Position Paper: Legalizes Marijuana
Paul Frenzel
DeVry University
Professor Spruell

27 Nov 2012

It has been said over many years of debates, that a person truth is their perception as they interpreted it. I would have trouble believing that a better statement could be found for the issue of legalizing Marijuana. With modern medical science not only dispelling some the myths but finding new positive uses for the natural occurring plant. However with the new positive information coming to light we should also focus on some of the possible dangers, such as abuse. A popular analogy is made to the legalization of gambling in the late 1970’s. There are many that argue that Marijuana should be legalized and that is not the monster drug is made out to be. Has modern science debunked the myths, what are the current costs for enforcement, and what are the possible cultural affects?
First Myths of the age old plant are varied but some of the more popular ones are that the use of Marijuana is a gateway drug, or leads to other drug use. Most research that compares the number of cannabis users to hard core drug users such as heroin or cocaine, has numbers that extremely small, that would suggest that there is no link at all (JFreter, 2009) .
Another popular argument was that the use of smoking marijuana would lead to crime. Most serious research has suggested otherwise, mostly due to the fact that one of the effects of smoking cannabis is reduce aggression. In fact, in most countries that have outlawed the use of marijuana, criminals are classified as such for mere possession of the drug (JFreter, 2009).
Some also believe that the use of cannabis is a gateway drug, that its use will lead to other much more dangerous drugs, such as LSD or heroin. But this is just toying with statistics; when comparing the number of cannabis users with hard-drug users, the numbers are extremely small – suggesting that there is no link at all (JFreter, 2009).
Second I would like to discuss what the current costs of enforcing of laws prohibiting marijuana. The budget for the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has increased 40-fold since its inception in 1973, from $65 million (and 2,800 employees) to $2.6 billion (11,000) in 2009. Many experts agree that legalization would eliminate monies needed for arrests for trafficking and possession, as well as saving judicial and incarceration expenses. Also it is important to note that some revenue would be generated in the form of taxation of production and sales (Nadelmann, 1989).
Many studies reveal that many states spend billions of dollars each year enforcing marijuana laws. For example New York, $3 billion; Texas, $2 billion; California, Florida, $1.9 billion; Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, $1 billion. Arizona a border states spends 726 million a year, while Colorado spends 145 million, the large deference in the expenders of a state is mainly due to its population densities (Reuteman, 2012). Third if marijuana is legalized we must take in consideration the possible effects to our communities’ keeping in mid there are still dangerous side effects to the drug. The office of the National Drug Control Policy stated in 2007 that illegal use of marijuana costs’ 193 billion dollars, in todays’ equivalent of an estimated 209 billion dollars. This is money spent on healthcare, estimation of lost productivity, law enforcement and other expenditures. It is a natural conclusion that should these cost would rise in the wake of legalization of marijuana. It would also be a natural assumption that the revenue generated by taxing the sale and production would be absorbed and surpassed by these expenses.

Another very clear example we can look at, is the legalization of gambling. There are a lot of statistics that very clearly show that not have legalizing gambling not decreased illegal gambling, but in fact has increased it. While legal gambling is taxed, obviously illegal gambling in not therefor unsupported expenditures still exist for policing and enforcing it. They are many that say the legal gambling set the stage for illegal gambling, just as legal marijuana would set the stage for illegal user and production.
No matter which side of this debate you choose to stand on, you will not find yourself alone. You will find that in the last fifty or so years, the debate has heated to at or sometime near boiling. There are many that say this country was founded on the controversial plant. I feel that this is bigger then just marijuana, since most of the argument against legalization are centered around the cost of health care, treatment services, lost productivity.
Many articles mention added costs’ to the criminal justice system, however to me these would be offset by the money not spent enforcing current laws. To me it’s more of a debate over the ability to make a personal choice, and accept the consequences of that choice, no matter if it is positive or negative. If you take out the argument of our tax dollars going to fund assistance and healthcare programs, if you remove, in this authors opinion, to judge others for making their choice. Added to that benefits listed, and then there is very little to sustain a block for legalization of a natural growing plant. Its debate over the amount of power we want to give the government to make choices for us.

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Farner, M. (2012, November 06). Amendment 64 Passes: Colorado Legalizes Marijuana For Recreational Use. Retrieved November 27, 2012, from HUFF Post Denver: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/amendment-64-passes-in-co_n_2079899.html
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Nadelmann, E. A. (1989). Drug prohibition in the United States: costs, consequences, and. science.smith, 1.
Reuteman, R. (2012, April 20). The Cost-and-Benefit Arguments Around Enforcement. Retrieved November 27, 2012, from CNBC.com: http://www.cnbc.com/id/36600923
White House. (2012). FACTS AND ANSWERS TO THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from Office of the National Drug Control Policy: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/frequently-asked-questions-and-facts-about-marijuana#treatment