Introduction Among all the illicit drugs used in the world, Marijuana takes the position of “most popular illegal drug”. As a matter of fact, the World Health Organization reveals that a significant 2.5% of the entire world’s population uses marijuana therefore making it by far the most popular illicit drug. As a result of the apparent popularity of marijuana and revelations that the drug is not as dangerous to a person’s health as has previously been assumed, there have been increased calls for the legalization of this highly favored illegal recreational drug. However, these calls have been met with opposition by advocates of keeping the drug illegal who argue that the drug has many adverse effects and should therefore remain illegal. This paper shall argue that the US government should legalize marijuana since the drug is not as dangerous for use as is assumed and its legalization would have many advantages to both the individual and the government. To provide a balanced view, the demerits to the move will also be given with counter arguments offered for the same Why Marijuana should be Legalized The US government is notorious for its unforgiving “War on Drugs” which has resulted in the imprisonment of a significant number of people for possession and use. Marijuana is one of the drugs that the government policy targets and as it currently stands, the government uses a lot of resources in prosecuting and punishing marijuana consumers through the legal system. A report by Jeffrey Miron reveals that in the US, an excess of $7.7 billion is used annually in the government’s enforcement of prohibitions efforts. The usage of this money ranges from organizing raids, arresting and prosecuting the offenders and then housing them in the prison system of the country. As can be seen, keeping marijuana illegal is a hugely expensive affair and the burden is borne by the tax payer whose money is channeled to fund all these operations. Making marijuana legal would mean that law enforcers would no longer have reason to arrest and prosecute dealers and users of the drug therefore resulting in the government saving a lot of money. The current status quo where marijuana has been earmarked as an illicit drug has led to a situation where the government is not able to benefit monetarily from the drug. This is because the government cannot impose taxes on a product whose production and usage it has prohibited. Gettman articulates that illicit marijuana cultivation provides “considerable unreported revenue for growers without corresponding tax obligations to compensate the public for the social and fiscal costs related to marijuana use” (5). In the event that the government was to legalize domestic marijuana production, this situation would be changed since some of the profits from the trade in the product would go to the government through the tax apparatus. A study conducted by Miron in the USA revealed that “an estimated 6.2 billion would be gained if marijuana were taxed at the same rate as tobacco and alcohol products”. These findings illustrate the huge loss in potential gains that the US government makes by failing to allow legal home production of marijuana. The lack of a legal marijuana industry has resulted in the emergence and thrivi