Is marijuana harmless? Will marijuana contribute to the downfall of our society? Should marijuana be legalized? As I started my journey for the answers to these questions I had my own personal opinions. I believe that the use of a controlled substance should be completely up to the individual. After I have researched marijuana's history, place in the law of the United States, and effects, I retain my opinion that I started off with, it's the individuals choice. Although I have the opinion that I began with, I have learned much from investigating marijuana as a political, social and physical topic. The article I chose to highlight in this paper is an advocate for the legalization of marijuana. The article bases its standpoint off of certain studies and experiments that prove that marijuana has an extremely small, or no effect on persons" health and life as a whole.
The article entitled "Drug War Facts" is an article created by the compilation of many different surveys and experiments that come from many credible sources such as; The Police Foundation of the United Kingdom, National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, and the FBI. The outcomes of most of these surveys and experiments contribute to the point of view that marijuana is nearly harmless or harmless, and that the laws condemning the possession and use of marijuana should be reduced. For example, the FBI highlighted the statistics that nearly half of all drug related arrests are attributed to marijuana. The Police Foundation of the United Kingdom believes that the laws enforcing the prohibition and use of marijuana, "produces more harm than it prevents." The costs involved in enforcing and punishing the laws involved with marijuana should be relegated to other dangerous drugs such as heroin. As a health aspect, marijuana seems to be a non-issue. One of the DEA's leading judges stated that, "marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.
