This article contains findings of a study conducted to investigate the relationship between substance abuse by drivers and accident risks on the roads. The drug investigated by the researchers is marijuana. They investigated its impact on drivers. I have chosen this article because it addresses an epidemic that is threatening the lives of Americans. This epidemic is driving under the influence of substances. The epidemic has impacted negatively on government efforts to improve road safety in the country. According to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the number of Americans driving under the influence of illegal substances has risen drastically. Annual survey on drug use in America indicates a sharp rise in the number of people driving under the influence of drugs. According to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, marijuana is the most commonly detected drug among fatally injured drivers tested for drugs after a motor vehicle accident (Brady, DiMaggio, Lusardi, Tzong, and Li, 2011). This article also provides reliable evidence from nine epidemiological studies. The evidence can be used to guide policy decisions regarding the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
This study was conducted at Columbia University. The findings indicate that people who use marijuana are highly likely to cause a motor vehicle crash. Furthermore, driving within four hours of marijuana consumption increases the risk of a road crash. The risk of a crash is also related to the number of marijuana compounds in the drivers body.
The researchers conducted nine epidemiological studies. Eight of them established a strong causal relationship between marijuana consumption and increased road carnage. Tests are usually conducted to ascertain whether the accident was caused by the influence of substances. A significant percentage of fatally injured drivers are normally found to have been under the influence of substances while driving. Marijuana is the most commonly detected nonalcoholic drug among drivers fatally injured in motor vehicle accidents.
This article is important because it provides compelling evidence that establishes a relationship between the use of marijuana among drivers and crash risk. The epidemiologic data provided by research can be used to infer causality. Eight studies provide consistent results. Only one study is not consistent with the others. This consistency improves the validity and reliability of this research. However, further research is needed to establish causality. More evidence is needed to create a causal relationship between marijuana consumption and safety on our roads. The establishment of a strong causal relationship is likely to have a significant impact on public policy.
The research will play a critical role in guiding public policy related to the use of medicinal marijuana. There is a serious epidemic of driving under the influence of drugs in America. Increased availability and permissibility of medical marijuana have exacerbated this epidemic. Therefore, this article provides a comprehensive understanding of the role marijuana plays in motor vehicle crashes in America. This understanding can be used to guide public policy. Advocates of the legalization of marijuana believe that marijuana is less harmful than other substances such as alcohol and tobacco. However, this research provides a significant argument against the legalization of marijuana in America. The legalization of marijuana would compromise efforts to improve road safety in the country. The availability of marijuana for medical purposes should be controlled to improve road safety.
This article contains findings of a study conducted to investigate the relationship between substance abuse by drivers and accident risks on the roads. The drug investigated by the researchers is marijuana. They investigated its impact on drivers. I have chosen this article because it addresses an epidemic that is threatening the lives of Americans. This epidemic is driving under the influence of substances. The epidemic has impacted negatively on government efforts to improve road safety in the country. According to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the number of Americans driving under the influence of illegal substances has risen drastically. Annual survey on drug use in America indicates a sharp rise in the number of people driving under the influence of drugs. According to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, marijuana is the most commonly detected drug among fatally injured drivers tested for drugs after a motor vehicle accident (Brady, DiMaggio, Lusardi, Tzong, and Li, 2011). This article also provides reliable evidence from nine epidemiological studies. The evidence can be used to guide policy decisions regarding the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
This study was conducted at Columbia University. The findings indicate that people who use marijuana are highly likely to cause a motor vehicle crash. Furthermore, driving within four hours of marijuana consumption increases the risk of a road crash. The risk of a crash is also related to the number of marijuana compounds in the drivers body.
The researchers conducted nine epidemiological studies. Eight of them established a strong causal relationship between marijuana consumption and increased road carnage. Tests are usually conducted to ascertain whether the accident was caused by the influence of substances. A significant percentage of fatally injured drivers are normally found to have been under the influence of substances while driving. Marijuana is the most commonly detected nonalcoholic drug among drivers fatally injured in motor vehicle accidents.
This article is important because it provides compelling evidence that establishes a relationship between the use of marijuana among drivers and crash risk. The epidemiologic data provided by research can be used to infer causality. Eight studies provide consistent results. Only one study is not consistent with the others. This consistency improves the validity and reliability of this research. However, further research is needed to establish causality. More evidence is needed to create a causal relationship between marijuana consumption and safety on our roads. The establishment of a strong causal relationship is likely to have a significant impact on public policy.
The research will play a critical role in guiding public policy related to the use of medicinal marijuana. There is a serious epidemic of driving under the influence of drugs in America. Increased availability and permissibility of medical marijuana have exacerbated this epidemic. Therefore, this article provides a comprehensive understanding of the role marijuana plays in motor vehicle crashes in America. This understanding can be used to guide public policy. Advocates of the legalization of marijuana believe that marijuana is less harmful than other substances such as alcohol and tobacco. However, this research provides a significant argument against the legalization of marijuana in America. The legalization of marijuana would compromise efforts to improve road safety in the country. The availability of marijuana for medical purposes should be controlled to improve road safety.
Nowadays American society faces a number of questions and debates that considerably influence living conditions and safe future. The use and necessity to legalize marijuana is considered to be one of the most burning and important questions to deal with. One nation that is eager to achieve the same objectives and meet personal needs is divided into those who support and argue the idea of marijuana legislation in the United States. In fact, it sounds alerting.
A number of sources are devoted to the theme of marijuana and its impact on human health and lives. It is not always easy to give one clear and definite question whether marijuana legislation is necessary for the American society or not, this is why the main purpose of this paper is to investigate the current state of affairs and clear up really obligatory and strong reasons of this legislation process.
It is high time to enforce a controlled ban on that marijuana selling; however, the idea to create a strict quota basis for actual users for medical self-consumption against the prescription of certified medical practitioners who are mandated to prescribe such drugs for ailing patients has many unclear points. If the concept of marijuana could be changed over time from a commercial drug to a pharmaceutical drug, it could go a long way to ensure its judicial success.
In this paper, the evaluation of available sources that contain clear information about marijuana, its process of legislation, and peoples attitude to this drug will be given.
With the help of personal knowledge, thorough analysis, and constant investigations of the subject, it is possible to realize the reasons to make use of while marijuana legislation process. Among the variety of such reasons, the idea to legalize marijuana under strict conditions and restrictions sounds rather persuasive and clear to help people improve their lives and choose the safest methods.
