Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Our public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it.
Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. According to the prestigious European medical journal, The Lancet, “The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or tobacco.”
Get the facts. See our Library
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7305
WVKayaker: “...more than 14 million do (smoke marijuana) so regularly despite harsh laws against its use.”
People who smoke marijuana, knowing that it’s illegal, are dishonorable people who deserve no sympathy from law-abiding citizens. It’s one thing to disagree and attempt to change the law. It’s something else to choose to be a criminal, especially when doing so supports other criminal enterprises not related to marijuana.