what is the main point of this essay? and greatest strength of the essay?

• By Cali Shaye
• Legalize Marijuana
• 13 years ago
• 1

Marijuana has been illegal since 1937, went the Senate passed the marijuana tax act. Since then many states have made marijuana legal for medicinal purposes. Marijuana, if legalized, could be very beneficial for our country. In the following paragraphs I will expose the benefits for legalizing marijuana. Even though marijuana is illegal, it should be made legal to help the economy and create new jobs.
Driven by the war on drugs, the United States prison population is six times higher than most western European countries. “The United States is second only to Russia in its incarnation rate per 100,000 people. In 2000 more than 734,000 people were arrested in this country for marijuana related offenses” (legalizationofmarijuana.com). The war on drugs places a high priority on arresting people for the use of marijuana. “Since 1990 nearly 5.9 million people have been arrested on marijuana related charges in the United States. This is a greater number than the populations of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming combined. In 2000, state and local law enforcement arrested 734,498 people for marijuana violations. This is an increase of 800 percent since 1980, and is the highest ever recorded by the FBI “(legalizationofmarijuana.com). The number of marijuana related arrests greatly exceeds the number of arrests for violent crimes. Marijuana is far less dangerous than any other drug there is. There are fewer deaths each year from marijuana than alcohol, or even prescription drugs.
Last year the North Metro Task Force in Colorado seizes nearly 900 pounds of marijuana in the two counties it patrols (nmtf.us/statistics/statistics.htm). In the state of Georgia approximately 2,462 pounds of marijuana and $2,700,000 in cash have been seized in 2009(justice.gov/dea/pubs/states/newsrel/2009/atlanta102309a.html). As hard as I have tried I cannot find a total amount of marijuana seized or its value to give an accurate total of how much money could be put back into the economy by legalizing marijuana. You can imagine though just how much it really is from the amount seized in just one state and two counties from another state and the total amount of money being well over two million dollars just how much it will help the economy to legalize marijuana. The president is giving all these tax rebates to stimulate the economy, when legalizing marijuana will put more money into the economy than most people realize.
The United States government taxes cigarettes at a rate of $1.0066 per pack (usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2009-03-31-cigarettetax_N.htm), the taxes imposed on marijuana could be at least that much funneling more money into the economy. Also by legalizing marijuana the prison population would be greatly reduced cutting the amount of tax payer’s money used to fund these prisons. By doing this more tax money could be used to help settle our national debt. Marijuana has already been made legal in many states for medical uses. These states have monitored farms where the marijuana is grown and distributed. These farms have created jobs in these states where marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes. Legalizing marijuana for the general public will have the same effect. Jobs will be created lowering the unemployment rate and boosting the economy by giving the people without a job a chance to get a job. By these people having jobs they will have money to funnel back into the economy. If demand is up for products in areas affected by this recession the companies will hire more people to boost production and meet the demands of their clientele. This is just another thing that the government has over looked in their reasoning as to why to keep marijuana illegal.
“Policymakers in the United States claim that marijuana use is hazardous, often leading to the use of more potent drugs, such as cocaine and heroin where this is just not true. As of 2000, eight states had passed laws allowing seriously ill patients to take marijuana as a prescription pain-control substance. However, people who grow, buy, or use the drug for such purposes can be arrested and prosecuted under federal law. Marijuana is the product of Cannabis sativa, a hemp plant, and it refers specifically to the plant’s leaves and flowers. Used for centuries as a painkiller, it has become popular as a recreational drug that produces a general feeling of well-being. Marijuana is known by a variety of alternative names—including marihuana, pot, weed, and grass. It is illegal in most countries, although some nations have lowered the penalties for owning or using small amounts of the drug. Movements have formed to legalize marijuana, at least for medical purposes, but critics of such efforts argue that the drug does more harm than good. Usually dried, crushed, and smoked in pipes or hand-rolled cigarettes, marijuana can also be consumed in food or drink. Users may experience both physical and psychological e