Marijuana Laws Restrict The Growth And Use Of Marijuana

Marijuana is â€Å" the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as [a] narcotic or hallucinogen.†(â€Å"Marijuana†) In the 17th century, marijuana production was encouraged and supported by U.S. legislation. Later, â€Å"during the 19th century,[marijuana] use became a fad in France and also, to some extent, in the U.S.†(â€Å" Marijuana Timeline†). During the 1920’s and 1930’s, the drug raised fears linked with illegal immigrants and criminal activity. (â€Å"Marijuana Timeline†). Then, during World War II, cannabis regained its popularity and support as â€Å"Hemp for Victory† (â€Å"Marijuana Timeline†). In the following years, the federal government created laws restricting the growth and use of marijuana. Specifically, drug†¦show more content†¦After extensive research on both sides of the issue, I believe marijuana should remain illegal in the United States. Some people believe that through the legalization of marijuana, our nation’s tax revenue will significantly increase. On the contrary, like many other drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, taxation of the drug will cost the nation money. For example, as stated by Marty Nemko, a psychologist and career coach, knowledgeable on the effects of legal marijuana, states that â€Å"legal pot does not yield tax dollars, it costs tax dollars†(Nemko). As with the taxation of alcohol and tobacco, tax dollars are not increased as commonly thought due to the cost of dealing with addiction, driving under the influence, and domestic abuse or illness. (Miller) Likewise, if marijuana were legalized, its accessibility would cause a total loss in tax revenue. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education estimates â€Å"legalization†¦[of marijuana] would bring with it additional substance abuse in [states] and long-term public costs†¦ that would vastly exceed the ... amount of new revenue l egal weed might import.† (Miller) The California Board of Equalization estimates that treating the taxation of marijuana like alcohol or cigarettes would result in a tax revenue increase of a dollar while the nation would be spending $8.95 for treatment of marijuana drug abuse related cases (Miller) Since, the taxation of legal marijuana