Weed, weed, drugs, Mary Jane, joint, weed, chronic. All these words have one thing in common; they refer to a drug known to all, marijuana. The debate on whether or not marijuana should be legalized is a very heated topic in the United States. For many it is in the news, in political debates and part of everyday conversations. People should know the facts on both sides of the issue before choosing whether it should remain illegal or become a legal substance. Legalizing marijuana could boost the economy by opening job markets, increase tax revenue for the government, and would also make better use of American taxpayers' money. People fail to see the positive results of marijuana legalization because they are too busy looking at the negative points against weed. However, there are hard facts against the arguments for keeping marijuana as an illegal substance. There are two main reasons why some Americans oppose the legalization of marijuana; it is a so-called “gateway” drug and can be harmful. People like to argue and say that users of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, etc. they 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 a point against legalization, but it actually underlines how logical it is that drug users have used marijuana. If marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, then drug users are likely to have tried marijuana at some point in their lives. The other argument against legalizing marijuana is how harmful it can be. It's time to get real, though. Tobacco, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals are more harmful to someone's life than marijuana, but they are all legal. Marij... middle of paper... hunters and put some extra money in the government's pockets? The government only needs to regulate usage; no drunk driving, you have to be of a certain age to use it, no fees for minors, basically the same laws we have for alcohol and cigarettes. Our economy could benefit and there would be many happy Americans celebrating a country where marijuana is legal. References Cloud, J. (2002, November 2004). Is weed good for you? Retrieved September 5, 2011, from Time magazine: Marijuana Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved September 7, 2011, from Drug Policy Alliance: The Editor's Desk. (2011, December 02). Retrieved December 5, 2011, from Bureau of Labor Statistics: