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Charlotte Kundts
Professor Christopher Merkner
ENGL 1020
October 5, 2015

Marijuana is the first drug that has historically been illegal, and then legalized as a
recreational and medical drug. Scientific research has discovered more uses and consequences
for marijuana, than was ever know before. Marijuana research has also led to more opposing
opinions and heated debates on whether there are enough pros, to outweigh the cons regarding
marijuana use and there are also debates about whether the laws concerning marijuana regulate it
appropriately. While marijuana has many supporters and detractors and it is regulated, there is
still a long way to go to create a clear road to wider legalization of marijuana.
In May of 2013, Scientific American published an article titled Recreational
Marijuana. The author, Roxanne Khamsi, examines benefits, concerns and the opinions of
scientists and physicians regarding marijuana. Khamsis intellectual article examines the
different positions of marijuana use according to scientific and other professional opinions. This
article specifically brings attention to recreational marijuana but also mentions medical
marijuana. While focusing on this controversial topic the, Scientific American article proceeds to
contemplate the effects of marijuana physically, mentally and medically. This article develops
claims of by analyzing various scientific opinions.
At one point in the article, Khamsi assumes that because physicians agree that marijuana
is effective in alleviating symptoms, doctors should prescribe it for minor and severe ailments.
This assumption is flawed for many reasons. While many physicians agree that marijuana is

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effective in alleviating symptoms, many doctors avoid prescribing it as treatment to patients

because of the consequences of both short and long term use. Marijuana use may harm the body
and the brain especially in teens. Researchers worry that increased use by teenagers in very
concerning because the drug can inhibit the ongoing maturation of the adolescent brain. Also,
new techniques used for growing marijuana have increased the drugs potency, most likely
making it more dangerous than ever before. Many physicians are at odds concerning whether
marijuana should be used as a treatment, despite evidence of success, because the side effects of
marijuana use could be worse than the original condition. This assumption by Khamsi leads
people to believe that marijuana is safe to use to alleviate pain. This is a dangerous conclusion to
this assumption that could result in an increase of marijuana consumption and increase in those
afflicted with consequences.
At one point in the article, Khamsi asserts that because marijuana weakens motor
coordination, that the amount of people who drive while under the influence will decrease, as the
use of marijuana increases. This assumption is incorrect for many reasons. Just because ones
motor skills are limited doesnt mean that one will not drive. Many people drive drunk when
their motor skills and mental functions are impaired, therefore impaired motor skill will not keep
people from driving. Also, users may not realize how impaired their motor skills are, even when
they are aware that they had been smoking or consuming marijuana. People may also believe that
even if they have impaired motor skills they can still function enough to get home with no
consequences. Police officers need a warrant to test whether someone has been smoking or
consuming marijuana, because it cannot be detected in a simple non invasive tests such as a
breathalyzer. This assumption is incorrect because it leads people to believe that the roads and

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drivers are safer than they are. This can lead to future deaths or injuries because of lack of
reaction time due to impaired motor skills.
At one point in the article, Khamsi assumes that because scientists have yet to determine
any long term effects on the body and mind that marijuana is relatively safe. This assumption is
misleading for many reasons. Even though scientists have yet to discover any long term effects
on the body and mind does not mean that there are no long term effects. It just means that none
have been discovered. This does not mean that one should believe that marijuana is safe and has
no long term effects. It takes years to discover the effects of any drug. Marijuana has been
around for hundreds of years, but it has only recently started to be used more commonly by many
people, meaning that this is the first time that scientists have enough data to conduct more in
depth experiments and trials. Additionally, before the present day, science was not advanced
enough to determine long term effects, especially when peoples life span was shorter than
modern day. Also, brain scans are better able to see brain changes. This assumption is misleading
because it leads people to assume that they can participate in marijuana activities with no long
term consequences which is most likely not the whole truth. This also leads people to believe that
marijuana is relatively safe. Believing that any drug is relatively safe or totally safe is a
dangerous assumption that should not be supported by authors such as Roxanne Khamsi.
Overall, the author assumes the people who start smoking marijuana at an earlier age are
often less intelligent. This assumption is faulty for many reasons. Making the choice to smoke
marijuana does not define ones intelligence wholistically, it just shows that one may have not
been educated or one does not care. People choose to participate in marijuana activities for many
different reasons such as stress, the like or love of detaching from reality, the feeling of flying
etc. By participating in marijuana activities, you can decrease brain cell activity, especially

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through daily use. People who do not participate in marijuana activities can be less intelligent
that those who do. Intelligence has nothing to do with starting drug use. People can start
participating in marijuana activities because of societal pressure which does not mean that they
are stupid, just that they, like most everyone else in the world wishes to fit it.This assumption is
faulty because it leads people to believe that those who participate in marijuana activities do so
because they are intellectually inferior to those who do not participate in these activities. This is a
dangerous belief for people because it can lead to rifts in society and increasing hostility towards
marijuana users.
Overall, Roxanne Khamsi assumes that marijuana is pretty well regulated and therefore
should safe to legalize in more states. This assumption is inaccurate for many reasons. While
there are many laws concerning regulation of marijuana, they are focused specifically in one
area, smoking. There are few laws that regulate marijuana edibles. Regulating edibles is much
more difficult that regulating smoking because edibles can be disguised and hidden from the
public eye. One cannot detect edibles by smell, look or even taste, while smoking can always be
detected by smell if not any other factors. Despite what some scientists and physicians may
think, marijuana should not be considered safe. Even though it is legal now in some places, it
was illegal for a reason, because people did not know nor did they understand the consequences
of partaking in any drugs including medical drugs such as advil, because of known and unknown
consequences. This assumption is inaccurate because it leads people to believe that marijuana is
regulated enough to be safe when in reality only smoking of marijuana is well regulated.
The pros, cons and laws concerning marijuana are important for the scientific community.
It is important to create a regulated system based on scientific fact. The legalization of marijuana
is a critical milestone for the United States, because it has brought to the publics attention the

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problems concerning drugs, regulation and medical use in our country. Every study and statistic
mentioned gives more and more information and data to society and the scientific community.
Marijuana has fueled a debate for many years before and after its legalization, there is no
question that marijuana is affecting the scientific community and the way that people think. It
therefore must be discussed in more realistic, scientific terms in modern day society.