Illegal drugs are classified as controlled substances. Controlled substances are any of a category of behavior altering or addictive drugs whose possession and or use are prohibited by law. A few examples of controlled substances include heroin, cocaine, hallucinogens, and in the case of this argument marijuana. If a person is found to be under the influence or in possession of any controlled substance, penalization by the state or federal court may include fines and or prison.

When referring to the legalization of some uses of marijuana, the word some m

Women are also subject to the damaging effects of marijuana laws. As long as all marijuana remains illegal, society will have to take up the burden of less fortunate women an their children. Between 1985 and 1996 female drug arrests increased by 95%. More then 2/3 of them for marijuana offenses. Today, about 130,000 women are behind bars in the US because of the mandatory minimum for possession of marijuana. Most of them leave children behind that become a burden on society who has to take care of them. Since mothers with marijuana offenses on their police records have difficulty finding work they will be less likely to be able to provide for their children and be forced to give them up to the state for foster care. This is another expense that the taxpayers will have to pick up. However, it is ironic that these very same women receive health care through state Medicaid programs that don’t provide drug-treatment services. Many of these women will not make the transition from living off of taxpayer money in the welfare program to working actual jobs because Medicaid does not cover drug abuse treatment. If some uses of marijuana were legal, one of the many sources of its revenue would go towards the treatment of individuals considered to have an abuse problem.

The economy benefits from all who put into it. Although minorities of this country are exactly that, the minority, they still have a huge effect on the economy when it comes to purchasing power. Minority groups are convicted at a much higher rate for marijuana crimes than whites. Because many of America’s minorities live in inner cities they are supported by transfer payments. When convicted of marijuana crimes they lose a disproportionate share of these federal benefits, including student loans. This hurts students who can only afford higher education with help from the state. If we deny lower class individuals access to higher education they will be less likely to obtain jobs and make money to have purchasing power. This can mean businesses will sell fewer goods, creating less demand, therefore causing prices to rise. These elements represent an economy that is not benefiting. This is especially significant in today’s economy since the minority population is on the rise and so is their rate of arrest. Eliminating some marijuana crimes would decrease the amount of minority arrests, thereby keeping them eligible for federal benefits and the ability to have purchasing power.

Marijuana is the most easily attainable and widely used illegal drug in the United States today. FBI Uniform Crime Reports indicate that there were 695,201 marijuana arrests in 1997. About 87% of these cases were for possession. This shows that as long as we deem marijuana an illegal substance, our police are spending a disproportionate share of law enforcement resources hunting for marijuana. These resources, as stated earlier could be devoted to fighting property and violent crimes. In this case people might say that the reason property and violent crimes are committed is because criminals are high on marijuana. However, it has been shown that the number of inmates under the influence of

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