For centuries, it has been used to relax, to help people eat better, and sometimes, just to make people feel good. While it may not be the noblest of reasons, it is a fact that we, as independent-minded citizens, have the inherent right to decide for ourselves whether or not to consume marijuana. Even alcohol, found in all but the oldest forms of speech, is supposed to help people relax. For a short time this issue was debated, and during Prohibition crime flourished, but it was eventually realized that it would be foolish to ban a substance simply on the grounds that it "caused harm to others.” What has the prohibition of marijuana done to its popularity and distribution, and what has it done to our economy? I propose that marijuana be legalized in the sense that it would give back to American citizens a right that many other countries grant while helping to stimulate the economy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Many people slander and downplay the positive effects of marijuana, using arguments such as “it destroys families and lives” and “this is a dangerous product”. substance that causes immorality in those who use it" to justify the plunder of our rights. What the arguments lack, however, are solid empirical data which, after a less than random analysis, confirm that marijuana is not as dangerous as alcohol. "For our own credibility, we cannot allow alcohol and tobacco, which kill 10,000 people per year in Switzerland, to be sold with all kinds of marketing ploys, while the consumption of Cannabis, a less dangerous product, constitutes a legal offense." ", declared the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction" (Kapp, 970). We always hear the sob stories of our corrupt society telling how marijuana suddenly came one day and destroyed their life or how society blames and accuses the medium through how many times have we seen the government advertisement or smear campaign on how marijuana can lead you to kill your little brother or cause the death of a loved one? When we are faced with such a proposition, it is enough to consider the problem at its source and recognize that irresponsibility and bad parental habits are at the root of many of society's defects, even if deny citizens the democratic right that they can hold may seem like a good solution. But this is not the right of the government. The ban was clearly a mistake and it is a mistake that our country has paid dearly for, with many negative side effects. The government's attempts to suppress citizens' rights to alcoholic beverages led to the creation of underground crime networks that still prevail today in the form of the mafia. If the government had saved the time, energy and effort it wasted on making marijuana illegal, but instead focused on harder drugs that are physically addictive and have high destructive potential of society. “The UK government has reduced penalties for people smoking marijuana so it can wage a war against harder drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, which “cause the most harm to communities”. » (Kapp, 970) Countless countries have already adopted this same approach and have produced very positive results. "Last year, 167 deaths were reported, which is one.