On December 5th, 1933, the United States ratified an amendment that would end Prohibition in America. Almost 79 years later, six states voted on laws that would legalize marijuana.

After the polls closed late Tuesday night, the results came through the wire: Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, and Montana all passed laws that would allow cannabis usage to some extent. They would become part of the elite 19 states that allow medical marijuana usage. But why is only 38% of our nation on board with these new laws?

Well, the easy answer is that they aren’t progressive enough. At first glance, it’s easy to make the argument that marijuana is more harmful, but the statistics state otherwise. According to the FDA in 2009, 0 deaths occurred that were caused directly by marijuana use. In fact, during that same year 24,518 deaths occurred from alcohol abuse.

Marijuana could actually act as an economic buffer during a time where the number $16.2 trillion lingers over our heads every day. If we were to stop imprisoning those who are arrested for possession, over 240,000 people (as of December 2009) would be released. With the average cost of an inmate being around $23,156 a year (after administration, housing, and security costs) that would give the US government, and more importantly the US citizens back $5,557,440,000. And that number is based off of an assumption that each inmate is only serving a year sentence, where the maximum time is 10 years. Astonishing, I know. If the United States government were to stop putting those in jail for possession of marijuana, it would take away a small but good chunk of our nation’s debt.

Since we are speaking hypothetically, let’s say that U.S approved the sale of recreational use of cannabis in all 50 states. Well, since California approved medical usage in 1996, it’s economy has received a huge boost. In 2007 the state grossed an estimated $58 million dollar profit off of 5.0% sales tax at marijuana dispensaries. In comparison to alcohol sales, the government gained around $323,000 in the same state in 2009. As a whole during ‘09, the US government gained only $5.8 million dollars off of local and state tax off alcohol. When putting the alcohol and marijuana numbers side by side, government profit throughout the US off alcohol is about 10.1% of what California gained from marijuana sales, and the Golden State hasn’t even legalized recreational use.

It seems that statistically, there is no reason to not legalize marijuana: it’s profitable, lowers prison rate, and is less harmful than alcohol. The only problem it seems is our ethics. Should we approve the use of a drug that we have worked so hard, and put so much money into stopping? Well to put it simply, yes. Marijuana use is up from past years, and will only continue to grow, with 71 percent of teens stating that they have friends who use the drug regularly. If marijuana were to be legalized, the government could then regulate it more effectively, while watching a decline in the number of teenage users. If we were to completely disapprove the use of marijuana, it would draw serious issues as to why we aren’t still in Prohibition.

But there is always the question, “If we legalize marijuana, what would stop us from condoning the use of cocaine, heroin, or crystal meth?” The answer is simple: all drugs previously listed are addictive and long term use can lead to overdosing and death. There is also no substantial evidence that finds marijuana addictive. About 10% of users will develop social and domestic issues as a result of the drug, but that is due to using it as a coping method for problems, the same way alcoholics use their drug.

With 19 states now legalizing marijuana in some way, issues are bound to rise on a federal level. This will ultimately cause the Supreme Court to look into legalization, and how denying the state’s their rights would work constitutionally. With a Supreme Court where 4 of the 9 judges were appointed by liberal presidents, it would not be a surprising to see marijuana legalized in the United States by 2020.

Contributing Sources Include
1. “Annual Causes of Death in the United States.” Welcome. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Causes_of_Death>.

2. “DEA – Get Smart About Drugs – A Resource for Parents from the DEA.” Get Smart About Drugs. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com/identify/what_are_the_penalties_for_possession_or_marijuana.html

3. “EconomicsJunkie.” Annual Drug Related Deaths in the US – Marijuana Ranks Last … With ZERO. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.economicsjunkie.com/annual-drug-related-deaths-in-the-us-marijuana-ranks-last-with-zero/>.

4. “Prisons & Drug Offenders.” Welcome. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs>.

5. “With $1.4 Billion in Cannabis Tax Revenue, California Could Help Millions | FDL Action.” With $1.4 Billion in Cannabis Tax Revenue, California Could Help Millions | FDL Action. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/06/03/with-1-4-billion-in-cannabis-tax-revenue-california-could-help-millions/>.

6. “18 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC – Medical Marijuana – ProCon.org.” 18 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC – Medical Marijuana – ProCon.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881