The legalization of marijuana is important because, if it were legalized it could be taxed and it would GREATLY help our states economy and reduce drug related crimes. The United States spends billions of dollars annually on the war on drugs. If the government were to legalize marijuana, it could reasonably place high taxes on it because people are used to buying marijuana at high prices created by the risks of selling marijuana illegally. It could be sold at a convenient store just like a pack of cigarettes for less than someone would pay now, but still yield a high profit because of easy growing requirements. An entire industry could be created out of hemp based products. The oils extracted from the seeds could be used for fuels and the hemp fiber, a fiber valued for its strength that it is used to judge the quality of other fibers, could be manufactured into ropes, clothing, or paper. Most importantly, the money the government would make from taxes could be used for more important things, such as serious drugs or the national debt. We spend $44 billion a year fighting the war on drugs. If they were legal, governments would realize about $33 billion a year in tax revenue. Net swing of $77 billion. Marijuana has been used in medicine  for thousands of years in many countries worldwide and is documented as far back as 2700 BC. Its value to the medical world outweighs its potential abuse, and because of its importance to the paper and clothing industries.Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.For marijuana to be illegal in the United States when alcohol poisoning is a major cause of death in this country and approximately 400,000 premature deaths are attributed to cigarettes annually. Even though these effects occur only under an extreme amount of alcohol consumption, the fact is smoking extreme amounts of marijuana will do nothing more than put someone to sleep, while drinking excessive amounts of alcohol will kill someone.