Marijuana Legalization

The question, whether to legalize marijuana or not, is not an easy one to answer. There are many arguments on both sides of the debate. When weighing the pros and cons, it becomes slightly more evident that this drug has unjustly gotten a bad rap. It is easy to say that the drug does terrible things and site numerous examples, however, when compared to other drugs it is easy to see that marijuana is not quite as bad as many people say. Lots of research has been done on the effects of marijuana and other drugs and the results are fairly overwhelming. While there are negative effects, they hardly compare to the negative effects of many other drugs. There could be many benefits to the legalization of marijuana, some obvious, and some not so much. In June 2005 procon.org did a study comparing deaths due to drugs from 1997 to 2005 with the

data obtained directly from the FDA. The drugs included in the study included marijuana and 17 other FDA

approved legal drugs given in place of marijuana for many different ailments. Some of the drugs in the

study included the popular prescription drugs Viagra, Ritalin, Lithium, Adderall, and Zofran. The study

showed deaths due directly from the drug and deaths where the drug helped contribute to the death.

Marijuana directly caused zero deaths while the other 17 drugs used in place of marijuana directly caused

over 10,000 deaths, with each drug being responsible for between 3 and 4,540 deaths. The results of the

study speak for themselves. A former U.S. surgeon general once wrote "Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose." (Joycelyn Elders, MD

2004.) Another major argument for the legalization of marijuana is that outlawing it intrudes on our personal freedoms. While it is the duty of the government to protect its citizens from harmful substances and conditions, countless studies have proved that it is no more harmful