Should Drugs be legalized? There have been many debates as to whether or not drugs should be legalized. Some believe that legalizing drugs will help our country in many ways. There is so much time and money being spent on enforcing the use of illegal drugs that it is causing a drain on society and still nothing has been done about it. Drugs continue to be used and much violence is the cause of it. Some states such as California, has been pushing the issue of legalizing marijuana and taxing it so the state can make money. Although this sounds like a good idea, many are opposed to it because marijuana is in fact a drug and some do not believe it should be legalized. If we were to legalize drugs, would our problems as a country go away?
Drug use is causing much turmoil throughout the United States. Some argue that legalizing drugs will reduce crime. However, that is not the case. Drugs cause people to become violent. Most crimes are committed while a person is on drugs. In fact, “crime will rise when drugs are legal because more people will be taking drugs. Crime is high in high-drug use areas not because people are committing a crime to get drugs, but the influence of the drugs made them more inclined to commit a crime” (Gargaro, C). Also, “Prohibition creates violence because it drives the drug market underground. This means buyers and sellers cannot resolve their disputes with lawsuits, arbitration or advertising, so they resort to violence instead” (Miron, J). Aside from the crimes people commit while on drugs, people turn to violence over drugs. For example, Mexican drug cartels commit violence against Americans and others in their country due to drugs and drug trafficking. Legalizing drugs will not stop the violence that is committed in the United States. If drugs are legalized and sold in stores; crimes will still be committed because criminals will find their own way of selling them to make money for themselves. Either way it’s a loose loose situation.
It is also believed that if drugs are legalized it will help the economy. “In 2010, federal prisons cost taxpayers $6.2 billion… drug-related crimes account about half of the federal prisoners” (Ozimek, A). Because of the war on drugs, Americans are paying billions of dollars to prevent people from using, selling, and trafficking drugs in the United States. Not only that, but it is also costing money to prosecute criminals, house them in jails and prisons, and rehabilitate them in hopes that it will stop the use of drugs. Unfortunately none of this is helping against the drug war and is wasting society’s money. However, “across the country, lawmakers and residents of cash-strapped states are edging ever closer to legalizing -- and taxing – marijuana” (Miller, S). California for example is the first state in the U.S. to pass a medical marijuana law to help raise money for the state. It is believed that the taxing of marijuana will help bring California out of its deficit. Although this may help the state, there will still be problems with people using the drug illegally, or people trying to grow and sell marijuana for their own profit without paying taxes.
The legalization of drugs will continue to be an ongoing debate and would make society even more chaotic than it is right now. Violence will always occur because of the whole war on drugs and with the legalization of drugs, it will just make it worse. It will not help solve the United States problems. However, the legalization of some drugs such as marijuana will eventually help states get out of their deficit. Regardless of how any one feels about legalizing or not legalizing drugs, nothing will ever solve the problems and violence that society faces every day because of the war on drugs.
Gargaro, C. (1999). Drug Legalization. Retrieved from
http://www.gargaro.com/drugs.html
Miller, S. (2010, January 28). Don't legalize marijuana. Retrieved from Los Angeles
Times website: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/28/opinion/la-oe-miller28-2010jan28
Miron, J.A. (2009, March 24). Legalize drugs to stop violence. Retrieved from
CNN’s website: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/24/miron.legalization.drugs/index.html
Ozimek, A. (2010, February 9). Would Legalizing Drugs Help The Economy? Retrieved
from: http://modeledbehavior.com/2010/02/09/would-legalizing-drugs-help-the-economy/
Drug use is causing much turmoil throughout the United States. Some argue that legalizing drugs will reduce crime. However, that is not the case. Drugs cause people to become violent. Most crimes are committed while a person is on drugs. In fact, “crime will rise when drugs are legal because more people will be taking drugs. Crime is high in high-drug use areas not because people are committing a crime to get drugs, but the influence of the drugs made them more inclined to commit a crime” (Gargaro, C). Also, “Prohibition creates violence because it drives the drug market underground. This means buyers and sellers cannot resolve their disputes with lawsuits, arbitration or advertising, so they resort to violence instead” (Miron, J). Aside from the crimes people commit while on drugs, people turn to violence over drugs. For example, Mexican drug cartels commit violence against Americans and others in their country due to drugs and drug trafficking. Legalizing drugs will not stop the violence that is committed in the United States. If drugs are legalized and sold in stores; crimes will still be committed because criminals will find their own way of selling them to make money for themselves. Either way it’s a loose loose situation.
It is also believed that if drugs are legalized it will help the economy. “In 2010, federal prisons cost taxpayers $6.2 billion… drug-related crimes account about half of the federal prisoners” (Ozimek, A). Because of the war on drugs, Americans are paying billions of dollars to prevent people from using, selling, and trafficking drugs in the United States. Not only that, but it is also costing money to prosecute criminals, house them in jails and prisons, and rehabilitate them in hopes that it will stop the use of drugs. Unfortunately none of this is helping against the drug war and is wasting society’s money. However, “across the country, lawmakers and residents of cash-strapped states are edging ever closer to legalizing -- and taxing – marijuana” (Miller, S). California for example is the first state in the U.S. to pass a medical marijuana law to help raise money for the state. It is believed that the taxing of marijuana will help bring California out of its deficit. Although this may help the state, there will still be problems with people using the drug illegally, or people trying to grow and sell marijuana for their own profit without paying taxes.
The legalization of drugs will continue to be an ongoing debate and would make society even more chaotic than it is right now. Violence will always occur because of the whole war on drugs and with the legalization of drugs, it will just make it worse. It will not help solve the United States problems. However, the legalization of some drugs such as marijuana will eventually help states get out of their deficit. Regardless of how any one feels about legalizing or not legalizing drugs, nothing will ever solve the problems and violence that society faces every day because of the war on drugs.
Gargaro, C. (1999). Drug Legalization. Retrieved from
http://www.gargaro.com/drugs.html
Miller, S. (2010, January 28). Don't legalize marijuana. Retrieved from Los Angeles
Times website: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/28/opinion/la-oe-miller28-2010jan28
Miron, J.A. (2009, March 24). Legalize drugs to stop violence. Retrieved from
CNN’s website: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/24/miron.legalization.drugs/index.html
Ozimek, A. (2010, February 9). Would Legalizing Drugs Help The Economy? Retrieved
from: http://modeledbehavior.com/2010/02/09/would-legalizing-drugs-help-the-economy/
