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Why Legalize Marijuana

In: Social Issues

Submitted By ruzgra
Words 2073
Pages 9
Rodolfo Ruz
Professor Eric Shockley
English Composition 164
12 December 2013
Why Legalize Marijuana?
A Complete Overview of the Benefits
Marijuana, the most illegal drug consumed in the United States, “more than 18 million Americans consumed it” (White House, 2013). Furthermore, a recent study showed that 42% of Americans aged 12 and older had consumed the drug (White House, 2013). Nevertheless, why is marijuana illegal? And what would happen if it gets legalize. Marihuana can bring health, economics, and social benefits to our society. Thus is why Marijuana should be legal.
At the beginning marijuana was introduced to United States by Mexican immigrants, who were working in farms and factories as laborers (Zimmer, Lynn). This new migration wave scared some of the conservatives groups in America, because of the cheap labor that Mexicans represented. Many of those Mexicans immigrants used to smoked marijuana, therefore, some people picked this as an excuse to ban it. It was not only banned because of its effects, it was criminalized to isolate and discriminate different races than the Caucasian. So, one of the main excuses to banned marijuana was fear towards Mexicans, Hispanics and other races. As we can see in a letter from the editor of the Alamosa Daily Courier, in south-central Colorado that was used as an official testimony for the Act that banned marijuana,
“I wish I could show you what a small marihuana cigarette can do to one of our degenerate Spanish-speaking residents. That’s why our problem is so great; the greatest percentage of our population is composed of Spanish-speaking persons, most of who are low mentally because of social and racial conditions.” (Kopel, David).
Marijuana was the scapegoat of Harry J. Anslinger, who saw this as an outstanding career opportunity to create the Bureau of Narcotics (currently the DEA). Anslinger knew that

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