Why marijuana should be legalized

Posted: January 6th, 2014

Cannabis Sativa should be legalized, for several valid reasons.
The movement to prohibit the plant’s production and sale has failed, evidenced by millions of users in the U.S. alone, despite anti-marijuana legislation being in place for more than 75 years.

One cannot become physically dependent on marijuana, and further, withdrawal symptoms stemming from discontinuing marijuana use are all but nonexistent.

The only crime ever undertaken by most marijuana users is the possession of marijuana.

Legalization of marijuana would allow federal, state, and local governments to tax and regulate marijuana production, increasing revenue for government projects, and subtracting from the profits of black market drug dealers.

Working Thesis:
The benefits of the decriminalization of cannabis outweigh potential drawbacks and risks by a wide margin.