Recreational drug use dates back to the earliest known humans. This practice is pervasive, problematic, and rife with moral and religious opposition. In this country, you only have to look back less than 100 years to see the first incantation of this debate. Prohibition: “The Noble Experience” was instituted from 1920 to 1933. A moral path, which it was believed at the time would cure all the ills of society. Economically, it was thought that taxpayers would benefit from reduced incarceration, better mental and physical health, and a more productive workforce. I would like to state that in the context of “drugs” I am only talking about marijuana. Legalizing harder substances such as heroin, in my opinion, would not be practical due to their deadly toxicity. Evidence from current cigarette taxes provides the basis for the economic benefits of marijuana legalization. For example, the state of Texas recently increased the cigarette tax to $1 per pack. This generated a net income of over $1.5 BILLION. This represents a considerable change in the current economic climate. The parallel here is this: The packaging, distribution and sale of marijuana cigarettes, much like tobacco, could generate considerable revenue. Numerous studies have concluded that the carcinogens found in cigarettes far exceed those in marijuana. So from a health perspective, marijuana is less harmful than the already legal cigarettes. Furthermore, dictating or encroaching on an individual choice constitutes an attack on personal freedom. “It's not worth a law to prohibit people from willingly exposing their own bodies to harm by using drugs, nor by overeating or bungee jumping. Obesity is a national epidemic, killing millions...... middle of paper ......bh. “Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana.” Buzzle Web Portal: intelligent life on the Web. Internet. February 26, 2011. .Dubner, Stephen J. "What Prohibition Can Teach Us About Marijuana Legalization – and Other Stories from Last Call Author Daniel Okrent – ​​NYTimes.com." Opinion - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com. August 4, 2010. The web. February 26, 2011. Dubner, Stephen J. “On Legalizing Marijuana – or Not – NYTimes.com.” » Opinion - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com. October 30, 2007. The web. February 26. 2011. .