The stigma around marijuana portrays the drug as extremely dangerous and harmful. Marijuana is scheduled at the same level as heroin and higher than cocaine, though the side effects of using it pale in comparison to those of legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco.

   Marijuana provides unmistakable aid when used for medicinal purposes. It can help alleviate symptoms caused by chronic diseases and conditions. Illicit drug circles also benefit from marijuana’s state of illegality, as it provides an enormous market with large potential profits.

   If marijuana were legal, the government would be able to utilize the revenue in a much more productive manner, while also weakening illegal drug dealers. The legalization of marijuana is logical and essential due to its minimal side effects compared to other drugs, its pain-relieving medicinal properties, offer potentially vast economic benefits.

   Despite the negative discourse surrounding marijuana, its side effects are mild compared to other drugs. Tobacco and alcohol, both legal drugs, are responsible for millions of deaths each year. To overdose on alcohol, one only needs to take ten times the amount that one would use for the desired effect. Marijuana, on the other hand, has never claimed a life from overdose.

   It would take approximately one thousand times the amount of marijuana that produces the desired effect for one to overdose, a staggering quantity that is impossible to achieve even intentionally. Though there are potential side effects from using marijuana, such as dizziness or anxiety, these do not compare to the medical benefits.

   One of the most compelling reasons for the legalization of marijuana is the medicinal properties it offers to those who are suffering. Even though marijuana-related medicine products are just beginning to stock the shelves of stores, their effects are already clear. THC and CBD, the two main cannabinoids found in marijuana, have been shown to decrease inflammation, reduce nausea, and help with muscle control problems.

    They are also able to reduce pain caused by conditions or diseases such as glaucoma, cancers, HIV, Crohn’s disease, and seizure disorders. Some studies suggest the use of marijuana may even help to slow down the spread of cancer cells in the body. The list of potential uses for cannabis-derived medical products is endless.

   From an economic standpoint, the legalization of marijuana provides notable benefits. A tax on the selling of marijuana would generate billions in revenue. In 2015, for example, the state of Colorado brought in over $135 million in revenue related to cannabis.

   On a larger scale, the legalization of marijuana takes money out of the pockets of illicit drug circles and into those of the government, which can use the revenue for any number of productive and useful projects. Sales tax revenue is not the only form in which marijuana presents potential financial benefits, however. Legalizing marijuana would create a plethora of new jobs, reducing unemployment, generating more income tax, and shrinking the market for illegal drugs in the United States.

   The case for the legalization of cannabis is clear. Even with minimal side effects as compared to drugs that are already legal, marijuana has vast untapped potential for both medicinal benefits and economic growth. There have been no deaths caused by an overdose of marijuana, while there have been millions due to legal drugs, like tobacco and alcohol.

   On top of this, those drugs do not offer the remarkable medicinal properties exhibited by cannabis-related products. Lastly, legalizing marijuana would create jobs and increase tax revenue, while simultaneously weakening the grip of the illegal drug trade.

   The legalization of marijuana stands to aid those who are suffering while boosting the economy, and therefore is a rational course of action.