Lung health: While tobacco has a bad reputation for pumping carcinogens into the lungs, marijuana is estimated to have levels of carcinogens that are 50-70% higher than tobacco smoke. The effect is amplified by the fact that many pot smokers inhale more deeply than cigarette smokers, increasing the amount of time the lungs are exposed to cancer-causing chemicals.
Addictive nature: Legal marijuana supporters have argued that it’s not as addictive as other “harder” drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. Addiction treatment specialists, however, have seen firsthand that long term use does lead to marijuana addiction. Research suggests as many as 10% of users will develop dependence over time. As with other substances, stopping marijuana use leads to withdrawal symptoms that range from irritability to anxiety [3]. Opponents of legal recreational pot argue that any savings that would arise from legalization would be offset by the cost of treating the additional users who become addicted to marijuana.
Less money supporting organized crime: Legalizing recreational weed cuts off an important revenue stream for many in the illegal drug trade. Advocates of legalization contend that by making the substance less profitable for criminals, it will decrease the violence associated with the trade. The result could save lives while taking pressure off of law enforcement.
Safety controls: When a person buys marijuana off the street, there’s no way to know exactly what dangerous substances are cut into the drug. While current legalization efforts don’t directly address safety issues, they do create a framework for a safety control system, which would work to eliminate some of the risk that comes from smoking a substance potentially laced with toxic ingredients.