21; has instigated a furious “war” that has divided the country in half. This war has no winners – the country is not even coming close to ridding the country of the “problem”, and the drug users are growing in numbers as more and more people see the beauty of the drug as a social tool, a medical marvel, and a bridge that crosses racial and social boundaries.Another question raised is whether or not Marijuana is harmful. That is easy to answer – yes and no. Yes, it has some detrimental effects on the brain, as any chemical would. However, compared to other drugs and substances, both legal and illegal, the harmful effects seem miniscule. For instance, out of all the drugs available to us today, tobacco remains the number one killer, as it has been for years. Over 390,000 people die each year from this potent, deadly, and very legal drug. Nicotine is also one of the most addictive drugs known to man, easily surpassing Marijuana and alcohol, and just edging out heroin – yes, heroin. Alcohol is a distant second, killing 80,000 people annually, and is one of the most popular drugs among young males. Its withdrawal symptoms are severe, and once hooked, some people are never sober again. Sidestream cigarette smokes kills another 50,000 people, bringing the grand total for tobacco-related deaths to 440,000 people. Cocaine claims 2,200 lives a year, followed closely by two drugs that are completely unrelated, but kill the same number of people – heroin and aspirin. Marijuana, on the other hand, kills a staggering number of people each and every year. Zero. There has never been a death officially tied to Marijuana. Altogether, illegal drugs kill 4,500 people – 8.3 percent of those claimed by tobacco and alcohol. Having been a Marijuana smoker for five years now, I do not consider myself a junkie, a drug addict, or a detriment to society. I smoke to meet people, and my closes...
