Both our federal government and supporters of marijuana prohibition have given the impression that marijuana is so dangerous that we should continue keeping it illegal to benefit the health of our society. Not only have they exaggerated the harm marijuana can cause you, but they're willingly providing fabricated information to scare those curious or interested in the benefits of marijuana. A lot of the tax dollars (by a lot I mean millions) were spent on TV ads which were designed solely to make those who support marijuana look like a complete and utter waste of space.

When you take the time to research marijuana, you'll find actual facts from unbiased people. Look at it this way, If you continually follow a podcast of Trump supporters, do you think you'll ever hear the negatives on our President?

Of course you won't! It would be the same if the roles were reversed, so anyone wanting to actually broaden their views of marijuana first needs to find a reputable source. Chances are, you'll find both the negatives and positives on the topic-just like you would anything else.

I will be the first to say that marijuana doesn't come to you with zero harmful effects. There have been several studies of what marijuana does to your memory over time, how it can potentially be a gateway drug for 1 in 6 people who try it, or the side effects you may experience stopping marijuana after a good period of time.

I won't bull shit anyone by trying to claim marijuana is this ideal, no flaw, perfect drug. 99.9% of every medical drug you're prescribed has some type of side effect. It's all about picking and choosing which side effects you can deal with, and which side effects you'd just rather not.

Let's talk alcohol for a second.

You know as soon as you take that sip of booze, there is a chance you could become addicted to drinking.

You're destroying your liver.

Damaging (if not killing) cells in your brain.

While also gaining weight from the many calories you consume by drinking the alcohol.

If you become addicted, it's a whole other story, but that's for another day.

What's the difference between Alcohol and Marijuana? Both have some negative side effects we'd rather not experience, but put you in a mindset of happiness or relaxation, and both are commonly practiced in social events/gatherings.

The difference...?

One's legal, and the other isn't.

The truth is that marijuana is widely used in a manner very similar to alcohol. While some consume it for solely medical reasons, many others use it in social events, or even therapeutic purposes. It not only can help calm/stop seizures, relieve the pain/shaking of arthritis, but it also is used to help with anxiety/depression.

It's crazy that one drug that is capable of helping so many, is not only illegal, but disapproved by millions. People that have tried marijuana before, agree there's nothing wrong with doing it responsibly and with moderation, just like it's okay to grab a drink after work with coworkers. It's important to look at the bigger picture...and the bigger picture? Yeah..it's not quite as scary as many people try to make it seem.

One day, marijuana is going to be legal everywhere. Then we'll teach kids about the days where it was illegal because of pure ignorance. You'll get questions (quite like the same ones you get about the 1920's when alcohol was also illegal). Minds will be blown at the fact something that is capable of helping so many people, was once illegal, when things way worse for you-(alcohol and tobacco) were legal.

Stop shaming marijuana based on the myths you read. Find a reliable source that's only feeding you the truth, and nothing but it. Stop listening to what parent's say about "those bad kids in high school who smoke pot," or the "bums who never amounted to anything and would rather spend their days being lazy on the couch, watching tv and smoking a bunch of dope."

You can place anything into a stereotype, but that doesn't make the object bad. If that were the case, shouldn't we be hating cigarettes for causing lung cancer..tobacco for causing mouth cancer, or alcohol for causing liver failure?

When you weigh out both the pro's and con's, you'll come to find that marijuana isn't as bad as the impression you may have been given. In fact, it ultimately helps more than hurts.

You all seem too uptight about the subject if you ask me, may I offer you something to relax? I think I know just the thing.