The document provides various facts about marijuana, including that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew it, it was used medicinally as early as 2727 BC, and hemp was once considered legal tender in the US. It also notes debates around marijuana, such as whether legalizing it would increase dangerous drugged driving, and why some see it as a gateway drug. The document advocates that more states are legalizing medical marijuana due to its medical benefits and lower risks compared to legal substances like alcohol.

1. Jamison Williams

2. Fun Facts About Marijuana
 Both George Washington and Tomas Jefferson grew marijuana
on their plantations
 Its first recorded use for medicinal purposes was 2727B.C.
 Hemp was once considered legal tender in the U.S.
 14.6 million Americans smoke pot on a regular basis
 The declaration of independence was written on hemp paper
 Given an opportunity deer will chew gum and marijuana
 In Oregon you can't buy or sell marijuana but you can smoke
the drug on your own property! How bizarre is that law?
 The reason marijuana is illegal is because in the 30's cotton
growers lobbied against hemp farmers. They thought that the
hemp growing would just be competition for them. However, the
argument has become the fact that marijuana is not as addictive
as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.

3. FAQs
 1: Wont legalizing marijuana cause users to be as dangerous
as people who say, drink and drive?
No, studies show that it would take a very large of THC to be in
someone's system to be as dangerous as someone who
 2: Why is marijuana referred to as a "gateway" drug?
It is called a gateway drug because its usually where most of
the people who are into more hardcore drugs start.
 3: Why do people choose to try more hardcore, addictive drugs
after using marijuana?
The people with more addictive qualities tend to use marijuana
so much that they get bored with the high they get from it and
choose to try harder stuff to get a new high.

5. Introduction
 More states are beginning to see how
helpful legalizing marijuana is.
 Only 1 state has rejected medical
marijuana.
 If a substance is so “dangerous” why
has it shown to help more people than
harm?
 Our society has accepted that many
legal substances are more dangerous
than marijuana.

6. Reason 1 For Legalization
 It is used to help cope with several
different disorders.
 Without the help of marijuana people
wouldn’t be able to do daily activities
 Marijuana helps cancer patients

7. Reason #2
 Not as harmful as some legal
substances
 Not addictive like tobacco or alcohol
 Most doctors would agree that it is not
very harmful if used in moderation

8. Reason #3
 Has many industrial uses
 Can be used as an alternative to thermal
insulation
 Over 25000 products can be made from
it.

9. Cons
 Is considered a gateway drug
 Morally wrong
 Legalizing marijuana would be a
stepping stone to legalizing harder
drugs.

10. Argument
 No substance can lead to you to use
another substance, only your addictive
personality and personal enjoyment of a
good high can.
 Nobody shares the same morals and it is
morally wrong to think that your ethics and
morals are better than anyone else's.
 If legalizing marijuana caused a domino
effect to lead to harder drugs being
legalized than that shows a problem in the
government, not the problem in the
substance.

11. Works Cited
 Conant, Eve. "Pot and the GOP." Newsweek. 01 Nov 2010: 18. SIRS Issues Researcher.
Web. 09 Nov 2011.
 Cotter, Barbara. "Little Scientific Research on Medical Marijuana's Benefits." Gazette
(Colorado Springs, CO). 26 Jun 2011: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Nov 2011.
 George. "Why I Support Legal Marijuana." Wall Street Journal. 26 Oct 2010: A.17. SIRS
Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Nov 2011.
 Hecht, Peter. "Colorado's Medical Pot Business Is For-Profit, Regulated--And Thriving."
Sacramento Bee. 15 Aug 2011: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 09 Nov 2011.
 Hildebrandt, Erin. "Medical Marijuana." Mothering. May/June 2004: 52-61. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 17 Nov 2011.
 Soros, George. "Why I Support Legal Marijuana." Wall Street Journal. 26 Oct 2010: A.17.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 09 Nov 2011.
 Strauss, Jesse. "Fear and Loathing Surrounds Decriminalisation." Aljazeera.net. 18 Jun 2011:
n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 09 Nov 2011.
 Joe Messerli. “Should Marijuana be Legalized under any Circumstances?”
balancedpolitics.org. 06 Aug 2011.