Legalize Marijuana?

Should Marijuana be legalized? California was the first state to legalize medicinal marijuana sales with 15 other states following it. Should Texas legalize medicinal marijuana? A colleague's, Evin Whittington, blog says Texas should legalize marijuana not just for medicinal use. I would have to agree. With the degree of debt Texas is facing, the Texas government needs sources of revenue. If marijuana is legalized, Texas can apply a sales tax and make more jobs in the farming and production of marijuana which will reel in more income tax.

The major medicinal use of marijuana is to relieve pain. People say tobacco should be illegal because it is additive and is a gateway drug to other more dangerous drugs. Well, research in the United Kingdom shows that some over-the-counter pain killers have addictive properties. Shouldn't these over-the-counter drugs be prescribed if they are addictive just as medicinal marijuana is prescribed? Also, tobacco and alcohol are also drugs people use to relieve stress. Both of these drugs also have addictive properties similar to marijuana. So why aren't tobacco and alcohol illegal? Tobacco is one of the leading cause of death and lung cancer. Not to mention the amount of deaths second-hand smoke cost. I feel tobacco is practically the same drug as marijuana. I don't understand why tobacco isn't illegal. Tobacco endangers the health of people around smokers. Alcohol also endagers others' lives as drunk drivers hit the roads. There are campaigns everywhere I look to promote safe, responsible usage. What? If there needs to be this many cautionary warnings for alcohol, how is this safe? I feel marijuana has the same amount of possible dangers as tobacco and alcohol.  Lastly, people say marijuana is a gateway drug to more dangerous illegal drugs. This is probably true. However, I believe the reason for this is participants of marijuana, an illegal drug, feels they might as well try another illegal drug because both are illegal. I feel marijuana users won't try illegal drugs if marijuana is legalized.

I don't want to give the impression that I support the use of marijuana for I have seen the effects of this drug. However I don't see how marijuana is more dangerous as tobacco and alcohol. With Texas' major debt, the government needs another form of revenue which can be taxing marijuana. With marijuana being the third most popular recreational drug behind tabacco and alcohol in America, as stated in Whittington's blog, legalizing marijuana could also be a step towards solving the national debt crisis.