Legalization of Marijuana

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Legalization of marijuana
With more states legalizing marijuana in the US, there is increased interest on policy issues surrounding marijuana and whether it should be regulated like alcohol and cigarettes. Drugs are harmful to health and are associated with many anti social behaviors among drug abusers. Even though, opponents of legalization of marijuana state that it is a drug; there are differences between the naturally occurring marijuana and hard drugs. People do get high from marijuana, but there are recreational uses for the product unlike hard drugs. Marijuana is pharmacologically different from opiates which are classified as drugs, and this shows that there is a need to review laws and legalize marijuana. This essay highlights on reasons as to why there is a need for legalization of marijuana.
Legalizing marijuana has the advantage of reducing the level of illegally acquired money used in funding other illegal activities. This would also bring about economic relief, and though the benefits may not be readily felt, it would plug in the gap in the level of economic activities. Legalizing marijuana would not be detrimental to the economic situation, as there would be fewer incentives for dealing illegally as marijuana would be less lucrative. Hence legalization and regulation of marijuana would help states to earn revenue from dealing with marijuana. This is particularly in the case of recreational use and medical marijuana, with the cost savings helping to reduce the amount spent in prisons.
Opponents of marijuana legalization state that it is harmful to humans, and hence it should not be legalized. However, cigarettes and alcohol can be more lethal than marijuana which has medical benefits. There...