Marijuana, weed, hashish, pot, it goes by several names. Many people argue that it should be legalized because it is no better than alcohol and cigarettes. While there is some truth to these claims, marijuana remains a dangerous drug and adding one more problematic drug into the mix will not improve America's health and safety problems. Although marijuana has medical benefits, its recreational use is dangerous to us and our society. There are countless debates about whether marijuana should be legalized for creative purposes or whether it should remain illegal. Marijuana has been legalized in some states for medical purposes, including to combat cancer pain, glaucoma, and nerve pain. In a survey I conducted with a class of 27 students, 15 of them were opposed to legalizing recreational marijuana. Still, 25 of the students were in favor of medical marijuana. This shows that people are willing to enjoy the medical benefits of marijuana, but recreational marijuana is still considered unfavorable for most people, and rightly so. Marijuana has its share of negative health effects. On the one hand, it increases the heart rate by 20 to 100 percent shortly after being smoked. This increases the risk of heart complications such as a health crisis. These risks are increased in older people. Additionally, if smoked, it causes considerable damage to the lungs. Marijuana smoke irritates the lungs and produces effects similar to tobacco smokers. For example, frequent cough, phlegm production, difficulty breathing, etc. Studies show that marijuana smokers miss work significantly more than non-smokers due to these symptoms. Additionally, heavy marijuana use has been shown to be associated with mental illness. Chronic users experience temporary psychotic breathing... middle of paper ......uana>.NIH, "DrugFacts: Marijuana" National Institute on Drug Abuse. December 2012. np November 27, 2013. Szalavitz, Maia. “Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: The Myth That Won't Die” TIME: Health and Family. October 29, 2010. TIME. November 27, 2013. Chow, Denise. "Marijuana Science: Why Potheads Are Lazy" Live Science. July 01, 2013. npNovember 27, 2013. Goldberg, Joseph. “Marijuana Use and Its Effects” WebMD. July 23, 2012. np November 27, 2013. Harding, Anne. “Medical Marijuana” WebMD. November 4, 2013. np November 27. 2013.