As with any change to current laws, there is a cause for contemplation. The thought of legalizing a drug that has been said to be a "dangerous gateway drug" for years, causes many concerns to arise. Many people are worried about marijuana becoming legalized, but have justified the legalization of alcohol and tobacco. It's no secret that the two have been proven to be very harmful, causing illnesses such as cancer, emphysema, cirrhosis of the liver. As stated in the Jan 8, 2018 edition of Issues and Controversies, "Marijuana cannot lead to a fatal overdose. There is little evidence that it causes cancer. Its addictive properties, while present, are low, and the myth that it leads users to more powerful drugs has long since been disproved" (Marijuana: Should the …show more content…
These results are promising, suggesting that fears of widespread increases in use have not come to fruition." (Prohibition to Progress) One would think, with marijuana so readily available, use of the drug would increase. However, it has been proven that is not the case. Teen usage has stayed relatively the same in the states that have legalized. The last controversial point for those who are not in support of marijuana legalization, is the crime rate. People predict that criminal elements would be attracted. According to Scott Johnstone, the author of the article, Five Years in: The effects of legalization in Colorado and Washington State, "On the whole, crime statistics for Washington state reached a 40-year low in 2014, with violent crime down 10 percent and a 13 percent drop in the state's murder rate. Colorado also saw decreases in overall crime rates, violent crimes and property crimes" (Johnstone). Marijuana has the potential to create peace nationwide. Legalization has reduced the amount of drug trafficking thus lowering a significant amount of