Debate: Should Marijuana be legalized?
Side: Like, yeah man

i actually wrote a persuasive essay on this not too long ago for my English class and i got a perfect score on it so i thought I'd share it with you all.  The Decision is OursMarijuana is a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) containing plant which is illegal and discriminated against in all but a handful of countries. A number of the common effects of this plant include a euphoric feeling, stress reduction, deep thinking, pain relief, increased appetite, and a few negative effects such as lightheadedness or confusion. It has been argued for years whether the cannabis plant is a drug or simply a natural herb like any other with stronger side effects, many people considering both herb and drug to be the most logical answer. The earliest it is recorded to be utilized, orally and smoked, is 2700 B.C. in China and India, having been outlawed in the United States in the early 1900’s. Uses such as religious purposes, medicines, and relaxation; should marijuana be legalized? My belief is that there would be no harm in this change of law, and the economy would prosper from it.The First Amendment stated in the United States Constitution Bill of Rights reads:"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."Religious peoples, for example Rastafaris, Shintos, Hinus, Buddhists, Sufis, Zoroastrians, Bantus, and many other sects, have traditions that require ganja as a part of their lifestyles and sacred ceremonies. All of these customs had been established long before the banning of the plant. So when prohibiting marijuana is that not taking away their first amendment right of freedom to exercise their religion?Before its ban, marijuana was a major active ingredient in 40-50 percent of medicines. Nowadays it could be used to replace at least 10-20 percent of medicines. Marijuana has hundreds of proven uses from treating nausea, pain, multiple sclerosis (MS), glaucoma, and asthma to stress reduction and cancer therapy. If you have glaucoma, the third leading cause of blindness brought about by increased pressure in the eyeball, this herbs effects reduce pressure in the eyeballs and though other medications can be used for treatment they tend to lose efficiency over time. With MS the normal functioning of the nerves in the brain and spinal cord are disrupted, harsh debilitating attacks that come and go along with many uncomfortable symptoms that lead to eventual disability occur, the use of cannabis in this situation treats a number of the symptoms as well as delays the progression of the disease.In the United States alone every 15 minutes someone is killed in an alcohol related accident, this is approximately 50 percent of all deadly car collisions. Just about half of industrial deaths and injuries can be linked to alcohol consumption. Along with those statistics four in ten criminals and three in four of domestic violence offenders have reported to have alcohol as the reason for their violent behavior. On an annual basis in the US alcohol kills about 80,000 people, as for marijuana - there has never been a recorded death due to marijuana, you are more likely to die from an overdose of asprin. In fact, as far as we know it is impossible to overdose on marijuana and contrary to the common belief it does not influence violence or crimes. Even all of the illegal drugs put together are responsible for a small percentage of deaths compared to tobacco, is it really fair that these more harmful and fatal substances are legal but marijuana is not?During the rise of the Rastafaris in Jamaica a man named Leonard Howell owned a large amount of land he called Pinnacle. Pinnacle was designed as a place for Leonard and hundreds of his Ras Tafari followers to live separated from the accusing eyes of the public who viewed them as criminals and thought their ideologies to be absurd, most of his followers had been poor peasants but this all changed with the growth of their ganja plantation. They had grown and sold so much marijuana that they built shops and were able to care for themselves with plenty of extra money, the rest of the valley eventually depending on them for necessities such as food and the herb. In California marijuana is already the largest cash crop and the UN has estimated that 2.5 percent of the world’s population smokes cannabis, with cannabis legal and the government regulating it like every other product of America our economy would thrive.To put it simply, the United States does not outlaw “junk” food and vending machines simply because it is bad for you, although they may be unhealthy it is the individuals choice on whether they want to consume them or not. It is the same with marijuana, though there are few minor health risks, it is the individuals’ responsibility to look at the pros and cons and make the decision they want. Should marijuana be legalized? My answer is yes, whether for religious uses, medical reasons, just recreational purposes, or merely because the government should not have the right to dictate the lives of their citizens if it is not harming society, the legalization of marijuana would produce no destruction to our social order and the economy would expand.There are other reasons I think marijuana should be legalized, these are just the main ones. Hope you all enjoyed it =)