Legalizing Marijuana

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the pros and cons of legalizing the drug, marijuana. The paper argues that it makes sense to decriminalize this relatively harmless drug. The paper further discusses the medicinal properties of marijuana.

From the Paper:

"Enforcing the ban against marijuana in the U.S. costs the tax payers as much as $ 12 billion annually; it also diverts the energies of the law enforcing agencies that would be better served in fighting the spiraling crime rates in the country's cities. There have been nearly 6.5 million marijuana arrests in the United States since 1993, which far exceeds the total number of arrests for all violent crimes combined, including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Apart from the 'direct' estimated cost of $ 12 billion that would be saved by legalizing marijuana, the government would also be able to collect a considerable amount of money by way of taxes. Moreover, de-criminalizing of the drug would eliminate much of the underground criminal network in the country that gives rise to numerous social problems such as spreading corruption and graft among the law enforcing agencies. The situation is similar to the one created in wake of "Prohibition" in the 1920s when a ban against alcohol had escalated crime to astronomical levels and deprived the government of much needed tax revenue."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Marijuana Use." Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. n.d. May 10, 2007. <http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/mjfaq1.htm>
• Concar, David. "High anxieties - What the WHO doesn't want you to know about cannabis." New Scientist, Issue # 2122. February 21, 1998
• "Marijuana law of the United States of America." Growing Marijuana Seeds. 2002. May 10, 2007. <http://www.growing-marijuana-seeds.com/marijuana-law.html>
• Miron, Jeffrey A. "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition." June 2005. The Marijuana Policy Project. <http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/MironReport.pdf>
• Mathre, Mary Lynn. "The Medicinal Use of Marijuana." Nursing Vol. 4, No. 2 pages 8-9. June 1993. May 10, 2007. <http://www.ukcia.org/medical/medicinaluseofmarijuana.html>

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