There have been many people killed, many wars fought, and many governments overthrown all due to one common variable, money. In a world that revolves around money, a great country with a smart economy should be rolling in nearly endless funds. However, the United States is currently trying to dig its way out of a 19 trillion dollar hole. Despites the government's continuous effort to reverse this problem, the national debt still continues to fall further and further into the negatives. One of America's current debates, the legalization of marijuana, has the potential to create a dent in this national debt. A lot of the debates on this pending issue primarily focus on whether the health benefits outweigh the health effects with the use of this drug. However, these debates should take a step back and realize that the economic benefits are much more important than these social concerns. There is no drug that comes without side effects, which is why there are many valid arguments as to why marijuana should remain illegal. However the economic benefits that come from: sales and tax revenue, farming, costs saved in law enforcements, and new businesses opportunities, greatly overweigh the opposing argument. This future cash crop can turn our economy around.

There is no doubt that the legalization of marijuana will bring in revenue to this country. Marijuana is the third highest recreational drug used in America, right behind alcohol and tobacco (Blumenauer 7). Billions of unregulated and untaxed dollars are moving through America from pocket to pocket due to the illegal transactions of the marijuana industry. In a world where money is precious, our government should be very focused on how we can bring these dollars into our economy. The economic success that occurred with the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington gave us proof that America needs to take action. Washington collected a whopping "$83 million in marijuana tax revenues" (Newman) in the first year that it was legalized. In Colorado the tax revenue was so high that the state of Colorado actually had to give some money back to their citizens.

The tax revenue from the legalization of marijuana is also being used to educate the public on the side effects of the drug and prevent underage use. It is projected that Colorado brought in $134 million in tax revenue in fiscal year 2014-2015 (Hickenlooper 247). This revenue was then allocated to programs for public awareness, treatment, and recovery. Revenue also goes toward research and monitoring the policies of the drug. Many argue that people will smoke marijuana regardless of its legality, and if public health is the main concern of legalized marijuana, at least the government is using tax revenue to educate the public on its effects and treat the people that have succumbed to smoking marijuana more frequently than they wish. 

Redistribution of wealth and the opportunity cost of prohibition is something else that should be considered when legalizing marijuana. As of now, the only people in South Carolina making money off the sales of marijuana are criminals. However, if marijuana is legal and taxed then some of that money spent on marijuana will actually end up going back to the general public instead of a drug dealer (Miron). Therefore, even if you don't smoke marijuana, it would still be financially beneficial to you for marijuana to be legalized. 

Beyond the general public, the legalization of marijuana should be grabbing the attention of the farmer population. The decline in the demand for tobacco has left farmers scrambling in recent years but a new cash crop is proving to be a tantalizing alternative.  Tobacco demand is on the decline and has been for quite some time.  Thirty years ago tobacco farming was a billion dollar crop but that is no longer the case ("Industrial Hemp Crops  --  A Profitable Alternative to Farming Tobacco - Hemp Inc."). Today's society is filled with anti-smoking crusades. Schools, television advertisements, and parents have long taught their children about the dangers of smoking cigarettes from just about birth and this is having a big effect on tobacco's demand. This decline in demand has hurt famers seeking ways to earn a decent living. The legalization of marijuana and its close relative hemp would give a boost to farmers in the United States. According to Christopher Booker, a producer of PBS New Hour Weekend: "[B]oth marijuana and hemp are cannabis plants, and to the naked eye they look and smell the same.  The main difference comes down to the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol  --  commonly referred to as THC, the psychoactive chemical in the cannabis plant.  Hemp has a THC level below point-three percent, essentially making it impossible to get high on the plant, whereas marijuana has THC levels above point-three percent. Potency levels generally vary between one-percent and twenty-percent" (Booker). 

 Even traditionally conservative legislators have seen the need to help the struggling tobacco farmer.  Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader from Kentucky, inserted a key measure to a 2014 Farm Bill.  The measure allowed state agriculture departments and granted colleges and universities the right to grow and study industrial hemp. Upon the bill passing, McConnell expressed his satisfaction in helping farms, especially Kentucky farmers, with a potential new commodity ("Industrial Hemp Crops  --  A Profitable Alternative to Farming Tobacco - Hemp Inc."). Kentucky was originally the largest cultivators of hemp before its prohibition (Small).  However, regulating the hemp growers from the marijuana growers is very difficult. 

