The average annual growth for federal, state or local jails has been about 3.4% since 1995, according to the Bureau of Justice. The average cost of incarceration is $23,000 per year. It costs the government about $6,000,000,000 per year to incarcerate drug offenders according to Drug War Facts. A study done by The Sentencing Project found that about 13% of those incarcerated are in for a non-violent drug offense Also, current drug policy sentences first time, non-violent offenders to longer incarceration than offenders of rape, child molestation, bank robbery, and manslaughter according to the Drug Policy Alliance. Does this make any sense? Absolutely not! The legalization, or at least decriminalization, of marijuana would not only make room in prisons, but would also alleviate cost for the federal, state and local governments.
According to the United States National Debt Clock, the United States is currently a whopping $9,363,357,499,008.51 approximately in debt. This will only continue to grow if something drastic is not done. Not only is the government funding a pointless war overseas, but it is also funding a futile war on drugs. If the War on Drugs were to cut funding by legalizing marijuana, the government would save money. If the government took another step and regulated the sale of marijuana like cigarettes or alcohol, a tax could be placed on marijuana, which would further to reduce the national deficit.
In the 1930s, the United States Federal Bureau of Narcotics began using propaganda to control public opinion about marijuana as shown by Cannabis Worldwide. For example, the movie “Reefer Madness” portrays marijuana as a highly addictive drug that controls and destroys the life of anyone who dares to smoke it. A young teenage boy begins smoking marijuana, and by the end of the movie, has lost his virginity, his girlfriend, and his sometimes his mind. It is a great satire about the propaganda and misinformation used by the government to control public opinion. In fact, most sources claim that Mexicans who moved to the United States, who brought marijuana with them, were crazy because of smoking marijuana.
The prohibition of marijuana began in 1937 according to Charles Whitebread, Professor of Law, USC Law School as posted on Druglibrary.org. The only thing the prohibition on alcohol did was to create gangs and violence. What's to say the prohibition of marijuana is doing anything but that as well? What if the United States government were to tax marijuana, enact laws such as ones for consumption of alcohol or cigarettes, and openly sell marijuana? There would be no reason for a shady underground marijuana culture. There would be no reason to sell on the streets. Quality could be drastically improved and controlled, as well as creating revenue, releasing non-violent drug offenders back into society where they belong, and creating more choice for recreation, the freedom of choice being one of America's valued attributes.
In one of his comedy sketches, Eddie Izzard, Executive Transvestite, makes a good point when he says “The Dutch speak five languages and they smoke pot!” Maybe past and current information about marijuana is wrong or exaggerated. Why not find out for yourself?
If you want more information on marijuana laws and those fighting to reform them, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is a great place to start.
