The Ethical Issues of Legalizing Marijuana Essay

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Did you know that about half of the population in the United States belongs in gaol. harmonizing to the jurisprudence on marihuanas? It’s true. In 2008 Time Magazine reported that research workers had found more than 42 % of people surveyed in the United States had tried marihuanas at least one time ( Lynch. 2008 ) . So if marijuana usage is so common in the United States. why should it non be legalized? In this paper I will discourse both the supporting and opposing places on the legalisation of marihuana. I will besides research the moral and ethical positions for legalising marihuana.

Utilitarianism is the moral philosophy that we should ever move to bring forth the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions ( Shaw & A ; Barry. 62 ) . Many protagonists of marihuana would reason that by legalising marihuana it would cut down the offense rate. which at the terminal of the twenty-four hours would be better for everyone. Crime and force are greatly increased due to the illegal merchandising and purchasing of marihuana. If we legalized marijuana. it would stop the demand for such condemnable behaviour. like marihuana smuggling. distribution. gross revenues. ownership and use.

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Annually there is about 12 billion dollars spent on constabulary officers. DEA. etc. . tracking down and penalizing marihuana users ( Prislac. 2009 ) . This money could be spent on more utile plans. such as Social Security or even more of import felons ; terrorists. The opponent side would reason that if we legalized marihuana it would really increase our offense rate because there would be no ordinance. There would be more people out at that place perpetrating offenses because their judgement is impaired and they could non do rational determinations.

One of the biggest statements against legalising marihuana is that it impairs one’s judgement. which is frequently so compared to that of intoxicant. The easiest manner to compare these two drugs is to look at the sum of human deaths linked to driving under the influence of intoxicant to that of marihuana. Harmonizing to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2009 out of the 33. 808 people that died in traffic clangs. an estimated 10. 839 people died in alcohol-impaired drive clangs ( Fars. 2010 ) .

A Time Magazine article reported that a new survey found 44. 000 U. S. drivers involved in a fatal single-vehicle auto clang between 1998 and 2009. Of those 44. 000 drivers. 25 % tested positive for drug usage ; the most common drugs being marihuana. cocaine and pep pills ( Melnick. 2011 ) . This means on norm ( between 1998 and 2009 ) there were about 1. 000 U. S. drivers that tested positive for drug usage who were involved in single-vehicle auto clangs. Ethical relativism says that right and incorrect are merely a map of what a peculiar society takes to be right and incorrect ( Shaw & A ; Barry. 11 ) .

Merely based away of the information reported in this paragraph. I would state that intoxicant should be a banned substance before marihuanas To research the economic benefits of marijuana legalisation we must first expression at the sum of marihuana that is purchased by users. The White House Office of National Drug Policy reported that between 1988 and 1995. Americans spent approximately 7 billion dollars on the illegal substance. averaging about a billion dollars a twelvemonth ( Prislac. 2009 ) . This means that yearly there is a billion dollars out at that place that is capable to no gross revenues revenue enhancement.

The national norm for gross revenues revenue enhancement is 5 % . so if you calculate the billion dollars being spent on marihuana. this means there is about 50 million dollars in gross revenues revenue enhancement that our authorities ne’er gets their custodies on ( Prislac. 2009 ) . By legalising marihuana it would besides excite the occupation market in our economic system. There would be more occupations created for production. distribution. and the sale of marihuana. The opposing position of this statement is that it would besides extinguish many occupations for constabulary officers. DEA members. and many other authorities functionaries.

It would be argued that there would be no addition in the occupation market. if we are still taking so many occupations away by legalising marihuana. For all of the societal. economic. and ethical logical thinking I believe marihuana should be legalized. Socially. legalising marihuana would cut down the offense rate. Economically. it would better authorities gross and excite the economic system. Ethically. in a utilitarianism society. we should ever seek and bring forth the most good for our society. There are ever traveling to be two sides of this statement. but I think the positive effects it would hold in our society would greatly outweigh the negative effects.

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