I've been asked a few times whether or not I support legalizing weed. As soon as I tell people that, yes, I do support it, people are then quick to ask: "Well, do you smoke it?"

I have never smoked weed before in my life. I didn't even know, up until last year, that there were different types of weed and a multitude of ways to smoke it. People think that I am against weed because I don't smoke it; even though I've never been directly exposed to the substance, I am not naive to the health and financial benefits it holds.

One reason why I support the legalization of marijuana is that there are many health benefits that come from smoking it. Weed helps slow down the growth of cancer cells and aids in appetite during gruesome chemo and radiation treatments. It also increases lung function and reduces damage caused by tobacco products. Marijuana helps people who suffer from seizures, anxiety, depression, glaucoma, alcoholism, and many other diseases. As a person who has lost a loved one due to lung cancer, I sometimes wonder if my aunt could have benefitted from marijuana; but, alas, medical marijuana wasn't legal in New Hampshire at the time. Weed is much safer for the body than alcohol, yet is more heavily regulated. Oh, the logic.

While, in my opinion, the health benefits outweigh the financial benefits, pouring more money into the economy certainly doesn't hurt. In fact, legalizing weed can help our state and federal governments save money, as well as make money. By legalizing Mary Jane, our government would save approximately $13.7 billion dollars on prohibition programs alone. It would also save U.S. prisons $1 billion dollars each year and cut down on overcrowding. Not to mention, Americans would be saving $41.8 billion dollars in taxes. Colorado, one of the first states to legalize weed, has seen major improvements since the legalization. Drug Policy said:

"Since the first retail marijuana stores opened on January 1st, 2014, the state of Colorado has benefitted from a decrease in crime rates, a decrease in traffic fatalities, an increase in tax revenue and economic output from retail marijuana sales, and an increase in jobs. "

Because of weed legalization, "Colorado has the fastest-growing economy in the United States, and Colorado's unemployment rate is at a six-year low."

If we, as a country, can sit here and make a profit from cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and hookahs- products containing carcinogens and other chemicals known to cause diseases- then, logically, we shouldn't be criminalizing a substance with health benefits. We should legalize weed to give people the medical help they need while increasing tax revenue and jobs to strengthen our economy.

I'm going to throw in a shameless Bernie Sanders plug by encouraging legalization supporters who support Bernie to donate $4.20 to his campaign on April 20 (4/20)! Bernie Sanders has been known to propose marijuana legalization bills in Congress a few times; we need politicians who support our health, wellness and economic growth in office.

Now, go ahead. Go 420 blaze it. You know you want to. #Lit