However, someone sitting inside their own home smoking marijuana for pleasure is an important use in itself and one which should not be ignored. "Like sex, alcohol, or cigarettes, marijuana is one of life's little pleasures for some people," and although it can be a vice, the recreational uses are a definite reason for legalization (Messerli 2006). People should not be told what they should and should not enjoy;

Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized Physical Health Concerns According to a Harvard University Law School document, it would be "…fallacious to conclude that because the chemicals in marijuana have been found to present fewer dangers…" than cocaine, heroin, alcohol and tobacco, that the recreational use of marijuana "is safe" (Harvard). In fact, even though many states authorize the use of cannabis for medical purposes (for AIDS sufferers and for those experiencing harmful

Mice were exposed to a small amount of THC, and their blood vessel blockages were reduced by as much as 30% (Khamsi). The research is preliminary and involved pure THC as opposed to marijuana but nevertheless shows some areas for future research into the biological benefits of the drug's main psychoactive chemical. Several similar studies show that marijuana and THC may benefit the heart and circulatory system. Marijuana may eventually

Marijuana is a substance nearly everyone from adolescence on has heard about, and nearly everyone has an opinion about it. Not everyone has accurate information about it, however. Some people believe that people who smoke marijuana will become addicted to it and feel desperate to have it when they do not. Others believe that it is not addicting, and not terribly dangerous, but creates a feeling of euphoria. Others note

The state currently spends a great deal of money on detaining people on marijuana related offenses. Legalization could help to free up some of these resources which could then be used on more important programs throughout the state. When examining the economic benefits of marijuana legalization it is important to weigh the social costs related to outlawing access to goods, because such restrictions create black markets. Black markets are associated

Marijuana Studies According to a 2001 survey published in the Economist, America's Illegal-Drugs policy is a dismal re-run of it's attempt to prohibit the sale of alcohol. One of the government's most controversial targets is marijuana. Although marijuana is generally disapproved of for causing lethargy and memory loss and shares tobacco's propensity for causing lung cancer, it is widely and safely used by a significant percentage of America's population. In several