Legalization of Marijuana1

When Olympic officials decided to give snowboarder Ross Rebagliati his gold medal back, the cheers drowned out the boos. It was a minor scandal involving a minor sport, but it spoke volumes about the world's shifting relationship with its favorite illicit drug. Marijuana. A decade ago, Rebagliati would have been ostracized regardless of whether cannabis was on the list of his sport's banned substances. What's changed today is that our attitudes towards illegal drugs are …

…my ways. I have come to realize that there is in fact a negative side to smoking herb. I have had some repercussions of smoking marijuana. Presently I believe that the use of this plant has a time and place in society. I still believe that Marijuana has many desirable effects for medicinal use. I do not condone the recreational use of this substance, but I believe that cannabis should be legalized for medicinal purposes.