What I Want to Know and Why
The question of marijuana legalization has been discussed in many countries for a long period of time. Those people who prefer to use this psychoactive drug try to find out as many reasons as possible in order to protect the use of marijuana and prove that its legalization is a perfect step up for many people.
And those people who cannot realize why so many people agree to use this drug and become dependent on its power do not want to accept the idea of legislation and insist on establishment special norms according to which the use of marijuana may be controlled.
In my opinion, in order to give a clear answer to the question whether it is urgent and necessary to legalize marijuana in the United States, it is very important to say unbiased and be able to gather as many different sources as possible and define both weak and strong sides of the issue under discussion.
What I want to know is the reasons of why so many people use such serious psychoactive drug as marijuana of their own accord and do not want to pay special attention to their activities and the outcomes of their activities and why so many people prefer to stop using marijuana and blame marijuana smokers for inability to think about future, safe, and sound of human generation. In fact, marijuana use is considered to be less harmful in comparison to other drugs.
This is why it is very important to compare the effects of marijuana on peoples health, define its possible medical benefits (if there are some), and clear up what makes people strive for marijuana legalization in the United States of America.
It is also possible to evaluate two types of the situation: one is when marijuana is legalized; and another is when marijuana is prohibited, and its users undergo certain punishment because of its selling and using. After such evaluation is made, the answer to the question whether marijuana legalization is worthwhile or not may be given.
Search for Information and Focus
One of the first sources by means of which I get to know about marijuana, its effects, and the peculiarities of use was television. My passion to movies and the variety of themes touched upon there usually help me recognize the main aspects of American style of life, peoples preferences, and challenges to overcome.
Requiem for a Dream is probably one of the most serious and provocative movies about the use of marijuana (cannabis) and many other drugs which influence human perception of the world, human possibilities, and dreams.
Other movies like American Beauty or Alpha Dog are also good sources to comprehend why some people cannot accept the idea of marijuana use in everyday life and why many people still find some kind of help that comes form marijuana (that is usually relief, satisfaction, relaxation, calmness, or vice versa obligatory drive). However, movies are not the only reliable and helpful sources to realize the necessity, effects, and legalization of marijuana.
A number of articles and books writers pay special attention to the question of marijuana legalization. The possibility to find necessary sources online is good indeed: it does not necessary to spend much time waiting in queues or visiting the library that is far from your house.
This is why all I need to find out interesting and reliable information is to look through my personal video collection, choose several provocative articles and books, and communicate with people. Communication with people who have different opinions, evaluation of politicians positions, and focus on my personal attitude to the problem turn out to be helpful in order to develop the necessary research and give a clear answer to the question concerning the process of marijuana legalization.
What I Learned
Summary of sources. The vast majority of medical workers admit that marijuana-based medicines may prove helpful in treating a variety of painful symptoms associated with AIDS (Mack and Joy 90). This is why it is easy to find out many positive feedbacks of marijuana use from a pure medical perspective and it is very important to evaluate once again the necessity of marijuana legislation under a number of distinctions, social norms, and legal restrictions.
A captivating and meaningful observation that marijuana prohibition is unique among American criminal laws& no other law is both so widely and harshly and yet deemed unnecessary by such a substantial portion of the populace was introduced in one academic journal that meets my eye (Nadelmann 28).
I was so fond of information found there that made a decision to find out several more articles from academic journals to discover what other sophisticated people think about the idea of marijuana legislation and why this question is still open. It was discovered that the vast majority of governmental representatives still forbid doctors promote the use of marijuana even if it is medically useful (Kreit 1795).
However, the movies prove that people continue selling and using marijuana without considering whether it is legal or not. People truly believe that they can reach their dreams and become more important in this world.
For example, the main character of Requiem for a Dream says, Im somebody now& Everybody likes me. Soon, millions of people will see me and theyll all like me (Requiem for a Dream). It is also necessary to admit American Beauty (1999), when the main character start using marijuana to change his mood and become closer to his dreams and ideas, and Alpha Dog (2006), where almost each character is connected to marijuana by means of its selling, buying, and using.
Legalization of Marijuana Selling: Advantages and Disadvantages. Drugs like marijuana are indiscriminately used for pleasure or commercially distributed for profits and quite capable of causing major short-term detriment both to the bodies and to minds of its users.
If it is used over some period, the outcomes connected to health hazards may become irreparable. Thus, it is necessary to admit that government continues taking considerable actions against such occurrences in the interests of public good in order to ensure concrete health standards of the public especially among young people who may not be fully aware of the threats that are caused by constant consumption of non-medically prescribed and supervised marijuana.
Besides, there are also concerns that if and once legal precedents have been set regarding these drug groups, it would be difficult to allow similar cases in future indeed.
I also learned that the medical aspects of the drug groups have to be differentiated from its commercial and economic elements. There are also issues concerning some medical aspects that are disassociated with others. On the one hand, the medicinal use entails growing, cultivation, marketing, and distribution of these lethal drugs without prejudice to its content and consumption values.
The supply chain management and logistics for medicinal use may not be different from that of commercial use. On the other hand, Customer Marijuana ID permissions and quota restrictions on case-to-case basis could be manipulated and used by drug groups that lead to real fears through arm-twisting and malpractices.
To comprehend clearly why marijuana legalization has still to be justified, it is possible to compare it to some other types of drugs and means people prefer to use to relax, feel relief, forget about challenges of reality, and enjoy this life.
In comparison to alcohol and cigarettes which may cause death very often (more than 100,000 Americans die from alcohol use, and more than 400,000 Americans dies from tobacco use), marijuana users are not under a threat of being dead. Of course, the idea to overuse marijuana, inability to control human desires and demands may be fatal for the vast majority of people without consideration whether this drug is legal or not.
The threats of marijuana are also evident: its use may lead to short-term memory loss however, it occurs only in case of considerable influence. Long-term memory cannot undergo considerable changes and damages because of marijuana use. However, again in comparison to other drugs like alcohol, it is possible to drink a lot, not notice danger, and be injured.
Human experience proves that marijuana does not influence the work of brain, does not damage either genetic structure or the immune system. Alcohol in its turn influences considerably the work of brain and may lead to serious dangers. Smoking cigarettes leads to numerous health problems such as lung cancer, and the use of marijuana is possible by means of food so that marijuana does not have serious damages connected to human health.
The point is that more experienced people who get a clear idea of what the possible safe doze means and how dangerous the use of drugs is are able to evaluate the situation and use marijuana in order to get pleasure and be satisfied.
Solution. As it has been mentioned above, it is quite possible to legalize marijuana under a number of restrictions, and one of them is the process of marijuana taxation.
