The laws against marijuana are based on falsehoods, which continue today. Nonsmokers are said to not have the moral right to put smokers in a government cage, seize their property and in many other ways ruin the lives of those doing something that has been a normal and natural part of human life throughout history. .
Several people that are pro-legalization say legalize it, tax it and use that money for social security or one of the many other social programs whose funding is being cut. Legalizing marijuana and taxing it could actually financially help the United States. The United State's war on drugs places a great emphasis on arresting people for smoking pot. Since 1990, around 5.9 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges. Most of the arrests and incarcerations were for simple possession. Recent FBI statistics state that one pot smoker is arrested every 45 seconds in America. The total number of arrests are greater than the combined arrests for violent crimes. (Ethan Nadelmann, July 2004. The National Review) .
People that smoke marijuana also pay taxes, have families and love and support those families, they work hard to make a better life for their families. So one day they are arrested for smoking a joint. They are jailed, and treated like a violent criminal just because of the way they choose to relax. Other agencies step in and deem the pot smoker an unfit parent, declare the children "in danger" and separate the family. These actions by the authorities, cause great pain, and financial hardship. This also causes distrust and .
disrespect for the law, which is supposed to protect us. Not to mention disrespect for the criminal justice system as a whole. .
Responsible smokers pose no danger or threat to America. There is no reason to treat them as criminals, or take away the family. Responsible smokers are not the enemy, and it is time to stop arresting them. All the facts, both pro and con need to be presented.