Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 1057 Words

The topic of marijuana is so widely discussed and argued upon. Those that go against legalizing the use of marijuana instinctively believe people just want to casually smoke it and achieve the â€Å"high† sensation. Those that choose not associate themselves with marijuana all together are undoubtedly in favor of keeping it illegal. Opposing views on the issue of decriminalizing the plant has caused much debate over the past century and still establishes itself as an important matter. The legalization of marijuana in the Unites States would drastically reduce crime in our cities and form a more productive society through its positive uses. The war on drugs deals with every level of society. Annually, the U.S. government uses a hefty†¦show more content†¦Over twenty years later, Buckley s words still stay true today. Just eight years later an author speaking on the legalization of marijuana summed up the feelings of anti-pot laws activists by saying, Decriminalization is supported by an increasing number of responsible persons who are seeking a rational and humane solution to an issue too long dominated by myth, emotion and misunderstanding (Price). A professor of psychology, Ethen A. Nadelmann, is for the legalization of marijuana in America because he feels that the present marijuana control policies are expensive and inefficient in preventing drug problems. He disputes in the book Clashing Views, that more emphasis should be put on addictive drug treatment other than on marijuana prohibition. In terms of a criminal justice approach to the drug problem, everything we have done in the past, are doing now, and are talking about in the future is inherently limited in its effectiveness against the fundamental problem of drug abuse (Nadelmann). Government spending is the main reason for the many Americans that are assertive towards getting pot legalized. The National Clearinghouse on Smoking and Health states, The federal government spent $1 billion on marijuana enforcement in 1980 and about $5 billion in 1990. State and local spent between $3 and 4 billion in 1980 which means they may now be spending $10 billion presently (Goldberg).