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Thomas McGovern Mrs. Filosa English 12 21 March 2014 The Legalization of Marijuana Drugs have largely been viewed with fear and disgust by society, and rightly so. Certain drugs do horrible things to people. They can make one lose their self control, see things that aren’t there, damage the mind, deteriorate the body, and cause a dependency in the user that utterly consumes them. But while this is the case for many drugs, it is in no way universal. This is the case of Marijuana, which has long been subject to the same treatment as other, illegal, drugs and, despite it’s many benefits, is currently illegal in The Greater United States. Marijuana is not only less dangerous than other drugs, legal or otherwise, but provides many medical benefits. And yet, someone in The United States found using or possessing the substance can face harsh jail time. Marijuana should be legalized because it would provide medical benefits, help the economy, and it is no more harmful than other legal substances. A term often flung about in opposition of Marijuana is “Gateway Drug.” A term that, of all arguments against Marijuana Legalization, has had one of the most demonizing effects. What people mean when they throw this shock term around is that Marijuana itself isn’t horribly dangerous, a rather conservative admission in the face of overwhelming facts, it sets one along the path to harder, more dangerous drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and/or methamphetamine. And, in truth, yes, most who find themselves addicted to the aforementioned harder drugs often started with Marijuana. But, as eloquently stated by Maia Szalavitz, “...correlation isn’t cause. Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang members are probably more 104 times more likely to have ridden a bicy... ... middle of paper ... ...ana is legalized for recreational use. Marijuana can help people. It can help cure illness, and at the very least can be vital in alleviating suffering, as it has for those like young Charlotte Figi, whose constant, life threatening seizures were calmed with the plant (Young). Marijuana can help the world out of the economic rut it has found itself in. It might not fix everything, but it could be a huge leap in right direction, as it has been in places such as Colorado, where, in a mere month after it became available legally, the state made over $1 million in taxes alone, and predict that they’ll $100 million annually (Mundahl par. 2-3). And yet, laws against marijuana, criminalizing it, exist. These laws were founded many years ago based upon nothing but ignorance and fear, and ignorance and fear remain the only true reasons why marijuana is illegal today.