Cannabis, marijuana, weed, pot, grass, reefer.

No matter what you call it, it's still an illegal recreational drug. However, recently there has been increased attention on the possibilities of making marijuana legal.

Some students at Sacred Heart University have mixed emotions about the idea.

"I'm not really sure if they should legalize it or not," said junior Alexandra Bavasi.

"I'm not sure it would make a difference."

Junior Cory Emilia disagrees with the idea.

"I'm against it," said Emilia. "Not because it's a drug and drugs are bad but because I think it will end up being abused by companies like cigarettes are."

According to the New York Times with the current economic situation, many government officials have tossed around the idea of legalizing and taxing marijuana

The government would be making money by taxing the drug, but also they would be regulating it and hopefully be creating millions of new jobs for the new market.

"I don't think there is any effective way to tax sales of marijuana since there is such a big underground business," said junior Katie Henshaw.

"People will just continue to do what they already do to avoid the taxes: grow it illegally, sell it illegally, and smoke it illegally."

Emilia suspects that some corruption might occur if marijuana was to become a part of big business.

"They could put nicotine in the marijuana and the people would get addicted to it like cigarettes," said Emilia.

"It will become another problem."

However, the questions surrounding the legalization of marijuana go beyond taxes and addictive issues.

The current demand for drugs has resulted in drug violence that has "claimed thousands of lives in Mexico," said New York Times reporter, Jesse McKinley.

This has been an issue for the government's war on drugs for years.

"I would imagine the demand for the drug would be higher for a few years if they legalized it," said Bavasi. "After a while I would bet it would be less of a big deal, like alcohol."

Supporters of the legalization movement realize that they need to take the process one step at a time.

First on the list of goals for groups like The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Foundation, also known as NORML, is decriminalization of the current marijuana laws.

In an article for National Public Radio the executive director of NORML, Allen St.Pierre, advocates for marijuana as it is a less threatening drug.

"As compared to alcohol, pharmacologically speaking, it is a remarkably safe and nontoxic drug," said St. Pierre.

With their motto "Yes We Cannabis!" the foundation is calling for "the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults, including the cultivation for personal use, and the casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts."

NORML released a public service announcement on April 20, the unofficial "stoner" holiday, in support of the relaxing of marijuana laws.

The ad, which is available for viewing on the NORML.org Web site, portrays various individuals from lawyers to doctors to teachers, who explain how they lost everything, because "laws are more dangerous than the drug itself."

NORML argues thousands of people have lost their jobs due to their involvement with marijuana even though they are responsible smokers.

"I don't think the laws are too strict," said Bavasi. "Right now the drug is illegal and if you possess it you should have to pay the consequences."

The organization also attributes the overcrowding of prisons to the unnecessary imprisonment of "non-violent offenders" and advises President Obama that marijuana can save our economy.

"Our economy isn't going to turn around over night with the legalization of marijuana," said Bavasi.

"Though it would be interesting to see what kind of effect it would have if it were legalized."