Legalizing Marijuana

Why should it be legalized?
There is always going to be a debate on whether or not marijuana should be legalized or not. In my opinion I think it should be legalized, but with limitations to it. Honestly, there are a lot of people in this country that can get a hold of the product but people refuse to see that “dealing” is happening every day, and it is starting to influence teenagers. A survey was recently taken that shows about twenty percent of 8th graders have at least tried marijana once, and by the time they have graduated high school about 50 percent of kids have tried it, while 22% of that 50 are still current users (1). I think the main reason why most teenagers today get into these bad habits like drinking and smoking marijuana at a young age is because it is illegal. Most teenagers go through a stage of rebellion and the fact that someone is telling them that it is illegal to smoke and drink, makes teenagers want to prove themselves to show “I can do this, and nothing bad is going to happen if I do it”. Although it’s great to declare your independence, it does come with risks if you do start these habits at a young age. That is why the government set up these age limits for when you can buy cigarettes and alcohol.
Marijuana is not a lethal drug. You are more likely to overdose on alcohol than overdose on using Marijuana which is almost impissible to do (2). Drinking alcohol is more dangerous than smoking Marijuana, according to the Eighteenth Ammendment of the Consititution, during 1920- 1933, alcohol was illegal. If the government can change their mind on making alcohol legal, then they should consider changing their minds when it comes to make Marijuana legal if it is less harmful than alcohol.
I believe the government should treat Marijuana just as they do cigarettes and alcohol to make sure it is not getting into the wrong hands. We should be able to set an age limit on the product, for example, maybe it should be the same age as the smoking age, which is 18. By making this product legal may take away the rebellion feeling go away in some teenagers because they know that it is not illegal anymore.

1. University of Michigan. News and Information Sevices. December 18, 1997. Drug use among American teens shows signs of leveling after a long rise. February 4, 2010.
2."Top Ten Reasons Marijuna Should Be Legal." AlterNet. Birocreative, 1 Sept. 2007. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. .