Essay 3

I am writing Essay 3 about legalizing marijuana. It’s definitely not the biggest social issue out there today; however, it is an unnecessary focused topic. Since there are much more important things going on I do not understand why so much of the limelight is on penalty for marijuana users. Even if not legalizing it, I do think that less punishment should be considered. Over 68,000 people got arrested just last year and many lost jobs. Is it really that crucial? Marijuana is actually less dangerous than alcohol, cigarettes, and most over-the-counter medicines or prescriptions. Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest substances known to man. Marijuana is illegal in the United States when alcohol poisoning is a major cause of death and approximately 400,000 premature deaths are attributed to cigarettes a year. Being an alcoholic can result in inability to talk, walk, function, and even death. How often do you hear about someone overdosing on marijuana? There are no records of any deaths due to marijuana. Aspirin is completely legal but if you take 12 of them it will be your last headache. In places such as California, people are prescribed marijuana for health purposes, involving anxiety, high blood pressure, nausea suffered by cancer patients, and glaucoma. The government could also benefit from making billions of dollars a year from taxing marijuana, which would help with our country’s huge debt. These are only a few reasons why I believe it should be legalized, or at least less of a penalty.