However, in 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act has been already adopted and proclaimed that any user of marijuana had to pay taxes in order to get a legal permission of having this drug. However, within a short period of time, the federal government argued against this act and the results were terrible: more than 500,000 Americans continued to be arrested annually (Goldberg 74).
Young people and children do not understand how to use drugs properly and forget about all possible precautionary measures, this is why even Vitamin C may be dangerous in childrens hands. This is why when the questions of marijuana legalization is raised, the following clarifications have to be mentioned:
Age restrictions (they may be even the same which are inherent to cigarette smokers);
Attention to driving and the use of marijuana (drunk people need to pass through numerous tests and pay fines; the same should be used in regard to marijuana smoker-drivers);
Appropriate taxation (this method prevents easy possibilities to find marijuana);
Proper advertisement (if marijuana legalization is possible, the conditions under which it is promoted to people should not be different in comparison to other drugs advertised);
Development of special centers (marijuana users should have a chance to drop this habit and have the place where to go and share personal worries).
Each drug has a number of harmful outcomes but some of them are still legal. This is why it is useless to forbid the use of marijuana. Medical experiences help to realize that marijuana has the same or even less harmful outcomes for human health.
Not long time ago, it was difficult to imagine a young lady smoking because this activity is harmful for female health and influences the functions of reproduction. However, nowadays, many women continue smoking and drop this habit in case they are emotionally ready for it. Marijuana does not influence any reproductive functions; it helps to relieve pain and decrease the level of human suffering.
Those people who still cannot agree to the idea of marijuana legalization should evaluate their opinions and ideas once again and conduct a number of researches which help to compare how dangerous legalized marijuana can be, smoking is, and the use of alcohol is.
Importance of marijuana legalization. Observations show that our society is divided into those who support the idea of marijuana and those who cannot realize its necessity. Numerous debates, quarrels, and fights take place in order to prove each position. However, smokers and non-smokers do not use the same methods to prove their rights. Legalization of smoking and alcohol decrease the level of violence caused by the necessity to prove something.
In its turn if the use of marijuana is legalized, people should not care of necessity to prove their rights. They are all equal, and people have the right of choice. Those who want to use marijuana are able to use it, and those who do not find it necessary are able to avoid this habit. However, any person will be able to prove his/her rights and opinions as for marijuana by means of power and law.
Government should take care of its citizens, and if marijuana legalization may lead to better understanding of human needs and interests, this chance should be used. I think that after this drug is legalized, all problems and misunderstandings around this question will disappear. Those people who use marijuana are able to find it whether it is legalized or not, this is why governmental bans do not support the idea of safe and sound present and future but create a number of obstacles for citizens.
Smoking and alcohol is prohibited in public places; the same should happen to marijuana. Under such conditions, American people get one more chance to feel the taste of freedom and its beauty.
American civilization is smart and strong. People will hardly harm themselves without proper reasons and grounds, and marijuana is not the reason to worry about. When it is legalized, the problems of marijuana will be solved, and government as well as American citizen will get more time and efforts to pay attention to other burning problems like terrorism, obesity, violence, and kidnapping.
Self Evaluation
It is a shame to admit but it was unknown for me that the use of marijuana may be justified from the medical perspective. If I was deeply informed about all these medical issues and the use of marijuana, the research concerning its legalization could be focused more on the ideas on how to legalize its use and explain other people the necessity of this legalization.
There are so many drugs which are used by people legally and which lead to negative outcomes and threats for health. But still people continue using different dangerous drugs, taking extreme actions, and thinking that everything is not as dangerous as many people think. In fact, marijuana is not the worst and harmful in comparison to alcohol or cigarettes. And people get used to think that if it is not legalized, it is more dangerous for health and do not want to pay attention to current achievements and human personal experiences.
It is widely known that any forbidden fruit is sweet, and those who cannot reach the desirable object legally make numerous attempts and invent a number of ways to achieve this purpose. And if a person gets the right to use marijuana legally, it may become even boring with time. This is why it is better to make marijuana available for all people and legalize it under concrete conditions.
In case marijuana is legalized, more time may be spent on solving other problems. And I cannot comprehend the reason of why so many sophisticated people cannot define the necessity of marijuana legalization at least to decrease the level of violence and quarrels which happen between supporters and opponents of marijuana.
I think it is still important to continue this type of investigation in order to find out reasons that are more powerful and prove that marijuana is not the most serious problem to deal with, and its legalization has many positive aspects that have to be explained to people.
Works Cited
Alpha Dog. Dir. Nick Cassavetes and Paul Ralph. Perf. Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsch. 2006. DVD.
American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Prod. Bruce Cohen. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch. Dreamworks, 1999. DVD.
Goldberg, Ray. Drugs across the Spectrum. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Kreit, Alex. The Future of Medical Marijuana: Should the States Grown Their Own? University of Pennsylvania Law Review 151.5 (2003):1787 1826.
Mack, Alison and Joy, Janet, E. Marijuana as Medicine?: The Science Beyond the Controversy. Washington: National Academy Press, 2001.
Nadelmann, Ethan. An End to Marijuana Prohibition: The Drive to Legalize Picks up. National Review 56.13 (2004): 326 332.
Requiem for a Dream. Dir. Darren Aronofsky. Perf. Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans. Artisan Entertainment, 2000. DVD.
Marijuana is a drug obtained from a plant called cannabis sativa. Another name for cannabis sativa is hemp. The plant was grown in the United States of America for agricultural purposes during the colonial period up to the beginning of the 20th century. It was used in the manufacture of birdseed, clothes, lacquer and ropes. Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug among the youths in the United States and other countries in the world, as well (Iversen, 2001).
Once I get to know that my teenage child smokes marijuana, I will advise him/her on the merits of using the drug as well as the dangers associated with it for his/her life. The teenager may be smoking because of pressure exerted to them by their sisters, brothers or friends around them or because they see older people smoking.
The media encourages teenagers to use marijuana. Characters in various television programs like movies smoke marijuana openly, contributing to the fact that the youth, spending most of their time in front of TVs, regards it as a normal issue.
Its use is seen as a way of relieving stress and, therefore, a gateway to escaping problems arising at schools, in families and the way to solve conflicts with friends. Out of curiosity, many teenagers are tempted to smoke to know how it feels to be under the influence of drugs. Whatever the reasons, my child will have behind marijuana use, I will advise him/her to avoid it completely because of the following five reasons (Joy, 1999).
