...The topic of marijuana as a medical drug for treatment has sparked much controversy. Generally people tend to be fiercely on one side, for or against medicinal marijuana, while many remain undecided, believing much more research is needed. Recent studies on medicinal marijuana show benefits in its use for cancer, seizures, and post-traumatic stress disorder but conflicting reports cause doubt in its benefits. Some studies have found that both compounds found in marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is a psychoactive chemical and cannabidiol (CBD) which is a non-psychoactive chemical found in the marijuana plant, to have cancer fight properties. Cancer research has shown that marijuana can drastically reduce nausea associated with chemotherapy...
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...Marijuana Education By Donna Minshew Since there is nothing we can do to stop the legalization of marijuana, we can at least begin to educate our youth and parents about the risk of marijuana poses on a still growing brain. We should also inform adult users about the dangers. (1) Now is a good time to stigmatize (to mark out or describe-as something bad) how marijuana effect both youth and adults, (2) Marijuana poses many health threats to our youth’s still developing brain. Steady use of marijuana can cause (3) lasting impairments on memory, (4) intellectual functioning and (5) emotion control. Marijuana has been linked to (6) depression, (7) anxiety and even (8) psychosis in teenagers. Smoking marijuana one or more times a week possibly changes the shape and size of a still developing brain. It is also been proven that like cigarettes, marijuana is (9) bad for the lungs. (10)Marijuana slows reaction time; therefore (11) increasing fatal accidents by those using it. (12)Marijuana use during pregnancy can harm the fetal brain. The effects of marijuana on adult and geriatric brains are still being researched. Our youth have come to realize the dangers associated with cigarettes, but many still do not believe marijuana is dangerous. Less than 40 percent of high school seniors think using marijuana poses great risk to them. (12)Marijuana is a drug that more than a third have used, yet many states are offering very little education. In both Colorado and Washington...
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...Marijuana, Legal in America? Marijuana has been in America for quite some time now, and approximately one hundred million of people in the U.S. have tried this drug at least once. Marijuana is also the most common drug used in the U.S. today that is illegal. So imagine if marijuana was legalized and how much money could be made and profited from its legalization. Dangers with other drugs such as alcohol and smoking tobacco outweigh the dangers involved with marijuana by a landslide. So the simple fact of the matter that is brought to our attention as Americans, is that marijuana is bad for us and worse than all of the other legal drugs and that we have no benefit from using it, when in actuality it can benefit us in many ways especially medically, it is really not bad for us all in all and should be a legalized substance. Marijuana has always been and always will be used one way or the other in America. The question is should it be legalized, and why should it be. Well this question and argument has been going around for some time now, and is getting to the point where a serious decision needs to be made on the legalization of marijuana. All of the lies about how marijuana is bad for you and that it is not good for your health is all we seem to hear about marijuana, when in fact marijuana has more health benefits than any other legal drug that is out there. In fact there has never been a death from marijuana usage ever recorded, while every year there are four hundred...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Do you think the legalization of marijuana is all positive? Can there be some negative factors? Based on politics, health, and peoples point of view it is a widely recognized, highly controversial, and common issue in the United States. Many politicians believe it should be legalized and others disagree, especially during the presidential primary. In David Sheff’s article “Marijuana Should Be Legal, but …” in time magazine he proposes that marijuana should be legalized even though it can be harmful to adolescences. Through Sheff’s article, appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos, and knowledge about the subject has an impact on the article as a whole. They help develop his argument that weed is great thing, and it should be legalized. Sheff believes the benefits of adding marijuana to the United States' economy outweighs the dangers it can cause, but that they should be recognized also. Especially those dangers that involve minors. Sheff affectively and ineffectively persuades his audience by using ethos, pathos, and logos. Sheff does this by using some persuasions over zealously and some not enough. Sheff's article develops the ideas of how marijuana has negative impact on adolescence, but a positive impact on society as a whole. This article published on August 4, 2014 strives to inform everyday people on the effects of marijuana and persuade them to understand how marijuana usage and proper regulation are a positive attribute in the everyday outlook...
