Should Marijuana be Legalized? Yes.

California may be the first state in the United States to legalize and tax marijuana, however, it would still remain a schedule 1 illegal drug for the federal government. The feds argue that marijuana has no medicinal use, which is obviously false. There is a synthetic form of THC, which the federal government approves of, called Marinol. The federal government is claiming that a synthetic form of marijuana is safer than a natural herb; do they really think that the American public is dumb enough to believe this? Why should the American public continue to pay taxes to continue the prohibition of marijuana? Billions of dollars are wasted each year combating the growth, sale, and use of marijuana. That is money gone to waste.

The persecution of minor marijuana law offenders is a financial strain for many states throughout the nation. Take California for example, who has been releasing non-violent drug offenders from prison, since its current financial situation is forcing them too. One third of the non-violent drug offenders were sent to prison due to marijuana offenses; it is likely that over the next few years this number will increase, unless marijuana is legalized. The demand for marijuana in the United States is too high to be able to ever eliminate it. If marijuana is legalized in California, the Federal government should exempt California from any federal marijuana laws, and treat the California laws as an experiment; if California is successful in properly regulating the drug, the federal government should decriminalize it.

The prohibition of marijuana is not only about the drug itself and the billions of dollars that go to waste, but it is also about our personal freedoms. Millions of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana; in California, over half of the population does so. A minority should not impose its will on a majority, as is the case in California. A majority should not impose its will on a sizable minority (over 1/3 of the rest of the nation favor the legalization of marijuana), its time to change the laws, its time for people to regain their personal freedom.

Here is a video from the CBS news website; http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504544_162-20002409-504544.html

Please note how Brian Darling's arguments against the legalization of marijuana have all been proven false. Marijuana is not an addictive drug, a person can not become dependent on it; Marijuana is no more a gateway drug than alcohol; Marijuana will not cause a person to get ill and require hospitalization.

If you have any doubts if marijuana should be legalized, or if it is harmful or not, I strongly recommend that you watch The Union. The Union is a documentary that sheds some light on the lies of those that oppose the legalization of marijuana.