The marijuana-based drug, also known as cannabis, can produce a range of psychological and physical effects. The chemical responsible for most of the psychoactive actions in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol, which is found in the range of 5 to 15%.
The most important argument in support legalizing marijuana is the need to get its production out of criminal hands and make it monitored by government agencies. The production will be controlled by authorities, which will allow them to test for purity as well as quality and risks before it is released to the general public. In order to increase revenue for the state taxes could be assessed on cannabis products.
Closely linked with this argument is the notion that the legalization of marijuana will result in more efficient distribution of resources by police. The prohibition of marijuana has led to some parts of the world to horrendous prison conditions for minor drug addicts, and in all cases the police are diverted from fighting violent crime.
Legalization allows authorities to control the distribution process. In order to ensure that the drugs are not offered as candy to schoolchildren the quality standards should be established. The dealers currently are not motivated to stop selling illegal drugs to children. Governments could tax sales of marijuana, allowing them a share of the profit generated by the production and distribution. Legalization results in a reduction in crime as well as a decrease of government expenditures as a result of less need for police.
Legalization will also permit the government to control the environmental effects of marijuana production. Many worry that marijuana production in large quantities will result in deforestation, erosion of soils, depletion, chemical pollution, and land loss. These environmental effects negatives are often reduced or eliminated by allowing the state to regulate cultivation methods.
Legalization will enable better education programs regarding the use of marijuana. These programs could be targeted towards children and teenagers as they are informed of the possible dangerous side effects of the use of marijuana. Instead of being concealed from consumers by drug dealers with no incentive to keep them informed, information on drug use that is safe can be made available to any who is interested in finding out more about the dangers of using them.
Legalization also allows the state to manage and tax the trade in drugs. Legalization could lead to higher tax revenues for the government, and also the decrease of crime and negative social effects. The state authorities would be able to monitor cultivation techniques and grow sites to limit or avoid the negative effects of marijuana production. More education about marijuana use may allow people to make informed decisions about marijuana use.
In the end, there are many reasons to legalize marijuana and very few against it. Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea. The negative effects of criminalization outweigh the possible advantages. It is obvious that marijuana needs to be legalized by government officials for recreational purposes.
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