Although the government spends $8.7 billion each year to enforce marijuana, it is prevalent in the lives of a surprising number of Americans. According to U.S. government data, tens of millions of Americans regularly use marijuana, and arrests of Americans on simple possession charges total 750,000 each year. It is hard to believe that the law would ban this non-toxic drug with such a high rate of use. The annual use of this illegal, non-toxic drug by 36.3 million Americans means that prohibition isn't slowing anyone down. With little evidence demonstrating the negative impact of legalization or harm from marijuana use, it is difficult to understand why marijuana is still illegal. In a struggling economy, it appears that cutting $7.7 billion is a top priority for the government. Not only is the government spending a large amount of taxpayer dollars by failing to enforce marijuana regulations, but it is also denying us a valuable natural resource. Hemp is a strong, durable fiber that comes from the cannabis plant. According to Wikipedia, the type of cannabis plant that produces hemp is the Sativa variety, which has a much lower level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) than the Indica variety, commonly used for recreational purposes. The ban on growing all types of cannabis plants in the United States is depriving us of hemp's many uses, including paper, fuel and food. In an age where being “green” is a concern, it seems that enabling the growth of “the Earth's major renewable natural resource” (Herer, 2000, p. 3) would also be a top priority for the government. With the need for the United States to save money and the need for a greener planet, there is one important point overlooked by lawmakers, the legalization of... middle of paper... There are more arrests, more marijuana seizures and increased of power. Legalizing marijuana would reduce importation and increase growth in the United States by producing jobs and strengthening the economy. With the legalization of marijuana comes a $14 billion swing in our economy, the elimination of a marijuana black market, and a great resource to help save our environment. Works Cited Miron, J. (n.d.). http://prohibitioncosts.org/MironReport.pdf. The budgetary implications of marijuana prohibition. Retrieved July 9, 2011, from http://www.prohibitioncosts.orgWood, E., Werb, D., Fischer, B., Hart, C., Wodak, A., Bastos, F.I., et al. (n.d.). Debate tools: US federal government data on cannabis prohibition. International Center for Drug Science and Policy - ICSDP. Retrieved July 9, 2011, from http://www.icsdp.org/research/publications/toolsfordebate.aspx