Throughout history, marijuana has been a highly-debated subject amongst law-makers and average citizens alike. In the early 1960’s, marijuana use became a widespread practice in the United States causing reform to marijuana laws a necessity. Federal and state lawmakers began reducing penalties for marijuana related charges as the number of marijuana arrests in the 1960’s exceeded 100,000. In a very popular case related to the subject, a man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for possessing a small amount of marijuana. The case sparked much debate as to how the drugs prohibition should be dealt with. In the 1970’s marijuana use was at an all-time high due to the era of rock and roll and recreational drug use. The rate of marijuana use declined by the 1980’s to only ten percent of the American population(Nadelmann). Due to fear of another resurgence of recreational drug use in America, lawmakers halted the relaxation of drug related sentencing, setting in motion a war on drugs that would continue to affect the country until only a few years ago. Recently, a few states have pushed legislation changing the laws that surround the marijuana debate. Since these changes, the country has seen many positive effects, perhaps none greater than the economic wealth that marijuana reform has produced. While marijuana legalization could greatly benefit the nations economy, in order to accurately conclude whether or not the movement would be entirely beneficial, it is necessary to keep in mind the health risks and benefits of marijuana use as well as the impact it would have on the government in other ways such as prison systems and law enforcement. 

When the Puritans came to colonial America, they brought with them a plant in the same family as marijuana known as hemp. Hemp was extremely useful in the production of things such as sails and lines for ships as well as a type of caulking used to patch the mayflower along its journey. By the late 1600’s hemp was a crucial part of American production. The fibrous plant was used to create things such as cloth, canvas, and paper. Hemp was very useful and readily available during these times allowing manufacturers to produce their products efficiently and inexpensively.  The plant was highly profitable and useful and remained a widely used resource for nearly three hundred years until lawmakers shut down the hemp industry in 1937 with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act(Slaughter 3). This placed numerous regulations and legal requirements on businesses that used the fiber which made it much more difficult and expensive to use hemp for production. The new reform caused a very useful, environmentally friendly product to be replaced by synthetic industrialized materials. Hemp was caught in the crossfire of marijuana prohibition, causing American industry to lose a very important resource that could have continued to be used today and benefit the nation economically as well as environmentally. As well as the ban on hemp, marijuana prohibition shut down the possibility of taking advantage on the countries recreational drug use. 

When the Marijuana Tax Act was passed in 1937, the war on drugs was created, setting in motion a campaign to oust recreational drug use from the country. This campaign would cost the United states billions upon billions of dollars throughout the next three quarters of a century. This government money is allocated to law enforcement who continue to use resources in order to continue the war on marijuana. The amount of money that goes towards marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers twenty billion dollars every year(Sledge). This number comes from economist Jeffery Miron who is a senior lecturer at Harvard University. In 2010, Miron studied the economic impact of marijuana prohibition and found that without prohibition, the government would have saved $8.7 billion on law enforcement alone. As well as the money saved on law enforcement, Miron found that, “another $8.7 billion would have been generated on tax revenue. This would total nearly $20 billion today given inflation over the last seven years.” (Miron). Miron says that this amount of money is way too high “given that the drug does little to no harm to non-users.”(Miron). This number however, is calculated based on the theoretical scenario of marijuana being legalized on all levels of government across the nation. Recent polls have shown that 52% of Americans support nationwide marijuana legalization yet politicians and lawmakers are slow to realize the potential benefits of marijuana legalization. Pioneer states such as Washington and Colorado where the first to take the leap towards legalizing marijuana for recreational use. 

