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Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized

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Submitted By jjrountree84
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What good could the legalization of marijuana possibly do? This is a question that has been brought to the minds of almost every person across this great country. Recently, the state of Colorado has legalized marijuana for personal use. In addition, businesses have opened to sell marijuana to the general public, with some startlingly beneficial effects to Colorado's economy. Do we really know all the facts about marijuana though, from all the media and gossip that we have heard about the elusive and very much illegal drug in most of America, how can we be sure that we are getting the best and most accurate information? The consideration to legalize marijuana nationwide should be based from facts and through studies alone.
A common misconception about marijuana is that it is only used recreationally. That being said, marijuana has been used for numerous years for so many different reasons, it's almost staggering. "The ancient Greeks used cannabis as a remedy to treat inflammation, earache, and edema" (Hanrahan, Frey & Davidson, 2011). In today's age, it is commonly known that many individuals are issued cards to legally carry and use medical marijuana for problems such as chronic back pain. While the Greeks might not have known the use for marijuana as a pain reducer, they were able to see its use for medical properties. Other cultures were also able to observe marijuana's other uses such as its ability to be used as parchment. "By the year 100 B. C. the Chinese were using cannabis to make paper" (Hanrahan, Frey & Davidson, 2011). For thousands of years people have been using marijuana for different reasons, each new reason more creative and imaginative than the last. As time has passed from century to century we have lost the will to do some serious research on the drug and its other abilities since marijuana is considered against the law. America and

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