Legalizing Marijuana and The Effects on The Country

Let’s talk drugs. As you probably know there is a big debate over the idea of legalizing marijuana, would this be a good idea? From what I can think of the cons far outweigh the pros. One pro would be that the drug could be heavily taxed. Cons include “high” drivers and that marijuana often acts as a “gateway drug,” meaning it is the first drug that people try and then move on to stronger drugs once marijuana doesn’t give the user his or her desired “high.”

First off, America already has a huge problem with drunk drivers. Our drunk driver problem has caused groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to form. Legalizing marijuana would cause many “high” drivers to on the roads too. What would be worse is if the drivers were smoking marijuana and drinking at the same time, because this causes the effects to become exponentially stronger. Why would we want to legalize something so dangerous?

America tried to outlaw alcohol once, when congress passed the 18th Amendment. The 18th Amendment failed however because this just caused people to open up “speakeasies” which were basically illegal bars. The 18th amendment was repealed by the 21st amendment. I think that the only reason the 18th amendment failed what because alcohol was already introduced to America and there were already people who were dependent on the substance. Surely the government knows that they would eventually end up regretting legalizing Marijuana and legalizing it would make it really hard to make it illegal again because there would be those addicts who would fight to keep it legal. “Alcohol, like heroin, cocaine, PCP, and marijuana is a drug- that is, a mood-altering substance- and consumed to excess it certainly has harmful consequences: auto accidents, barroom fights, bedroom shootings. It is also, for some people, addictive. We cannot confidently compare the addictive powers of these drugs, but the evidence suggests that the drugs are much more addictive than alcohol (Wilson).”

Addiction would also be a big problem. Americans spend an average of $6.7 billion on rehabilitation every year just for alcohol (Newhouse). So the legalization of marijuana could turn out to be very expensive.

Although marijuana specifically is said to be less addictive than alcohol, what if a person does become dependent on the drug? “There are some drug-dependent people who genuinely want treatment and will remain in it if offered; they should receive it. But there are far more who want only short-term help after a bad crash; once stabilized and bathed, they are back on the streets again, hustling. And even many of the addicts who enroll in a program honestly wanting help but then drop out after a short while when they discover that help takes time and commitment (Wilson).”