Although many states before had legalized marijuana use for medicinal purposes, the economic effects can only be observed in those that have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Laws and regulations surrounding the legislation are yet to be determined but are expected to be similar to those pertaining to the tobacco and alcohol industry. In these states, “lawmakers and politicians are already reaping the benefits of the reformed laws.”, Allson Holcomb told the Huffington post. As well as the financial effects of legalization, the human cost of the new laws is very clear. “Around 750,000 people were arrested for marijuana related crimes in 2011.” (Sledge). This astonishing number equates to an arrest every 42 seconds just for marijuana law violations. To many, these arrests are arbitrary and unnecessary given the research into the health effects of marijuana that show marijuana has positive health benefits with very few serious health risks for fully developed adults. In 2015 the number of arrests made due to drug violations was nearly 1.5 million. Of these arrests, 645,000 of them were for marijuana violations and of the 645,000 arrests, 89% of them were for possession alone. Since then 20 states have relaxed their penalties on possessing small amounts of the substance including a few states who have decriminalized it completely. These states have begun to see how much money is saved on law enforcement when decriminalization is in place. Reformed marijuana laws have also substantially decreased the number of people sentenced to prison for drug violations, helping to fix the widespread issue of overcrowding in prisons and penitentiaries. With less people in prison, there is less taxpayer money required for the care of the prisoners, leaving more government money to be put towards things such as fixing our deteriorating infrastructure and balancing our nation’s debt (Nadelmann). All of these factors are very significant when considering legislation to reform the laws currently surrounding marijuana.

One major issue that contributes to the delay in marijuana reform is the fear of health risks the substance may cause. As legitimate as the concern may be, marijuana has been proven to be far less harmful than cigarettes which are legal and bring in massive amounts of tax revenue. Tobacco smoke is a reactive mixture that is estimated to contain over 5000 different chemicals. This smoke is calculated to be the most significant intake of toxic chemicals that humans receive and is the number one cause of clinically mediated disease in people. Once these chemicals are burned the byproduct is a mix of carcinogens that cause lung disease and cancer among its consumers. Many of these chemicals are found in pesticides and fertilizers that allow the plant to be grown faster and more efficiently(CDC). In the case of marijuana, the plant is grown entirely naturally and contains none of these harmful added chemicals. Dispensaries in states that have legalized medial and recreational marijuana obtain their product through private growers who are given strict standards and regulations pertaining the quality and purity of their product. Cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular amongst teens and young adults causing a massive spike in smoking related deaths around the globe. In the 20th century there were 100 million deaths related to smoking cigarettes most happening before the consumer reaches the age of 70. If the current pattern persists, it estimated that cigarette smoking will claim nearly one billion lives by the end of the 21st century. In the United States nearly 20% of the population uses tobacco regularly and in 2010 the federal excise tax on cigarettes was $1.01 per pack, bringing in $15.5 billion in tax revenue(May 1). Even though cigarettes are known to be detrimental to one’s health and well-being, a very large percentage of the American population continues to use them. This amount of revenue combined with the potential revenue generated by legal marijuana would be a very significant amount of income for the government annually. With research showing that marijuana has not been directly related to any smoking related deaths, perhaps legalization would provide a safer alternative for smokers in America. 

Although the health risks of smoking marijuana are less severe than that of smoking cigarettes, the active drug in the plant, THC, can cause adverse effects on the health of those who consume it. One of the affects of smoking marijuana is the increase in heart rate once the active chemical, THC, is absorbed into the body. The drug can cause an increase up to twice that of a normal heartbeat in some users. As well as the effects the plant has on the heart, it can also have negative effects on the lungs of frequent users(Robinson). These effects include, irritation to the lungs, ongoing cough, and a few different types of lung infections and chest colds caused by smoke inhalation. Other physical effects include, dizziness, red eyes, dry mouth and slowed reaction time. When looking at more serious problems associated with smoke inhalation, cancer has not been associated with regular pot smoking as it is when we look at long-time cigarette smokers. One concern that often sparks debate in the issue relating to marijuana is whether or not the substance is addicting. Contrary to popular belief, studies do show that 10% of frequent marijuana users become dependent on it. These people, when stopping the use of marijuana can experience physical withdraw symptoms such as sleeplessness, irritability, and reduced appetite. Research has shown an increase in marijuana addiction over the past decade or two due to the fact that the potency of marijuana has increased substantially. In the late 1900’s marijuana leaves were found to contain between one and four percent THC. This percentage has increased to seven percent over the last few years causing marijuana consumption to be in higher doses, also causing increases to marijuana’s mind altering effects. Some research even goes as far to relate marijuana use to mental problems such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia(Volkow 2). These relationships however do not confirm that marijuana causes such problems but rather suggests it could make them worse. 

