Legalization proponents state that alcohol and tobacco are more harmful to a person's health than illicit drugs. Again, more is known about the health effects of alcohol and tobacco because they are legal and used more frequently. There is hard evidence that suggests that marijuana and cocaine, if widely used, could cause even greater health problems than alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana contains 70 known cannabinoids, chemicals that are absorbed in the brain and body for long periods of time, that can contribute to negative effects on unborn fetuses and cause leukemia, oral or lung cancers, and depression of the immune system. Cocaine is also a highly addictive drug that can cause the user to ignore the basic instincts of survival in order to obtain it.
Cocaine can kill instantly by restricting the flow of blood to the brain and heart.
The legalization of illicit drugs will not relieve the current health problems caused by alcohol and tobacco, but only add to them. Legalizers argue that the black market and crime will decrease if drugs are legalized. However, since drug use begins in adolescence, there would still be a black market to supply underage users. Also, legalized drugs would be of low potency, and addicts would begin seeking higher potency drugs on the black market. Drug use does not produce violence and crime simply because use is illegal.