Efficiency

The most efficient way to reform the current marijuana laws would be to legalize the good for recreational use. The government would have to help to regulate the amount a person possesses and the age of the person possessing marijuana. I think that the government should allow a person, 18 years of age or older, to possess up to 3 oz of cannabis for recreational use, because no one has a legitimate reason to possess anymore than that at one time for personal use. However controlling these factors would be much easier and more efficient than spending tax payer’s money, as we currently are doing, to persecute people (overcrowding jails with nonviolent offenders) for breaking the current laws. In exchange the government, and the polis, would profit from the money gained through taxation of marijuana, and from the money saved by freeing our jails of people incarcerated for possession of marijuana charges. The input the government would have to exercise would be even more minimal than they are already exerting, and the output would heavily outweigh the input as it would help our economy that is in much need of funds. The cost to legalize marijuana for recreational use would cut back government income from current fines such as possession of marijuana fines, yet this aspect of cost would be canceled out by the judicial systems acquittal of people currently overcrowding jails due to marijuana charges. The benefit would outweigh the cost, and help the polis, because the funds saved by freeing up our jails could be used towards more important issues such as education.