Face Off:

SHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? NO

We have all heard the arguments: God made marijuana, man made alcohol
- who are you going to trust? Who has ever heard of anyone overdosing
on marijuana? It doesn't have any adverse affects on society.

I would argue that these statements are sheer ignorance, in its purest
form. Overall the legalization of marijuana (for public use) is
something that should not be entertained. Marijuana is a drug. It is a
substance that alters the inhibitions of an individual on a level
different than alcohol.

With these statements, the next thoughts logically would be alcohol
has a much worse affect on individuals than marijuana does, and there
are more deaths caused by drinking and driving than there are from
toking and driving. I would not be inclined to disagree.

However, the adverse affects on the overall general public are going
to be the same if not worse.

So the question remains: why is marijuana bad for society, outside of
medicinal use? For medicinal use marijuana has been proven to be an
affective tool. For cancer patients and glaucoma patients, it has
stimulating effects on the body. But, just like another substance,
there are proper and improper uses for said items.

Marijuana is a hallucinogen, whereas alcohol just inhibits an
individual from acting coherently. Marijuana has the same affect, but
at times you will see things that are not present (i.e. the definition
of a hallucinogen).

Also, as the saying goes, marijuana is the gateway drug. With
marijuana being the gateway drug, it has the potential to have a
downward spiral affect on humanity. If this drug were legalized, how
much longer will it be before people begin to say we should legalize
ecstasy, opium or even cocaine? If we look at the logical progression,
that would send out society into mass hysteria.

This logic is definitely fallible and ostentatious pontification at
best; but so would any argument for the legalization of marijuana.
Somewhere along the line of our history, law makers made the decision
that marijuana was a substance that needed to be illegal, and that its
effects would have an adverse effect on society.

Overall people are going to do what they want, legal or
not.

Whether they make the decision to drink, smoke or get high, it is a
personal choice and there is no amount of evidence that could convince
someone otherwise without a personal experience.

Whichever side you stand on with this issue, I would implore you to do
your research before making any predisposed judgments, about whether
you would like to have marijuana legalized or not.