Marijuana should be decriminalized

I look forward to debating him. ---- Contention 1: Marijuana is too dangerous ---- As with drunk driving, marijuana is far too dangerous to be legalized. The Health Canada team reported in December 2007 that cannabis has more toxins than tobacco, another drug that The World Health Organization says accounts for 26% of male deaths in developed countries. In fact, the study concluded that marijuana smoke contained 20 times more ammonia, and five times more hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides than tobacco smoke. In January 2008, Dr. Matthew Naughto and his team reported that marijuana smokers tended to develop lung cancer as much as 24 years earlier than tobacco users. In July 2007, the popular medical research journal, The Lancet, published an article that concluded that cannabis users had a 41% increased chance to suffer from psychosis. Not to mention, marijuana use has also been linked to depression, schizophrenia, bronchitis, and emphysema. The experts agree too. Bob Weiner, a Drug Issue Strategist at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, says that, "(The movement against Marijuana has) done a lot to make us safer and it's one of the reasons why we have record low crime numbers, and why we have record low drug abuse. " He continues, "Marijuana is the number one drug where teens must seek treatment in hospitals. .. it's the number two cause of car crashes. " Indeed, as much as 16% of injured people from car crashes test positive for the presence of THC in their blood stream (. http://www.drugabuse.gov...). Marijuana is not bad for you? Preposterous! Marijuana, as I have proven, is more harmful than tobacco, a drug that kills 26% of male deaths in developed countries. Thank God marijuana is not more widespread then it is! Thank God not as many people have died. The government needs to step in, just as it steps in for cocaine and heroin. ---- Contention 2: Marijuana is a gateway drug ---- But even if marijuana weren't dangerous in it of itself, we must remember that Marijuana is a gateway drug -- a drug that leads users to even more dangerous drugs. The 2007 surgeon general agreed to this statement. He concluded that the most common "next step" is cocaine, followed by LSD and heroine. I shall quote my fellow debate. org user LightC: "Marijuana creates a high different from substances like Alcohol, which increases the urge for a greater high that can only be achieved through more harmful drugs. " ---- Contention 3: Miscellaneous arguments --- (1) If legalized, it would be easier for kids to get marijuana. Kids brains are developing, and children who get their hands on marijuana would severely damage their brains. (2) The debate. org user "liberty" put it best. I shall quote him: "Second hand smoking is something we are aware of as a problem from smoking cigarettes. Imagine the damage of second hand smoking from hash, marijuana, or crack… Public health would be seriously affected and the problems it would cause to non-smokers who annihilate others' smoke would be huge. " (3) Because we know marijuana is a gateway drug, we know that many who try marijuana (as there will be an increased number if it is legalized) will get addicted to harder drugs -- illegal drugs. And that would be bad.