Marijuana should be our next cash crop. Corn had her turn. Tobacco had his turn. Now it is time for Mary Jane to make her debut.

States like Colorado and Washington have opened their eyes to the endless possibilities that come with the legalization of pot. Let us think about this for a minute. Close your eyes and imagine with me.

If weed was to become legalized, there would be a whole new field for the government to tax, which is great because we are in trillions of dollars in debt. The government should take advantage of this opportunity and place a hefty tax on it. I am thinking around 80 percent. I am no economist, but knowing how many people around me that smoke weed and are addicted to it (they really are), I can concluded that millions of dollars can be produced. Drugpolicy.org concludes that the “estimated annual revenue that California would raise if it taxed and regulated the sale of marijuana [is] $1,400,000,000.”

There are many illegal drugs out there that people still do despite the laws against them. If the government gives the OK to Texas Tea, they can better regulate it and help save some lives from impure strains that people settle for. It is very easy to get your hands on weed, and legalizing it would not make it easier to come back.

The countless (according to drugpolicy.org there are 1.5 million arrested for non-violent drug charges in 2013 alone) “criminals” in our overcrowded jails over kush charges sit in cells that we could use for murderers and rapists. Real criminals with the intent to harm other citizens. The penalty is mindboggling. Trying to keep bud users in check is a waste of policing resources and our money. Drugpolicy.org states that America spends more than $51,000,000,000 annually on the war on drugs. Again, we are wasting money when we could be making money.

If it is a health issue, no deaths by cannabis have been recorded. But her more dangerous siblings, alcohol and tobacco, are legal. Many people die from lung cancer from smoking and drunk-driving crashes in automobiles daily. And let us not even begin to count the overwhelming amount of alcohol poisonings and rapes that are associated with alcohol.

Legalizing Maui Wowie would not make it more readily available to kids. Washington and Colorado have placed the age at 21 and over. That also being said, it is already readily available to kids. Although I have never smoked it, because of religious reasons, I know of several people that I could get hash from.

Looking at all these different factors, the only difference that would occur if Acapulco gold was legal would be the tax and revenue for the government. America, we are only hurting ourselves.

All weed names are from http://luxury.rehabs.com/marijuana-rehab/street-names-and-nicknames/. I am not that acquainted with weed, I promise. I have actually never used marijuana.

I am open to any other opinions regarding this topic, but I am indifferent to whether it is legalized or not. I just wanted to highlight the pros. I am debating whether I should show the cons at a later date.