Legalization of MarijuanaLegalization of marijuana is a highly debated topic in today's society. Many people argue about whether it should be legalized or not. People who support legalizing marijuana say that police officers will have more time to prosecute criminals for other crimes and also that it would increase state revenue. However, people against it argue that marijuana can cause health problems. In Muni Ruben's article, "Political and Medical Views on Medical Marijuana and Its Future," he says, "marijuana works to treat chronic pain and physical symptoms through different mechanisms in the brain" (121). However, Misty Millhorn disagrees with Burden. In his article, “North American Attitudes Toward Illegal Drugs,” he defines marijuana as “gateway drugs that can lead an individual to use and abuse other drugs and can lead to addiction” (126). Beth M. Anderson agrees with Millhorn. In his article “Sex, Drugs, and Cognition: Effects of Marijuana,” he states that “smoking marijuana commonly causes acute subjective effects such as euphoria, depersonalization, impaired sense of time, lethargy, and drowsiness” (413). In this article I will examine whether marijuana should be legalized by researching its economic, social, and medical benefits and disadvantages. Most American money goes to taxes, whether it's income tax, sales tax, or state taxes. It would therefore be logical that, if it were legalized, marijuana would also be taxed, as would cigarettes and alcohol. By legalizing and then taxing marijuana, states can use that money for schools, construction or city and road upgrades. In Bruce Bartlett's article, “Why Legalizing Marijuana is Smart Tax... middle of paper... also helps stimulate the appetite. When large amounts of THC are present in the body, this results in what is known as a marijuana “high.” This can alter a person's perception of time and space. Marijuana also makes colors appear brighter than they originally are and intensifies the taste and smell. This is why people who take marijuana are said to constantly see things and are said to have the munchies. Medical marijuana has helped many people suffering from many different things. In Muni Ruben's article, “Political and Medical Views on Medical Marijuana and Its Future,” he tells us that “smoking marijuana causes harmless effects and improves the quality of life, especially in chronically ill patients” (121). A medical study has shown that marijuana may work in treating chronic pain and physical symptoms through several mechanisms in the brain.