BLOG STAGE 6 ASSIGNMENT

Benefits of Marijuana Reform


I chose this article to respond to because my fellow classmate is spot on, on his opinion. Marijuana is no more a problem than tobacco is, and by legalizing the use for people of a certain age it would bring in serious amounts of cash, and bring an entirely new industry to the American population. That industry could do more than just make a profit from taxes, it could also create jobs helping out the unemployment issues we are having. Although I doubt that marketing would be all that hard, it is necessary to run a successful business. Larger states such as the nearly bankrupt California would make a killing and potentially pull themselves out of debt. As my classmate has stated in his article, it would also do wonders for our over crowded prison system. Just imagine, a world where Lindsey Lohan and others, actually had to do their time, and not get released due to overcrowding.

This article gives rough estimates, and makes good clear points. What it does not address is how do you stop kids from growing it? Unlike tobacco you could grow this stuff in a dirty shoe, so it’s not like the U.S. could do like they do with tobacco and say “hey you can’t buy this until your 18.”

The only thing that I disagree with is the point in the article where he states that “Marijuana being legalized would offer the drug on the open market opening up new jobs for sales and production; also causing drug kingpins operating the black market to lose power.” I believe that Marijuana being legalized would offer new jobs however; I doubt that drug kingpins will lose power. While marijuana brings in a lot of money each year, there will always be bigger, badder, more expensive drugs that they will traffic into the United States. It may actually push criminals into up-ing their game creating more powerful drug kingpins.