The Marijuana Legalization Debate

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According to the CDC, Center of Disease Control and Prevention, there are zero deaths related to the overdosing of marijuana each year; however, there are approximately 450,000 deaths caused by alcohol and drug overdoses on pharmaceuticals, narcotics, and caffeine (cdc.gov). These statistics are staggering, and should be taken into account when the legalization of marijuana argument arises. Marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes and recreational use with proper regulation.
In the 1930s, marijuana was linked publicly in several research studies, and was seen in the film “Reefer Madness”. The movie was based on the theory that smoking reefer, as marijuana is commonly referred to as, caused people to be “out of there mind” (White). The recreational use of marijuana was believed to have been introduced by immigrants from Mexico. Today, marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America. Surveys prove that marijuana has been used by almost 100 million Americans, with 25 million saying they have smoked marijuana this past year, and more than 14 million saying they smoke marijuana regularly despite the illegal laws against its use (norml.org). No matter how hard the government works in reality the marijuana plant is relatively unregulated.
With many Americans already engaging in use of the drug, why is marijuana still illegal? Marijuana should be legal for both recreational and medical use. Marijuana is not a dangerous drug . People don’t harm other people to get money for it; additionally, in which people commit violent acts because of being under the influence are extremely rare. According to USNews.com, being under the influence of marijuana doesn’t make someone violent; it makes t...

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"Marijuana Legalization." Whitehouse.gov. Whitehouse.gov, 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
Milligan, Susan. "The Pros and Cons of Legal Pot." Usnews.com. U.S.News & World Report, 26
Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
Porche, Demetrius J. "Legalization of Medical Marijuana (Cannabis)." American journal of men's health 7.6 (2013): 449-449.
Reilly, Mollie. "Marijuana Legalization and California Tax Board." TheHuffingtonPost.com.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 June 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
"Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?" ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Oct.
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White, Deborah. "Pros & Cons of Legalizing Marijuana." About.com. About.com, 2013. Web. 14
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