Marijuana should be legal

I want to clarify to Pro, seeing as this is his first debate and he might be unfamiliar with the rules, that he has the burden of proof. I would provide definitions, but this resolution is pretty straightforward. I hope this debate can remain semantics and troll-free! With that, I'll start my part of the debate. Introduction Pro starts with his argument with three points: Much money is spent to stop marijuana use, taxing marijuana would boost government funding, and marijuana can be used as a pain reliever. I will tackle each of these points individually and I also ask Pro to support these points with evidence/sources. I will then conclude with some of my own argument. Controlling Cannabis Pro's first argument points out the fact that the government has to spend money to enforce marijuana laws. Does that mean marijuana should be legal? Of course not. It also costs the government money to keep convicted murderers in prison. However, the government insists on keeping criminals in prison regardless of the cost. Why? For the safety of its people. A government has more responsibilities than to be frugal. In fact, the United States' most important responsibility is to protect every citizen's right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. " When a crime is committed, when one person's acts impairs another individual's access to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," it is the government's responsibility to interfere and protect those whose rights are threatened. It is the government's job to protect its citizens by protecting laws. No Taxation without Legalization Pro's second point is, if marijuana was legalized, it could be taxed and bring in government revenue. I ask him how significant would this revenue be? Unless this revenue is significant, this point is hardly worth debating. The Health of Hemp Pro makes the unsupported conclusion that marijuana reduces the severity of pains and headaches. While this may be true, studies have recently shown adverse long-term effects. Not only has it been shown to lead to lung cancer [1], but other cancers [2] as well as problems with the immune and respiratory systems as well [3]. When one can take an Advil for aches and pains, why is it then necessary to risk your future health for pain relief? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you let the a weed in, it will be there to stay - Latin Proverb Once weed is legalized, the amount of weed in circulation would grow exponentially. Why? Because legalizing the drug would cut the price by as much as 80% and lead to increased consumption [4]. With a huge cost drop and an increase in availability (marijuana would be available for purchase at dispensaries instead of dark, dirty alleys), the demand, much like the population, will be high. Basically, lower price and easier access = more consumption. The Population's Problem Now, if there were nothing wrong with marijuana this would not prove to be an issue. "Let the people smoke! " stoners howl. "It doesn"t hurt anybody! " However, earlier, we recognized marijuana as a carcinogen. Not only does marijuana consumption lead to increased cancer rates, but increased rates of other health problems as well. Marijuana is not just damaging to the user either. Families of users are heavily impacted, psychologically as well as physically. Second-hand smoke has adverse health effects [1][2][3] and being a user (as your judgment is impaired) can negatively impact the relationships, health, and development of a family [5]. This can lead to unsafe environments for children, a home that is emotionally and oftentimes financially unstable. It is also negative from a societal point of view. As we all know, marijuana is a hallucinogen and causes lapses in memory and judgment. In the case that someone under the influence of marijuana causes an accident and has to go to the emergency room or even has complications with cancer that sends them to a hospital, with a 70% unemployment rate for drug users [6], they will likely be uninsured and leave the burden on to the taxpayers. This, combined with problems in the workplace, seeing as 13% of injuries at work are caused by drug-related incidents [7], will create too many problems. Conclusion The legalization of marijuana cannot be observed from a monetary standpoint. The reason marijuana possession is illegal, and, therefore, enforced by spending government money, is for the safety of the population. Marijuana use hurts every functioning unit of society: the individual, the family, and the community. It is the responsibility of the government of the United States of America to keep its citizens safe. I turn it over to Pro. Sources 1. . http://www.sciencedaily.com... 2. . http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com... 3. . http://alcoholism.about.com... 4. . http://www.rand.org... 5. . http://www.drugs.ie... 6. . http://www.mqi.ie... 7. . http://www.adelaidenow.com.au...