Twenty three million Americans smoke marijuana on a regular basis. The government spends three billion dollars a year on enforcing the prohibition of the beneficial plant. Yet the prohibition only makes the problem worse by producing a "Black Market", that is profitable to criminals. Prohibition has a negative impact on crime, the U.S. budget, and our adolescents. If alcohol is legal, and prohibition of alcohol proved to be disastrous, why not legalize a plant with redeeming medical value and potential to economical prosperity?
             Many speculate that legalizing marijuana would have a negative impact on the country's economy. Marijuana cultivation is big business in the United States. The retail value of marijuana sales has reached $25 billion annually. Being the fourth largest U.S. cash crop, and the number one cash crop in California and Hawaii, marijuana cultivation is popular for personal use and for business. Marijuana is not only profitable for smoking, but in other industries too. Ten acres of cannabis hemp plants can produce up to five times the amount of paper produced by a ten acre forest of trees. The hemp fiber is woven to make clothing and luggage. Hemp cheeses and hemp lip glosses have also been produced.
             During the prohibition of alcohol during the National Prohibition Act in the 1920's and 30's, crime was on the rise due to illegal trafficking, or in more terms, the "Black Market". And like the prohibition of alcohol, the prohibition of marijuana is not having a notable impact on the popularity of marijuana. Many argue that prohibition will encourage the use of marijuana in adolescents. However, the government does not have control over the sale of marijuana to adolescents, legalizing marijuana to persons over the age of 21 would give the government some control. And because legalized marijuana would be pure hemp, the few adolescents that would obtain the substance would not be e...