I am not sure about where I stand on the legalization of marijuana. So here is a list of reasons why it should be legal and why it should be illegal. This way you can decide for yourself and look at the facts together.

Marijuana should be legal because:

There have been no reported cases of a death caused by marijuana.
Less dangerous than tobacco and alcohol, according to a study done at Berkley Foundation.
Has over 50,000 commercial uses, such as paper, textiles, fuels, food, and sealants.
The use has been traced all the way back to around 10,000 B.C. Even Queen Victoria was prescribed it for period pains.
Indians smoked it because they believed it was sent from the gods.
There are approximately 140,000,000 users world wide.
Since 1996 nine states has legalized it for medical use. They are Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
The Institute of Medicine even stated that their data shows there is a therapeutic value for treating certain medical conditions.
Doctors can prescribe cocaine related products and morphine, but not marijuana.
D.E.A.’s former Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young said that medical marijuana is safer then most of the food we eat.
Marijuana use leads to non-violence and pacifism.

Marijuana should be illegal because:

Some say that it can become addictive and lead to other drug use as a “gateway drug”.
Some claim there is no evidence that it does help medically. Some doctors say that it actually suppresses your immune system with daily use which can can the diseases it treats to become more aggressive.
Just the association of the drug being used by “hippies” and “losers” can be enough for some to argue that it shoulder illegal. (This to me is ridiculous because who really has the right to say that just because you use it, you have to be a loser.)
Can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as depression or anxiety if heavily used.
It’s dangerous to use when driving because of delayed reaction time.

Mental and Physical Side Effets:

Trouble remembering
Slowed reaction time
Difficulty concentrating
Sleepiness
Anxiety
Paranoia
altered time perception
red, bloodshot eyes
Tremors
Nausea ( also said to treat nausea)
decreased coordination
breathing issues
respiratory infections
increased appetite
reduced blood flow to the brain
changes in reproductive organs
It can trigger mental illness

There are many things that I agree with and don’t agree with. The idea that most commercials portray is that if you use marijuana, you will be a loser. This I think is crap because I can guarantee that some of the most famous and successful people in the world have smoked it before or even still do. To name an example, Barrack Obama stated that he smoke it in high school and college and now he’s the first African American president. So why isn’t he a loser for using it? If marijuana can lead to other drug use, can’t alcohol and tobacco? Most people who smoke marijuana started with tobacco and alcohol. I think these are the real “gateway drugs” and America was more on track when they banned alcohol. I think people just need to take a step back and realize that everything in this world has it’s pros and cons. Nothing will ever be 100% safe, and just because you do something that most don’t agree with, doesn’t make you a bad person. I don’t sway either way, like I said before. Everyone has the right to their opinion, but I think both sides should realize that they’re neither right nor wrong.

*This article is not written to make people use or not use marijuana. It simply states the facts and was researched heavily.