Joe Yeoumans period 2
Mr Sorensen language and literature

Why marijuana should be legalized Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug in the country.
According to drugpolicy.org, “an average of 65 to 70 million
Americans currently smoke the drug.” Ballot Measure 91, set to be voted on here in Oregon in November, legalizes personal possession of marijuana within specified limits. I feel that
Measure 91 should be passed for many reasons, including, that marijuana is an effective medicine and it has the potential to generate millions of state tax dollars that could be used to help fund Oregon schools and infrastructure. It is also the cause of far less violence, death, and health issues than its legal partner, alcohol.
There are many people in the US that believe marijuana use and possession should be against law, yet they see no problem with alcohol use. Perhaps what I have to report would make those who feel this way change their opinion about marijuana legalization.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) claims that there are more than 37 thousand deaths per year from liver failure, alcohol poisoning, kidney failure, and other alcohol related diseases. This number does not include accidental deaths like drunk driving, drowning, and burns. In 1999, 44% of accidental deaths related to alcohol were

caused by burns/fire, according to research journal found at http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov . Accidents are also the fifth leading cause of death in the US; nearly half are motor vehicle accidents. In 2012 alone 30% of motor vehicle deaths were related to drunk driving. Although alcohol is still the most common cause of accidents, a recent survey on the
National
Institute of Drug Abuse’s Web site found that 6.8 percent of drivers who were involved in accidents, mostly people under the age of 35, tested positive for THC, still far safer than alcohol. Marijuana is not only safer for the user, but it is also safer for the community.
Studies have repeatedly shown that alcohol, unlike marijuana, contributes to the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior. Alcohol is a factor in 40 percent (Five million) of violent crimes that occur each year according to
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism. The government doesn’t even track violent acts specifically related to marijuana use, because marijuana has not been associated with violence. Marijuana, while it does not contribute to America’s death rate in large numbers, it is used by many to heal.
There are 7 supposed health benefits to drinking alcohol, including that it can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and it can also, in small amounts, lower your chance of diabetes. Yet, the negative health effects of alcohol far outway its benefits. While the reports on negative health effects of marijuana were almost impossible to find, its benefits were the opposite. Those results include that Marijuana helps with seizures, some cancers, it decreases