The fight for legalized marijuana is one at the forefront of American policy decisions right now. While Trump and other international affairs dominate headlines, the battle for and against legalized marijuana has been very prominent during the same time frame.

On the same day America elected Donald Trump, four states voted in favor of legalized recreational marijuana and three others successfully voted to allow medicinal marijuana.

There are numerous reasons that more states should push to allow marijuana to flourish legally in our country, none bigger than the potential positive impacts it could have on society.

Marijuana is still classified as a "Schedule I" drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This means that the federal government believes marijuana is as dangerous as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.

Before I go on, here are some numbers that blow that narrative out of the water:

Drug overdoses have risen sharply over the last decade plus in America, but none of them have been attributed to Marijuana.

As seen in the chart above, there have been thousands of overdoses, including from cocaine and methamphetamine, which the DEA classifies as Schedule II drugs, one classification below cannabis.

While cigarettes remain readily available to high school seniors, marijuana use is still a crime federally and in some states, however the number of states in which it is illegal is decreasing.

Being a classified as a Schedule I drug also means that marijuana has "no currently accepted medical use" according to the DEA's website.

Again, this is incredibly false and quite a dangerous view to be held at the highest levels of American government. There are numerous illnesses that can be treated with marijuana, including AIDS, cancer, and Alzheimer's Disease.

The classification of marijuana by the federal government is, in all reality, a gross negligence of facts from everyone involved.

However, the case for legalizing marijuana cannot simply be made by saying it is not as dangerous as other drugs, or that cigarettes are bad. There are indeed many positive benefits to the possibility of recreational marijuana sweeping the United States.

In terms of what Marijuana can do to help society, there are numerous possibilities that are relatively easy to see either already or potentially happening in the future.

Tax revenue from marijuana is an often cited argument for the drug, and taxes on the newfound product in places where it is legal have already yielded positive results. This article on Fortune.com discussed listed some numbers that deserve repeating: Over a two year span, marijuana taxes resulted in 65 million more dollars that went to public education in the state of Colorado.

Meanwhile, in Washington State, marijuana tax revenue easily cleared $180 million in 2016. This tax money was distributed and used in funds for education, healthcare, and law enforcement purposes.

On top of the possibilities for tax revenue, marijuana itself will have a positive impact on society once legalized.

For one, it will allow veterans to treat themselves for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, even if the Department of Veteran Affairs refuses to accept the possible benefits of the drug.

Veterans are some of the most disciplined and intelligent people in our nation, there is no reason that these adults should not be allowed to access medicinal marijuana, or recreational marijuana.

Marijuana can be something any person can self-medicate on, and veterans are probably the most qualified people to handle such a responsibility. The veteran's healthcare system is a mess, and recreational marijuana could allow those ailed by mental scars to completely avoid the disaster that is the V.A.

Not only will our veterans be aided by marijuana, the United States could use a lesson in incarceration, as the rate of prisoners here is higher than anywhere else on Earth.

Legalizing marijuana will not solve the epidemic that is the prison population in the United Staes, however, it could be a place to start.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), just under 90% of marijuana arrests "were for simply having marijuana."

While that statement is somewhat vague, marijuana arrests are among the most useless in society, and drug arrests in general. The incarceration of drug offenders goes far past marijuana and is an entirely different topic to be tackled. Still, ceasing to waste money on people with marijuana is a good start to help end the ineffective ideology behind the "war on drugs."

There really is no reason for marijuana to be illegal at any level, from any side of the political aisle. The drug has a few downsides, but the potential pros unequivocally outweigh the few, minor cons.

One con that could be mentioned is the possible increase in people driving while under the influence of marijuana, and of course, those have increased since legalization in Colorado. However, this is a problem that can be attacked the same way that the world attacked those that drink and drive. We have not banned alcohol (a second time) because of drunk driving accidents, and we did not ban iPhones when people started ramming into poles while texting.

Instead, society has tried to become safer and more responsible in response to drinking and driving. Uber and Lyft are incredibly successful and save lives night in and night out to counteract those that may have chosen to drive to a bar instead.

The only other con is the impact that it has on the brain, and while the effect is generally negative by consensus in terms of retaining information, this is a small tradeoff for the positive benefits the drug could have.

Moreover, this is not an article about why you should smoke marijuana, it is merely about why people should be able to make that decision on their own.

There is a level of personal responsibility that comes with every aspect of life, and legalized marijuana would be no different.

With everyone in our country clamoring on how to help fix healthcare and education, more tax revenue is a start. For everyone shouting about how we need more freedom and less government, letting adults to choose whether or not to smoke marijuana is a start. Those looking to help veterans, here is a way to start.