A big question asked among society is why marijuana is illegal while tobacco is not. Marijuana is just as common as tobacco is and may even be better for your health. “Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa—the hemp plant” (What is marijuana?) Researchers say, “Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America, behind only alcohol and tobacco, and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans” (About Marijuana). Marijuana is not harmful to the human body and there has never been a recorded death of the intake of marijuana. “The main mind-altering chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC” (Marijuana). Marijuana may also be known as cannabis, weed, and pot. Marijuana is taken into the body by smoking it -- by using rolling papers, cigars, pipes, or bongs; it can also be consumed by eating or drinking it. An abundance of people around the world think marijuana should be legal nationwide. Why is marijuana illegal if it is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco? "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful …show more content…
In addition, more people die of tobacco smoking than of drinking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose (About Marijuana). Alcohol can cause one to blackout, throw up, get alcohol poisoning, or even cause one to do stupid acts they would not do if they were sober. By comparison, if one smokes an abundance of marijuana, it is known to cause extreme drowsiness, hunger, laughter, and wide variety of thinking—things you would not normally think about if sober. Alcohol can send one to the emergency room immediately if not careful drinking, while marijuana does not, because it does not have life-threatening effects. The government wonders why marijuana trafficking is so common, but they do not think about the fact that it is far better than any other