The legal drinking age in the United States for alcohol is 21. Which I believe should be lower due to the fact that men and women can fight for their country but cannot sit down and have a beer. Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of mortality, responsible for approximately 75,000 deaths a year. The legal age to smoke is 18. Around 440,000 people die from smoking-related health problems each year. The legal age to drive? 16. Almost 35,000 people die from car accidents annually.

Marijuana is illegal. It is responsible for a stunning amount of... 0 deaths but is still not harmful. Contrary to popular belief, Marijuana is not a toxic substance; therefore it cannot cause death by overdose. In fact, according to the European medical journal, The Lancet, "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or tobacco." Also, unlike alcohol and tobacco, marijuana does not possess addictive chemicals such as nicotine, so the body can’t become physically addicted.
I can give you 10 facts that say why cannabis should be legal: Fact #1: Roughly 750,000 people are arrested for marijuana each year, the vast majority of them for simple possession, with racial minorities over-represented.
Fact #2: Most marijuana users never use any other illicit drug.
Fact #3: Increasing admissions for treatment are a reflection of the criminal justice system’s predominant role, rather than increasing rates of clinical dependence.
Fact #4: Marijuana potency is not related to risk of dependence or health impacts.
Fact #5: Marijuana can be good for mental health.
Fact #6: Marijuana can be protective against the formation of cancer.
Fact #7: Marijuana has been proven helpful for treating the symptoms of a variety of medical conditions. The body's endocannabinoid system may explain why.
Fact #8: Rates of marijuana use among young people tend to DECREASE when a state adopts medical marijuana.
Fact #9: Marijuana does not cause long-term cognitive impairment in adult users.
Fact #10: There is no compelling evidence that marijuana contributes substantially to traffic accidents and fatalities.

I’m not arguing that marijuana should freely be consumed by everybody (we don’t need another hippie era), but It is nonsensical that our government has legalized much more dangerous substances, while continuing to wage the “war on drugs.” If marijuana was legalized everywhere, as some states already have, the government would have much more tax revenue, and it would free up a lot of prison space. Another thing to consider is, the reason the government has so far been unsuccessful in its drug war is because drugs are sold on the black market, under tables through countless drug networks. If marijuana was legalized, it can be regulated. This will destroy the black market for drugs, and it will allow the government to monitor drug usage.

Despite the fact that marijuana is illegal, it is consumed by almost 25 million Americans a year. This drug is so readily available, it’s ridiculous. Plus you can grow it; Hence another reason why it should be legalized because its just a plant. We have all seen the group of “druggies” in our high school, even in middle school! The laws are doing nothing to resolve the issue, simply because the issue is too large and complicated to be resolved.

In my opinion, the U.S. government is missing out on an opportunity to gain massive tax revenue, and help regulate drug usage. If marijuana were legalized, it would be a win-win situation - both for the country, and its people. After all this country is runned by the people for the people isn’t it? Over half of Americans would like marijuana legalized.