This is the pro argument on legalizing marijuana in the state of Maryland. To view the con click here.

Americans are getting addicted to the idea of legalized marijuana. The federal government should decriminalize it and states like Maryland should move towards legalization.

Recreational marijuana was legalized in two states in last month’s election.  However, it is still illegal under federal law and in every other state. The federal and state governments refuse to acknowledge they are wasting time, money, and resources, and refuse to see the upside to legalizing marijuana.

Every police department, every district attorney’s office, and some federal agencies waste some form of manpower, taxpayer money, and resources to find, arrest, and convict users of recreational marijuana.

This does no good.  In fact, it’s causing more harm than good. Otherwise law abiding citizens, many of them young, have their lives ruined by run-ins with the law because of marijuana.

Too much time and money is being spent to put away petty, non-violent offenders.  Instead of continuing to make marijuana a taxpayer money pit that sucks up governmental resources, make it a revenue creating machine.

If the legalization of recreational marijuana took place in more states, the local, state, and federal governments’ tax revenues could potentially go through the roof.  Each ounce of pot and all drug paraphernalia could be taxed. That is billions of dollars that can be added to the government’s income.

The government has an opportunity to stop wasting money trying to fix a problem that will never go away and create an enormous amount of revenue at the same time. This is money that can be used for more important things like stopping dangerous crime, improving education, and improving infrastructure.

Maryland needs to stop tripping out and look at the cold hard facts. The economic benefits to legalizing marijuana far outweigh any negative side effects.

Bryan Doherty is an Opinion Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.