ID:NL31675A:IssueAmong new reports indicating that the economic cost of lost productivity resulting from drug-related incarcerations is considerably higher than the cost associated with drug use, This brief aims to communicate our findings regarding the social and economic benefits of federal decriminalization of marijuana. Describing the Problem In 2010, the U.S. federal government spent more than $15 billion fighting the war on drugs, at a rate of approximately $500 per second (Miron & Waldock, 2010). The number of people incarcerated for nonviolent crimes increases every decade, with 50,000 behind bars in 1980 and over 400,000 in 1997 (Drug Policy Alliance, 2013). Drug-related crimes disproportionately account for more than half of inmates held in federal prisons, and currently, more than 1 million people are incarcerated each year for nonviolent drug crimes, with marijuana arrests accounting for more than 700,000 incarcerations each year (Hill , 2013). Figure 1. State and Federal Prisoners for Crime (2010)Note. Excerpted from “The American Prospect,” by Paul Waldman, August 2013. This is an inherent problem that has cost Americans billions of tax dollars. In 2000 alone, Americans spent $40 billion on jails and prisons, $24 billion of which was used to incarcerate. 1.2 million nonviolent offenders (Schiraldi, Holman & Beatty, 2000). Additionally, states together spent approximately $3.6 billion enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010, but failed to capitalize on the potential tax revenue (Bradford, 2013). What needs to be done? The US federal government must pass legislation that decriminalizes the possession and cultivation of marijuana by implementing a permit. Conclusion, federal decriminalization of marijuana could be a tall order for politicians and legislators to fund, write, and pass; However, as the United States continues to slide in global education rankings (Chappell, 2013), leads the world in incarceration rates (Vicini, 2006), and accumulates trillions of dollars in debt (US Debt Clock, 2014), revenue Taxes from marijuana distribution appear to be an excellent source of revenue for the government. As a record 58% of the population supports legalization and research continues to highlight the medicinal and recreational benefits of marijuana, tough politics emerges as the biggest obstacle to decriminalization and ultimately full legalization of marijuana. The proposed policy recommendations address all of these issues and should be implemented immediately.