In our current day and age, a lot of people debate whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Personally, I believe that legalizing it could be very advantageous to our country in many ways. However, it still needs to be regulated and controlled.

The biggest reason I support the legalization of the drug, is that the taxation of marijuana could really help the economy. People are out there illegally purchasing marijuana, and they are going to continue to purchase the drug no matter what. If the government were to legalize it, all of the purchased product could be taxed and the government would be able to profit on all sales.

Furthermore, legalization of the drug would create more jobs. This is probably the second most valid reason to legalize it. With the job market in its current state, creating more jobs would give people more money to spend. Then that money would trickle down and affect all businesses potentially creating even more jobs. For example, people would have more money to spend on things like books, video games, going to the movies, day to day supplies, etc. As a result of the increase in customers, those same businesses would most likely have need for more employees. It all comes around full circle.

Another reason to legalize it is that it would help our over populated prisons. With some prisons over populated by a total of 70 percent of inmates, the legalization of marijuana could help to keep room in the prisons for the people that really deserve to be there. This is definitely the most arguable reason I have listed but remember a lot of people are in jail or on probation for smoking marijuana. People should be in prison for real crimes: theft, abuse, murder and rape, not smoking a little bit of herb.

However, you have to remember I did say that it should be legalized and regulated, not just legalized. If pot were to be legalized and sold in public places, there would have to be extreme laws to steer people away from selling it. I would strongly support tax evasion laws that targeted people selling pot privately. As I said before, the most important reason I think marijuana should be legalized is the fact that it would help stimulate the economy, not some drug dealer’s bank account.

When people talk about legalizing marijuana they only think of the fact that they wouldn’t be in trouble for smoking. There is still so much more to it then that. Like cigarettes, there would have to be an age requirement for purchase. Not to mention common courtesy for those that don’t like to be around smoke. There would have to be designated smoke spots, and laws that supported them. People would also have to remember they can get a D.U.I. for driving high, not just drunk. Intoxication is intoxication regardless of the source.

So yeah, I think legalizing marijuana is a good idea. However, that is not the extent of it. People need to smoke responsibly, and follow any laws that would come with the legalization of marijuana.