According to the federal government, approximately 15 million people use marijuana for recreational purposes at least once a month. In fact, a 2009 national survey indicates that more than 104 million Americans over the age of twelve have tried marijuana at least once. These are overwhelming numbers that cannot be ignored. If each of these people were put in prison, that would be more people than four large states combined! The idea of ​​arresting so many citizens for such a harmless thing is ridiculous. Marijuana should be legalized because it would increase national income, has medical benefits, and is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco. What could our country do with 42 billion dollars? Maybe the US government could feed the poor or make higher education affordable. These are just two of many good causes that require funding from the U.S. government; However, the finances of the United States are still unhealthy. The government has spent many years mismanaging money, with seemingly nowhere to acquire more, but there is one place where the money can be found. In fact, American taxpayers pay about $42 billion a year for current marijuana laws. Instead of taxing citizens for controlling marijuana, the government should tax the sale of marijuana. Taxes on marijuana sales could total more than $6.2 billion! In addition to taxes, legalizing marijuana would create much-needed jobs. The jobs created would then put more money into circulation, providing a huge boost to the economy. Legalizing marijuana has benefits even greater than financial; it can be used for medical purposes. Medicinal marijuana has been explored for many years and is even already legalized in some states. Many doctors, in the middle of the document, did not support the idea of ​​the gateway. Time and time again, they find that the number of people who try marijuana dwarfs the number who try harder drugs. The fact is that there is no “gateway effect”. This argument is one of the most compelling because it requires real thought to dispel. In conclusion, legalizing marijuana makes sense. The U.S. government needs to stop policing all illegal ways of obtaining marijuana and should instead focus on the easier task of controlling and taxing its sale legally. Making marijuana accessible to everyone means more people can enjoy it recreationally and medicinally. Finally, if you can't find a dealer to sell you marijuana, you can't find one to sell you heroin. By removing its illegal status, you keep millions of people away from real dangerous criminals such as drug dealers and drug cartels..