The majority of Americans have been exposed to or have heard of marijuana. Marijuana is a common drug among all age groups of Americans. It was once legal and still popular. The American government and citizens have now raised the question of whether this party drug, known to relax the body and mind, should be legalized in the United States (“What are the pros and cons of using marijuana” para. 1). Marijuana is made from the dried leaves of a hemp plant called cannabis sativa. Already legal for medicinal use in California and Arizona, many are trying to make marijuana available to all Americans of age. The debate over the legalization of marijuana has been ongoing within the government for several years. The reason this issue has been so difficult to resolve is that there are a multitude of arguments supporting both sides of the debate. Money plays an important role in supporting the legalization of marijuana. Possession of marijuana as a crime costs taxpayers billions of dollars. This money goes into drug advertising and action plans, law enforcement, and also into all the money spent to keep all marijuana-related drug offenders in the prison system (Libertarian Party 7). It might be better used to work against drugs more harmful than marijuana such as crack, cocaine, LSD or heroin. These drugs pose a greater health threat than marijuana (Libertarian Party 7).2 Health issues are also an important consideration when arguing that marijuana should be legalized. There is never any guarantee on the contents of marijuana purchased from dealers. It is likely that marijuana may contain many other substances that are even worse for your health (Libertarian Party 4). If the government had control of marijuana production, the need for drug dealers would be eliminated and the product consumers would receive would be purer (“What are the pros and cons of using marijuana”). Government control of marijuana would offer many other benefits. The cost of marijuana would be much lower if the government controlled its sale. Drug dealers usually charge very high prices for marijuana to satisfy their greed. If marijuana were legalized, users would purchase marijuana from the government. It would be easier for the government to keep marijuana out of the reach of minors and eliminate the influence of the black market.