DrugLibrary.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
"DrugFacts: Marijuana." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). N.p., Dec. 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.
Most scientists agree that the toxicity of marijuana has been exaggerated and does not earn it a place in the same drug category as heroin and other heavy drugs (“Marijuana Is Not Addictive). The new market created, coupled with decreased government spending on law enforcement, could help give new life to the dwindling economy. Marijuana should be legalized in the United States because it poses less of a health risk than projected by anti-marijuana activists, could generate billions of dollars while helping combat crime, and opinions on it are changing nationally and internationally, along with its predicted effects on our country. First, the most important aspect of any drug is health. Marijuana, contrary to common beliefs, does not pose a serious health risk.
N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. • "10 Facts About Marijuana." Drug Policy Alliance.
Many states are moving in the direction to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes while a few have casted a ballot to legalize it and create revenue off of it. Legalizing marijuana should be up to the people. Decriminalizing it does not seem to be enough. This means that marijuana would still be illegal but the consequences of using it are not criminal. This still leads to corruption, drug cartels, the black market, and prohibiting the right to make choices.
Truly unknown to society, yet it has the ability to save lives. It has been discriminated due to historical racial issues, and one sided protection of investments. Medicinal marijuana should be legalized because it was outlawed due to corporate greed, it would be a boost to the country's struggling economy, it would help thousands of diseased people and it does not raise the crime rate in the legalized area. To begin with, marijuana has been around for thousands of years and was once a very prominent industry. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp, used hemp as a material and were advocates for the use of hemp.
First medical marijuana can help ease pains from diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. According to a BBC News article, “It is not going to cure the disease, but it will do a lot to alleviate the pain and suffering of people with rheumatoid arthritis” (“Cannabis Drug”). Allowing marijuana to take the place of the other drugs is a great direction. Marijuana is grown in the ground not created by scientist to help ease pain. According to the same BBC news article, “Cannabis is probably less harmful than other available painkillers” (“Cannabis Drug”).
However, marijuana is one of the most misunderstood drugs on the market. Keeping it illegal just causes more problems. Fully legalizing marijuana, while making sure it is controlled with limitations much like alcohol and tobacco, would boost our economy, bring in more jobs, and medically help many people. Even with the inevitable negatives that come with the legalization, it is definitely safe to say that the positives outweigh those negatives. The source for what we like to call “hemp” or “marijuana” is the cannabis plant.
Works Cited "10 Facts About Marijuana." Drugpolicy.org. Drug Policy Alliance, 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
29 Oct. 2013. Savage, Charlie. “Administration Weighs Legal Action Against States That Legalized Marijuana Use.” Editorial. New York Times. New York Times, 6 Dec. 2012.