should weed be legalized

Here is my argument for why marijuana should be legal. "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" this is the basis for the so called unalienable rights that we Americans enjoy. The pursuit of happiness is a right for Americans, and this law tends to apply, most logically, to the ability to purse happiness as long as it does not impede on others rights (ie not killing them, driving drunk). Clearly smoking marijuana, just like smoking cigarettes, only harms the person using it as long as they are responsible and don't smoke around non-smokers. The dangers of smoking marijuana are about equal, if not less, than smoking cigarettes with a few exceptions of people having developing a psychological disorder, however it is arguable that these people would have had these break downs anyway as they were genetically predisposed to have such a disorder (such as schizophrenia). People who smoke weed just want to smoke weed. We still work and pay the bills and function in society normally with most people never knowing we have smoked recently or at all. Effects of the Drug: Trouble thinking and remembering Bloodshot eyes Dry mouth (cotton mouth) Increased appetite (the "munchies") Fast heart rate Slowed coordination http://www.webmd.com... I'd like to challenge the first point about thinking, (though I will admit to the memory problems right after use) webmd brings up, however a strong tolerance must be developed for the stronger strains to be able to really function at a job or during school. Most users have a strong tolerance since they are frequent users and it does not impair the ability to drive or work (depending on the job) or essentially function as a member of society. An extremely high person is not driving dangerously like a drunk driver, but rather cautiously, at the speed limit or under, and coordination is not slowed enough to interfere with being able to drive and this only last a minute or two after use anyway. Dangers of Smoking Weed: There's no proof that smoking marijuana causes lung cancer like cigarettes do. But people who smoke pot do show signs of damage and precancerous changes in their lungs, especially if they also smoke cigarettes. And a study published in 2013 in Cancer Causes & Control found that heavy marijuana smoking might raise the risk of lung cancer. http://www.webmd.com... Marijuana is a Natural Product of Nature: "Marijuana is a genus of flowering plant that includes three species sativa, indica, and ruderalis. The plant is indigenous to Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibre, for hemp oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber. To satisfy the UN Narcotics Convention, some cannabis strains have been bred to produce minimal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent. Many plants have been selectively bred to produce a maximum of THC (cannabinoids), which is obtained by curing the flowers. Various compounds, including hashish and hash oil, are extracted from the plant." https://en.wikipedia.org... The claims that people make of marijuana being chemically grown now are false, we have just gotten smarting at genetically breeding plants and animals for the traits that we want and marijuana is no exception. I believe I have proved my point an adequate amount considering a forfeited 2nd round from Con.