According to Rodney Brewer, Kentucky State Police Commissioner, aerial surveillance, the main law enforcement tool used to detect illegal marijuana growers, is useless with the legalization of hemp growing; as it is impossible to tell hemp apart from marijuana (Brooker). Regardless of the regulation issues, hemp growers are spreading to states beyond Kentucky. For almost 200 years hemp was an important crop in North Carolina and it can be again (Finch). In October 2015 lawmakers in North Carolina legalized the cultivation of hemp (Finch). With its favorable climate and geography eastern North Carolina has started seeing the benefits of growing hemp ("Industrial Hemp Crops  --  A Profitable Alternative to Farming Tobacco - Hemp Inc.").

Although admitting it is too early to speculate on the economic impact legalizing hemp may have for North Carolina, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Assistant General Counsel, Jon Lanier, agreed hemp was going to be a multi-billion dollar crop for the state (Finch). This potential new commodity could not come at a more desperate time for farmers in North Carolina.  North Carolina's farmers have had such enormous struggles as recently as the fall of 2015 that the federal government has had to step in with financial assistance (Kent). Imagine what a difference a multi-billion dollar crop will mean to those farming families.  Hemp could make the difference between forced reliance on the generosity of the United States government and financial security and independence.  

Hemp has the potential to help even more than farmers and its positive uses will help out more than the agricultural sector.  Hemp can be used in a wide range of products from dynamite to cellophane but is chiefly used as a specialty pulp in things from paper to hygiene products (Small). Hemp also has medicinal qualities and can be used to treat epilepsy as North Carolina lawmakers noted and permitted in recent legislation (Cambell). The legalization of cannabis will not only pump new life in the farming industry it will positively assist the advancement of many other industries.  

Despite of the efforts our law enforcements have gone through to prevent the trafficking and use, marijuana is still a prevalent drug in our country. The budget that our law enforcements and government spend on this drug could be demolished if marijuana were legalized. It is estimated that the legalization of marijuana would "reduce government expenditure by $7.7 billion annually" (Miron 5).  If marijuana were legalized nation wide the money spent on patrol cars and officers could be greatly decreased. The effort could be redirected into regulation of safe use. Teaching users how to safely use the drug would not only help the populations using habits, but also to save time with law enforcement efforts. No longer would officers have to search for illegal users of marijuana and spend their resources on that but into things that more greatly effect the community. This would decrease spending because they would no longer be spending double the money 

An entire new business industry will pop up from the legalization of marijuana. From gummy bears to brownies, there are many different ways that one can incorporate marijuana into a product. And like any other product there are several steps that must be taken before a product reaches store shelves. These steps include growing the product, which helps the farming industry previously mentioned, processing, and packaging.  Each step in the process brings opportunities of new companies.  Furthermore, since there is such a large range of possible products that can be made from marijuana, this also gives rise to even more opportunities of new companies causing economic competition.

-With a rise in new companies comes a increase in job opportunities. 

When people think about the controversial topic of legalizing marijuana they generally tend to focus on the health benefits or health effects that come with the use of their drug. In this social aspect there are solid arguments on both sides of whether or not this drug should be nationally legalized. However, when we turn our attention to the economic benefits that come from the legalization of marijuana, they substantially outweigh any social argument that people tend to focus on. First of all, the revenue that comes from the sales and taxes if marijuana were legalized is incredible. Instead of the money benefiting the drug dealers like it currently is, the tax revenue could be benefiting our economy and citizens. Secondly, the legalization of marijuana would help the struggling farm industry once again thrive. The recent decline in tobacco demands has been detrimental to tobacco farmer. Since marijuana is a crop the legalization of this drug would bring back the farming industry and help all those farmers who lost their jobs. To continue, legalization of marijuana would also help our economy because of all the money that would no longer have to be spent on law enforcements trying to control this uncontrollable substance. And finally, a new business industry would arise out of this legalization. From the growing, possessing, and packaging to the range of products that can be created with marijuana many new businesses will be cultivated. And with new businesses comes a rise in economic competition. When making a decision the amount of money made or the amount of money spent is always the determining factor for whether or not one should go through with a plan. If the legalization of marijuana can bring billions in revenue to this countries economy, why have we still not legalized this cash crop?

