It’s Only a Plant
So I saw some news story about medical marijuana or something and it got me thinking. I was curious to see exactly what negative effects are caused by marijuana and compare that to other, legal drugs. What I found is that it really is relatively harmless, and about as potent as caffeine (except caffeine can kill you).
I searched the internet for information from credible sources. I found many sources that I don’t consider reliable, but I think I found some solid information on the subject. If you disagree with something or have better information, please comment with sources. 
Negative Effects
First let’s look at the negative effects of different drugs…
Cannabis (Marijuana)
- Short-term memory loss
- Distorted perception
- Loss of coordination
- Increased heart rate and lower blood pressure
- Psychological effects like paranoia
There are additional dangers to the lungs that go with smoking, but that can be avoided by ingesting or alternative means.
Alcohol
- Short-term memory loss
- Loss of coordination
- Increased aggression leading to violence
- Liver, heart, pancreas diseases
- Respiratory failure leading to death
Tylenol
- Liver failure (possible death)
Just thought I’d throw that in… 
Positive Effects
Cannabis is used to treat nausea, increase appetite, treat glaucoma, and to relieve pain. There are potentially many more uses for medical cannabis.
There seems to be no recorded deaths caused directly by marijuana alone, unlike everything else I listed.
As an analgesic (painkiller), cannabis is much safer than any prescribed medications. It has an extremely low toxicity and it is not addictive. It is very easy to overdose or become dependent on prescription painkillers.
Conclusion
After all this research, my original opinion has been reinforced. It makes no sense to me why marijuana is illegal while alcohol is not. Alcohol is way more toxic and causes more impairment, not to mention the increased violent behavior. Marijuana is relatively harmless compared to many legal substances.
I don’t think people should use it recreationally, but I could say the same about alcohol, tobacco, and many other legal things. However, I believe that legalizing it would be beneficial overall. It would drastically reduce crime surrounding it, it could be taxed, it could be regulated and made safer, and it would save all the tax dollars spent prosecuting offenders.
Where was I going with this? Whatever, I want nachos…
You’ve just summed up my opinions as well. I thought that this point of view was uncommon, but maybe not. Then again, maybe it is a California thing.
The difference amid amateur consumption and medical use of cannabis begs to be acknowledged. While I believe that a responsible adult should have the right to use marijuana recreationally, I do think, without doubt, allowing a sick person use of a plant with a long history of medical value ought to be accepted and legal. Marijuana has a large potential as a medication and more awareness and acceptance is needed. In Summary, legalize it!
[...] made a previous post making the case for legalizing marijuana, but I’ll go one big step further and say that all [...]