The debate on the issue of legalizing marijuana has been running for quite a long time, perhaps since the very 1930s, when marijuana was first criminalized in the USA. According to evidence, the reasons for outlawing “the pot” were far from being purely philanthropic, and the subsequent damage cased to social and economic life of the country overwhelms with its gravity [Caulkins, 2012, p.23]. Thus, with discussions on the point reaching far and wide and numerous researches on properties and actual influence of the drug being now available, our proposal inevitably appeals to the most powerful argument ever existing: “Legalization of marijuana by the United States Government will not only solve many social and medical problems but bring valuable impetus to the US economy and provide wide opportunities for its development.” The further discussion will attempt to provide substantial grounds for this seemingly controversial statement.
As mentioned, marijuana was legally banned because of security reasons and race prejudice – it was introduced and widely consumed by Mexican immigrants, and prohibition of the 1930s worked primarily against this social group. No ethics or health considerations came into play at that time [ibid]. Later medical researches provided different data on the damage commissioned by the drug to human health, thus no strong scientific grounds for prohibition were ever provided. Yet after criminalization took place, the outcome proved to be totally opposite - illegal networks of drug trafficking and sale developed with unbelievable speed and consumption increased. Moreover, not only immigrants continued their habit, but white respectable citizens and their offspring also took liking to this new means of relaxation. Its illegality only added to its attractiveness [Caulkins, 2012, p.32].
Now let us leave aside moral and medical considerations (which also strongly support the need for marijuana legalization) and look at the purely economic side of the matter. As George Soros openly admitted, the marijuana prohibition was a real blessing for just one category of people – “the major criminal organizations in Mexico and elsewhere that earn billions of dollars annually from this illicit trade” [Soros, 2010], but this ban served a deadly service to the penitentiary system and budgets of states. Prohibition and criminalization of marijuana automatically meant that persecution for its trafficking, sales and consumption would be of the same harshness as punishment accompanying use of heroine, for example. In its turn, it put additional expenses on law enforcement, prisons and courts which became overburdened with multiple cases linked to marijuana. Now the question arises: in current economical situation in the United States when many programs are being cut to preserve valuable funds, is it sound to “waste limited criminal justice resources” only to catch youngsters who occasionally buy a joint? [ibid]. Yearly in the USA about 750,000 arrests are conducted for pure possession of small portions of marijuana which makes more than 40% of all drug arrests. Thus the total sum of expenses held by the US will easily come up to billions of taxpayers’ dollars which can be spend …