A topic of hot discussion these days is whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Some states have already legalized medical marijuana while others have legalized both the medical and recreational use of marijuana. However, for the remaining states, the question still remains, why should marijuana be legal? I myself would like to ask, why should marijuana not be legal? 

This topic interests me for a couple of different reasons. First off, as a young person in my few years of living, I have done some wild things and one of them may or may not have been smoking weed. The other reason I'm interested in this topic is because I just don't see what the big deal is about marijuana. I don't understand why people are fighting so hard to keep it illegal when there are way worse things like alcohol that pose a much larger threat to society. People get drunk and do all kinds of crazy stuff. They throw up all over the place, behave in a belligerent manner, crash cars, they get lost, and so on. On the other hand, people who get high, get high and eat, take a nice nap, they laugh a little bit. This is why I don't see the point in marijuana being illegal.

This particular topic that I am researching in no way shape or form affects my values. However, the fact that it does involve the legality of a substance that I may or may not have used throughout my life, it does concern me. And it does perturb me that such a silly question poses such a big issue in politics.  

As a person who may or may not have smoked marijuana throughout my lifetime, it makes me worry. I am worried that maybe one day, while I may or may not be using this substance that is currently illegal, I may or may not have an encounter with law enforcement which could result in me catching a charge. At this stage in my life, I have so much going for me I'd hate to see it all go to waste over what truly is a wonderful plant. Every day that I may or may not use this substance, I am at risk of being punished legally for an act that is so harmless to both myself and others. 

I believe that I am qualified to write about this subject because for this class I have been assigned a research paper. I feel as though since it is a research paper, anyone who is willing to put in the work and do the research should be considered qualified to write about whatever subject it is they feel like researching.

According to an article from the Washington Post's website titled "Since marijuana legalization, highway fatalities in Colorado are at near-historic lows," there have been assumptions and claims made about the correlation between the legalization of marijuana and the number of fatal car accidents in Colorado. According to the article, there were claims made that due to the legalization of marijuana and an increase in the number of "drugged drivers" that there would be an increase in the number of fatal accidents. The facts in the article clearly prove that this assumption was incorrect. In fact, the number of fatalities caused by accidents in which a person with marijuana in their system was involved, was actually below average in the first seven months of 2013 and 2014. The article was published August 5, 2014 and written by Radley Balko. I'm not sure how credible he is on the subject, but he seems to have done his research. In the article he included several graphs and did not clearly take any sides on the argument, but did nothing but give us the facts.

An article on Slate.com titled "Legalizing Weed Isn't Enough" brings up an issue that I feel needs to be addressed. The Article brings up the fact that aside from smoking marijuana in the comfort of your own home, there is nowhere else that you can legally smoke marijuana in the state of Washington. I think it's great that marijuana is legal there but if you can't go out and enjoy getting high with your friends without getting a ticket, then it might as well still be illegal. Yes there is no problem with smoking weed at home, but again I bring up the alcohol issue, there is places where you can publically get drunk like bars and clubs, why can't you get high there? The author of this article was Michael Thomsen, it was published in 2014. I believe he is credible to speak on this topic because he was speaking based off of his own personal experience.

A map on Governing.com shows that 23 states have legalized marijuana in some way shape of form whether it be medical or recreational use. Despite these 23 states legalizing marijuana in some way, there is still over half of the country that hasn't. The short article displayed with the map does not have an author's name presented.

How this research topic is "arguable" I am still trying to understand. Like I said, I don't see why stuff like alcohol is legal and something like marijuana isn't. So far out of all of the research I have done, I have not found one source that says 100% that weed should not be legal. Most of the sources I have found, although they don't all clearly pick a side, seem to support my side of the argument in some way shape or form. The perspective of these articles do not affect mine own at all. However, I may have to reword or take a different angle as far as my research question, not sure yet though.