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...Intelligence and Marijuana Use Intelligent quotient (IQ) tests are used to tell the level of intelligence of the person by asking mathematical and logic questions (Kowalczyk, 2015). There are different intelligence quotients for different age groups which are comparable throughout the different stages of cognitive maturity. A person within one standard deviation of IQ for their age group is considered to have an average IQ score. Heavy marijuana users experienced a loss of IQ points where lighter marijuana users and non-users gained points in a study done comparing users who smoke more than 5 joints per week compared to rare and non-users (Fried, Watkinson, James and Gray, 2002). Marijuana users generally have lower IQ scores compared to age and sex matched non-users of marijuana, because even though more neural connections and dendritic branching is created in the brain during intoxication, usually marijuana's sedentary effects on the user can cause a similar...
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...with Red Eyes Marijuana has been unjustly criticized for the past century. In the 1950s, the U.S. Congress was advised that marijuana incited, “many of our most sadistic, terrible, crimes… such as sex slayings” (Manderson 1). I myself have chosen to experiment with this allegedly vicious substance and have never had any deliberation of committing anything resembling a “sex slaying”. Possibly a slaying of a 1-pound bag of Doritos and a 12 pack of grape soda, hardly something I would categorize as “sadistic”. Nonetheless our government still refuses to acknowledge the undeniable benefits of marijuana. James Masin, the head of the United States Public Health Service, said that we should not give AIDS patients marijuana to help with their debilitating symptoms because, crazed by the high, they would be much more likely to engage in unsafe sex (Manderson 2). This quote is not only frivolous; it also holds no medical evidence to support such an outlandish claim. There has been no reputable scientific study that suggests marijuana causes it’s users to become sex-crazed maniacs that will do anything to pleasure their id personality. I was under the assumption that our government was in a position of power to create laws and regulations for the benefit of the country based on non-biased facts. I was obviously mistaken. Marijuana can be used in many functional and valuable ways. Thirteen states have legalized the use of medicinal marijuana. A vast majority of the scientific...
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...“Should Marijuana be legalized?” PRO The legalization of marijuana has been a real hot button issue amongst Americans today. Data shows that over 55% of Americans believe marijuana should continue to be illegal and the remaining 45% believe that marijuana legal status should be altered. Many people believe that marijuana is harmful to the body and causes diseases, but research into the harmfulness of marijuana are inconclusive and contradictory. Most doctors would agree that it's not very harmful if used in moderation. It's only when you abuse the drug that problems start to occur. Most doctors believe that marijuana is no more addictive that alcohol or tobacco. If marijuana was legalized, Police would be freed up for more serious crimes. Many people throughout the US consider the War on Drugs to be a failure. Resources for DEA, FBI, and border security are being wasted. The cost of police officers, judges, public defenders, prosecutors, juries, court reporters, prison guards, and so on. Legalization of marijuana would free up those people to concentrate on more important things like terrorism, harder drugs, rape, murder, and so on. In addition, an already overloaded civil court docket would be improved; thus, the wait time for other legitimate court cases would be reduced. Also the United States could be savings up to two billion to ten billion of tax payer money on law enforcement like the FBI, police, courts and prisons. Marijuana could be taxed. A lot of money is raised...
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... Reefer Madness, suggests that teenagers who smoke marijuana are problematic to society. Since the early 1900s, drugs have been one of parents’ worst enemies. Marijuana changes a person both mentally and physically. According to reefermadness.org, the film was intended to be shown to parents as a morality tale attempting to teach them about the dangers of marijuana. The movie was revolving around the tragic events that happened when high school students tried marijuana. The curse of marijuana abuse is spreading across the United States of America like a disease and must be stopped. Parents are instructed to learn what they can about the evils of this addiction and warn their children against it. Dr. Carroll talks about the dangers for the horrified parents of the students at the school. He tells them that marijuana is more addictive than they imagine and that it could lead to violence and sexual misconduct. To illustrate his point, he tells the parents about a recent case they may have heard about, one which happened in their city, near their school. Three innocent young people are drawn in by the promise of a party. First Jimmy and Bill attend the party, followed by two exemplary students, and later, Jimmy’s sister and Bill’s girlfriend, Mary. Smoking the weed makes you laugh uncontrollably, dance wildly, and indulge in promiscuous sexual behaviors, and that’s just for starters. Jimmy becomes addicted to the marijuana, which results in him hitting a pedestrian while driving...
