Marijuana, a Path to Crime Reduction or Not

Ever since I learned about the affects of marijuana I immediately wanted to know more. In the sixth grade I was taught what it was in a classroom. I was taught that it was a bad and it should never be used. But there are facts and proof that show the exact opposite. In the Netherlands marijuana is tolerated and in result only 9.5% of young adults which is about 6.4 million people(ages 15-34) use it. In the United States where marijuana is only legal in some states for medicinal purposes has a consumption rate of 41.7% (according to http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/druguse/)  which is about 128.5 million people. 

These facts are interesting, in one place it is acceptable to smoke marijuana and have a less rate of consumption and in the other it is illegal and has a higher rate of consumption. The mission for the Dutch government is to 1) To prevent recreational drug user and treat the recreational drug users 2) To reduce harm to users  3) To diminish public nuisance by drug users (the disturbance of public order and safety) 4) To combat the production and trafficking of recreational drugs. In the United State we have something called the war on drugs. Which was issued by Richard Nixon in 1971, this created the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). According to the U.S.  Bureau of Justice Statistics crime rates have sky rocketed ever since the war on drugs was declared. The job the DEA has is to reduce drug trafficking from the source, from the border, and inside the country. They also enforce drug policies that have been placed by the U.S., State, and Local governments which outlaw marijuana and other drugs/narcotics.
 
When prohibition came to affect in 1920 it created a black market for alcohol which made crime rates go up.If crime rates go up than there are more people in prison. More people in prison means more prisons built and more money spent to hire staff and basic necessities. Marijuana has been fought against ever since the proposal Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act in 1935 which was intended to safe guard ane regulate all narcotics including marijuana. Haven't we learned our lesson during prohibition?  Marijuana has more than just one purpose, it has another. It is a safe eco friendly alternative to paper. You can make paper from hemp which is from marijuana. It will can reduce CO2 emissions because it take less machinery and energy to cut marijuana than paper. It also gives the world more oxygen because of more trees being built which means habitats and more national parks. There are so much more facts and evidence that proves my point. You can't ignore these facts, you just can't.

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