by Betselot Wondimu ’15

From the 2012 election, Colorado and Washington emerged having legalized recreational use of marijuana. The people voted on the state referendum, and the results represent a slow shift in public opinion for legalization.

Supporters emphasize that marijuana isn’t as bad as other drugs. According to a 2006 study conducted by the UK Science and Technology Select Committee, marijuana is one of the least addictive and harmful drugs. When used in moderation, marijuana is comparable to alcohol or tobacco. It is only when abused that marijuana has detrimental long-term effects. However, alcohol and tobacco are both legal and sold in stores around the country.

So, if the federal and local governments profit on the taxation of alcohol and tobacco, the obvious next step would be to do the same with marijuana. If the United States government were to nationally legalize marijuana, it would reap billions of dollars in financial gains. According to Bloomsburg Businessweek, if marijuana were sold at the same price in stores as in the streets, the government could make up to $100 billion in yearly taxes.

One problem with the illegal drug system is lacing, or other drugs being put into marijuana for sale. Drug dealers do this to maximize their profits, but it adds danger to marijuana use. Another problem is the violence associated with the illegal drug trade. Buyers can’t go to police if they are tricked in a deal, so they usually “fix” the problem themselves. This leads to a cycle of violence, which the government must ultimately intervene in.

The government’s costly but futile Drug War on marijuana would disappear as well. Each year, $6.7 billion in taxes goes to prohibition efforts on marijuana, with $1 billion going to jailing marijuana users. This figure does not even include such costs as staffing and allocating law enforcement. With the legalization of marijuana, the government could be using that money for more important things, like education and health care.

We are crawling out of a recession, and the revenue that marijuana would gain would be plenty to push the nation back into shape. Furthermore, the people want it. About 42 percent of adults have used it once in their lifetime. If the government legalized the billion-dollar industry for good and ended this battle in the Drug War, government profits would shoot through the roof and lives could potentially be saved.