Why Drugs Such as Marijuana Should Be Legalized 

With marijuana only being legal in some U.S states and with growing supporters of it being legalized throughout the rest brings a new question. What would the benefits of legalization a drug that has always been illegal bring? Most arguments made against the legalization of marijuana are that it is a gateway drug, or it will inspire new marijuana smokers instead of helping the existing ones. These arguments are valid but in Milton Friedman essay “There’s No Justice in the war on Drugs” he breaks down the many benefits of legalization drugs including marijuana.

With legalization drugs such marijuana it will fix our prison problem. It would bring in a boost economically. It would help with the treatment of chronic pain. It would also help in not harming other foreign countries. Drugs such as marijuana should be legal in the United States because it helps grow the nation economically, allows an increase in citizens health, and starts the fixing of the prisons.

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Through the legalization of marijuana helps the United States economically in a lot of ways. With marijuana being such a large “cash crop” legalization brings it under law and makes new jobs and economy opportunities instead of the black market. A common rebuttal against legalization is that it hurts the drug dealers with making money but in Bennett essay “Drug Policy and the Intellectuals” it states, “… Steady work at McDonald’s over time would be a step up the income scale” (Bennett 145-146). Drug Deals don’t make as much money as most people think they do.

It is also a dangerous job since it’s illegal but not only that Bennett says, “In the long run they smoke more than they sell” (Bennett 145). Drug dealers in the long run it could benefit them if marijuana and other drugs get legalized. Yes, they would lose money base of the fact that the product wouldn’t be wanted from them anymore, but it could help them by stopping the addiction aspect. With it being legalized they could get the help they need and more importantly would not be able to get their own product as easy. After looking through drug dealers, just the average U.S citizen can get a job, so it helps those so many homeless people get a new start and get it under their feet and go. Not only can Marijuana help economically but it can help its citizens through their health.

Health is a number one priority for a lot of people throughout the whole nation. With marijuana it can help those with chronic pains relief of those pains. In Friedman essay There’s no Justice in the War on Drugs it states, “… Such serious undertreatment of chronic pain is a direct result of the DEA pressures on physicians who prescribe narcotics” (Friedman 153). Terminal Cancer patients don’t receive the right treatment for pain which brought on this idea of using narcotics. It shows how far medical treatment and research has gone since they now can prescribe the drugs that will help them. The DEA pressure physicians due to the fact they don’t want more drug users out there. Even though, the physicians are here to help and make sure that patients get the relief they need. Such when medical research has shown that with marijuana a person can get the relief needed to be without pain. Such ideas have gone further showing it works better then adequate pain medication. After all the medical aspect of marijuana a major issue still facing the United States is the overcrowding in prisons.

Prison rates in the United States are soaring, at in alarming rate. In Friedman essay he shows the rapid rates, “In 1970, 200,000 people were in prison, today 1.6 million people are in prison” (Friedman 152). With the attempted of prohibiting drugs is a major source of the growth in prison population. Overcrowding in prisons is not an easy fix and never will be, but with legalization of drugs prison rates would lower. Also, Freidman states, “2.3 million people are on probation and parole” (Friedman 152). Outstanding numbers just in the past two quotes show how much of a problem the nation has. Many drug users do end up in prison if the legalization the rate would go down a lot. Rebuttal against legalization is that drug users can’t go to jail but in other countries they would rather have users look for help then not say anything at all so they won’t go to prison. With all of this known why the people of the United States not feel the same way. Legalization would bring a decrease in all of these problems that are faced every day by law enforcement. It could bring help for some many that are considered hopeless.