Marijuana and Its Effects on TeenagersJoin now to read essay Marijuana and Its Effects on TeenagersMarijuana has been considered an illegal substance in the United States since the 1940’s. It is currently recognized as a Schedule I, Class A drug, which means that being caught with the drug can mean imprisonment or heavy fines. The main reason it is so illegal is because smoking marijuana can cause long-term health and mental problems, as well as an addiction to this and possibly “harder substances” like cocaine and heroin.
One of the major effects of smoking marijuana is that the person looses their ability to function properly. Driving, for example, after smoking dope is really dangerous because marijuana can slow down your reflex times and affect your coordination. The Dawn Report (2004) noted that nearly 120,000 people were admitted to emergency rooms suffering from marijuana-induced problems in 2002, which was an increase of more than 139% since 1995 (Dawn Report, 2004). The University of California, Los Angeles School of Medical Studies completed a report that showed that marijuana smoke is four times more harmful to your lungs that an ordinary cigarette, and that a marijuana joint can contain up to 400 different chemicals (1997). This same study found that smoking marijuana can prevent a body from fighting off infections and diseases, so marijuana smokers get sick more often
[ii] The Drug Policy Alliance (1998) is a group of drug policy and research leaders that encourages the state to enact decriminalization of marijuana use. Under the guise of a change in drug policy through legalization, they focus on legal weed to avoid having to buy a new ticket, but in reality they focus on decriminalization because state law allows for their expansion and sale. They argue that legalizing marijuana would facilitate the decriminalization of the growing and retail sale of illegal drugs and that it would help in relieving the “stigma and stress associated with marijuana-related crime.” But these arguments go on to dismiss attempts to make legal marijuana a medical treatment, saying that the government is not interested in legalizing these things. But they are correct. It is not because legal marijuana is beneficial to people. It is just a medicine that is used for bad things that need to be improved. This is not what the people are seeking. And that will be all it takes.
[iii] This is the argument by the Drug Policy Alliance. It was a statement from a research group at the University of Maryland, College Park (1997, 2005). This article will take a different position in respect to medical marijuana.
[iv] According to a 2008 study by the Substance Use and Crime Prevention Study Board at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there are 11,400 students enrolled in the Division of Substance Use Research, who use marijuana to treat substance addiction, even though there can be no harm in the consumption of marijuana used to treat chronic pain. These substances are illegal in 19 states and one territory with medical legalization of marijuana. Therefore, while the use of marijuana to treat chronic pain is legal, it is not as effective as other medical drugs. This study finds that among those using medical marijuana, 12% (8,000 enrolled) used more than one medication every 6 months, which is the standard prescription for medical care.
So we ask, how can the government do more to help people stay in society as it works to bring down their current violence? Because the answer turns out to be that marijuana is not really as effective as other drugs in preventing and treating crime.
[v] This is because marijuana is not a drug, but merely a product. Marijuana is a “real” substance and has no inherent medicinal value. In fact when people talk about marijuana, they don’t realize that it is a drug with natural qualities and no medicinal value. The fact that many people are using marijuana as part of their everyday activities and taking any other recreational narcotics is because we call it cannabis. (See: “Cannabis is a drug that people are addicted to, not that it’s that addictive.”) These are just a few examples. We should be more aware of these things and encourage people not to “use” marijuana for its natural properties like smell, smell and taste.
[vi] The study on marijuana by National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) involved 1,200 participants, who had been exposed to marijuana for six months (a typical study of people being exposed to marijuana for six months was not included because of their history and physical appearance).
[vii] Another question asked is about why marijuana use is bad, with 4.25 % of this sample saying they have ever used it. Other non-users say they have used it “because it was for their own health”. This compares to 3.22 % of people who have not had a single prescription for a mental health disorder in the