Marijuana Legalization

On a personal note, I want to mention that I am a religious Christian and I strongly don't support marijuana consumption in principal. But as an avid supporter for the separation of Church and State, I believe that it should be legalized. I look forward for an exciting debate. My opponent didn't set any specific rules for this debate, so I'll assume that the burden of proof (BoP) will be equally shared. I will support my contention, that marijuana or recreational pot should be legalized, with the following arguments:1. Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco2. Prohibition ruins innocent lives unnecessarily3. Prohibition wastes a staggering amount of resources and tax payers' money4. Prohibition doesn't help reduce use5. Legalizing marijuana would cut cartel profits6. Prohibition infringes on the religious freedom of Rastafaris I could add at least three additional points, but I thought that these key points alone should be more than sufficient to demonstrate to the reader that marijuana should be legalized1. Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol or tobaccoScientists agree that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco [1]. Scientific Reports published that "…The potential of death from the typical, recreational use of 10 drugs […] Marijuana was, by far, found to be the safest, even when compared to alcohol and cigarettes. " [1] Marijuana also is less addictive than alcohol, tobacco and other substances [2].2. Prohibition ruins innocent lives unnecessarilyI know someone who was caught smoking marijuana, and had to serve community time. This person, with no prior criminal record, is not only otherwise a law-abiding citizen, but also is extremely intelligent, caring and kind. With this blemish on his record, it became harder for him to get a new job. This is not an isolated case. A 45 year-old father of seven, with two previous non-violent­ offenses, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for possessing a small amount of marijuana [3]. This is absurd! The New York Times reports "From 2001 to 2010, the police made more than 8.2 million marijuana arrests; almost nine in 10 were for possession alone. In 2011, there were more arrests for marijuana possession than for all violent crimes put together. " [3]As I mentioned earlier, even if an arrest doesn't lead to a conviction, it will always remain on someone's record making it harder for them to land a new job.3. Prohibition wastes a staggering amount of resources and tax payers' moneyThe New York Times reports that "Each year, enforcing laws on possession costs more than $3.6 billion. " [3] To enforce these laws, police, prosecutors and court resources are wasted every day. These resources could be channeled to fight more heinous crimes, or at least can be used by the police to build a better relationship with the public.4. Prohibition doesn't help reduce useSome worry that if marijuana were legalized, it would lead to an increase in its use. They could argue that these prohibitions are necessary to deter people from using it out of their fear of being caught. It turned out that the above claim is probably not true. Psychology Today reports that "Since Colorado fully legalized cannabis in 2013, the early reports show that rates of cannabis consumption among teens have continued to decline" [4].5. Legalizing marijuana would cut cartel profitsLegalizing marijuana in the US could lead to a drop in carter revenues by 22 to 30 percent! [5] Not to mention that these profits would instead be awarded to new legitimate businesses (creating new jobs). The government will also have its share of these profits in the form of tax revenues.6. Prohibition infringes on the religious freedom of Rastafaris (People practicing Rastafarianism)Rastafaris believe that smoking marijuana is a spiritual act. Criminalizing it has caused several Rastafaris to be arrested. Most notably, the famous singer Bob Marley, "During his time in London, he was arrested and received a conviction for possession of a small quantity of cannabis" [7]. I argue that this is an infringement on their freedom of religion. I am not alone with this opinion… The Italian Supreme Court allowed Rastafaris to possess greater amounts of marijuana legally [6]. RebuttalMy opponent stated three reasons to support his claim that marijuana should be prohibited. I summarized his reason as follows:1. Health risks associated with marijuana consumption2. Marijuana demotes learning abilities3. Legalization would increase the number of intoxicated drivers on the roadI agree with my opponent's first two points. However I don't necessarily agree with his third point that legalization would increase the number of intoxicated drivers on the road. Researchers are divided on the subject [8]. But even if all of my opponent's three points were true, I argue that they do not warrant prohibiting marijuana. As I've demonstrated previously, alcohol and tobacco are more harmful than marijuana. If those reasons alone warrant prohibition, then why are alcohol and tobacco legal? How about fast food and its dire health implications? [9] Should we close McDonald's and Burger King? Should we ban boxing because it's dangerous and leads to significant injuries and premature deaths? [10]ConclusionI've demonstrated six reasons to show why marijuana should be legal. I also argued that prohibiting marijuana has far more negative consequences than legalizing it would. While my opponent's concerns are valid, I argued they don't warrant the prohibition of marijuana. I also argue that there are better ways to address the harms associated with marijuana. That is not achieved by banning it, but by establishing effective social programs. Similar programs were catalysts in reducing the consumption of tobacco from 42% to 19% since 1965 [11]. Tobacco was never banned in this period. I also believe that banning something makes it only that more desirable. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate that desire. I ask the reader to carefully consider the evidence and conclude that marijuana should be legalized. Thank you. Sources[1] . http://www.nbcnews.com...[2] . https://www.psychologytoday.com...[3] . http://www.nytimes.com...[4] . https://www.psychologytoday.com...[5] . http://www.insightcrime.org...[6] . http://en.wikipedia.org...[7] . http://en.wikipedia.org...[8] . http://www.ctvnews.ca...[9] . http://healthyeating.sfgate.com...[10] . http://en.wikipedia.org...[11] . http://www.cdc.gov...