A hot topic in this day and age that has many United States lawmakers, reformists, and citizens alike battling is the issue of legalizing marijuana. There are many benefits in the legalization of marijuana. There are several organizations throughout the United States that support the legalization of marijuana, including NORML, the Reform party, and many citizens as well. In the United States, marijuana is considered to be a Scheduled I controlled substance. This means the marijuana is considered to be a drug that can be easily abused (www.NORML.com). The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, also known as NORML, has made attempts to get the Drug Enforcement Agency to reschedule marijuana, but have …show more content…
Many people feel that the illegality of marijuana is a blatant violation of human rights that are guaranteed to the citizens of the United States by the constitution. The question that almost always arises when discussing the issue of legalizing marijuana is, "Why are cigarettes and alcohol legal, but not marijuana?" Cigarettes have been found to cause cancer and many other major illnesses and have also been found to be more addictive that Heroin. Cigarettes are also advertised in magazines and are geared to the younger generation who deem them to be "cool." Alcohol has also been shown to be dangerous as well. If overindulged in, alcohol can have several life threatening impacts on the body, including sclerosis of the liver, or liver malfunctioning, which would then require a liver transplant. Alcohol is also extremely dangerous among those who drive. Alcohol related deaths, including drunken driving accidents account for a tremendous number of deaths in the United States. On the other hand, "Marijuana is not a narcotic. Like alcohol, it is not sleep inducing unless taken in large quantities. Unlike tobacco or opiates, it is non addictive (McWilliams,