Use of marijuana has been banned not only in the United States of America where its use originated but also in most other countries. This is mainly because of the effects it has been found to have on its users and the society in general. According to Iversen (2001), the use of marijuana is a health hazard. Once smoked, marijuana is absorbed in the blood stream.
It lowers the pressure of the blood and at the same time, it increases the rate at which the heart beats. Pulse rate may go up to 20 to 50 times beyond the normal rate or even more if it is used in combination with other drugs. Researchers have found that low blood pressure and high pulse rate puts marijuana users at a greater risk of heart attack, which is likely to take place within the first hour of smoking than normal people.
There are high chances of conducting chest illnesses like heavy coughing and lung infections. Its users may develop a stinging mouth. Studies have also shown that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compound contained in the drug lowers down the immune system of the body making the body weak to resist diseases. This makes its users vulnerable to other diseases.
Chances of giving birth to abnormal children are high for pregnant mothers if they take marijuana. Miscarriages and premature births are also common. It is costly to treat diseases associated with smoking. In severe cases, these diseases cause death leading to reduction of the population. Mental disorders are also associated with marijuana. Once absorbed in the blood stream, it distorts the normal functioning of the brain. There are reported cases in which excessive use of marijuana leads to insanity (Joy, 1999).
According to Joy (1999), marijuana is associated with risky sexual behaviors that put an individual at risk of conducting sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and HIV aids.
Drug users fall as victims of rape where they force other people into sex. Drug consumption increases rate among students. Mainly, drug users perform poorly at schools, which they often decide to quit. This lowers the status of education in the society. Finally, marijuana users tend to be violent. Some do not carry out their roles in the family like provision of basic needs.
Wife battering is very common among drug users. This leads to family breakages. Marijuana and other illegal drugs are expensive. Because of the above negative effects associated with marijuana use, there should be some control over the marijuana use. Consumption of marijuana in large contents should be avoided. If it has to be used, people should follow doctors prescriptions on how and when to take it to avoid its negative effects on the user and the whole society as well.
References
Iversen, L. (2001). The science of marijuana, London: Oxford University Press.
Joy, E. (1999). Marijuana and medicine: assessing the science base, New York, NY: National Academies Press.
There is a myth that marijuana users are less likely to develop respiratory and other related problems than cigarette smokers. Cigarettes are products made from tobacco leaves which are rolled in fine pieces of paper for smoking. Similar to any other tobacco product, cigarettes are addictive due to the presence of the psychoactive chemical, nicotine.
Cigarettes have been reported to cause serious health complications to their users/abusers. Marijuana, also referred to as cannabis, on the other hand, is a psychoactive compound made for various uses. Some people use it as a religious rite, others for recreational activities while others use it for medicinal purposes. Debates on the safety of the two drugs on humans have continued to heat up among doctors and political leaders. This paper will examine the extent to which marijuana is much safer than cigarettes.
Health complications caused by marijuana and cigarettes
The health implications related to use of tobacco have been well documented for many years now. Lung cancer and heart diseases are the deadliest facts of tobacco use on human health. Cases of high blood pressure and emphysema have also been reported to result from tobacco abuse.
This is because tobacco contains the psychoactive chemical nicotine which produces carbon monoxide which affects the vital organs negatively (Tashkin 1). Besides these deadly implications, tobacco causes addictive behavior to its users due to the effects of the nicotine chemical which has been reported to result in reduced stress hence the urge to use more and more tobacco.
Although tobacco has hundreds of chemicals many of which are toxic, nicotine is the most notable and it has been reported to travel very fast such that within 10 seconds of cigarette smoking, nicotine can reach the brain and many other parts of the body including breast milk. This shows the extent to which these toxins can cause health complications within short period of time after inhalation.
Additionally, the carbon monoxide released from nicotine binds to blood hemoglobin preventing it from carrying adequate amounts of oxygen to other parts of the body. The carcinogenic compounds present in tobacco cause damage to mechanisms that control growth of cells thus resulting into abnormal growth of cells and disrupting the normal functioning of body cells and organs.
Cigarette smoking has also been reported to cause respiratory infections due to the damage caused in the cells that prevent entry of microorganisms into the respiratory system hence reducing the immunity of the system. Chronic smoking of cigarette has also been reported to cause mutation of DNA through an oxidative process and resulting in hardening of the arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis which has been reported as a major cause of death in the U.S
Marijuana, on the other hand, provoked conflicting views on its effects on health from different doctors and researchers. A report given by a principal doctor in the University of California in Los Angeles showed that consumption of high levels of marijuana does not result into adverse effects of lung injury as cigarette smoking does.
However, marijuana results into cancer development due to presence of carcinogenic hydrocarbons that are not present in tobacco (Eisenman 22). Since marijuana has been used medically to treat various disorders, there have been reports that it can actually result into acceleration of the same medical disorders that it had been used to treat.
A study conducted in Harvard University indicated that constant consumption of marijuana can actually cause damage to the cells lining the bronchitis. Since these cells have a protective function of preventing entry of destructive microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria into the pulmonary system, tit results into possible compromise of the immune system in the lungs thus increasing possibilities of pulmonary infections such as pneumonia, especially in patients with compromised immunity such as HIV/AIDS victims.
Additionally, marijuana has been found to be a natural suppressant of the immune system as it destroys various mechanisms meant to defend the body against infections such as the macrophages and the important T- cells. Therefore, the use of marijuana for medical treatment or any other personal reason causes progression of illnesses such as HIV, cancer and complications associated with organ transplants (Brodish 1).
Positive uses of marijuana and cigarettes
Dr. Donald Tashkin of UCLA Medical Center gave a report in 2011 showing facts that make marijuana a safer drug than cigarettes. Despite its health risks, marijuana has various positive medical uses as reported by Dr. Donald. Nausea and anorexia (loss of appetite) are common side effects associated with most of cancer therapies.
These symptoms are also evident in the late stages of cancer. As a result, doctors and other therapists have been using marijuana to counter such conditions. This is usually taken through inhalation of marijuana smoke or through vaporization which is faster in effectiveness than oral way of consuming synthetic marijuana. However, the National Cancer Institute warns that caution should be taken to the amount of marijuana that cancer patients should take in order to make maximum use of the anti-emetic properties of the drug.
Various studies on medical research have been reviewed by the NORML. Org and confirmed that marijuana has anti-cancer properties which can be used medically to reduce size of cancer tumors. The organizations review on use of marijuana as an anti-cancer agent showed that it can be used effectively on patients with glioblastoma which is a rare kind of brain cancer but very deadly as it results into death in just two years after onset. Studies have shown that marijuana can actually reduce the size of glioma.
