If you were to name the hot button topics rocking the US today, you’d likely include in your list:

Gay rights, gun laws and marijuana legalization.

Gays and guns remain divisive issues. But now, more and more Americans are in favor of relaxing marijuana laws, both on the state and federal level.

As momentum is building in legalization’s favor, here are two questions worth asking:

(1)  Inconsistent Research 
Americans frequently compare pot to alcohol, noting that drinking is more harmful to the body than THC consumption.

Yet recent research about marijuana further highlights the lack of concrete knowledge about its effects on perception. Conclusions about the long-term effects of the drug are even more opaque.

Would it be wise to conduct more exhaustive/conclusive research on the dangers of marijuana before proceeding with legislation reform?

(2)  Safety behind the Wheel
While taking drugs potentially impacts the health of the consumer, driving under the influence of drugs has the potential to harm others.

“I think (marijuana) is the next big issue in highway safety,”

says Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association

Although researchers are uncertain about marijuana’s short-term effects on the brain, they have proof that drivers under the influence of THC are more likely to swerve between lanes than sober drivers. However, more studies need to be conducted to determine how this relates to crash risk.

“We have so many processes in our brain that help us to do a complex behavior of driving, and under the effects of marijuana, we just don’t perform as well,”

Says senior investigator Marilyn Huestis at The National Institute on Drug Abuse

There are also concerns regarding the establishing and enforcing of legal limits of consumption. Only a few states have a legal limit for drivers and it is harder to test for than alcohol.

Considering consumption of marijuana might increase due to legalization, would this make out roads more dangerous? Is it worth the risk?

We at USDemocrazy are interested to hear your arguments for and against legalizing marijuana.