Legalizing marijuana is a concept that has the potential to benefit the public and local economies. There has been a nationwide debate on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. The most widespread consensus is that marijuana is not only harmful to health, but also dangerous to the community. These accusations are not true. Marijuana actually has health benefits that most people overlook. It is important to understand the many issues related to the legalization of marijuana to better understand how legalizing marijuana for medical purposes can be beneficial to an individual's health and how it can boost the economy. Legalizing marijuana will bring many social benefits that will reduce illegal activity by helping the government control the safe use of the substance and making a profit that can be used to help taxpayers. Marijuana is not a dangerous drug and should be legalized because it does not cause harm to anyone and by legalizing marijuana the government will take control of the distribution and safety of marijuana, this can benefit many people in many ways. If the government controlled the marijuana market, people would no longer be at risk of trying to buy it illegally, and there would be taxes on the sale of marijuana that would benefit both the government and society. By legalizing marijuana the government can legislate its use. Legalizing it would change people's lives because it would no longer be a crime for people seeking relief from diseases like cancer and AIDS. Legalizing marijuana is the first step toward creating a new market, which would boost the national economy and local state economies. Marijuana would also change the lives of patients battling chronic disease... middle of paper... tests, people with disabilities and others to get relief, and local economies would benefit from sales of the drug. It all has good uses and could potentially lead researchers to a cure for cancer. The only thing that stands in the way are those who believe it is dangerous. These people enforce legislation that bans the sale and use of the substance in all states. Recently, Washington and Colorado have passed bills allowing the sale and use of marijuana, and both have benefited greatly. The rest of the country should follow their example. If marijuana were legalized you could reap all the health benefits the substance has to offer, which could lead to a healthier America. Works CitedArias, D. Health Findings: Studies Show Marijuana Benefits. Health outcomes. 2007. Retrieved from the web, March 17, 2014.