Can marijuana use save lives on the road? | InsuranceQuotes.com More than 200 million people consume alcohol in the U.S. - resulting in 75,000 unnecessary deaths each year and multiple adverse health consequences, including liver cirrhosis, cancers, unintentional injuries, and violence. One of the GREATEST benefits of legalizing adult marijuana sales is that it would prevent a lot of this misery from occurring by allowing alcohol users to substitute marijuana for alcohol.