For many years people have been debating over marijuana. If it’s safe. If it should be legalized. Even if they should just take it once at a party to see how it feels. There’s nothing wrong with debating, it’s just voicing your opinion on something. Opinions aren't always right, though, and this paper is going to say why marijuana should be legalized not just for medical use, but for recreational use as well.

First off, marijuana doesn't harm people, especially in comparison to alcohol. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) reports more than 37,000 annual U.S. deaths are from alcohol use alone, while they don’t even have a category for deaths caused by marijuana. Also, there have been hundreds of deaths caused by alcohol overdoses, while there has never been a known death caused by a marijuana overdose. Alcohol is linked to many types of cancer, including cancers in the esophagus, stomach, colon, lungs, pancreas, liver, and prostate. Marijuana is actually used on cancer patience’s to help relieve pain. Most people that are against legalizing marijuana argue that it’s not safe to use and can kill you. This paragraph clearly shows that marijuana is way safer than alcohol, and alcohol is the drug that is legal.

Secondly, it would help the economy if marijuana was legalized. Each year, the U.S. government spends $44 Billion fighting the “war on drugs”. If they legalized marijuana, that means that the government wouldn't have to pay for the effort to catch drug dealers, and instead tax the selling of the drug like they tax alcohol and tobacco. They also wouldn't have to pay for the upkeep of all the people in jail for marijuana-related crimes. It is calculated that if the government legalized marijuana, they would make $19.6 Billion. That would help the U.S. national debt. It would also put criminals that sell marijuana out of business because people wouldn't have to buy from them and instead buy it from their local gas station like cigarettes.

Finally, it could be good for the environment. If the government legalizes marijuana then there will be farmers that grow it. These farmers could recycle the rest of the plant when they harvest it. The hemp plant (which is the plant that makes marijuana) can be used for many different things, including twine, rope, yarn, cable, string, sponge, sacking, canvas, and fabric similar to linen. The seed can be made into oil, paints, soaps, and bird feed. We can use the rest of the plant to make these things instead of just throwing it away, and we can save the materials that we usually use to make these things.

To conclude, the United States should legalize marijuana because it doesn't really harm people, it would help the economy, and it could be good for the environment. People argue that marijuana shouldn't be legalized with “facts” that aren't actually true, like when they say that you could die from marijuana. It is very unlikely, and the people who say that just want you to be against marijuana. If people actually understood what marijuana does and why it’s used for medical reasons, then they would probably think that marijuana should be legal, too.