Should we legalize marijuana? From the perspective of America's war on drugs, marijuana is one of the greatest enemies. And since alcohol and tobacco, two life-threatening substances, are legal, it is relevant to ask why marijuana is illegal. American taxpayers can partly answer this question when they fill out their tax forms and when they hear the hash rhetoric used by the government against marijuana. The fact that marijuana is illegal is sufficiently caused by the amount of money, jobs and pride invested in the war on drugs. In other words, the government cannot go back now. To prove this case, the difference between illegal and legal substances (especially alcohol and marijuana) must be abolished. Alcohol, as we all know, was once illegal. The reason it was illegal was because the negative effects of alcohol led many people to fight for the cause of prohibition. Some of these negative effects are direct and others alter the drinker's behavior and motor skills, helping him to do things he wouldn't normally do. In most cases, direct effects result from excessive alcohol consumption, as "depression is often diagnosed in alcoholics" (Rittenhouse 140). But even just getting drunk can cause serious harm. “Accidental trauma is the leading cause of brain damage caused by alcohol” (140) would indicate alcohol as a threat to human health. Marijuana on the other hand seems a little out of place in its classification as illegal. The previously cited source notes that "although it is classified as a Schedule I drug for regulatory purposes, it is clearly different pharmacologically from opioid analgesics" (Rittenhouse 151). Furthermore, a heated debate has recently arisen about the medicinal value of marijuana. It's unclear whether there is a specific use of marijuana, but there certainly isn't a similar debate regarding alcohol. So once again I ask the question: why is marijuana illegal if it is no more dangerous than legal substances? The US government's investments in the war on drugs span the entire spectrum of government offices. But the main recipient of budget funds is the Drug Enforcement Agency, based in the Department of Justice. Before starting to mention the budgetary allocations, I would like to ask the reader to make a small introduction. The budget makes no distinction between the fight against marijuana and the fight against cocaine, heroin, etc. So I would ask the reader to assume that marijuana represents 5% of budgetary allocations for drug prevention..