Marijuana Should Be Legalized

Thank you, and good luck to you as well. Marijuana has always been under controversy because it has been demonized greatly by not only social conservatives, but corporations, drug cartels, and the alcohol/tobacco industry to keep it as illegal as possible. Here are my pro arguments: The "War On Drugs" was and is an economic failure: In 2010 alone, the US has spent over 15 billion dollars on the war on drugs. Instead of legalization, regulation, and taxing it, we send drug users to jail for practicing their individual liberty to use Marijuana medically. The media perpetuates how evil Marijuana is and how it will kill, but there has never been any linked evidence in history that Marijuana caused any kinds of cancer related deaths. Legalizing drugs, however, would inject at least 77 billion dollars a year into the economy if taxed and regulated. Over half of US prisons have people arrested for non violent crimes, and it costs at least 30,000 dollars per "felon" instead of decriminalizing drugs and spending 15,000 dollars for health care treatment. The policy is very dangerous to the American people as it allows loopholes for police officers to invade the privacy of people without any warrants based on unwarranted evidence. Based on this evidence alone, any drug illegalization is generally unconstitutional especially if the government wants to step in and protect you from yourself. Corruption In Politics: The Mexican president has been very open about keep marijuana illegal in the United States because it is a great source of profit for the drug cartels as they influence US/Mexican politics and drug affairs. Why? Because guns are illegal in Mexico and Marijuana is illegal in the United States, they use this untaxed income to terrorize the Mexican people and increase border war activity. The source of income that the cartels use is also to influence US politicians to keep this natural plant illegal from us and profitable for them, further promoting a drug-congressional-complex. Back in 1937, Marijuana was number one for fiber and textile use. Because of increasing pressure from the lumber and oil companies that heavily gave campaign "donations" to these companies, there was an anti-marijuana movement to demonize the plant and would then lead to a taxation of the plant. Hemp was a threat to the industry because of it's clean burning fuel and strong fibers for clothing, which resulted in the competition fueling the movement to ban the plant of it's "danger". Today, Hemp is still a threat to those industries. Because of the crony capitalism of the last 70 years, it is still illegal today. Adding to this, the FDA opposes it only because of it's difficulty to commercially regulate it and profit enough. It's important to ask how many legal drugs today can kill someone, but a natural herb that grows from the ground is kept in hostility? Health Uses: Cannabis is used for cancer patients as a solution for a danger-free painkiller and for Anemic patients in recovery to help them eat. The carcinogen amounts are much less than Tobacco, and is nowhere near a threatening and costly as Alcohol (38 billion dollars a year). I advocate the plant for medical and even recreational use, but I am against the glamorization of drugs in general. Unconstitutional: Alcohol is costly and dangerous to human health, and yet, it is illegal. But during the 1920s, it was prohibited. This caused the Mickey Cohen's and Al Capone's to appear and create an insurmountable amount of wealth that resulted in billions of dollars of uncollected taxes. Later on, you would see that the amendment was repealed and alcohol was regulated once again. What happened? They put these criminals out of business because the government competed. Tobacco on the flip side, has been proved to kill over 450,000 people a year and actually contains physically addictive chemicals (namely nicotine) and yet, it is legal to the American people. My point is when the government picks and chooses what is safe and not safe for your body, you have given up your own liberty for them to justify their behavior. I advocate personal behaviorism for all drug users/non-drug users, instead of creating a "pick and choose" system and deciding for the American people. To conclude so far, I believe when you believe in the illegalization of Marijuana you also promote a perpetual, wasteland "War On Drugs", crony capitalism, and the existence of drug barons/cartels to exist. It is more safe to teach better personal behavior rather than teach blatant lies and risk danger to the American people.