However legitimate these health risks may be, they still pale in comparison to those linked to tobacco and alcohol use. “Excessive alcohol use led to 88,000 deaths and nearly 2.5 million years of life lost each year in the United States between 2006 and 2010” (CDC). This number is astonishing when comparing the negative effects of marijuana, which is legal, to those of alcohol which is legal and used by a large majority of the American population. Alcohol has negative health risks that include, injuries, aggression, and alcohol poisoning. Alcohol abuse can cause negative effects on many organs in the body such as the brain, heart, and liver. When someone drinks alcohol in excess the brain changes the way it thinks and looks by altering the pathways in which the brain uses to communicate. “These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.”(NIH). The heart can also be negatively affected by alcohol by drinking a lot over long periods of time or by drinking too much on one single occasion. Heart complications such as cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmias, stroke, and high blood pressure. Cardiomyopathy is when the heart muscle begins to droop and stretch which can cause many problems in later life. Arrhythmias is a condition in which the heart begins to beat irregularly leading to increased chance of stroke and heart attack. The other main organ affected by alcohol abuse is the liver that can acquire issues such as steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, which are all types of liver inflammation. These effects lead to long term health issues and cause people to have shortened lives. “Excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working aged adults age 20-64.”(CDC). One of the main causes of alcohol related deaths are due to car accidents in which alcohol was present in the drivers system. “In the 1970’s alcohol was a factor in over 60% of traffic related deaths.” (NIH). Even after all of the preventative measures implemented to cut down the number of traffic fatalities, the problem still persists and causes many deaths each year. All of these statistics show that alcohol abuse is extremely dangerous and potentially life threatening. Nevertheless, alcohol remains legal and highly profitable in terms of tax revenue. This information is extremely important when looking at the reasons given for marijuana prohibition. 

Many of today’s law makers that are against legalization say that marijuana legalization would cause many different problems in the United States ranging from increased traffic accidents to increased health risks stemming from more people engaging in marijuana use. These concerns have halted the progress of the marijuana legalization movement in many states across the country. These states are timid to pass the necessary legislation needed to decriminalize marijuana or make it totally legal. Meanwhile in states like Colorado and Washington, they are seeing first hand the economic benefits of marijuana legalization. In recent years, these states have seen massive tax revenue generated by recreational marijuana use. It is now up to the federal government and independent states that are on the fence about the issue to step up and pass the legislation so that they too can reap the benefits of legalized marijuana. Border states such as Texas and Arizona have another very imperative issue that could be dealt with by legalizing marijuana and that is drug trafficking. The two thousand mile long border between the United States and Mexico serves as the gateway for Mexican drug cartels that flood the U.S. with illegal drugs. Every time a U.S. state legalizes marijuana, it causes instant damage to the amount of money being made by these cartels. A study was done prior to Colorado’s marijuana legalization that estimated that once the legislation passed, it would cause the cartels to lose $1.5 billion dollars in profit. Another $1.5 billion would be lost due to Washington following in Colorado’s footsteps(Sledge). Widespread marijuana legalization in the U.S. would crush cartels profits in some cases by up to 50%. Not only would this money no longer be in the hands of drug cartels, much of this money would come back to the U.S. government due to taxes on legalized marijuana. 

It is easy to see that marijuana legalization comes with very many benefits with very few risks or negative effects. For a decade or more, the United States has wrestled with financial issues such as the climbing national debt. An increase of national tax revenue stemming from legalization could be the key to many other issues such as our failing infrastructure and securing the southern border. The amount of tax revenue that would be accumulated through widespread marijuana legalization would be extremely significant and healthy for the economy. Seeing how successful the legislation was in Colorado and Washington, it is apparent that it is time for the rest of the country and the federal government to get behind the movement and begin to reap the benefits that legalized marijuana brings with it. Hopefully in the near future, the American population will start to see these changes take place and be able to watch the greatest country on earth grow and prosper in a way unseen for centuries. 
