ChristianNott,NishantGrover,MichelleHollcraft PHIL210 4/9/13 MarijuanaanditsDangers Marijuanaisasubstancethathasbeenknowntoimpactthemental,physicalandemotional wellbeingofusers.Itcreatesasenseofeuphoria,knownasahigh,whichgivesusersafalsesenseof securityandassuresthemaperiodofblissandtranquility.Thisintoxicatedstateprovesharmfulwhena usertriestooperateamotorvehicleorperformothertasks.Whenhigh,onetendstoignoredaily responsibilities,suchasgoingtoworkortendingtofamilyandfriends,andinsteadbecomesavagabond withanaimlessfuturefocusedonsimplygettinghigh. Smokingmarijuanaoveralongperiodoftimecanleadtothedevelopmentofemphysema, chronicasthma&bronchitisandevencancersofthelung&windpipeintherarestofcircumstances. Neurologicalandcardiovasculareffectshavebeenreportedaswellinstronguserssuchasshortterm memorylossandthepossibilityofheartdisease.

Andforcasualusers,thepropensitytofrequently smokeexistssincethehighisafeelingthatcantbereplicatedoutsidethedrugduetothehigh concentrationofTHC,themainaddictivepropertyinmarijuana. Marijuanaabusecancausebraindamage,suchasshorttermmemorylossandtheinabilityto performmotorfunctions,foranextendedperiodoftime,perhapsirreparably.Itisnotheroin,crack cocaineormethamphetaminebutpopculturereferencesportraytheresultsofmarijuanausealbeittothe extreme.Therearenoconclusivestudiestoprovetheseeffectsduetothetimethatmarijuanahasbeen inthemainstreambutwesimplyneedtoknowmorebeforesocietycanmakeaninformeddecisionon

thefateofthissubstance. Thereareseveralreasonswhymarijuanashouldnotbelegalized.Theforemostoftheseisthat marijuanacauseslongtermandshorttermbraindamage.AstudyconductedbyProceedingsofthe NationalAcademyofSciencestestedtheeffectsofmarijuanauseon1000peoplesIQ,fromage13to 38.RegularmarijuanausagestartingintheteenyearresultedinanaverageIQlossof8,asignificant decrease.Thestudyalsorevealeddamagetothebrainsofthepeoplewhousedmarijuanaintheir adolescentyears. Marijuanaalsocausespeopletobecomedazed,confused,andunabletothinkclearly.This becomesamajordangerwhenpeopleundertheinfluenceofmarijuanaoperateamotorvehicle. Marijuanaseverelyinhibitsonesmotorskillsandjudgment,renderingoneunfittodriveavehicle. AccordingtotheNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministrations(NHTSA)2007NationalRoadside Survey,morethan16percentofweekend,nighttimedriverstestedpositiveforillegal,prescription,or overthecountermedications.Morethan11percenttestedpositiveforillicitdrugs(NIH).Iflegalized, thenumberofpeopledrivingundertheinfluenceofmarijuanawillincrease.Thiswillincreasethedanger thatthedriverpresentstothemselvesandtoothersbecauseoftheirimpairedstate. Addictionisapossibilitywithmarijuana.AccordingtotheNationalSurveyonDruguseand Health,marijuanaaccountedfor4.5millionoftheestimated7.1millionAmericansdependentonor abusingillicitdrugs.1In2009,approximately18percentofpeopleaged12andolderenteringdrug abusetreatmentprogramsreportedmarijuanaastheirprimarydrugofabuse61percentofpersons under15reportedmarijuanaastheirprimarydrugofabuse.Oneofthegreatestdangersofmarijuana isTHC.NIDAsaysthatmarijuana'smainpsychoactiveingredient,tetrahydrocannabinol(THC),binds

tocannabinoid(CB)receptors,widelydistributedthroughoutthenervoussystemandotherpartsofthe body.Inthebrain,CBreceptorsarefoundinhighconcentrationsinareasthatinfluencepleasure, memory,thought,concentration,sensoryandtimeperception,appetite,painandmovement coordination(PayneandHealy). ThereareseveraloppositionpointsarguedtolegalizeMarijuana.Marijuanaissaidtobe harmlesswhentakeninmoderation(MedicalDiscoveries).Ithelpsthepersonrelaxenoughsothathe orshecancompletetasksthatanormalpersonwouldbeabletocompleteandsupposedlyhelpsdeal withdepression.However,accordingtoTheUniversityofWashingtonAlcoholandDrugAbuse Institute,Marijuanamayseemtohelpeasedepressionbeforetheeffectsofthedrugwearoffhowever afterthat,smokingmarijuanamaymakedepressionworse(ProCon.org).Somepeoplealsoarguethat Marijuanaissaferthanalcoholandtobaccobecausewhileyoucanconsumetoomuchalcohol,youcan neveroverdoseonMarijuana(Rabin).Also,morepeoplebecomeaddictedtoalcoholandtobacco thantheydoonMarijuana(Rabin).Studieshaveshownthatthereare50,000deathseachyearasa resultofalcoholand400,000asaresultfromtobacco(Norml).Comparingthesenumberswith Marijuana,Marijuanaseemstobethesafestoutofthethree(NORML).However,thisisafalse analogybecauseyouarecomparingMarijuanatootherdrugsandcompletelyignoringthebadeffects thatMarijuanahas. Marijuanaiscomposedofasubstancecalledtetrahydrocannabinol,orTHC,whichaffectsthe nervoussystem(PayneandHealy).StudieshaveshownthattheamountsofTHCinajointtodayare greaterthantheyusedtobehowever,thisisnotaproblembecausepeoplecaneasilyadjusttheir portionsizesandamountstheysmoketomakeupthedifference(Rabin).Thisisnotaneffective

solutionhowever,becauseMarijuanaaffectspeopleindifferentways,sothereisnowayofknowing howmuchistoomuchtotake(Rabin).ManypeoplearguethatMarijuanashouldnotbeillegalbecause itisthethirdmostpopularrecreationaldruginAmerica(NORML).Asaresultofthis,peoplethink thatallthechargesagainstadultswhoarecaughtwiththedrugorsellingthedrugareunnecessary becauseitwastesalotoftimeandmoneythatthegovernmentcanbeusingformoreimportantissues (NORML).TheyarguethatthegovernmentshouldmakeMarijuanalegalbecauseitiscostingmore moneytostoppeoplefromusingMarijuanathanitwouldtolegalizethedrugandputataxonit (NORML).However,theyignorethefacttheFDAhasnotapprovedofMarijuana,soitwouldnot makesenseifthegovernmentlegalizedit. Whenthe21stAmendmenttotheU.S.Constitutionwasratified,therewasareasonwhyonly alcohol,andnotmarijuana,waslegalized:marijuanaissimplymoredetrimentaltothemental,physical andemotionalwellbeingofusers.Itcausesthebraintopaintafalseeuphoricpicturethatcoversup realityfortheuserwhichcanimpedehowanindividualmakesdecisionsandreactstovariousactions. Furthermore,smokingmarijuana,whichisthemostcommonformofconsumingit,cancauselasting effectsononesrespiratory,cardiovascularandnervoussystems.Finally,thereisahighchanceof diminishedmentalcapacityanddecreasedbrainfunctionduetomarijuanause.Societycansimplynot letthegeneralpopulacewasteawaytalentandproductivitytoasubstancethatwillbringnothingbuta mereillusionofhappinessandcomfort.

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