March 26th, 2017

Dear Peers,

Growing up as a child, everyone is told that, “Marijuana is bad for you,” time and time again.
Marijuana in today’s society is a drug that people enjoy and rely on to do their tasks.
Marijuana has been proven to be a positive impact on the American society for many reasons.
“Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn’t the idea of
making nature against the law seem to you a bit … unnatural?”-Bill Hicks. Although the
legalization of marijuana can cure diseases, increase the economy and it is safer than any other
drug.

Marijuana is used to treat and cure many diseases. According to Sanjay Gupta “Marijuana could
greatly reduce the demand for narcotics and simultaneously decrease the number of accidental
painkiller overdoses, which are the greatest cause of preventable death in this country...
Marijuana is a medicine, that should be studied and treated like any other medicine”
(Gupta,2013). This shows that marijuana should be a legalized because it can help treat many
diseases instead of relying on painkillers because many people overdose on them, by using
marijuana as a cure for diseases people wouldn’t be able to overdose on it.However, others
would say that marijuana is a harmful drug and shouldn’t be used as a medicine.According to
Foundation for a Drug-Free World “Short term effects of marijuana is panic,short-term memory
loss, and increased chance of getting a heart attack”.(Short- & Long-Term Effects of Marijuana -
Negative Side Effects of Weed - Drug-Free World,.N.D). Others believe that marijuana is a
harmful drug because it causes damage to your body and it increase your chance of getting a
heart attack so how can it be a medicine to treat diseases if it increases your chance of getting a
heart attack. Even though marijuana causes damage to your body such as, brain damage, it is
safer than any other drugs to treat diseases. In the article it states “More recently, scientists
reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in
certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes. Some animal studies also suggest certain
cannabinoids may slow growth and reduce spread of some forms of cancer”(Marijuana and
Cancer,2017). This shows that marijuana can help stop cancer cells from spreading, it can help
treat cancer. Every drug has their own side effects, but marijuana is not as harmful compared to
others.

Legalizing marijuana will boost revenue in the country’s economy. In the article it says”As
governments struggle with decreased revenue and rising costs, they look for creative ways to
boost income to fund projects, such as new parks and road repairs. For instance, in Colorado,
analysts recommend that taxing the drug could raise millions of dollars each year”(19 Primary
Pros and Cons of Legalizing Weed,2017). This shows that legalizing marijuana will help the
economy which is something this country need, marijuana is a million dollar industry, which
can create jobs for the country.

Marijuana is safer than other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Some have argued that
marijuana is a gateway drug and it cause addiction According Stuart Gitlow, “The evidence
clearly indicates that long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction. Indeed, approximately 9%
of those who experiment with marijuana will become addicted”(Gitlow 2017). However people
can be addictied to marijuna, but nobody has never died from marijuana. In the article it states
"Cannabis is remarkably safe. Despite its use by millions of people over thousands of years,
cannabis has never cause an overdose death." ( Marijuana Legalization and Regulation,2017).
This shows that marijuana should be legalized because it is the most safest drug because nobody
has never died from it compare to other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, thousands of people
died from alcohol and smoking cigarettes. According to the article “ Deaths involving heroin
and/or morphine increased by almost two-thirds between 2012 and 2014, from 579 to 952
deaths”(Overdoseday.com 2017). This shows that marijuna is safer than morphine because
morphine is a drug that is used to treat pain while people still overdose on it,however has never
overdose on marijuna.

In conclusion, how can a country legalize alcohol which kills thousands every year and allowed
tobacco products which kills thousands every year because of cancer. However research has been
proven that marijuana treat cancer. The legalization of marijuna can lead to many breakthroughs
and benefit the society as a whole.

Sincerely, David Porter

 Works Cited
"19 Primary Pros and Cons of Legalizing Weed." ​NYLN.org.​ N.p., 23 June 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2017
"Short- & Long-Term Effects of Marijuana - Negative Side Effects of Weed - Drug-Free World."
Foundation for a Drug-Free World.​ N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
"Top 10 Pros & Cons - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." ​Should marijuana be a medical option?
N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
"Top 10 Pros & Cons - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." ​Should marijuana be a medical option?
N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
Loria, Jennifer Welsh and Kevin. "23 Health Benefits Of Marijuana." ​Business Insider​. Business
Insider, 20 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
"Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." ​Should marijuana be a medical option?​ N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar.
2017.
Bell, Gabriel. "12 Reasons Weed Should Be Legal." ​Heat Street​. N.p., 18 Jan. 2017. Web. 30 Mar.
2017.