We are often faced with the presumption that certain drugs are inherently “bad.”   Whether you agree with this statement or not, it is not the government’s decision to make.  This is important to consider when discussing the legalization of marijuana, a drug which, once widely banned, has recently been experiencing a loosening of restrictions.  So far 23 states plus Washington DC have taken some form of action to allow the use of marijuana.  Though this is certainly progress, marijuana is still largely prohibited and plans to make it legal face considerable opposition.  However, this opposition has little logical basis.  It is unjust to deny individuals the right to a substance that can be used for recreational and medical purposes when it does not create any legitimate danger to the population?  Doing so prevents people from fully exercising their freedom of choice, denies them relief from symptoms of certain medical conditions, and involves policies that are extremely inefficient to enforce. 

Laws against marijuana use take away from peoples’ rights to make decisions that affect their own bodies, even though these decisions have little impact on the lives of others.  Francis Young, the administrative law judge of the DEA, describes marijuana as “one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man” and states confidently that “marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of healthcare”("A Quote...").  He makes it clear that marijuana is not likely to create dangerous situations for anyone, especially if it is properly regulated.  It poses little threat to the user, let alone people who don’t use the drug at all.  If people do feel that it is unhealthy, they can choose not to partake in it and remain unaffected by those who do, allowing both parties to decide what they feel is best for their own bodies.  This allows everyone involved to act in their own best interest without interfering with the safety or rights of anybody else.

Marijuana also has applications in medical care that are being withheld from people because of the substance’s illegality.  Opponents of legalization often deny that marijuana has any legitimate medical use, claiming that it can be substituted for other, legal drugs.  This, however, is not always the case.  Charlotte Figi, for example, suffered from “300 [seizures] a week, despite being on seven different medications”, until she was treated with medical marijuana and her number seizures was reduced to “2 or 3 per month”(Gupta).  Needless to say, her life has improved dramatically, with her cognitive ability growing and allowing her to perform activities that she couldn’t have imagined doing otherwise(Ericson).  Even when it is not the only option, cannabis may be used in place of drugs with stronger side effects to provide relief to patients, and has been proven to mitigate the nausea and pain caused by chemotherapy("Marijuana.").  However, in many places, the law prevents this form of treatment, barring patients from using the full range of treatments that could be available to them.  Cases like these demonstrate that government restrictions against marijuana can deny people the medical solutions that they need to live productive and enjoyable lives.

If nothing else, anti-marijuana laws are impractical to enforce, as they do not stop the trade of the drug, but rather hand it over to an illegal system without regulations.  As one article puts it, “Legal prohibition does not stop consumers from consuming the drugs [and] it does not stop traffickers from producing and selling [them]”("Pros & Cons...).  No matter how much effort is expended to stop the trade of marijuana, it will always exist; it will just be more of a problem if it remains illegal and without any standards for quality or safety.  So, in addition to being unjust to honest citizens, laws against marijuana consume excessive amounts of resources while accomplishing very little.

It is important for lawmakers to keep these ideas in mind when making legal decisions regarding marijuana.  Though the benefits of the drug are always debatable, it is wrong to prevent people from making their own lifestyle choices and to deny medical treatment to those who need it.  Even now, these laws are creating a situation of drug trafficking that puts citizens at risk.  Therefore, it is in the best interest of society to do away with these laws and do citizens the justice of making marijuana legal.

Works Cited
Ericson, John. "Medical Marijuana Returns Life To 6-Year-Old: Cannabis Oil Stopped Charlotte Figi's Severe Seizures." Medical Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
Gupta, Sanjay. "Why I Changed My Mind on Weed - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
"Marijuana." Marijuana. American Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
"Pros & Cons of Legalizing Marijuana." Legalize Marijuana Legal Weed Marijuana Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
"A Quote by Francis Young." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.