Zaire Page

Mrs. Hensel
English III
14 April 2015

Marijuana < Alcohol and cigarettes?!

People need to know and understand the epidemics of underground drugs
(i.e.: marijuana) and compare them to the legal ones. Alcohol use results in the
death of 2.5 million people annually. Cigarettes kill 480,317 people annually. There
have been 25,692 recorded overdoses on marijuana that led to death. On a global
scale marijuana has killed less people than cigarettes and alcohol, but yet it is
illegal, what makes it so bad?. At some point in everyones life they will be
submitted to marijuana and so will their children and grandchildren. What is this
stuff?, What makes it any different from smoking a cigarette, or having a few
beers?, these are the kinds of questions people should be asking.
Marijuana has been around for thousands of years. Evidence of marijuana
cultivation reaches back as far as 2737 B.C. China, where it was used as a
treatment for rheumatism, malaria, and absent-mindedness. (Miller). Marijuana
hasnt always been illegal in the U.S. It was legal in most places, but soon,
marijuana was seen in the eyes of the public as not being any different than heroin
and opium and it was placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Treasury Department.
(Miller) The War on Marijuana had begun. It was the people v.s the people. All about

marijuana. The marijuana discussion is an ongoing debate about whether it should

be legal or not. Though it is not legal people get high everyday.
People who smoke marijuana tend to smoke less than people who smoke
cigarettes. Each year the cigarette smoking community grows a substantial amount.
Six million people die each year due to cigarettes. Cigarettes compared to
marijuana is a death sentence. Marijuana does in fact contain more tar than
cigarettes, but low tar cigarettes still cause cancer unlike marijuana. Tobacco
contains nicotine and marijuana doesnt. Nicotene is highly addictive and may clog
arteries which can lead to heart disease. Marijuana is not just for recreational use,
there a lot of health benefits. Marijuana is used for medicinal purposes all the time.
It can help ease cancer symptoms and help with glycoma. Not to mention that
marijuana helps with anxiety and ADHD.
Alcohol right now is the number one drug on the market. Everyone knows
how bad alcohol is, they know the long term affects, but liver disease and alcohol
poisoning is not enough. There are no known medical uses for alcohol
consumption, but there are health benefits observed in moderate drinkers including
lower rates of cardiovascular disease and fewer colds. (Brownstein) Marijuana is
I conclusion marijuana is what it is

WORK CITED!!
Brownstein, By Joe. "Marijuana vs. Alcohol: Which Is Really Worse for Your Health?"
LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
"Is Marijuana as Safe as -- or Safer than -- Alcohol? - CNN.com."
CNN. Cable News Network, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

Miller, Scott. "A Brief History of Marijuana." Www.newline.com. Scott Miller, 2003.
Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newlinetheatre.com
%2Fpotchapter.html>.