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Marijuana

Resolution:
This house would legalize Marijuana.

Legalize will be defined as allowing persons 21 or over to smoke, eat, drink, possess, grow and/or sell marijuana with no penalty outside of taxes.

Overview: The US government currently prohibits the use, sale, possession, and growth of Marijuana.   Most marijuana is produced in either Canada or in Mexico, and smuggled across the borders into the US.  

Pros:
Less people in prison system.  
According to the latest survey data in a 2005 ONDCP study, marijuana accounted for 13 per cent of all state drug offenders in 1997. (Drug Enforcement Administration May 2006)

In 2001, there were 24,299 offenders sentenced in federal court on drug charges.   (Drug Enforcement Administration May 2006)

Less people in the prison system, allows the government to focus on criminals that commit more serious crimes, such as rape and murder.   It also allows the government to spend more money focusing on other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, or heroin.

Use as a pain reliever for certain hospital patients
Many doctors feel that marijuana has medicinal purposes.   It serves as a pain reliever for glaucoma and cancer patients, among many others.   With the current laws, only 11 states have passed legislation allowing medical marijuana (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ME, NV, OR, RI, VT and WA).   The patients in the other states face possible arrests, seizure of assets or other criminal charges.

More money for the US
By regulating and taxing the sale of marijuana, that brings in a huge amount of money that is currently going to our neighboring states.   The money that Mexicans and Canadians make off of growing it now comes to the US.   And also, the sales will be taxed, and the dealers will pay taxes, rather than walking off without paying anything to the government.

With prison overcrowding lowered, less money will need to be spent on building more prisons.

Happier citizens
Marijuana is known to make its users feel “euphoric.”...