Legalizing Marijuana - Law Enforcement's Term Paper

Miron (qtd in Lazarus 2006) calculated that the legalization of marijuana could yield around $2.4 billion annually, if the substance is taxed at the level of most goods. The revenues could rise to $6.2 billion annually, if marijuana is taxed on the same level as cigarettes and alcohol. Because of the potential economic windfall that could come as a result of repealing this "bad public policy," more than 500 economists have signed an open letter to President Bush, urging him to repeal the repressive marijuana possession laws and to decriminalize its possession (Lazarus 2006).

Placing the distribution of marijuana in the hands of the government has further benefits. Currently, marijuana is the top crop earner in the United States (Bailey 2006). The market value of the marijuana cultivated and produced in the United States totals over $35 billion. This figure far exceeds cash crop staples like soybeans, hay, and corn (Bailey 2006).

Furthermore, the $35 billion windfall could be used for public projects such as medical research and educational purposes.

The billions of dollars at stake help to explain the violence that has resulted from the government's current campaign against marijuana use. Organized crime now controls and regulates much of the marijuana trade, placing users at an unnecessary risk. By regulating the drug trade in a manner similar to the Dutch government, American society benefits both financially and in terms of avoiding greater violence.

Furthermore, proponents who argue for legalization maintain that marijuana's pharmacological properties make it a valid form of treatment for a host of illnesses. As with other pharmacological agent, marijuana can alter body chemistry. Those who argue for legalization maintain that marijuana's pharmacological properties make it a valid form of treatment for a host of illnesses. People suffering from glaucoma, for example, state that smoking marijuana alleviates the pressure in the eyeball that leads to damages in the optic nerve. Because of this potential, ophthalmologists were legally allowed to prescribe marijuana for glaucoma until 1991 (Bailey 2006).

Physicians and medical researchers believe that marijuana has more untapped medical potential.

In conclusion, legalizing marijuana has tremendous social, financial, and safety-related values for the general community. Because of this, the harsh laws against marijuana possession should be revised, and the use of marijuana should be decriminalized.

Works Cited

Bailey, Eric. 2006. "Report stresses marijuana's value as top U.S. cash crop." The Los Angeles Times. December 22: A26.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2005. Crime in the United States. Washington: Department of Justice.

Fitzgerald, Robin. 2007.…