LEGALIZING MARIJUANA WOULD RAISE REVENUE, FREE UP CELLS

Marijuana should be legalized in America for the following reasons: one,
the government could tax it, it helps with some illnesses, you could take
people out of jail and make more room for serious criminals and people
should be able to do what they please.

If marijuana was taxed, you could take funding from anti-marijuana and put
it towards other drugs. You could take that money and put it towards other
drug stoppers like PCP, heroin, cocaine and speed just as some examples
because those drugs would still not be legalized.FortuneMagazine said "in
1988 that if marijuana was taxed that $11 billion could come in per year.
Not including profit for the distributors," (Kupfer, 1988). That is 16
years ago so that number must have grown.

It could help solve the national debt. You could also put that money
towards stopping other drugs and funding for illnesses.

If we legalize marijuana, we could free up a lot of cell room in prisons
for more serious criminals.Fortune Magazine says "that in 1988, 3 percent
of people in jail are marijuana offenders" (Kupfer, 1988).

Now if we took that 3 percent and add 16 years that number must have
increased to at least 5 or 6 percent. We could take those men and women out
of prison and put more serious criminals in like murderers of other drug
dealers of a higher degree.

Marijuana also can help fight side effects of the illness glaucoma. It does
not help defeat the disease, but it helps fight the side effects of it,
such as euphoria dystemic hypotension and/or dry eye and conjntival
hypereimia in the majority of glaucoma patients in whom the drug has been
carefully studied, says Angeles Vision Clinic.

Is it not in America that we are a free country and we have the right to
pursue happiness? Well not having marijuana legalized is taking that right
away.

People should be able to do as they please to a certain extent. Look at
cigarettes, they kill people every year but they are still legal.

Of course don't legalize the hard drugs like PCP, heroin or cocaine and
give the people the opportunity to know that they will not be legalized,
but look at it, marijuana is a cigarette that is not legal. People should
be able to do what they want with their own body and if taking in marijuana
is what someone wants to do then they should be able to do it.

Maybe even have a special bar that people who smoke marijuana can go to.
And of course have an age limit around 18, that's when you can legally buy
cigarettes.

Therefore, if you still don't believe me that marijuana should be legalized
that is your own opinion and that you are entitled too.

But look at the bright side, make more room for serious criminals, tax and
profit and helps fight illnesses.

Andrew Dischino

Medford