Should marijuana be legal? This question has a pretty simple answer to it. The answer is no, marijuana should not be legal.

The battle that began with the California Proposition 215 in 1996 continues over a decade later as Proposition 19. Proposition 19 allows for the farming of and smoking of the plant marijuana.

Proposition 19 is “a vote to see if we want to legalize,” marijuana in California stated Nathan Locke. So far, the poll has been controversial. The votes could go either way.

Why? Well let’s start with the first obvious reason, the economy. Many people like Nicole Lundburg thinks that Marijuana is a good thing because it will “stimulate the economy.”

However, if marijuana is legalized it will effect the economy badly.

Marijuana “is a mind altering substance,” stated Kyle Wells. It makes people lazy.

“[It] makes people very content with mediocrity in their lives. It takes away their motivation to better themselves,” said Mike Janus.

According to the Initiative, “100 million Americans acknowledged that they have used [marijuana]”. If 100 million people are lazy and mediocre from smoking, think about how many more will smoke if the bill is passed. Think about all those people on welfare. Guess who pays for that? Taxpayers pay for the welfare system. Money wouldn’t circulate as well because people would spend less due to the tax increase and the economy would suffer.

Taxes would pay for another thing as well. If this bill is passed than the government will be regulating the sales and transportation of the drugs. Our taxes would be used to pay for the marijuana. Would you like to be taxed for recreational drugs?

A reason for keeping it illegal is safety issues.

Many people like Locke think that Marijuana is “not a very bad drug.”

Just like alcohol “[marijuana] is a mind altering substance,” Kyle Wells stated.

It’s as if people haven’t noticed all the deaths attributed to alcohol. 40,000 people get hit by drunk drivers every year. The last thing we need are intoxicated drivers. Police can’t measure marijuana like they can measure alcohol.  How will they know if a person has consumed enough marijuana to make them incapable of driving? Another safety issue should be considered. What if your doctor was a Marijuana addict? Would you want an intoxicated doctor to prescribe drugs to you? As it is, 250,000 people die every year due to error in hospitals and bad drug combinations. We don’t need more deaths due to marijuana.

 “Why don’t we legalize theft too?” stated Janus.

If thieves were released from jail than there would be robberies all over the country. To release people from jail who were willing to commit an illegal act through the consumption of marijuana, would be like telling them that it is ok to commit crimes in general. It’s like putting a cookie in front of a kid and telling him not to eat it.

“Cigarettes and alcohol have done enough to society. Let’s not add another one to the mix,” Janus stated.

There are enough problems with society as it is without drugs like marijuana. Alcohol and cigarettes have caused plenty of problems on their own. Marijuana will simply add to the chaos that alcohol and cigarettes have created. The crime rates will rise and good people will pay for it.