The legalization of marijuana has become an increasingly popular topic of debate in society with "sentiment in favor of legalization [increasing] by 20 [percentage] points in one little more than a decade,” providing support for legalization. at 52% (Dionne and Galston). The most common arguments in favor of reforming current legislation are: its enforcement wastes public resources, taxation may provide a new source of revenue, and the enforcement of current laws is discriminatory (Dionne and Galston). It is necessary to examine the impact on key stakeholders by analyzing the various disadvantages and advantages through the application of ethical theories of utilitarianism and deontology, in order to determine the solution that will result in the best possible outcome. legalizing marijuana, it is necessary to understand the context of the issue and identify the most important stakeholders. In the 1930s, many states began banning the substance; Ironically, California was the first of these states (Rendon). In 1937, the federal government banned the substance, driving its growth and sale underground (Rendon). In 1970, President Nixon declared the substance a Schedule I substance, indicating that the substance has "a high potential for abuse" and "no currently accepted medical use" (Controlled Substances Act). The federal government has clarified that for marijuana to have accepted medical use, it must "be subject to the same rigorous clinical trials and scientific review that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) applies to all other new drugs." (“Answers to frequently asked questions”). Questions Asked About Marijuana"). There are many stakeholders in an ethical dilemma of this magnitude, who......middle of document......says that legalization does not result in the best outcome possible; the best solution would instead be to decriminalize marijuana and legalize medical marijuana. This solution is not only more feasible than full legalization, but can also be considered the most ethical solution. of the benefits of legalization while significantly reducing many of the risks The changes we see in the future on this issue "will be shaped by whether the various experiments with legalization, decriminalization, and medical marijuana are considered successful." successes or failures” (Dionne and Galston The nature of ethics makes it clear that there is never a set course of action to follow, but only through deliberation and analysis using theories). ethical, we are capable of producing the best solution given the circumstances..