Anu, no offense, but you have no idea what you're talking about. Marijuana is one of America's biggest cash crops. Marijuana has been illegal for like 1% of its lifespan. Before then, everyone around the world was using marijuana and hemp as medicine and thousands of other purposes including paper, VERY nutritional food, rope, pretty much anything you can think of. The reason it is still illegal is because of $$$$. pharmacies make shit tons of money developing and selling harmful chemical drugs with ridiculous side effects. Private prisons are cashing in when thousands of harmless pot smokers are thrown in jail. It sickens me how the government allows marijuana to be illegal so gangs can cash in, then police and law enforcement make big busts and act like they are heroes of America... It's a cycle of hypocrisy and greed.
Not to mention the cancer industry THRIVES off of marijuana being illegal. Do a little research on THC oil and cancer and you'll soon realize why corporations like The American Cancer Society want weed to stay illegal.
We're not introducing new drugs... Marijuana has been here and been used since the beginning of mankind. If you want a long term goal of eliminating the harmful drugs, legalization of marijuana is the best step to take. Who is going to go through the hassle of illegally obtaining cocaine or heroin or meth when they can buy marijuana at the local shop? I believe studies in Holland showed that after they eased up on marijuana, the usage of hard drugs and alcohol declined. The alcohol industry... another huge industry that lobbies against legalization of marijuana... it's really not that hard to figure out that greedy CEOs pretty much control everything in America