Up in Smoke

There are currently 17 states along with the District of Columbia that allow for the legal use of medical marijuana. Aside from cancer patients, I don't fully believe in the use of marijuana as a medical drug to treat patients, but I do believe that marijuana should be legalized and taxed as a recreational drug like alcohol. I find the idea that marijuana is dangerous or somehow worse than alcohol or tobacco to be ludicrous. I think the idea that marijuana leads to other drugs has been built up by society by throwing marijuana into a category of illegal drugs that includes much harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. If marijuana was legal it would most likely eventually be accepted like alcohol. Today, alcohol is advertised all around us and generally accepted by everyone, but at one time it was illegal and not accepted.  Marijuana is a much more mild drug, it is impossible to overdose on marijuana, and I find it to be closer to tobacco.

There could potentially be many positive effects of legalizing marijuana. Aside from recreational use, cannabis can be used  to make all kinds of products. Police and other government officials could focus more on serious crimes. Marijuana can lead to young people that are not true criminals being classified as criminals. Taxing marijuana sales would also help the government raise money to fight the budget deficit.

Overall, I find limiting the use of drugs to be an intrusion of my personal freedom and it should be legal.