Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 1082 Words

Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana has always been a major topic on War on Drugs, either to let it stay illegal or to decide whether to legalize it. Marijuana can give off deadly or fatal actions that could to harm toward the user or those around the user. While also marijuana can be a help to the economic problems that America faces today. The Hawaii State Government should legalize marijuana because it is a non-addictive substance, it has the potential to increase tax revenue, and there are medical benefits to its use. Most Americans today believe that marijuana is a very addictive and dangerous drug that should not be legalized. â€Å"During 1992, marijuana arrests rose from 28 percent to the total of 45 percent within 10 years. While†¦show more content†¦Coming to the late 1980’s, â€Å"the increasing emphasis on marijuana enforcement was accompanied by a dramatic rise in overall drug arrests, fewer than 1.1 million in 1990 to more than 1.5 million a decade lat er† (Balko Para 4). The majority of the Americans believe that the use of marijuana can help citizens with medical problems. Dr. Robert Morris, associate professor of criminology at University of Texas at Dallas states, â€Å"The findings on the relationship between violence and marijuana use are mixed and much of the evidence points toward reductions in violent behavior for those who smoke marijuana† (Ferner Para 8). The National Academy of sciences found that in chronic marijuana users, THC, the active ingredient in pot, actually causes a decrease in aggressive and violent behavior. A separate study in the journal of Addictive Behaviors noted, â€Å"alcohol is clearly the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship,† and that â€Å"cannabis reduces likelihood of violence during intoxication† (Drewes Para 5). However, others believe that the effect of marijuana can cause deadly behavior. One of the statistics that is significant since the introduction of medical marijuana in Hawaii is the percentage of drivers involved in fatal crashes that tested positive for THC. Since