Marijuana has been prevalent in America for decades. Whether used medically or recreationally, the drug has been actively involved within our society while remaining to be illegal in the majority of the states. With marijuana being constantly compared to alcohol, people begin to wonder how long it will be before the country decides to open the doors to recreational use nation-wide. The original opposition of legalization was the medical concerns when using the drug, specifically when smoking it. An article from MedlinePlus explains this further when it states, "Marijuana can cause problems with memory, learning, and behavior. Smoking it can cause some of the same coughing and breathing problems as smoking cigarettes" ("Marijuana"). Such side effects are alarming to people because the health of the country could be damaged if recreational use was legal. Legalizing marijuana gives the people who have never used it an opportunity to try it and perhaps fall in love with the drug. If marijuana became apart of everyday life to most of the population, the country as a whole could be impacted greatly by the side effects of the drug. But because numerous alternatives to consuming the drug have been presented, that argument is negated.

As far as society's standpoint on the issue today, the majority is on board with legalization. According to an Associated Press-CNBC poll, about a third of those who polled think the economy would improve if marijuana was legalized, while forty-six percent think that the drug will have no impact. Society started to realize the economic potential marijuana has in the market. The cost to produce marijuana is significantly cheaper than the price the drug is sold for on the streets (Moffatt). If the government were to sell marijuana to the public at a price just somewhat relevant to the price on the street today, there would be massive amounts of revenue. Considering that the economy is not at its greatest state right now, a move like this could get the country back on its feet again. But the problem with legal distribution is keeping up with the demand for the drug. Supplying mass amounts of marijuana for the nation is going to require large amounts of resources and distributors, which requires large amounts of money. But with the resources and relations America already has, that is an issue than can ultimately be resolved.

But the argument is past whether legalization is a good idea or not. The argument has grown to a more economic debate above any other matter. There are billions of dollars missed out on every year the drug remains illegal (Smith). The states are becoming aware of the potential profit. States like Colorado that have legalized marijuana have already made mass amounts of profit from selling it legally. Legalizing the drug could be a major factor in the rebuilding process of our economy and send us in the right direction.

Another element to consider is how marijuana should be distributed in the U.S. economy ultimately holds two sides: retail versus pharmaceutical companies. While distributing through pharmacies has its pros, there is greater upside in the retail for legal marijuana. Legalizing marijuana is essential for the recovery of our economy and should be distributed through retailers across the nation.

There are too many economical benefits legalizing marijuana provides to be ignored. A major benefit involves prohibition enforcement. According to 300 economists in a article from the Huffington Post, the U.S. could save up to almost $14 million a year by eliminating the enforcement costs to prohibit marijuana. Mass amounts of profit can be made by selling the drug in the legal market, but the U.S. is saving billions of dollars solely by making the drug legal. Another estimate explains that with the combination of the cost to produce and market marijuana with the amount of consumers, the country could save 45 to 100 billion dollars a year by legalizing marijuana (Berman). Legalizing cannabis would not single-handedly dig our nation's economy out of this hole, but it would certainly send it in the right direction.

A vital asset marijuana would bring to the market its copious amounts of customers who want to buy the drug. When it comes to selling marijuana in the legal market, it won't be a matter of attracting as a many customers as possible. There are thousands of people across the country that desire to try or continue to use marijuana. For example, an article discusses Toni Fox, the owner of 3D Cannabis Center in Denver, and how busy her business really gets. Specifically, the article states, "She says the store pulls in $20,000 a day in sale and made $40,000 on Jan. 1, the day licensed shops began selling recreational marijuana to people age 21 and older" (Quinlan). This shows how much demand there is for marijuana and how quick the marijuana industry could take off if legalized nationwide. These statistics are specifically Colorado-based, but the demand for the drug is all over the country. The marijuana industry may not be as popular in some states as others, but there will still be a market essentially anywhere.