Dr. Chad Stone, a cancer researcher in the Northwest Pacific published a report showing that marijuana can also be used in the treatment of other several cancer types such as breast cancer, cervical, prostrate and colon cancers among others (Stone 1). However, using it in these treatments should be accompanied with other cancer therapies and drugs in order to be more effective.
A clinical study carried out in 2002 and published in the Journal of Pain Management showed that marijuana extracts can be used to relieve pain associated with cancer. The researchers of the study assure that marijuana is a better substitute than placebos in reducing pain in cancer patients who do not respond to ordinary pain killers.
Paul Brodish, a member of the American Council on Science and Health gave a report showing that cigarette smoking helps reduce the risks associated with Parkinsons disease. However, the protective effect of cigarettes on the diseases has been found to fade away if the infected person quits smoking.
Studies have also shown that smoking cigarettes has positive effects on occlusion of arteries, better known as restenosis which occurs after medical interventions on percutaneous coronary where smokers have been reported to have better chances of surviving or healing occlusion of arteries.
A Swedish study showed evidence with no reasonable doubt that smoking cigarette helps prevent atopic disorders. Although the media says otherwise probably trying to get people to quit and avoid smoking, this study indicated that children whose parents were smokers actually have lower chances of developing asthma and other disorders such as eczema and food allergies.
Shockingly, a researcher in the University of Central California gave a report suggesting that tobacco can be used to treat tuberculosis. The chemical compound in tobacco, nicotine was found to suppress the growth of stubborn tuberculosis infections and can therefore be used to treat resistant tuberculosis.
Additionally, the byproduct of tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide reduces risks of heart attacks and stroke. Small volumes of the gas have been reported to prevent blood clotting and hence facilitating the dissolution of harmful clots within the arteries (Amar 3).
A research conducted at the National Cancer Institute showed that cigarette smoking helps reduce the risks of developing a rare kind of skin cancer that affects older people especially men in the Mediterranean regions. However, these benefits of cigarette should not be used as a vindication to smoke to addiction levels.
Legalized use of medical marijuana in some states
Following a review of therapeutic uses of marijuana by Mohammed Amar in the journal of Ethnopharmacology, as well as other related studies, several states have legalized its use while in other states it is still illegal to use marijuana. Various states including Alaska, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Washington and Maryland among many others have legalized the use of medical marijuana due to the overwhelming medical significance of the drug.
Some of the most notable medical uses of marijuana include prevention/treatment of various types of cancer, pain relief, as an appetite stimulant and treatment for glaucoma among others. However, these states have documented affirmative laws on the use of marijuana.
Some of these laws strictly decriminalize the use of marijuana on medical use with advice or prescription from doctors. Those arrested for marijuana use even if for medical use but without a doctors prescription are faced with lesser fines than those using it as a recreational activity. Doctors may as well face the law for prescribing marijuana on diseases that are not listed in the medical marijuana laws (Kaufman 13).
These laws are meant to protect the doctors and patients but they vary between the different states. However, the legality of medical marijuana is still being debated especially in the United States of America. On the other hand, cigarette smoking is legal in almost every state but with laws governing its consumption such as the age at which one should smoke and inhibition of smoking publicly.
One of the most significant testimonials is the use of marijuana in military and army organizations in the world. For example, Napoleon and his army used marijuana as a pain reliever and sedative during their operations. Many celebrities are known to be cigarette or marijuana smokers.
One of the most important of these personalities is President Barrack Obama who has been battling smoking and trying to quit especially since He became president. Other celebrity smokers include Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and the late Whitney Houston among many others.
Conclusion
Cigarette and marijuana smoking is a very common behavior among society members. Marijuana has recently been legalized in some states for its positive use in treating various medical conditions. Therefore, the two drugs should only be used when necessary in treating medical conditions and should be used in right quantities.
Statistics have shown that an estimate of 10,008 people die due to use of medical marijuana within eight years while that of cigarette smoking indicates an estimate of 5.4 million deaths per year. This is a clear indication that marijuana is much safer or less fatal than cigarettes.
Works Cited
Amar, Mohammed. Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential . Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 105.2 (2006): 1 5. Print.
Brodish, Paul. The irreversible effects of cigarette smoking . American Council on Science and Health, 1998. Web.
Eisenman, Russell. Using marijuana: positive and negative experiences . The international journal of psychosocial rehabilitation. 8.1 (2003): 21 24. Print.
Kaufman, Paul. Marijuana and glaucoma . Archives of Ophthalmology. 116.11 (1998): 12 13. Print.
Stone, Chad. The positive uses of marijuana for cancer patients . Livestrong.com: in partnership with the lance Armstrong foundation, 2011. Web.
Tashkin, Donald. Marijuana is safer than tobacco . UCLA Medical center. 2011. Web.
A lot of people who smoke marijuana just do it by chance or occasionally. There is no proof that usage of marijuana results in illness of mental activities or physical damages. Sometimes the users of this drug may feel anxiety and even paranoia. It never lasts long but the feelings may seem to be frightening. But very large doses can lead to toxic psychosis. This can happen rarely but when a person eats it rather than smokes. According to some investigations of this drug it was proved that it does not change the behavior of people very much.
The main chemical of marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). It has a quality to destroy cells of our body following by unpleasant feelings and condition as a whole. A smoker experiences a state of satisfaction and relaxation, but he never thinks about the inner state. The general condition of a person with intoxication can be seen to the usual observer. The coordination can be broken and reaction not so perfect.
Marijuana is well spread among young people today and is highly used by college students. They say, this kind of drug is very addictive and those who are constant users of it feel strong dependence; they can hardly stop smoking and sometimes even professionals are involved to help these people. But only one percent of students smoke marijuana on a daily basis. Such students feel only mild symptoms of physical dependence.
The usage of marijuana by young students can lead to serious consequences. The influence of this drug on the physiological condition of a person may result in inevitable actions of him. Marijuana arrests doubled during the last several years; thousands of people are arrested now for marijuana offenses. The reasons for the punishments are very different but the result remains the same: marijuana is still used by the majority of students and is available for everyone. Though smoking of marijuana causes serious and dangerous diseases, it is not prohibited among the young people. This drug contains irritants and carcinogens which are rather harmful for the lungs of a person. Thus the usage of it can lead to lung cancer; but the number of smoking students does not decrease in modern colleges. The medical research showed that the smoking of marijuana would compulsory result in the usage of more dangerous drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Marijuana is a popular drug today though it is illegal. The students of colleges and all other young people using this drug are eager to experience the feelings of those who take LSD and other hard drugs. The perceptions of those who smoke marijuana are not as striking as of those who prefer harder drugs. Of course there is nothing special about marijuana because one cannot lose his drive or ambitions. According to the researches, college students who use marijuana get the same marks as those who do not smoke it. School failure is connected with the usage of this drug, but the failure comes before a student becomes a heavy user.
Some scholars believe that marijuana causes memory loss and alters structure of brain; that is why smoking students are considered to be less productive and uninvolved. To tell the truth there are no medical tests that can detect the brain damage caused by marijuana; a kind of experiment was carried out by scientists with monkeys who were to remain in a heavy smoke of marijuana for about half a year. This study showed no damages of monkeys brains and thus the same situation we can observe with a student. But important is the fact that marijuana produces changes in the flow of thoughts and information processing. The only mean to remember something for a student is a short-term memory that recalls the information partially.
According to the investigations of the Research Center in UK the usage of marijuana by the students leads to the decrease of the aggressive condition and makes the person to become calmer. Very often it is the most important reason why college students use marijuana so often, especially being at college.
From the medical point of view marijuana enters the fat cells of the body. But it moves very slowly that is why this drug can remain inside for a long time, for several days or even weeks. As a result marijuana can flow into blood and remain there for some time. In comparison with alcoholic beverages marijuana bring the feeling of caution actions. But it never results in overdose death. The medical research illustrated an increasing number of people smoking marijuana and visiting emergency room in hospital.
Speaking about smoking students one cannot predict the usage of marijuana. College anti-drug campaigns never influence any of the students; they even make the drugs more attractive. Drug education program should be compulsory carried out by the scholars in order to prevent the heavy usage of the drug by the students. Marijuana has a harmful influence on a heart rate and blood pressure of a person; it increases the rate a lot and may lead to stressful situation.
The scientists from all over the world warn every student not to use this harmful drug. The usage of it can lead you to the change of the way of life. Despite the experiments carried out by the researchers, one can be perfectly sure that marijuana has a dangerous influence on the cells of the brain and injuries of genetic code of women. It influences the general health condition of both men and women.
Marijuana is considered to be the principal scapegoat. According to some sources this drug can drive you mad; a person can fail to know the difference between the real world and his imagination.
This terrible stage is called schizophrenia and according to statistics more than 40 percent of smokers were taken to the hospital with this disease. A great interest makes college students smoke marijuana but all in all it results in terrible diseases and arrestment.
Depression is one more perception the student feels smoking this drug. It is the first step to big problems connected with health and education. A step between addictive smoker and non-addictive one is very small and insignificant. Being a teenager your brain only undergoes the period of formation, that is why it is very important not to be caught to the chain of drugs. It was proved that marijuana affects the brain of a young person and should be avoided by him.
To my way of thinking the drug problem concerns politics as well. Political prohibition does not contain drug problems, that is why marijuana continues t be one of the most popular drugs.
References
Iverson, Leslie. Long-term effects of exposure to cannabis. Current Opinion in Pharmacology 5(2005): 69-72.
Dept. of Health and Human Services. DASIS Report Series, Differences in Marijuana Admissions Based on Source of Referral. 2002.
Morral, Andrew R.; McCaffrey, Daniel F. and Susan M. Paddock. Reassessing the marijuana gateway effect. Addiction 97.12 (2002): 1493-504.
Burke, James. Partnership for a Drug-Free America]. Interview. MS-NBC with Tom Brokaw. MS-NBC, 1996.
In their article devoted to marijuana, Volkow et al. delve into the topic of adverse effects associated with the regular use of this drug in young adulthood and adolescence (2219). The first negative health outcome associated with marijuana use refers to the risks of developing an addiction. Based on national marijuana studies and DSM-IV, the researchers conclude that addiction to marijuana is a non-debatable statement and that starting marijuana use in adolescence doubles or even quadruples the risks of cannabis use disorder (Volkow et al. 2220). Additionally, the review indicates links between impaired neural connectivity, declines in intelligence, and marijuana use in both adolescents and adults.
The article also explores other statements related to the effects of marijuana. For instance, regarding marijuanas role as a gateway drug, some findings from animal research suggest that marijuana use may result in the development of multiple addictions. However, when it comes to humans, the effect can also be attributed to marijuanas accessibility to people who are likely to abuse drugs, which is why the researchers encourage giving consideration to social factors when analyzing marijuanas effects on health.
Based on previous researchers conclusions about cannabis use and brain activity, Volkow et al. state that both long-term and immediate outcomes of marijuana use include changes affecting a persons ability to drive (2222). With that in mind, apart from the adverse health consequences, cannabis use may contribute to the risks of traffic accidents, including deadly ones. Despite reviewing multiple articles that dispel the myth about harmless and safe cannabis, the researchers recognize difficulties associated with establishing causal effects and limitations related to animal models. Thus, they encourage further research focused on the connections between cannabis use policies and health outcomes.
Reaction/Reflection
The article does not relate to me directly because I prefer to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay away from substances causing addiction, including the drugs that are considered relatively safe, such as marijuana. The main connection that comes to my mind is that I know a few adults who have been using marijuana since early adolescence. From my observations, it seems that they have become more forgetful and struggle with multitasking much more than before starting marijuana use.
I agree with all of the articles points since they are usually supported with evidence instead of being the result of personal opinions. For instance, the point that marijuana may affect brain development and activity is based on the results of clinical experiments and systematic reviews. Similarly, the point about car accidents stems from the results of high-quality simulation studies and drugged driving statistics.
Aside from the quality of research, I find many points credible since they align with my personal experiences. As an example, my friends parked car was hit by a driver who was in a state of marijuana intoxication. Later, the driver claimed that the car had moved, and he just had not managed to react immediately.
It seems that the risks of misunderstanding are minimal since the researchers usually make their points using scientific terms that are not widely utilized in daily life. However, one term that may cause confusion is regular (refers to the frequency of marijuana use). Among both common people and medical professionals, there is no universal definition of regular marijuana use. As a non-user of marijuana, I would consider smoking it at least once in a fortnight as regular, whereas the source refers to studies that may define regular as several times per week or even daily.
It does not significantly affect the writings meaning, but the readers may need to check the cited references to learn more about what is meant by regular marijuana use. Concerning biases, the researchers do not seem to be biased since they acknowledge the existence of other studies that report no harmful consequences of moderate marijuana use. Moreover, despite focusing on evidence related to health risks, they discuss the limitations of the existing studies, including difficulties associated with establishing cause-effect relationships.
Work Cited
Volkow, Nora D., et al. Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use. New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 370, no. 23, 2014, pp. 2219-2227.
A drug is a substance that changes the bodily function of a body when consumed, there are several definitions of the word drug but it is believed that the most important function of a drug is to change the bodily function. There are many recreational drugs that damage the body and one of them is Marijuana. Marijuana is also known as Ganja in many parts of the world, it is a very dangerous drug which causes a lot of damage to the body of the person who consumes it. The most common consumption method of the drug is smoking. The drug weakens the immune system and makes the body of a person more vulnerable to infection and damage. Smoking of the drug can prove devastating especially for those who already have a weak immune system. This paper will throw light upon how marijuana is a drug and how people turn towards it in the time of depression. It will provide a comprehensive analysis of how a person who consumes the drug reacts to depression.
Marijuana is believed to be the most common and the most easily available drug and it is very commonly used by people in the US. The drug is a mixture of flowers, stem and a host of other things. THC is the most important component of marijuana; this is the main active element of the drug. This drug is smoked in cigarettes and in pipes as joints, the tobacco in the cigarette is removed and marijuana is replaced with it and then smoked. THC acts very quickly upon specific areas in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, triggering off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately result in the high that users experience when they smoke this harmful drug. The brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have very few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors can be found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement Nicotine and other harmful components cause a lot of damage to people who smoke this drug. This drug directly affects the brain and decreases its ability gradually to act. Distorted perception is the most common side effect caused by this drug, it is also capable of causing many other harmful
The Use of Marijuana
Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released today. (Depression, Marijuana dangerous mix for teens, 26 April 2009)
The consuming Marijuana may lead to mental illness and this is a proven fact, the teens who consume the drug react abnormally when in depression when compared to the teens who dont consume it. The consumption of the drug has reduced when compared with the 2001 statistics. The main respiratory consequences of smoking marijuana regularly (one joint a day) are pulmonary infections and respiratory cancer, whose connection to marijuana use has been strongly suggested but not conclusively proven. The effects also include chronic bronchitis, impairment in the function of the smaller air passages, inflammation of the lung, the development of potentially pre-cancerous abnormalities in the bronchial lining and lungs, and, as discussed, a reduction in the capabilities of many defensive mechanisms within the lungs. (Respiratory Illnesses, 26 April 2009).
The drug is worse than tobacco when smoked because of the fact that it is not a filtered drug considering the same it damages the respiratory system of the body. In addition to this, when an individual is in depression, the consumption of the drug gives an illusion that all is fine but the reality is far more different than that. There is much debate as to whether marijuana might actually help depression. Participants in a 1997 pilot study reported that one of the reasons they continued to smoke marijuana was that they felt it relieved their symptoms of depression and anxiety. Another study found that marijuana did not seem to exacerbate depression, but rather was another symptom of the condition. (Is it bad to use Marijuana to relieve depression? 26 April 2009).
Conclusion
There are several pieces of evidence in this paper that prove marijuana is a very deadly drug that directly affects the brain cells. It is mostly used by young people when they find it difficult to cope with the pressure in life. Some use it for the sake of pleasure failing to realize the ill effects of this harmful drug. This concludes that marijuana is not only a drug but a deadly drug.
References
Addict Behavior. 1996;21(2):211-6 Relationship of depression with measures of social functioning in adult drug abusers. Donohue B, Acierno R, Kogan E.
Depression, Marijuana dangerous mix for teens. In BNET. Web.
Historical records indicate that marijuana was used as legal tender in several spots in America since it was a valuable and rare economic resource. Before 1937, it was legal to distribute marijuana for non-medical reasons (Holland 142). After this date, the marijuana Tax Act was put in place.
The new law prohibited marijuana distribution. By the beginning of 1951, a minimum sentence for illegal distribution of marijuana was established by the Boggs Act (Fatout 345). This law has remained in force until this date. Besides, the Operation Intercept was implemented by President Richard Nixon as an anti- drug policy in 1969 (Baum 124).
Since the hemp plant was completely legal, even the United States Presidents like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington grew it in their own farms. According to other personalities like Stephen King, marijuana should not only be legal&it should be a cottage industry (Stoned 187). This essay explores the controversies surrounding the legalization of marijuana.
Although marijuana was widely accepted by several governments and individuals, it should be noted that most of it was used to manufacture clothing materials (Holland 64). Besides, quite a large volume of the harvests were turned into medical uses. According to the new set of legislation, it was considered illegal to be found in possession of 25 grams of marijuana.
If arrested, the offender could be fined from as low as one hundred to 250 dollars (Fatout 164). The option of being jailed for a specific period was also provided depending on the severity of the offense. Jimmy Carter once noted that I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast (Holland 135).
In 1988, marijuana was declared as one of the safest natural herbs by Francis Young (Baum 89). He was the DEA judge in Washington He noted that marijuana could be used as a therapeutic substance especially in its natural form. Since then, the laws governing the control of marijuana and its consumption have been tightened to make it cumbersome for users to use and distribute it freely (Baum 173).
On the same note, there are several agencies and nongovernmental organizations that have been set up to ensure that the prohibition of marijuana remains in force. For instance, DEA is one of the agencies that have been on the forefront against any attempts to legalize marijuana (Stoned 132).
The DEA agency has always refuted any attempts to legalize marijuana (Baum 182). In 1994, an anti-legalization forum was held in Virginia for two consecutive days. Te forum brought together representatives from both the private and public sector. Some of the dominant issues that were discussed in the forum included the following:
Who will cater for the medical expenses incurred in rehabilitation of the drug addicts?
Who will give backing to the habit of the addicts?
Who will cater for the costs of legalizing marijuana such as the criminal and social burdens? (Baum 375)
It was also noted that the proponents of legalization of marijuana were making use of the print and audio-visual media in order to pass their ideas across. The same chance was seemingly being denied those against legalization. The voters in California managed to pass Proposition 215 in 1996. This new proposal made it legal to possess certain minimum amounts of marijuana although the federal government has never supported these legislations (Baum 340).
In 2007, the attempt to legalize marijuana was downplayed by the entry of Gordon Brown who took over as the prime minister of Britain after the exit of Tony Blair. Gordon mentioned his intention to classify marijuana into category B (Fatout 174).
Proponents of legalization have been positing over the years that the drug should be legalized since it is not addictive like those that are processed. Proponents who advocate for legalization observe that even the past generation made use of marijuana in a safe and healthy way.
Mark Twain once noted that what I contend is that my body is my own, at least I have always so regarded it. If I do harm through my experimenting with it, it is I who suffers, not the state (Fatout 386). As a result, advocates of legalization of marijuana used this quote several times to convince the state authorities that it was upon the users of marijuana to decide whether to smoke it or not because the state wouldnt go at any loss.
Credentials of authors
Baum has written several books such as the Citizen Coors: An American Dynasty (Morrow/HarperCollins, 2000) and Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure (Little, Brown 1996). He has also written for the New York magazine as a staff writer. Fatout has been an English tutor at Purdue University. Some of his productions include Mark Twains First Lecture: A Parallel (His Miscellanea), and Mr. Lincoln Goes to Washington. He died in 1982 and Mark Twain in Virginia City, Mark Twain on the Lecture Circuit, Meadow Lake: Gold Town.
Holland has been a specialist in psychopharmacology for long and also a teaching professor in the field of psychology. She has written several literary works in this field.
When anti marijuana legislation was enacted, some sections of the political class were vehemently opposed to the idea (Holland 76). For instance, Dan Quayle who was a US representative pointed out that the congress should definitely consider decriminalizing possession of marijuana&We should concentrate on prosecuting the rapists and burglars who are a menace to society (Baum 356).
The latter was similar to a sentiment that was echoed by Abraham Lincoln on the illegalization of marijuana that a prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.
According to the Gallup poll that was conducted in October 2011, the legalization of marijuana was supported by 50% of the population while another 46% noted that it should be prohibited (Holland 61). The National Drug Control Policy office in the US pointed out that it did not support the legalization of marijuana. This took place immediately after the 2012 presidential elections (Stoned 76).
Works Cited
Baum, Dan. Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure. Boston: little Brown, 1996. Print.
Fatout, Paul (ed.). Mark Twain Speaking. Lowa: University of Lowa Press, 1776. Print.
Holland, Julie (ed.). The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis. Rochester: Park Street Press, 2010. Print.
Lincoln, Abraham.U.S. President Speech to Illinois House of Representatives.
n.d. Web. Jan. 16 2013.
Stoned, Michael. Weed: 420 Things You Didnt Know (or Remember) about Cannabis. Avon: Adams Media, 2009. Print.
Baum has written several books such as the Citizen Coors: An American Dynasty (Morrow/HarperCollins, 2000) and Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure (Little, Brown 1996). He has also written for the New York magazine as a staff writer. Fatout has been an English tutor at Purdue University. Some of his productions include Mark Twains First Lecture: A Parallel (His Miscellanea), and Mr. Lincoln Goes to Washington. He died in 1982 and Mark Twain in Virginia City, Mark Twain on the Lecture Circuit, Meadow Lake: Gold Town.
Holland has been a specialist in psychopharmacology for long and also a teaching professor in the field of psychology. She has written several literary works in this field.
The use of marijuana has been a subject of great controversy for a considerable length of time. In the 17th century period, the use of marijuana was quite widespread in most civilizations. It was used a lot for recreational purposes. Records obtained from historical facts reveal that marijuana was used in legal tendering in several locations in North America bearing in mind that it was a rare economic resource.
As a result, there were myriads of cases when taxes, goods and services were exchanged using the product. Before the mid 1850s, there were over 8000 hemp plantations in North America alone. Tones of marijuana were harvested out of these hemp plantations. Since the hemp plant was completely legal, even the United States Presidents like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington grew it in their own farms (Ferner par. 2). This paper argues that marijuana should be legalized butregulated by the government as well.
Before the close of 2012, most voters in the US elections were upbeat on the legalization of marijuana in various states among individuals aged above twenty one years. In terms of legalization, Colorado voters were highly likely to support the amendment 64 by a margin of 61 percent (Ruschmann 88). This would only be supported if the use of marijuana could be controlled just like other drugs. They argue that the economy could be boosted if marijuana is legally permitted in the market since the government will be able to tax the product.
On the other hand, the government still maintains that any legalization of marijuana cannot be permitted since it is an addictive and risky drug. As it stands now, proponents of legalization of marijuana posit that the drug is still being traded in the black market since there are millions of users out there. Does this imply that the government has lost the battle against illegal consumption of marijuana?
According to Burnham (2), it is obvious that the policy behind prohibition of marijuana has been significantly weakened by the prevailing political agenda especially when key presidential candidates are seeking votes. If the legalization of marijuana can indeed lead to job creation and improved infrastructures due to additional taxation, then it explains why both the opponents and proponents of legalizing marijuana agree that it should be regulated and taxed accordingly.
Opponents observe that regulation should entail age restriction and purpose for using the product. The latter measure is not merely being advocated by the proponents of marijuana use since the legalization of marijuana has been supported by NAACP not because it fully backs the smoking of marijuana. It is due to the fact that there are hundreds of individuals who have been negatively affected by the same laws.
This organization has been on the forefront in fighting against the use of marijuana mainly due to medical reasons. On the same note, medical experts who refute the consumption of marijuana observe that it leads to aggressive behavioral patterns among abusers. As a result, violent behaviors and state of lawlessness is common among neighborhoods that indiscriminately smoke marijuana.
Marijuana still remains as one of the most popular drugs used for recreation globally. It is consumed in the same way as tobacco, caffeine and alcohol although its usage is quite lower than the other aforementioned drugs because it is highly restricted in most countries. For instance, over one hundred million Americans are believed to have attempted to smoke marijuana while another twenty five percent of the latter figure smoked marijuana in the last 12 months (Causey par.2).
This is the reason why the debate on the legalization of marijuana has been on the increase since the past 10 years. In any case, the 20th century witnessed liberal use of marijuana even by medical professionals before most governments (such as the US) illegalized it. The current debate can be traced back to the past 50 years when there was need to streamline trade on dangerous narcotics. The US government is currently working towards funding medical researches on whether the drug has any benefits or not.
This topic is fundamentally researchable because various authors with reputable credentials have written materials on the topic. Matt Ferner has worked with Huffington Post as the editor. He also written The Encyclopedia of Everything novel.Causey is a blogger, columnist and an editorial writer for journals. Burnham has been a managing editor and a reputed staff writer at both the New York publishing house and New York Times. Ruschmann has been an editor writer and researcher for more than three decades.
As already mentioned, there are potential solutions being discussed to solve the problem. For instance, medical research activities are underway to establish and conclude on the pros and cons of marijuana. Besides, the process of illegalizing marijuana has proved to be very costly (Causey par. 5).
