Make Marijuana Legal!!

....Marijuana should be legalized.... 
That is about as bluntly as anyone can put it. 
But just to help everyone see the truth, here are some reasons why! 

1) Marijuana use is less harmful and risky than the use of alcohol, tobacco, and many nonprescription drugs. It is the safest (currently) illegal drug. Marijuana is much less addictive than tobacco or alcohol. This is one reason why most people that smoked it in the 70's were able to quit easily and not become "addicts". Marijuana isn't even physically addicting, unlike both alcohol and nicotine. 
 
"Marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume"- US Department of Justice 



2) Legalization of marijuana would cut down on crime. Because marijuana is illegal, it is difficult to manufacture, and is expensive, so users often have to turn to crime to sustain their habit. Legalization would drive the price down and alleviate this problem. Currently, much of the crime that goes on is a result of territory disputes between dealers. Legalization of marijuana would hurt organized crime as a whole. If marijuana was legal, the entire infrastructure of organized crime involved in its manufacturing and distribution would lose any reason for existence because marijuana would be legally produced and sold at a much cheaper price by legitimate companies. Police officers and suspected informants often face retribution by gangs and drug dealers. Legalization of marijuana would simply eliminate the need for dealers and put a stop to all this. Legalization would cut down on corruption in the law enforcement, the government. Officials will no longer be tempted into accepting bribes, and pocketing large amounts of drug money. 


3) Legalization would free up resources to fight legitimate crimes. It would end prison overcrowding, as many prisoners are sitting in jails for drug-related convictions. It would free up the court system and the police and allow them to concentrate on other crimes. Fighting marijuana-related "crimes" is costing us tax money. 


4) Legalizing marijuana would make it safer for users. One of the main reasons why marijuana is unsafe right now is because it isn't regulated, and its quality isn't monitored by anyone. When people buy marijuana, they don't know for sure what they're getting or where it's been. By legalizing, the goverment could safely control the potency of distributed marijuana. 


5) The government has no right to interfere with people's personal freedom as it is currently doing. Smoking marijuana only has the potential to hurt the health of the user. An individual should have the right to choose to use it. People are allowed to skydive, and drive cars. There are risks in those and many other activities, but the government isn't regulating them. Sure, smoking marijuana does put others at minimal risk through second hand smoke and the user's actions towards others, but this is also valid for alcohol and tobacco. This is why driving while stoned should remain illegal. 

6) It can help stop suffering from many medical conditions. Marijuana helps increase appetite for cancer patients and could possibly help those with eating disorders. Children are even currently given a pill form of THC for conditions such as ADD and ADHD. 


Many people are lead by the goverment to believe that marijuana causes the user to become violent. I believe that even though it may have different effects depending on the person, marijuana smoking usually causes the user to become extremely mellow. I, along with many others, believe that smoking herb is good for the soul and meditation purposes. Smoking it could even end local and global confilcts.