Another essential reason why American needs marijuana in the economy is because it would decrease crime rates. There were over 650,000 arrests for marijuana in 2012, almost 3 times the amount of crimes for other drugs (New York Times). An article from the Huffington Post discusses this more when it states, "for some forms of violence  --  homicide and assault  --  we found partial support for declines after the passing of this legislation" (Ferner). Placing marijuana on the market promotes legal transactions rather than going underground and going behind the law's back. Drug dealing can lead to acts of violence and crime if the law gets in the way. The best way to avoid such violence and crime is to make the drug legal so crimes do not even have to be done. Also, fatal car accidents in Colorado have been well below the average since marijuana was legalized in the state (Ingraham). Tests have proven that driving high is a lot safer than driving drunk. If marijuana was legal, it could serve as a safer alternative to use when driving, rather than getting behind the wheel extremely intoxicated. Legalizing the drug would  not only reduce crime rates, but it would  save the government a great deal of money as well. 

The U.S. spends a trillion dollars a year on law enforcement to investigate suspects involving drugs like marijuana. One in four people serve prison time for non-violent drug offenses, including crimes involving cannabis (Smith). If the drug is decriminalized, millions of dollars can be saved on investigations and law enforcement can focus on more significant criminal cases. Legalization would keep more people on the streets and cut prison spending. Decriminalizing the drug also encourages citizens to not go against the law and sell illegally. Solely keeping people out of prison can benefit the economy greatly. If people are not in prison, they are out in the community and contributing to the economy. The fact that marijuana remains illegal impacts the price of marijuana today. The price of marijuana on the street is directly impacted by the federal risks faced by drug dealers. If the drug were to be legalized across the nation, the exclusivity of the drug would be irrelevant, resulting in a decrease in price. This would appeal to the consumer and could increase sales for distributors. This shows the chain affects legalization would have on numerous aspects of our economy. Like prisons, another aspect of our economy would be positively impacted if marijuana was legalized.

The farming industry would be enhanced significantly as a result of legalization. Marijuana, being a crop, would require a farmers work to be cultivated and prepared for distribution. An increase in demand for marijuana would result from legalization, therefore an increase in farming and fertilization would be necessary to keep up with distribution. Not only would this provide more job opportunities, this would also increase sales for farming supplies necessary to grow marijuana. A larger demand for supplies gives opportunity for retailers to develop utility products for marijuana in their stores. This serves as another example of how marijuana provides economical gateways to improving our nation's economy. However, not everyone agrees that retail stores are the best option for distributing the drug.

Many people view pharmacies as the safest option for distributing marijuana because the drug is in the hands of licensed pharmacists that can determine the appropriate use for their patients (Johnsen). This would be assuring to inexperienced customers because they would feel safe having a pharmacist provide the information rather than an employee off the street. One could make the argument that distributing marijuana through pharmaceutical companies is the safest option, but that does not necessarily mean that it is the best option. In 2014, legal marijuana was a $700 million-dollar industry in Colorado, over half of it coming from state retailers. It is projected to be a billion-dollar industry in 2016 (Ingraham). Not only does this exemplify the fact that there is a large demand for marijuana, but also a wide range of markets that desire the drug.

Retailing marijuana is a far better marketing approach compared to distributing through pharmacies. Providing marijuana through pharmaceutical companies suggests a smaller market. Specifically, pharmacies would come off as targeting a market of only medical users and not recreational users. If marijuana were retailed, the market would be much more widespread. A positive aspect of retailing marijuana is that there is not one specific target market. Understanding these potential markets, however, is essential for retailers to have success. A Harvard marketing professor in a Forbes article discusses the potential markets for legal marijuana when he states, "You really have four markets, medicinal, individual grower, recreational, and the illegal market" (Blanding). This opens the door to numerous marketing strategies for retailers to consider. Whether it's a recreationally-based retailer in New York, or an individual growth store in Wisconsin, the opportunities are for the taking in the marijuana business. Making profit is not the only reason why retail stores are the most beneficial way to aid our economy, however.

