The Legalization of Marijuana Would Benefit the American Economy and Its Medical Field

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There is no question that the U.S. spends enormous amounts of money every year on propagandizing against marijuana and marijuana law reform, funding anti-marijuana science, interdicting marijuana, eradicating domestically grown marijuana and industrial hemp, law enforcement, and prosecuting and incarcerating marijuana smokers. In fact it "costs U.S. taxpayers in excess of $12 billion annually." (NORML). Of that $12 billion, $1.2 billion of it is spent just on prosecuting the offenders. The legalization of marijuana could open up a whole new market in America. There is need for equipment to grow marijuana as the trend toward domestic cultivation grows as shown here, "as a result of the trend toward domestic marijuana cultivation, a sub industry that markets sophisticated growing equipment designed for producing marijuana indoors has developed." (Hermes 45). There would also be a market for ecologically sound paper, as well as for textiles, food, and fuel. The following quote demonstrates this, "legalization of marijuana would also reestablish the nation's use of the cannabis plant for ecologically sound paper, as well as for textiles, food, and fuel." (Hermes 52). There is also a lot of money to be made from the marijuana crop. "Government estimates claim that approximately 50,000 metric tons of marijuana were grown in the U.S. in 1989, continuing the pattern of steady annual increase." (Hermes 44). The amounts of money could be in the billions as shown here, "NORML calculated the retail cash value of the 1988 domestic marijuana/hemp crop at $41 billion, making it the country's leading cash crop." (Hermes 42). With marijuana legalized the government could also tax the marijuana says Hermes, " the government might also license and tax its growth, importation, distribution, and sale." (Hermes 52).

It is the belief of many that if marijuana were legalized; there would be an outbreak of marijuana use throughout America. There have been extensive studies done on the use of marijuana based on it being legalized. The results concluded that the use was not increased when marijuana was legalized or decriminalized. " Government studies conclude that marijuana decriminalization has had virtually no effect on either marijuana use or

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