There has been talk of legalizing marijuana in the United States. Many want marijuana to be treated like alcohol and tobacco. Economists have been saying that the government would gain a huge amount of money if marijuana is legalized. Truthfully, money is not worth risking the lives of millions.

Marijuana is a very dangerous drug that is unfortunately popular. Unlike alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is illegal. Many are arrested each year for using, selling, or buying this illegal drug. It has been said that marijuana should be legalized because the government would gain money from taxes and law enforcement. This would cause a huge increase in the use of marijuana. In the article “Marijuana Mess” author Kristen Lewis says that “Every day, nearly 3,600 young people smoke marijuana for the first time and that one in 10 people will become dependent on the drug.” If marijuana use becomes legal then the amount of teenage “potheads” would increase. Currently it is hard and expensive for teenagers to get a hold of pot, but if it were legal it would be much cheaper and easier to possess. Teenagers may start to use it around school more during their free periods. Legalization would increase access to a dangerous drug.

“Marijuana smokers absorb three to five times more poisonous carbon monoxide than tobacco smokers do. Regularly smoking marijuana can lead to similar problems as smoking cigarettes: difficulty breathing, chronic bronchitis, frequent coughing, and even cancer”, says Lewis. There have not been as many deaths from marijuana because it is illegal. If it is legalized the number will greatly increase. It was reported in the 2002 Canadian Medical Association Journal that “Current marijuana use had a negative effect on global IQ score only in subjects who smoked 5 or more joints per week.” This study was performed in April 2002 when it was much harder to possess five joints per week. If marijuana is legalized then everyone can have five or more joints per week easily. This may cause subjects to have an IQ decrease.

In the District of Colombia, and fourteen other states, medical marijuana is already legal. California was the first of these states to legalize medical marijuana. Pot is a very popular drug in California, and many are interested in a new law called Proposition 19. “The Perils of Pot Prohibition” stated that California's Proposition 19 would legalize possession and cultivation of marijuana for personal use while allowing local governments to authorize and regulate commercial production and distribution.


In the article “Pot Tolerance Hits a High” surveys indicate that only 40 percent of Americans want pot to be legalized. The majority of Americans still think pot should be illegal. We already know that marijuana is a highly dangerous drug. By legalizing this drug we will not only increase its use and sale but we may even open the door for other drugs to be legalized as well.