Is Weed Really That Bad?

By Johnny Cruz III

When we think of weed we automatically have a negative mindset towards it. Whether they are
the pesky weeds that are a nuisance for lawn maintenance or they are the plant that is smoked by
a large amount of the United States population. What is so bad about weed? No I am not talking
about the weeds in our lawns because we all know those are awful but instead Im referring to
Marijuana. Marijuana legalization has slowly become a reality in some states. Some states refuse
to do so because of their negative thoughts on the drug. Meanwhile patients with severe
illnesses cannot imagine their life without marijuana and some states profit millions of dollars off
of sales. So again I ask the question is it really that bad? I believe that marijuana should be legal
in all 50 states with proper regulation.
Our country has battled many wars with substances throughout its history. There are the clearly
obvious dangerous drugs like heroin or crack cocaine. Then there is the not so obvious substance
marijuana. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) there has never been a reported
overdose of marijuana. So lets compare the illegal drug marijuana to the legal alcoholic
beverages. According to the National Institute of Health there were 3.3 million deaths worldwide
that were alcohol related. Also, in 2010 alcohol misuse cost our country 249 billion dollars.
There are zero marijuana related deaths other than gang violence. Marijuana which is legal in
Colorado made the state 53 million dollars in tax revenue which was double that of alcohol
revenue. I know I am not the only one seeing the
problem with this. When we compare the
symptoms of marijuana versus alcohol we see
alcohol has marijuana beat. Anyone who has ever
consumed alcohol has experienced some of its
negative side effects and can support the fact that
the negative symptoms suck. Marijuana is an
illegal drug but has none of these terrible side
effects or symptoms. Actually it is prescribed to
patients with cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS,
Seizures, Multiple sclerosis and many more
serious diseases. Joseph Casias was a cancer
patient who was diagnosed with life threatening sinus cancer. He was in extreme pain daily and
had tried everything the doctors had prescribed but nothing eased his pain. Finally his oncologist
prescribed cannabis treatment. He now can function daily with moderate to no pain and can be a
better father to his children. There are millions of stories just like Josephs that support the fact
that marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states.

In conclusion I propose that the United States makes

marijuana legal in all 50 states. Studies have shown that our
country can profit nearly 100+ billion dollars annually. The
amount of marijuana related deaths amount to a whopping
total of zero and its benefits are very apparent. Compared to
alcohol which is legal in the United States marijuana has
proven to be less dangerous and more beneficial by a mile.
Although I am advocating for legal marijuana I still believe
there should be government regulation on the amount you
can purchase or be holding at any given time. Although
marijuana does not have major detrimental side effects it can
have some which can impair a normal persons performance.
Marijuana is very beneficial but we do not want our entire population walking around high and
unproductive. Anything in excess can be dangerous so I am adamant that regulation policies be
implanted along with legalization of marijuana. Lastly I end this piece asking you a familiar
question. Is Weed Really That Bad?

References
"Alcohol Facts and Statistics." Alcohol Facts and Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
"Overdose Death Rates." Overdose Death Rates. N.p., 10 Dec. 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
"American Civil Liberties Union." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr.
2016.
"American Society of Addiction Medicine." ASAM Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

can be dangerous so I am adamant that regulation policies be implanted along with legalization
of marijuana. Lastly I end this piece asking you a familiar question. Is Weed Really That Bad?