The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed in 1919, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol. This groundbreaking legislation, although overturned in 1933, is credited with beginning the War on Drugs. A plethora of laws followed, including the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which successfully banned the plant until the Act was ruled unconstitutional in 1969. During this period, marijuana possession and use became criminal offenses. Many people were jailed.

This led to the decision by Nixon’s Shafer Commission in 1972 that marijuana should be decriminalized and, instead, controlled by a medical policy. Nixon promptly denounced the report. With even more support, the decriminalization movement made it to Congress under Jimmy Carter, who had voiced his opinion that possession up to an ounce of ma

Why does our government persist when the War on Drugs is clearly fruitless? One answer is the pressure from interest groups. Cotton farmers do not want marijuana to be legalized because the hemp industry would mean competition. Another argument is the issue of employment; where would all the prison workers go? There is evidence that the hemp industry would create enough jobs to make up for the loss.

The legalization of marijuana would have many positive effects. Hemp is a great product that would bring in plenty of revenue. The government could tax marijuana just as it does tobacco; this would create more profit. People who need marijuana to reduce their pain would be satisfied, and those who wish to smoke it would have that choice. The War on Drugs needs to come to an end.

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