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...The Dangers of a Plant “It’s natural so it can’t be bad” is one of the many lies marijuana users tell themselves in order to indulge themselves on this so called “medicine.” Marijuana users claim the drug makes them feel good, it makes them calm down. They also say marijuana is not a drug, and not nearly as harmful as other drugs and alcohol. But, are these claims correct? Of course not. These are some of the many lies marijuana users tell others in order to spread the use and legalization of this drug. According to recent statistics from “DrugFreeWorld.org,” cannabis is the number three in the top five harmful substances which account for admission into drug treatment facilities in the United States. Although users may argue marijuana is not nearly as harmful as it has been perceived through the media, the drug wreaks havoc on a person’s health, destroys families and leads to prolonged and free drug abuse. The risks of using marijuana far outweigh the “benefits” of the drug as it can lead to health issues regarding the heart, lungs, and brain. According to “AddictionBlog.org” the most common reasons people use marijuana are to relax, curiosity, and its deceptively low perception of harm. Yet, most of the users of marijuana are so ill informed of what the drug actually does to their bodies. Admittedly for most users of marijuana, it does “relax” the user in distorting their perception of the world; however, this temporary fix only leaves permanent damage. Prolonged...
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...Without a doubt, public campaign in the fight against legalizing marijuana is very essential as it creates and sends a clear message to the under aged that use of drugs is unacceptable. When people are secretly or publicly using marijuana, the children will automatically notice whatever that is going on regardless of whether the drug user had earlier purposed to create awareness to the children or not. Actually, if by any chance the kids do not see the adults taking marijuana, they will surely notice these adults’ change in behavior and then tend to relate the conduct with drug use. According to researchers, most children learn by seeing what their elders do and, in future, tend to copy from them, which become their habit if no positive intervention is done. In order to keep the innocent children off some vices like use of marijuana and other drugs, the government and the members of the public need to create awareness of the dangers of copying and adopting irresponsible behaviors from their elders which include drug use. Clearly, when the members of public or even activists conduct the public campaign against legalizing the use of marijuana, the children get a chance to learn the dangers of the drug usage in addition to realizing that, at that specific period, the use of marijuana is illegal and has serious unpleasant consequences. With the understanding, the children will be able to make informed or correct decisions in life and, therefore, keep off the drugs as the perfect...
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...faced by health care today. One of them is legalizing recreational use of marijuana. According to Patterson (2013), in United States, there are currently 20 states and the District of Columbia approves marijuana use for medical purposes. However, on November of 2012, the states of Colorado and Washington became the first two states that pass the law for legalizing marijuana for recreational use (Patterson, 2013). Meaning, it is legal for anyone at the age of 21 and older to purchase and possess marijuana under one ounce and consume it in a private location. It is also legal for Colorado residents to grow marijuana in their private home for personal use of up to six plants with the restriction that only three out of six plants may flower simultaneously (Patterson, 2013). * This legality poses an ethical concern to public health due to the health and safety aspects of marijuana usage. Desai and Patel (2013) stated that there have been testimonies from patients claiming that marijuana relieves pain, nausea, tremors, epilepsy, and cancer but none of the research results can prove its benefits are greater than its risk (p.136). Desai and Patel (2013) further stated that Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) properly categorized Marijuana under scheduled I of the Controlled Substance Act, meaning drugs under this list have currently no proven acceptable medical use and are high for potential abuse (p. 136). Marijuana also does not meet Food Drug administration (FDA) standards and therefore...
