  For instance, it would save our government money and actually generate revenue for our country and some companies.  Drug dealers and terrorist networks funded by the drug trade would take a significant hit to their businesses.  Legalization of this drug would actually make crime rates drop.  Also, marijuana is no more harmful to individuals than alcohol or cigarettes are, and it can be used as a stress reliever.  The legalization of marijuana would actually produce measurable benefits regarding an array of issues.

The legalization of marijuana would have a serious impact on our country’s economy and crime rates.  If the laws were changed, Jeffery A. Miron, a Harvard professor, estimated that $7.7 billion would be saved by law enforcement agencies and $6.2 billion could be generated through taxation.  This money could be used to help relieve the country’s current economic situation or to crack down on more serious crimes, such as rape and murder.  The underground market is controlled by drug dealers, many of which support terrorists organizations.  If marijuana was legalized, the enormous street prices for pot would be greatly lowered because these drug dealers would have much more competition to deal with.  Large benefits would likely be seen by many companies, such as Archer Daniels Midland, ConAgra Foods, Consellation Brands, and Allied Domecq, who would be the growers and distributes of marijuana, if it were made legal to use.  Even Home Depot may see a rise in revenue as some people would choose to grow their own pot.  The legalization of marijuana would not only save our government money and lower crime rates, but it would benefit the agricultural portion of our economy greatly.

Additionally, marijuana should be legalized because it is no more dangerous than other similar drugs.  Many doctors believe that marijuana is no more addictive than alcohol or cigarettes.  Also, overdosing on marijuana is unheard of as it has a negligible therapeutic index; you do not need to smoke a lot of it to attain the desired high.  The claims that smoking pot is 4 times more carcinogenic than smoking cigarettes are unfair; how many people chain smoke pot compared to cigarettes.  Simply put people smoke a significantly less amount of marijuana than cigarettes to maintain their high or control their addiction.  Pot can also be used effectively to reduce stress levels, and it is used in the treatment of many medical issues, such as with glaucoma or patients undergoing chemotherapy.  Overall marijuana is a much safer drug compared to alcohol or cigarettes with regards to the negative effects that it can have on ones health, but it also has many legitimate uses.

Marijuana should be made legal because of the many positive changes that it would create. Removing the prohibition on pot would reduce crime rates, help regarding the war on terrorism, and give the agricultural economy a much needed boost.  It is also no more dangerous than other related drugs and shows that it has numerous medical uses.  Legalizing marijuana is something that when examined carefully shows many benefits to a large number of areas.