Should Marijuana Be Legalized in America for Recreational Purposes?

Should Marijuana Be Legalized in America for Recreational Purposes?
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Should Marijuana Be Legalized in America for Recreational Purposes?
Marijuana could be elucidated as a mixture of dried leaves seeds, stems, and flowers of the hemp plant. It is undeniable that using marijuana has benefits such as an improved appetite, and medicinal benefits. In fact, it is legal for doctors to prescribe the use of marijuana as remedies to certain illness. Additionally, States such as Washington, Colorado, and Alaska have legalized possession of marijuana for adults for recreational purposes. It is notable that more than 40 percent of Americans above the age of twelve have used marijuana at some point in their lives for recreational or medicinal purposes (Blumenauer and Polis, n.d). However, recreational use of marijuana is illegal in most states let alone the national laws. It follows that even though using of marijuana is addictive and can cause accidents, using marijuana for recreational purposes can save the nation finances in addition to relieving the stress for most citizens.
To begin with, the cost of the war against marijuana is high. Statistics suggests that more than 660,000 people were arrested for possessing marijuana in 2011. Further, the annual cost on the war against marijuana is estimated to be around $5.5 billion every year (Blumenauer and Polis, n.d). The same authors further suggest that legalization of recreational use of Marijuana could provide a market of up to $2 billion dollars annually to Mexican drug cartels. Clearly, America stands to lose by continuing to keep using marijuana for recreational purposes illegal. This owes to the reality that more than $5.5 billion could be saved by legalizing the use of Marijuana for recreational purposes. In addition, allowing Americans to plant a certain amount of Marijuana for persona...