Reasons why marijuana should be legal...

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People have a basic right to make choices for themselves as long as their actions do not harm others. Responsible individuals in a free society should be allowed to choose whether or not they use marijuana. Individual liberty is a fundamental value. The government is wasting our time and money by prohibiting marijuana. Taxpayers are forced to pay billions of dollars to persecute, prosecute, and incarcerate people for having marijuana. If marijuana were legal and regulated (like alcohol and tobacco) this money, plus tax revenues from marijuana sales, could be used for other purposes such as education and health care. Prohibition is not an effective solution to the problems associated with marijuana use. Marijuana, like tobacco and alcohol, can be abused. But prohibition is expensive and ineffective; education and regulation are better solutions. Regulating sales of marijuana and teaching people the truth about its health effects will allow us to minimize the harms and costs to society. We have learned a lesson from history. Alcohol prohibition did not work, and there is no logical reason to believe that marijuana prohibition is a better idea. Now we all know that the criminal activity surrounding marijuana is increasing day by day. With these growing rates and the obvious lack of health risks, have a look at the health risks yourself at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana#Health_issues_and_the_effects_of_cannabis and while you are at it, take a look at this site full of marijuana facts and myths at http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/ With all this evidence and facts, it really does seem that the government is just trying to keep making money off of prosecuting people with marijuana instead of just legalizing it. What are your takes on this? Do you think marijuana should be legalized? If so, or if not, why, please state your reasonings. Do you think marijuana will ever be legalized?