Legalizing The Magic Herb

4 Pages 955 Words

Marijuana has been around since the beginning of time and it’s been used safely by people of all different types of cultures. Legalizing marijuana would not only better the country but could also help people in difficult medical situations.
Marijuana is a commonly used name for a “drug” made from the dried leaves and flowering tops of a hemp plant. The Latin name for marijuana is Cannabis sativa. People can smoke, chew, or eat marijuana for its intoxicating effects. The flowering tops of the Cannabis plant let out a sticky resin that has in it the active ingredient of marijuana, known as tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly THC. It first became noticed in the United States in the 1960`s. Soon it became the second most popular drug after alcohol, and its popularity raised all through the end of the millennium, mostly among younger Americans. The pot that people smoke today is much more potent then the stuff people were smoking in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Most countries consider marijuana an illegal substance, but other countries differ on how they prosecute the use and possession of marijuana. Some countries only give small fines to pay, while others giver worse punishments, as well as imprisonment.
If we legalize marijuana, we reduce the black market and the violence associated with the sale of marijuana. If it were legal, no one would have to sneak around trying to sell and or get it. People would not fight over it or kill over it if it was as available as cigarettes or alcohol. I believe gang fights would decrease and there would be less deaths in more urban areas. This would weaken organized crime a lot.
The government could tax the sale of marijuana and use this income to lower the national debt. The government seams to tax everything. If marijuana was legal, why not tax it, also? The taxes could help lessen the nation debt of the United States so we can put that money to better use. There would also be a decrease in money s...