April calderon Persusiveessay

The average number of deaths a year from cigarettes is 430,000, alcohol is 110,640, and pain relievers kill over 32,000 per year (Common Sense for Drug Policy, n.d). Now let’s talk about marijuana. How many deaths has marijuana ever caused? That number is zero. This is according to the Huffington Post. A lot of you believe marijuana’s uses can be beneficial. But some of you are completely against it. Marijuana has been tested and proven to provide a very positive impact on the American society for many reasons. Some of these reasons are for America’s economy, health and even crime. I believe marijuana should be legal in the United States because of these reasons Personally, Yes I have tried it. Do I use it on a regular basis, No. However, I do have family members that use it for the medical benefits. I believe that if marijuana is not abused that it is something that can be beneficial to people and our economy. Marijuana is a plant after all. Marijuana causes little harm to your body. I believe that smoking marijuana should be a personal choice. Our legal dinking age is 21 and the legal age to buy cigarettes is 18. Why cant there be a legal age to buy marijuana. What is Marijuana in the first place?? Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of the hemp plant. Marijuana goes by many different names such as weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of other slang terms. This plant produces THC which is the substance that produces the high that people get from it. The plant also contains more than 500 other chemicals, including over 100 compounds that are chemically related to THC, called cannabinoids (National Institute on Drug Abuse, n.d).
Now let’s look at the benefits of marijuana. First lets start how it can benefit people medically. An online article states that use can treat and prevent the eye disease glaucoma. Glaucoma increases the pressure inside the eye and marijuana is said to relieve that

Cited: Common Sense for Drug Policy. (n.d). Annual Causes of Death in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.csdp.org/publicservice/causes.htm Jennifer, W. (2014). 23 Health Benefits Of Marijuana. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-4 National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d). Marijuana. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-marijuana The Daily Dot. (n.d.). How legalizing pot could save America 's economy. Retrieved from http://m.theweek.com/articles/442380/legalizing-pot-could-save-americas-economy Benefits of legalizing marijuana in Colorado. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.sott.net/article/281459-Benefits-of-legalizing-Marijuana-in-Colorado-Less-crime-and-more-profits