Dear Mr. President: It has come to my attention the issue of our country’s national debt. A quick way to solve this problem would be to legalize marijuana for medicinal and perhaps even recreational purposes. Our country may benefit greatly from the legalization of marijuana, on individual as well as national levels. There are dozens of fiscal and social reasons for legalization. The cannabis plant, dried to produce marijuana, can be used to treat dozens of diseases and conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, depression and anxiety, and many others (Smith). Thousands of people die each year from prescription drug use, but Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School states, “There are no deaths from cannabis use. Anywhere. You can’t find one.” Since marijuana can be used in ways other than smoking it, it proves itself as an effective drug to help treat illnesses. Legalizing marijuana would allow the regulation of the drug. This would eliminate business for drug dealers and put an end to drug cartels, especially those in Mexico Cartels can no longer smuggle weed into the country and make a profit of its sale if it is legal. Police forces could focus on more serious crimes, such as murders or rapes. Also, it would stop an individual from being tagged with a criminal label for a minor crime (Messerli). For instance, a friend of mine was pulled over one night for a broken tail light, and the police officers searched him and his friends. One friend had a bag of marijuana which the driver had no idea about. The friend threw the bag on the floor of the car. The driver was charged with the crime, and sent to jail for three