Legalize The Weed

Marijuana is the flower of the cannabis plant, and if smoked, gives the smoker an euphoric high, but really has much more to offer than just the high. Using marijuana and the growing of hemp are presently illegal in the United States, with the exception of medicinal uses in some states. The legalization of marijuana has many advantages including for simple personal enjoyment, the usage of hemp and its by-products, and medicinal purposes.
Why should marijuana be illegal when people just use it to help themselves enjoy their lives more? Tobacco and alcohol are both used, and abused for the same reasons, but with many more negative side effects than pot. "Government's surveys indicate more than 70 million Americans have smoked marijuana at some point in their lives, and that 18-20 million have smoked during the last year" (Rose, 1). Marijuana has no solid negative effects, and "the U.S National Institute of Drug Abuse's bureau of mortality statistics report that per year there are zero deaths caused by marijuana. In comparison tobacco causes 400,000 deaths, where alcohol causes 100,000" (Rose, 1). People generally believe that marijuana is addicting, but "marijuana is not a narcotic and is not a mentally or physically addicting drug. One can use mild cannabis preparations such as marijuana in small amounts for years without physical or mental deterioration" (Adams 1). People who smoke marijuana feel relaxed and sociable, tend to laugh a great deal, and lose the sense of time. Those under the influence of marijuana also do show loss of coordination and have an impaired ability to perform skilled acts. As long as people don't drive, or operate heavy machinery, these effects although maybe not positive, are certainly not negative. It should be up to the individual if they want to enjoy marijuana. America is supposed to be a free country, where everyone has basic human rights, including privacy. What happened to the Declaration of Independence speaking of every citizen's right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?" If the United States is to be persuasive in promoting freedom in other parts of the world, it must respect the privacy of it's own citizens.
Why is a plant that was proclaimed by Popular Mechanics magazine to have the potential to be manufactured into more than 25,000 different environmentally friendly...

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...as LSD" (Adams 2).
One final negative aspect of legalizing marijuana is that many people claim there will be an increase in the amount of people who use and try it. That is simply not true. There is some evidence suggesting that drug use under a relaxed system might not increase at all, for example, "Many states have removed the penalties for marijuana possession that were on the books in the 1950's and 1960's. The change occurred during a reform movement that swept the nation in the mid 1970's. Yet in spite of the less stringent laws, studies show that the use of marijuana in the affected states has, after an initial increase, declined. Although marijuana became easier to use (from a legal standpoint), it also became less popular" (Adams 2).
With all these benefits, why is marijuana still illegal. The positive effects of legalization clearly outweigh the negative effects. Think of how many things would benefit if marijuana was legal: the economy, trees, unemployment, the national debt, and people who need that extra help to relax and have a good time. We should take advantage of what the plant has to offer, and stop trying to prevent a couple of kids getting high.