Legalizing marijuana is a double-edged sword that is more likely to produce more negative than positive outcomes in society. Despite the fact that marijuana has recently found some applications in the medical field, it is questionable whether legalizing marijuana would encourage people to use it as a herbal alternative to pain-relieving medications. Indeed, it would encourage the growth and development of substance abuse disorders, create risk factors for more dangerous substance abuse, and impact both community health and stability. Human psychological factors that are risk factors for substance abuse disorders, such as low self-esteem, would not allow people to consume marijuana in moderation or with health-oriented goals, thus causing negative health outcomes in the community. Marijuana should not be legalized because excessive marijuana use can affect individual physical health, psychological well-being, social interactions, social functions, and behavioral intentions. Although marijuana is often used as a pain reliever in medicine, legalizing marijuana will most likely result in more health problems rather than positive health outcomes for the community. Marijuana often has positive aspects when it comes to medical applications. It is an established drug to assist people who suffer from chronic diseases, such as cancer or fibromyalgia, and need a strong analgesic to relieve pain. However, it is the doctor's responsibility to recognize such cases and prescribe them to the patient. Furthermore, people who resort to marijuana therapy use diffusers to inhale pure substances, while smoking marijuana would produce various dangerous substances, such as tar, which would damage the l...... middle of paper ......and, and drugs should not be classified and categorized based on their intensity. Drugs have the same negative effects on the human body and mind, regardless of the level of intensity or severity of their addictive properties. Marijuana is already the most popular substance among 9th and 10th grade students with a lifetime prevalence of 33% (Rahdert and Czechowicz 9). Legalizing marijuana would support the peer culture's concept of marijuana as an acceptable experimental drug and would result in the development of physically and psychologically healthy individuals who will no longer be able to contribute effectively to society later in life. Since society is composed and defined by individuals, a higher rate of marijuana users would imply the functioning of the entire society, therefore marijuana must remain illegal for the sake of individual health and social stability..