Marijuana should be legalized for both recreational and medicinal use because the U.S. economy can benefit significantly from legalization in addition to creating an influx of jobs and also reducing street and gang-related disputes to marijuana. Furthermore, marijuana should be legalized because it has been treated unfairly by society and is rightly safer than most know it to be. First, marijuana should be legalized in the United States for both recreational and medicinal purposes because a very substantial profit can be made from it. By imposing a tax on marijuana, similar to what the government has done with various alcohol and tobacco products, the U.S. government can use America's largest crop to its advantage. Perhaps plans could even be developed to use this tax to begin paying down the $16 trillion in debt the United States has accumulated. Furthermore, such a tax could be applied from state to state, allowing for competition and keeping the economy moving. As well as creating more jobs in every state as a result of legalization. The result is a potential chain reaction: Legalization in all states results in a tax from which the government can profit, as well as increased competition among businesses and an influx of new jobs; National debt and unemployment go down, the economy grows. In an exclusive interview with CNN and John Hudak, the editor of the Fixgov blog said that 2014 is a "wait and see" year when asked if he thought states other than Colorado and Washington would legalize marijuana for recreational use. Hudak also commented on “marijuana tourism,” or the influx of people traveling to Colorado to purchase marijuana “It has to have a real impact on those local economies…If marijuana tourism can become a thing….. . of paper… for recreational use “could take a step forward in legalizing for medicinal purposes” http://www.balancedpolitics.org/marijuana_legalization.htm This is simply a list of pros and cons as to why or why marijuana. It should not be legalized.The strongest and most common argument of those who oppose legalization is that marijuana is a “gateway drug” that will lead users to use harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin in the future. Arguments of those who support legalization are that, when used in moderation, marijuana is no more harmful than alcohol or tobacco. Furthermore, a strong argument is the exceptional fact that no person has been killed due to the use of marijuana alone and the benefit that states could potentially gain from imposing a tax on marijuana and whether use of the drug is “morally wrong” have also been raised on both sides of the debate.