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Marijuana Should Be Legal

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“Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa—the hemp plant” (What is marijuana?) Researchers say, “Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America, behind only alcohol and tobacco, and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans” (About Marijuana). “The main mind-altering chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC” (Marijuana). Marijuana is not harmful to the human body; there has never been a known death because of marijuana. Marijuana is also known as; cannabis, weed, and pot. Why is marijuana illegal if it is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco? "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable …show more content…

Additionally, it should be legal because, while being deadly, tobacco is, while marijuana is not. Some people may believe they should be able to make the decision if they want to get high or not. People know the effects of marijuana and they participate in it. There has never been a known death from marijuana, researchers say. Marijuana is also used for medical purposes. "Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications. These include pain relief, nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia” (Medical …show more content…

Marijuana is illegal because it gives you a high, and being high is considered under the influence. Therefore, if tobacco is legal then marijuana should be too. Some say that both tobacco and marijuana have damaging effects. Those who smoke both cigarettes and marijuana suffer the compound consequences of two different drugs destroying their health simultaneously. Marijuana users are widely viewed as nonproductive drains on society. Cigarette smokers are frowned upon due to the effects of second-hand smoke, the litter caused by discarded cigarette butts and the drain on the health system caused by their addiction things. Marijuana contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke, and thus has the potential to cause cancer. However, Donald Tashkin, M.D., professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, has found that marijuana use is not linked to an increase in lung, head or neck cancers. Tashkin surmises that this is due to a chemical within marijuana that kills off cells before they become

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