Assignment #8- Thinking About Arguments. The $78 Million Bag!

This article explores the many aspects in which government and police officials are wasting time, energey, and money when arresting and prosecuting those for the possession of marijuna. According to this article, it costs  $78 million alone for the possession of marijuna, with an average of $10 million more when considering the growing and selling of marijuna. With problamatic factors dealing with tax increases, layoffs, service cuts, along with other stopgap measures, county commissioner John Fristchey proposes the idea of the legalization of marijana due to the worries of these costs soon arising, along with the doubt that these tabs will soon reduce. With marijuana arrests being the leading cause of arrests within the Chicago Police Department, there has been an annual 23,000 marijana related arrests throughout the past several years, which is the same amount of arrests dealing with assualt and battery arrests COMBINED. With marijuna busts currently consuming more than 84,000 police work hours a year, these arrests are proven to be a waste of time. After prosessing a convicted criminal, court cases which need to be opened average out to cost atleast $2,500 just to be opened. Problem is, nine out of ten court cases involved with the possession of marijana are dropped, still resulting in the loss of money.  What is even more mindblowing is that police officials are usually paid overtime, granted they make a simple five minute appearance at a court case posing as a witness.  Even so, law enforcement has seemed to vary within our county. While some areas are simply ticketed for these offenses, others are arrested. This article stresses the importance of change within our unjust and unfair law unforcement system within Cook County. Ultimately, with 28,000 arrests, it's safe to say Cook County residents are paying at least $70 million a year to arrest and prosecute people caught carrying pot, this is, not inclusing the $8 million more in cost for incarnation.

The reason why I had chosen to select this article dealt with the fact that I see Marijana as an ongoing problem in our society today. I feel that most, if not all peoples have encountered weed at one time or another in there lives, that is why I found myself able to relate to this topic. Because I found myself interested in this topic, I think that I will have an easier time writing my paper.

Also, dealing with the fact that this article discusses a very controversial topic in which Chicago takes part in dealing with marijuana, interested me to chose it. If we are able to legalize marijuana, we will be benefiting ourselves in the longrun. By elimnating the many expenses that we have been forced to pay in result of the arresting of those who take part in the possession of marijuana, we will be benefiting our lives in aspects of jobs, taxes, and etc.