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The idea that a moral and ethical war has been waged over the dangers and hazards of marijuana would likely have seemed ludicrous at best to our ancestors. After all, it is often forgotten that Marijuana is not a technological innovation discovered through chemical experiment, nor is it a synthetic creation of our own. It is a plant found in nature, one which can miraculously be grown in nearly any climate, under nearly any conditions. Our folly as an American society in regards to this issue is our failure to recognize that like nearly everything we come in contact with as people there can be too much of a good thing. The true danger of marijuana includes far fewer drug side-effects than personality traits of the individual who smokes it.

Marijuana itself has never been proven to be physically addictive. It can impair ability to operate vehicles and heavy machinery, and to perform other tasks up to par with a sober frame of mind, and yet is generally thought to be less detrimental to judgment and motor skills than alcohol. Several states in the U.S grow Marijuana for medicinal purposes and while the Federal government is aware of the practice it refuses to recognize any medical value of the plant.
And so the question nearly presents itself: why is alcohol perfectly legal when it is accepted to be addictive and more impairing than marijuana. Why is smoking marijuana considered taboo when it's long-term health effects account for a fraction of the damage of cigarettes which promise to kill you right on the box?
The answer I feel is that unlike alcohol and cigarettes which are manufactured, Marijuana is nearly impossible to tax. It is a plant. It thrives nearly anywhere. Anyone could grow their own abundant supply if the drug were it to be legalized and the government would in no way reap the benefits.
And so we arrest, fine, and jail those caught smoking it. We place "pot heads" in prison, label them miscreants, teach the kids in their D.A.R.E programs that Marijuana is bad and against the law, and so are those who smoke it. Millions if not billions of tax dollars are steered towards those imprisoned for drug charges and police forces desperately needing expansion to keep up with a trend that has not, and foreseeably will not disappear.
So do we continue to fight against a plant found almost anywhere? It seems unreasonable to do battle over what is and will remain so popular. Perhaps the real dangers of marijuana cannot be stuidied in the drug itself but the people who use it. If you have an addictive personality, chances are you will become mentally addicted. If you seek drugs as an escape, or an alternative to being productive, or dealing with reality, chances are smoking Marijuana is not going to help you. But like almost everything if used in moderation, responsibly and occasionally, Marijuana can be used to enhance life rather than to escape it, even if only for a little while.

Learn more about this author, Quill Penney.
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