End of Pot ProhibitionOne of the hottest topics being debated in today's ever changing society is the legalization and end of the prohibition against marijuana. Solid arguments exist on both sides, but by simply looking at the facts and weighing the pros and cons of prohibition, it becomes clear that it is time for society to accept the changing times and move forward as a whole.There are many different aspects of each argument, but I will only be covering a few key topics. One of the most prevailing and arguably the most influential reasons for the legalization of marijuana is the exact same reason tobacco and alcohol is legal; the economy ultimately gets deprived from a potent ...view middle of the document...
Those types of individuals make up a fraction of the total population of non-violent contributing members of society that have minor marijuana charges that are either locked up wasting taxpayer dollars, or have a ridiculous charge on their permanent record, ruining potential chances for employment, student loans, and child custody cases to name a few. Most of these people are just opportunist who see a demand in a market and capitalize on the situation. These people shouldn't be classified as "gangsters" and be punished the same as people who have cocaine and heroin. [2: Christ, Peter. "Every War On Drugs Myth Thoroughly Destroyed By A Retired Police Captain." Upworthy. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.upworthy.com/every-war-on-drugs-myth-thoroughly-destroyed-by-a-retired-police-captain>. ][3: Christ, Peter. "Every War On Drugs Myth Thoroughly Destroyed By A Retired Police Captain." Upworthy. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.upworthy.com/every-war-on-drugs-myth-thoroughly-destroyed-by-a-retired-police-captain>. ]Marijuana will always be a part of this society, the question comes down to, who do you want running the marketplace? Would you rather have gangsters and terrorist organizations running it, the same ones who use 13 year old children to pedal the pot on the street corner? Or a regulated and licensed marketplace where restrictions can be set, such as age and quality of the product can safely be ensured. A better system is a regulated and controlled system.Many anti-pot activist groups claim that if we were to legalize marijuana, it would send a bad message to our children and it would promote more usage. The example of the social progression of tobacco can be looked at to combat this statement. If you look at tobacco toleration in society 10-20 years ago, it was socially acceptable to smoke and viewed as "cool". You could smoke in restaurants and everywhere was accommodating for it. In today's society it's different, smoking cigarettes is a generally frowned upon habit and is barely tolerated in public with rules hindering your ability to smoke while people are around. It is clear that people are being educated about the negative side effects of cigarettes and society is doing a good job at keeping it under control. In the last 10 years, 50% of adult cigarette smokers have quite. All of this was accomplished without banning any cigarettes, just education people about the dangers and making it harder for people to do in public. The same principles can be applied when relate the same question to marijuana. The legalization of marijuana does not necessarily mean it's sending a positive message about pot to our children, because that's obviously not the case. It will be society's job to educate the youth on side effects and any negative repercussions marijuana smoking can have. Legalization would only allow it to be regulated and controlled in a much more stable environment while creating many economic benefi...
