Alcohol causes 88,000 deaths annually and it’s poorly regulated worldwide. Other recreational substances like Marijuana have been unfairly prohibited due to their infamous reputation, even if harmless compared to alcohol. This fear originates from media sources who are poorly informed regarding the drug’s benefits. This misunderstanding halts all the positive applications cannabis has, an it’s not an excuse to ban it. Legalizing marijuana would bring significant benefits that outweigh the consequences in fields like medicine.

It’s been scientifically proven that cannabis has multiple health applications. This is due to its composition containing chemicals like THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol). For this reason, we must study the plant to create and refine better medications. One example of a medication containing marijuana components is Sativex. Sativex contains both THC and CBD and is given to patients suffering severe pain in advanced stages of cancer.

Unfortunately, marijuana’s research has slowed almost to a stop as its use is frowned upon. We should encourage research and invest more time as well as resources to improve our knowledge on cannabis. New discoveries could help us make major medical breakthroughs as Kevin Loria, Erin Brodwin and Melia Robinson account in their Business Insider article “A drug called Epidiolex, which contains CBD, may be on its way to becoming the first of its kind to win approval from the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of childhood epilepsy.” However, careless use of cannabis-based products is dangerous, but the reality is that medical marijuana’s intention is to improve the wellbeing of an individual without causing hallucinogenic effects.

Even consuming marijuana as a recreational substance has health benefits. Studies have demonstrated that moderate consumption increases cerebral blood flow preventing strokes as well as reducing the chances of become obese. Joe Brownstein accounts in his Live Science article “Marijuana smokers tend to smoke much less than cigarette smokers, as some may smoke one joint a few times a week.” Older studies linking marijuana to lung cancer have also been debunked.

Prohibiting marijuana seems pointless as legal substances like alcohol cause greater damage. Alcohol puts 7 times as much pressure on healthcare systems than marijuana, and 15% of people who try alcohol become addicted. It’s also possible to overdose on alcohol but not marijuana. Although marijuana can cause physiological dependence, it doesn’t cause addiction nor has withdrawal effects like alcohol. Business Insider states “According to a recent survey, about 52% of Americans have tried cannabis at some point, yet only 14% used the drug at least once a month.” Business insider disclaimed this is a poor estimate, but 52% is still a staggering number nonetheless. So why would we waste energy banning a drug which is easily accessible either way? Not only that, but it’s been proven to be beneficial countless times? It would be wiser to legalize cannabis and regulate its consumption to prevent the drug’s abuse.