One of the major reasons I am opposed to the legalization of marijuana is the safety issue. People say that it is the safest drug and can not kill people, but it can impair peoples abilities to perform everyday tasks and basic judgment. An increase in driving accidents would be one of the things I would be worried about. Many marijuana users would like to think that they can drive just as well, or better, while under the influence but the facts say that this is not usually the case. A roadside study of reckless drivers, not under the influence of alcohol, showed that one in three tested positive for marijuana(fact). If people are driving under the influence when marijuana is illegal I think the number would only increase if it were legalized. Marijuana does impair peoples ability to drive and people do drive when they are under its influence. This might not be such a big problem, but there is no real way to tell indefinitely if a person is currently under the influence of marijuana. Unless they could make a devise similar to a breathalyzer that could detect marijuana intoxication there would be no way to stop people from driver under the influence. Driving is not he only daily task that can be hazardous. Anyone who uses power tools, heavy machinery, or even something as simple as a stove could be effected by marijuana use and cause themselves or others harm. If we give people the go ahead to smoke marijuana legally I think we would be asking for an increase in injuries and public hazards.
Fact, Office of National Drug Control Policy. Marijuana and Kids: Steer Clear of Pot Fact Sheet. Retrieved on November 25, 2003, from the World Wide Web: http://www.mediacampaign.org/steerclear/factsheet.html#go17
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