Why I am for the legalization of marijuana:

First of all, I'm not a pot head.  I'm not writing this for my own personal gain, nor am I because I want to smoke it all the time. 

I'm writing this because because I have strong opinions that are based in fact and not just hearsay. 

1. Making pot illegal didn't make people NOT smoke it.  People just have to do it secretly.  There's not an age group, race, gender, or religion that uses it more, it's done by people from every walk of life for many different reasons.
2. Millions of dollars are spent yearly (our taxpayer money that could be going to help fund schools among other things) on marijuana arrests/prevention.  People are arrested and sometimes sent to jail for possessing over a certain amount because the idea is that they have the intent to sell it.  It is such a waste to have someone filling up a spot in prison (using our money to pay for the cable, electricity, food, water, etc...) when there are actual criminals and addicts of dangerous drugs out on the street). 
3. If the government was able to regulate sales of marijuana, the tax alone on it would stimulate our economy greatly.  More could be funded with the taxes from the sales as well as give jobs to people growing the pot and people to run and manage the specialty stores where people could purchase different pot items.  Our economy would be boosted almost immediately and people would have more opportunities to make money and get back on their feet.  The legalization and sale of marijuana through the government would also take money away from foreign gangs who sell it illegally here, reducing crime and preventing unnecessary deaths.
4. Marijuana is not as addictive as alcohol or tobacco (if you are in the minority of those who even think it IS addictive), nor is it as harmful to your body.  It is nearly impossible to overdose on pot, and it is non toxic to humans.
5. Marijuana is beneficial to people suffering from many different illnesses.  While hospitals are pumping cancer patients full of harsh chemicals and drugs via chemotherapy, pot can actually increase the appetite (usually decreased by the chemo due to nausea) as well as reduce the discomfort.  People with bipolar disorder have been studied and behavior has been greatly controlled using marijuana.  Pot is also an alternative for those who choose to relax, rather than having an alcoholic beverage.  When my grandparents were sick with cancer, they may have been more open to the benefits of marijuana had the stigma of it being illegal had not been so pushed onto them.  They may have had a more comfortable experience with chemo or the effects of cancer had they been able to legally acquire pot.

I would love to see some data refuting these points that I have made.  Not just opinions, but facts.  I don't really care if you're for or against it, but if you have any qualms about things that I have said, please respond with scientific facts rather than just telling me what you think.