Weed, pot, dope, Mary Jane, joint, weed, chronicle. These words all have one thing in common; they refer to a drug known to everyone, marijuana. The debate over whether or not to legalize marijuana is a very heated subject in the United States. It makes the news, political debates and is part of the daily conversations of many. People should know the facts on both sides of this issue before deciding whether it should remain illegal or become a legal substance. Legalizing marijuana could boost the economy by opening job markets, increase government tax revenue, and would also provide better use of American taxpayer dollars. People don't see the positive results of marijuana legalization because they are too busy watching. the negatives against grass. There are, however, strong facts against arguments that marijuana remains an illegal substance. There are two main reasons why some Americans oppose legalizing marijuana: It's called a "gateway" drug and it can be harmful. People like to argue and say that people who use cocaine, meth, heroin, etc. would never have started abusing these drugs if they hadn't started with marijuana. It is a fact that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. This may seem like an argument against marijuana legalization, but it actually shows how logical it is that drug users have used marijuana. If marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, there is a good chance that drug users have tried marijuana at some point in their lives. The other argument against legalizing marijuana is how harmful it can be. However, it’s time to get realistic. Tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals are more harmful to life than marijuana, but they are all legal. Marij...... middle of paper......hunters, and put a little extra money in the government's pocket? The government just needs to regulate their use; no driving under the influence, you have to be a certain age to use it, no underage contribution, basically the same laws we have for alcohol and cigarettes. Our economy could use it and there would be lots of happy Americans celebrating a legal marijuana country. ReferencesCloud, J. (2002, November 4). Is pot good for you? Retrieved September 5, 2011 from Time Magazine: Marijuana Facts. (nd). Retrieved September 7, 2011, from Drug Policy Alliance: The Editor's Desk. (December 2, 2011). Retrieved December 5, 2011 from Bureau of Labor Statistics: