Why Not to Legalize Marijuana
Why Not to Legalize Marijuana Marjorie Fleuridor ENG/102 March 10, 2013 Professor Laura Barnes Marijuana is one of the best known drugs that have been widely consumed throughout history which today raises a concerned eyebrow. Those who are advocates consider marijuana a harmless and beneficial substance because of its claimed value in treating symptoms of serious illness or diseases and Jeffrey Miron, a professor of economics at Harvard University in the following viewpoint believes that, “Legalizing illicit drugs would generate billions in tax revenue” (Forbes, 2012 pp. -1). Just as any drug, marijuana may bring some type of relief with its use, but it also poses risk which in the end poses threat to the economy because of its affects to the human body, open doors to addiction, and worse, harms the youth which is not worth the added benefits for the few legitimate users to make acceptable. Marijuana, which is also referred to as pot, weed, cannabis, refer, and Mary Jane to name a few, is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the U. S. s well as around the world which comes from the stems, seeds, leaves, and flowers of the hemp plant, which is also known as cannabis. Most individuals use the plant by either smoking it or mixing it into food because it is an all-natural substance. Registered nurse Mary Lynn Mathre states, “The cannabis plant (marijuana) has therapeutic benefits and could ease the suffering of millions of persons with various illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, chronic pain, and other maladies” (Mathre 1997, p. ) and that is one of various reasons advocates on legalizing the plant believe that, the substance relieving and therapeutic benefits should legalize the use of marijuana, but if that were the case, risks that occur from its use would not outweigh the benefits. First, why are the detrimental factors of the substance ignored? If marijuana is legalized worldwide, through its medicinal or recreational use, the human body will experience short as well as long term effects stemming from the consumption of the plant.
Marijuana contains a psychoactive chemical which is called tetrahydrcannabinol or THC and as it enters the brain, the marijuana user starts to feel euphoric, or high, but occasionally the drug makes individuals feel anxious, depressed, distrustful or fearful. THC affects the body in various ways by causing short-term effects which include memory loss, trouble with thinking, diminished motor skills, and an increase of the heart rate which is just the minor damage that pose hazard to the body (Goldstein, 2010).
Advocates of marijuana has gone as far as pleading that the substance has no real potential harm compared to the use of tobacco, one of the leading causes of cancer. Crystal Phend, a senior staff writer for MedPage Today discusses a study that indicates that a link is present between smoking marijuana and lung cancer where she notes, “that the study finds that a single marijuana joint may be as carcinogenic as twenty cigarettes” (MedPage Today, 2008 p. ) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) formulated a chart on the commonly abused drugs in which tobacco which causes greater health risk such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer in various forms, for instance, the lungs, pancreas, and esophagus, but it has yet to be scheduled. Marijuana on the other hand poses less health risk compared to tobacco, but it is labeled as a Scheduled I drug, because for as long as marijuana has been present in the world, the illicit drug has no approved use and the denial from the federal law will definitely cause a harsher dent to the economy. The federal ban will keep the marijuana market fragmented” (Berlatsky, 2012 p. 178) which means the small population of potential growers or distributers will continue to fight or compete on the marijuana market, which may limit tax collection resources and just proves why it should not be legalized. .To further, the story of former marijuana user shares how difficult it was to withdraw from marijuana concerning the subject of addiction with its use.
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Mick, a 62 year-old male started smoking pot back in 1969 because he had bouts of anxiety and at times depression, but has been sober for the past 10 years, up until suffering one of those prolonged periods of anxiety, in which he took a few hits on the pipe of the drug. The couple of use he took of the substance caused his level of anxiety to skyrocket, in which Mick then withdrew himself from the illicit drug.
On the sixth day of withdrawal from smoking weed, he shared how his stomach thought terrible, which gave Mick an awful feeling. When he ate, he stated how his stomach became upset, but not to the point of vomiting and it brought on anxious as well as irritable feelings to the point where cries and isolates himself. Mick concluded on how he would never lit up again because of the unfortunate risk it caused him when he attempted to misuse the drug (Online Support Groups for your Health Challenges, 2011).
Supporters disagree that the plant could be of such sort compared to other drugs because a person who quits the substance will not undergo the painful physical symptoms and cravings compared to the experience which individuals suffer when they try to stop using heroin, but we as human react differently to various things. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that “about 9% of users develop an addiction to the drug, and that the number rises to 25% to 50% if people use the drug everyday” (NIDA, 2009 p. ). Some users of marijuana may become dependent on marijuana for various matters, and they become fixated on getting the plant, utilizing it in large quantities, and feel uncomfortable without it. If marijuana does not cause addiction, then why do so many victims of its use enter rehab facilities annually? “Since 1997, the number of people getting treatment for marijuana each year has increased by roughly 50%, or about 100,000 people” (Stop the Drug War 2009, p. 1).
With such an increase, the economy will continue to suffer because of the cost of treatment for individuals battling little to no result with their marijuana addiction. Last, “Why young people have the need to use cannabis on a frequent basis is an interesting question and may be associated with their underlying personality characteristics, environment during childhood and adolescence, as well as any psychiatric disturbances they have experienced, such as depression, anxiety or even psychotic symptoms” (Camera et al. , 2012 pp. 1-2).
The subject of a child’s environment where the use of the plant comes to play may cause an adolescent to suffer. For example, a parent’s state of mind may be altered when he or she needs to be an active, attentive caregiver when children are in their presence. Neglect may be the result because the symptoms interfered in the parent’s responsibilities and in such cases; social services are involved resulting with the system providing further care and parents in jail or rehab centers in which they would have to prove their stability.
A child in this type of situation may isolate themselves from others or lash out because what they know as normal and home has been taken away. This particular child may grow up and head down the same path of smoking pot and with the “high” feeling which supporters advocate is the effects of the “medicine”, but marijuana as the introduction, opens the door to the potential use of other drugs, which can be detrimental.
An adolescent may try marijuana and enjoy it; after a while, in the same environment that led to that first joint, will become curious or peer pressured into the unfamiliarity of other substances that are more exciting, gives a greater stimulation, or is more illicit, but are unaware of the dangers that lay ahead. Heroin and cocaine are the common “gateway drugs” from early marijuana use in which both are highly toxic and have led to a number amount of deaths as well. Heroine like marijuana is illegal, highly addictive, true contents is unknown, and also is the most abused.
The drug is processed from morphine; a naturally occurring substance removed from the seed pot of a variety of poppy plants and is typically a white or brownish powder. Cocaine is removed from the leaves of a South Africa coca plant, affects the body’s central nervous system and the fact that it is a white crystalline powder; cocaine is often mixed with cornstarch, vitamins, flour, and sugar. In relation to marijuana, the drug creates a strong sense of exhilaration in which users generally feel invisible and happy-go-lucky.
Legalization of marijuana may increase the number of users in which” an additional 17 to 34 million young adult users” (US News, 2012 p. 1) which sets a bad example for young adults because with its worldwide acceptance whether it is for medical or recreational use, they will be curious of the feeling and reaction from its use, which will only lead down a road to where the youth will take a toll regarding marijuana use. You see, the youth are most at risk from legalization as well as associated obtainability of recreational drugs. If marijuana were to become more available, acceptable nd inexpensive, the substance will pull in greater numbers of vulnerable youth. ”The marketing tactics of drug promoters and the major decline in drug use in the 1990s (due in great part to antidrug, education and awareness campaigns) there is a growing perception among young people today that drugs are harmless. A decade ago, for example, 79% of 12th graders thought regular marijuana use was harmful; only 58% do so today” (Drug Free Foundation, 2004) and pressure from colleagues is such an issue in persuading a peer to test drugs, the way adolescents perceive the dangers of its use is serious.
The acceptance of marijuana to where it is provided with the government’s stamp of approval, directs a message to young children that drug use is not only inoffensive, but also normal and this is precisely the opposite message we should be assigning. Teaching children that drug use is dangerous will be even more difficult because advocates declare marijuana as “medicine,” which just simply opens a window for teens to feel that it is ok to smoke or add into their food however they may choose and through the promotion of the good it brings, this will only open a continual use of the drug and a cost to the economy. Marijuana use accounts for tens of thousands of marijuana related complaints at emergency rooms throughout the United States each year and over 99,000 are young people” (U. S. News 2012, pp. 1-1). The numbers are far too great to promote just the beneficial aspects of marijuana when the potential harmful outcomes cost the economy as far as healthcare costs with the number of young patience that are admitted to the hospital.
To conclude, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) declared that responsible adult personal use of marijuana should be legalized, but how can one determine who is responsible to make use of weed? Alcohol and tobacco may stimulate harsher risk factors when consumed, but after more than 40 years of its existence, marijuana remains a Scheduled 1 substance, which is a drug that has a high potential for abuse, have no accepted medical use, and are not safe for use under medical supervision.
In the end, the risks of marijuana seem to outweigh the benefits and that is why marijuana should not be legalized. References 42 Years of smoking pot / day 6 of withdrawal. (n. d. ). Online Support Groups for your Health Challenges. Retrieved from http://www. mdjunction. com/forums/marijuana-addiction-discussions/introductions-personal-stories/2665662-42-years-of-smoking-pot-day-6-of-withdrawal Berlatsky, N. (2012). Legalizing Marijuana in California Would Not Generate Substantial Tax Revenue. In Marijuana (p. 178). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. Camera, A. A. , Tomaselli, V. Fleming, J. , Jabbar, G. A. , Trachtenberg, M. , Galves-Buccollini, J. A. (2012). Correlates to the Variable Effects of Cannabis in Young adults: A Preliminary Study. Harm Reduction, 9(15), 1-2. Cohan, P. (2012, September 7). Is it Time to Legalize Illicit Drugs? - Forbes. Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes. com. Retrieved March 16, 2013, from http://www. forbes. com/sites/petercohan/2012/07/09/is-it-time-to-legalize-illicit-drugs/ Drug Free Foundation (2004). Drug Free America Foundation - Medical Marijuana - ProCon. org. Medical Marijuana ProCon. org.
Retrieved March 16, 2013, from http://medicalmarijuana. procon. org/view. source. php? sourceID=000810 Drug Free Foundation (2009, October 12). Drug Free America Foundation - Medical Marijuana - ProCon. org. Medical Marijuana ProCon. org. Retrieved March 16, 2013, from http://medicalmarijuana. procon. org/view. source. php? sourceID=000810 Evans, D. G. (2012, October 30). Marijuana Legalization's Costs Outweigh Its Benefits | Debate Club | US News Opinion. US News & World Report | News & Rankings | Best Colleges, Best Hospitals, and more. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www. usnews. om/debate-club/should-marijuana-use-be-legalized/marijuana-legalizations-costs-outweigh-its-benefits Goldstein. , M. J. (2010). Legalizing Drugs: Crime Stopper Or Social Risk? (p. 115). Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Pub. Group. Mathre, M. L. (1997). Legal Dilemmas of Cannabis Prohibitation. In Cannabis in medical practice: A legal, historical, and pharmacological overview of the therapeutic use of marijuana (p. 1). Jefferson, N. C: McFarland & Co. National Institue on Drug Abuse (2009). Is marijuana addictive? | National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from
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