An important aspect of retail to consider when dealing with marijuana is the location of the stores. Certain people could view a marijuana retail store like a dispensary. Dispensaries, however, have not been fond of by society in certain states. An article involving dispensaries discusses this further when it says, "A recent poll showed that 73% of adults support making medical marijuana legal, but 44% would be 'somewhat or very concerned if a dispensary opened near their home" (Nemeth). Eighty-percent of people in California support medical marijuana, yet there are localities within the state that have banned medical marijuana completely because of pressure they were receiving from their residents (Nemeth). This is an important issue to attend to because retailers would not want their stores to be somewhere they are not wanted. If dispensaries are placed away from suburban areas and towns this could help resolve this issue. Away from the suburbs means away from the families and civilians that do not want them to be near. An ideal location for the dispensaries would be father into the cities. This places the dispensaries in a location where there are not as many homes but can be accessed from people in the city as well as the suburban community. Having the right location is key for a business to succeed, and an urban location puts marijuana in the best position to succeed in the market.

Providing marijuana retail stores provides hundreds of jobs for people across the nation. In the U.S., legal marijuana was the fastest growing industry in 2014, and there are new jobs in the legal marijuana market that have as much income as fifty to ninety-thousand dollars a year (Eisenberg). A drug that has been putting people behind bars for years is now, in some states, providing a living for people. Legal marijuana is a brand new industry that people want to be apart of. Jobs like bud trimmers make a little over minimum wage. But occupations like gardeners and concentrate makers, can have salaries at almost six figures (Eisenberg). But those are jobs just involving growing and developing the plant. There are many other jobs involving marijuana in the retail business. 

One example could be selling foods containing marijuana. This occupation ties in the food market and provides a more appealing way to consume the drug. Specifically, eating a candy bar containing marijuana may seem more desirable to a person rather than smoking it. However, there are people that enjoy the art of smoking the drug and feel a greater sense of satisfaction. 

This brings in the head shop industry. A retail store that sells pieces to smoke marijuana can be very successful. For example, an article discusses how head shops are thriving due to the legalization of marijuana in some states. Within the article a sales coordinator states, "Now that (marijuana) is legalized, there's a lot more new shops opening up, more wholesalers, a lot more new products out there. I just came back from Denver, and I talked to a lot of the shop owners, and their sales have increased dramatically" (Schroyer). There is a such a widespread market for these products, every store will have something different. Smoke shops generate approximately $10 billion in revenue each year (Schroyer). The demand for new products is only going to increase as more states begin to legalize marijuana. A major reason why these stores are so profitable is because customers will get tired of a certain product and will buy a new one. A possible retailer could allow customers to sell their piece to the store in exchange for money that could go towards a new product or go in their pocket. In a society where marijuana is legalized, these kinds of products could almost serve as phones or devices. Active users are going to want the new thing, and are typically willing to pay whatever to cost. Retailers can take advantage of this by setting higher prices. Smoking products can be sold in either marijuana dispensaries or in general head shops. The dispensaries typically have the low-end cheap products, while head shops usually have the more authentic and expensive products (Schroyer).  If retail stores like these grow and become more successful, the businesses may need to expand, resulting again with more job opportunities. Such jobs as these are not provided by pharmaceutical companies. It could be jobs like these that can get people off the streets and out of poverty and put into a career where they can put food on the table for themselves and family. But they will not reach their full potential unless marijuana finds its way into retail stores.

The legalization of marijuana is something that would have been outrageous to think about decades ago. But society has altered significantly over the years and people are prioritizing things now that they wouldn't have necessarily paid much attention to years ago. No matter what has changed, however, marijuana has always been relevant. It has grown more popular every year, yet it still maintains to have a negative reputation to some people. But the pros of legalizing the drug far outweigh the cons whether people chose to believe so or not. The revenue made by the legal states is proof of marijuana's economic ability. The industry is booming in the few states that legalized the drug, and it will only continue to grow as more states begin to take the same route. If billions of dollars are coming in every year from the legal marijuana industry, we could be looking in good shape in years to come. A society where marijuana is legal could be completely different than the society we have today, but it just might be a good thing.

