Every year without failure, many people seem to get caught with the substance marijuana. Marijuana is a harmless drug used world wide for enjoyment, forgetting all the problems in their everyday life and differences in opinions. “You know, I don't see why I should be the criminal? How can something with no recorded fatalities be illegal? And how many deaths are there per year from alcohol?” These are lyrics from one of System of a Down's songs: Marijuana in Your Brain and it explains exactly how people around the globe feel about the topic. Marijuana should be legalized because its intake is somewhat safer when compared to cigarettes and alcohol. There hasn't been a documentation of any overdosing, legalizing it would save billions of dollars trying to ban it, and it has medical purposes. “Physicians once used it to stimulate appetite, relieve chronic pain, and treat asthma and migraines.”
Tobacco and alcohol are legal, but can cause more damage. Every year there are 3 million deaths due to lung cancer from tobacco use and 40% of deaths are alcohol related. “The consumption of alcohol is also the direct cause of tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year.” “Alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs, and using just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect can lead to death. Marijuana is one of - if not the - least toxic drugs, requiring thousands times the dose one would use to get the desired effect to lead to death. This “thousands times” is actually theoretical, since there has never been a recorded case of marijuana overdose.”
The government has many differences of opinions on this subject. People should have the right to make their own decisions, keeping in mind that they can not be of any danger to themselves, others, or the environment around them. “In Amsterdam, people may visit coffee shops and “designated areas” where smoking pot is legal. Smoking out of these areas is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.” If Amsterdam can keep these laws in check, with a once-in-a-while outbreak; surely America can do the same… or have something of a similar sort.
Prohibition has never worked before in the past. Laws repealed, people finding ways to obtain what has been taken away. There really is no way that any of this; laws, rules, and regulations. “A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded,” Abraham Lincoln, 1840. (urbandictionary.npag) A law in Massachusetts was established prohibiting the sales of spirits in less than 15-gallon quantities. The law was repealed only 2 years later. (albalagh.npag) Prohibition has never worked for banning alcohol. Many laws have been repealed and people always find new ways to obtain what has been taken away. Putting a restriction on something, doesn't mean it's gone for good.
Marijuana has no proven record of causing lung cancer. “The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.” (washingtonpost.npag) Long-term marijuana use is far less harmful than long-term alcohol use. (serendip.npag) There is no convincing scientific evidence that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness in either teenage or adult use. (drugpolicy.npag) Some people experience subconscious distress while high, which may include feelings of panic, anxiety, and paranoia.
Young people that use marijuana are more likely to go on to harsher, dangerous, more addicting drugs. (marijuanaaddiction.npag) Marijuana often gets laced with other substances; therefore people get hooked onto things without trying. Most drugs such as coke are considered party drugs, and uppers. The feeling you get while on it, is indescribable making you want more and to not stop at that.
Legalizing marijuana, of course, has many good and bad points to it. It's a controversial issue, that has parents, school programs, and what not saying “no” and drug dealers saying “yes.”