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...most people are asked about their opinion of marijuana, not very many actually have a problem with the drug itself. The driving force behind their decision to be against marijuana is based mostly on the fact that it is illegal. TIME magazine held a poll on their website in which they asked their readers if marijuana should be legalized. Given that TIME’s website is not likely to be a full representation of ALL their readers, nor the rest of the people in the United States, an astonishing 80% of the poll agreed that the legalization of marijuana should be put into effect (St. Pierre 1). One philosopher who would probably side with this 80% is John Rawls, the creator of the “Theory of Justice”. In his theory, Rawls states that we, as a society, should treat things with a veil of ignorance. This meaning to work out the basic principles in a society, one should pretend that they know nothing about our social classes, laws, or anything else (Rawls 12). The specs on marijuana would suggest it is harmless, but it is natural that for every argument against the legalization of marijuana, there is an argument for it. Face it; marijuana’s prohibition in the United States has not stopped its production, possession, or recreational use. This fact leaves many scratching their heads as to why the substance has not yet been legalized. John Rawls, a great American philosopher, would have, most likely, been against the idea of marijuana being illegal. In his main work, the “Theory...
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...Marijuana A common stereotype of those who use marijuana are often classified as bums, unintelligent, and drug addicts. This claim is absurd as according to the National Orginaztion for the Refom of Marijuana Laws, marijuana is the third most popular drug in America as it frequently used recreationally (NORML). While those who oppose the legalization of marijuana there are those who actually need it, and support that it should be legal. By taking action, marijuana can be decriminalized and proven to be more helpful than harmful. The idea that people should stay away from cannabis is a common argument, but cannabis actually has medical purposes that can delay the effects of cancer, used for glaucoma, and also pain relief. While those who argue that marijuana should be legal and that it can help the economy and public health, there are those who oppose it and feel that it should remain illegal so that the upcoming generation should abstain from the use of marijuana and drug abuse. People argue that the use of marijuana is dangerous and harmful to the body, while actually it might be more helpful than one may presume. The top two most popular drugs in America are Tobacco and Alcohol, combined both of those drugs tally up to nearly half a million deaths per year throughout America. Marijuana on the other hand has never caused death by smoking too much weed because it is actually a toxic free drug and is mostly natural. By legalizing pot, it can lead to improve public health...
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...production of marijuana. The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and yet: marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually, cannabis is currently the largest cash crop in the United States, and marijuana is grown all over the planet. Claims that marijuana prohibition is a successful policy are ludicrous and unsupported by the facts, and the idea that marijuana will soon be eliminated from America and the rest of the world is a ridiculous fantasy. 9. Arrests for marijuana possession disproportionately affect blacks and Hispanics and reinforce the perception that law enforcement is biased and prejudiced against minorities. African-Americans account for approximately 13% of the population of the United States and about 13.5% of annual marijuana users, however, blacks also account for 26% of all marijuana arrests. Recent studies have demonstrated that blacks and Hispanics account for the majority of marijuana possession arrests in New York City, primarily for smoking marijuana in public view. Law enforcement has failed to demonstrate that marijuana laws can be enforced fairly without regard to race; far too often minorities are arrested for marijuana use while white/non-Hispanic Americans face a much lower risk of arrest. 8. A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce marijuana sales and use among teenagers, as well as reduce their exposure to other drugs in the illegal market. The illegality of marijuana makes...
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...Legalization of Marijuana “Marijuana is a mind altering substance produced from a plant whose scientific name is Cannabis sativa” (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2003). Marijuana is primarily used because its active chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) induces relaxation and heightens the senses. Marijuana is dried shredded leaves, to include stems, flowers, and seeds of the cannabis plant. This substance resembles tobacco however; it is green, brown or gray, and most recently purple in color. Marijuana comes in varying quality types, and is priced accordingly. Higher quality types of marijuana comes in colors such as purple, shades of red and yellow, and is composed of buds (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2003). Marijuana has many street names to include; Pot, Bud, Grass, Weed, Chronic, Indo, Ganja, Mary Jane and Herb, to name a few. Marijuana is used by many, to include teens and adolescence, and many debates have ensued as to legalities and dangers of use, however marijuana continues to be the most liked, and drug of choice by many. Marijuana is used by smoking it like a cigarette in a joint, pipe, bong or blunt. Recently, marijuana has become legal in many states, for the purposes of treatment of many medical disorders and diseases, which has resulted in legislation to legalize it, making it available to patients with medical conditions, for use by a prescription. Legalization of marijuana would reduce incarceration rates of drug related offenses...
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