Legalization of Marijuana - Paper

Abraham Lincoln once said "Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes.” The prohibition of marijuana (also referred to herein as “pot” and “weed”) has proven to be a failure and a waste of resources. This prohibition has hurt society more than it has helped.
The legalization of marijuana will generate enormous tax revenue; reduce crime rates, along with law enforcement, court, and jail system expenses; and give sick patients access to an effective medication.   The current system in place is filled with inconsistencies. For example, it is pretty ironic that in some states obtaining a license to use weed medicinally is pretty easily obtainable, where in other states (just miles away) it is considered an illegal possession charge under any circumstance. These are not, however, the main reasons for why marijuana should be decriminalized and more importantly legalized. The simple act of smoking marijuana is a victimless crime. When it is used for its actual intent, smoking marijuana does not endanger anybody in society. The use of the herb, marijuana should be legalized and decriminalized because it is ethically and logistically impractical to continue with our current system.
The current war on marijuana usage has been exceptionally expensive and largely ineffective. There are big issues here, issues of economy and simple justice, especially on the sentencing side. As crime-specialist Charlie Webb pointed out in a story in Parade Magazine, the U.S. is, by far, the most "criminal" country in the world, with 5% of the world's population and 25% of its ‘prisoners’.
We spend $68 billion per year on our corrections system, and one-third of those being incarcerated are serving time for nonviolent drug crimes. We spend about $150 billion on policing and courts, and 47.5% of all drug arrests are marijuana-related. That is so much money being spent on...