October 27, 2014
Current Events
Granted, stopping the importation and widespread use of crack cocaine and other hazardous drugs is a very necessary task. However, it’s time that marijuana was granted the same status as alcohol and tobacco and allowed to be nationally legal.
Sure, there are a few states, including Colorado and Washington, that allow marijuana for medicinal purposes, but that’s not enough. Marijuana is more than a medicinal fix. Citizens from coast to coast have been buying weed on the streets for decades. Since this practice will never end, it’s time the government woke up and smelled the coffee and got in on the action.
The U.S. spends billions every year fighting the “war” against a drug as simple as marijuana. Surprisingly, roughly 59% of American prisoners are in jail because of a drug related offense. The cost of putting a single low level drug dealer in jail is about $450,000, which includes approximately $150,000 for arrest and conviction, as well as about $50,000 to $150,000 for a prison bed, depending on the jurisdiction. Further, it costs about $30,000 per year to house a prisoner. With an average sentence of 5 years, that adds up to another $150,000.
In contrast, that same $450,000 could be used to provide treatment or education for about 200 people.
Current Events
The U.S. spends billions every year fighting drug cartels south of the border in Mexico, as they get rich from the underground sale of the social drugs Americans crave. But instead of SPENDING billions, the U.S. could potentially be MAKING billions by simply making marijuana legal and just taxing it.
Something is terribly wrong here. We’ve waged an unnecessary war, against an unnecessary enemy, that is costing taxpayers unnecessary dollars, to house unnecessary prisoners — all for a substance that creates a euphoric feeling similar to cigarettes and alcohol — which IS legal!?!?! Prohibition didn’t work with alcohol, so why does America still believe it will work with a recreational drug such as marijuana???
Is it time for the United States to stop its war against marijuana and just make it legal?
TAKE OUR POLL:
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Well (sigh) there you have it DJ. Your points sum up the absurdity quite nicely.
As to your question- "Is it time for the U.S. to stop its war against marijuana and just make it legal?"
Yep. In fact, it's way past time.