Legalization efforts to legalize marijuana for medical and even recreational use have increased considerably in the last decade, but proponents for this drug may not reveal all of the true facts about pot. Driving under the influence of marijuana doubles your risk of a car crash and slows down your reaction time. Some statistics cite that 10% of daily users of cannabis will become dependent on this drug, and a very small percentage of the population could develop a severe and life threatening reaction to the drug which requires emergency medical treatment. Teens who use marijuana on a regular basis are also twice as likely to quit school before they graduate, and they have double the risk of developing psychosis or experiencing cognitive impairment as adults.
The marijuana legalization efforts are led by people who believe that the use of a natural plant should not be criminalized, and this may be a valid point. Instead of being arrested and criminally prosecuted marijuana use should be treated as the substance abuse that it is, with the individual receiving health and treatment instead of a criminal record. A number of advocates for marijuana point out that alcohol kills people every year while marijuana use has never caused a single death, but for those addicted to this drug it can ruin their life and create a constant state of chaos just like any other form of substance abuse. Medical use and recreational use are two different things and these should not be lumped in the same category.
