Analysis Of Cannabis

In 2011, marijuana was responsible or involved in almost 500,000 emergency room visits in the United States (Carise). Cannabis has proven to lead to weakened immune systems, growth disorders, reduction of male sex hormones, destruction of lung fibers, potentially permanent brain lesions, lack of motivation, focus, ability to perceive

B. Long-term use of marijuana may lead to short-term memory loss and minor brain disorders after the drug has been metabolized.

Also, marijuana can be seen as being addictive in nature. “Approximately 9% of individuals that use marijuana become addicted” (Marijuana Statistics). Marijuana contains many chemicals, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which can cause many positive and negative effects to the human body and brain. A major attribute for medical marijuana is the economic advantages that are produced from the distribution of the drug. Also, the legalization of medical marijuana can portray positive and negative outcomes for law enforcement. Therefore, medical marijuana has many positive effects, such as treatment for diseases, and negative effects, such as immune system suppression. Throughout this research paper, medical marijuana will be thoroughly explained to exemplify the advantages and disadvantages of legalizing the

For many years, the prohibition of marijuana has led people to believe that marijuana was extremely dangerous, therefore, it could never be legal; but, most dangers spoken about marijuana are myths as it is found less harmful than alcohol, and even tobacco. In 2007, research done by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare came to the conclusion that alcohol was a large contributor to death and the cause of more than 3% of the overall disease and injury in Australia, while marijuana was accountable for no deaths and only 0.2% of disease and injury. Despite what many are told to believe, this research poses that marijuana holds way fewer risks than alcohol does, and alcohol is legal. Around 88,000 deaths occur each year due to alcohol consumption, and half of those are due to binge drinking. With this in

From 2001 to 2005 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports on average more than 79,000 deaths per year was caused by excessive alcohol use. (CDC, “Vital Signs”) Excessive drinking includes binge drinking, heavy drinking and any drinking by pregnant women or minors. On the other hand, the CDC does not have a category for deaths caused by the use of marijuana. Statistically, death directly from marijuana overdose is extremely rare. However, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting data, there were a total of 1.5 million drug arrests nationwide in 2011 and out of those arrests around 750,000 were for marijuana alone. (FBI, “Person’s Arrested”) While both alcohol and marijuana should not be taken with any other drug and getting behind the wheel while drunk or high poses significant risk to everyone. Alcohol is still vastly greater in number when it comes to death than marijuana but then again one is legal while the other one is not.

Studies have proven that marijuana is no more harmful to a person’s health than alcohol or tobacco. Every year, tobacco kills roughly 390,000 people, alcohol contributes to 80,000 deaths in America and marijuana contributed to 0; no deaths from marijuana have ever been recorded in US history (Abovetheinfluence.org). When smoking tobacco, the user inhales tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, and 200 other known poisons into the lungs (Abovetheinfluence.org). All forms of tobacco, including cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, and chewing tobacco, contain the addictive drug nicotine, and can also cause cancer. Alcohol alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. Alcohol plays a role in at least 50 percent of traffic deaths, about half of murders, and about 25 percent of suicides (Abovetheinfluence.org). Marijuana side effects include delusions, impaired memory, hallucinations and disorientation, which are no different from the side effects of alcohol alone.

Legalized items such as alcohol and tobacco products are far more dangerous than marijuana. Alcohol is a legal substance that alters the mind. An estimated 88,000 people pass away every year from alcohol overdose or alcohol poisoning (Alcohol Facts and Statistics). Unlike alcohol, there has not been a recorded overdose from the illegal plant, marijuana. Alcohol impaired driving is responsible for over ten thousand deaths in America, annually. Data collected since 2001 by Stanford students does not support that driving while high on marijuana increases accidents. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of death by up to 30 years on average (Wing). On the other hand, a study conducted in California involving 65,177 men and women aged 15-49 found after 10 years, marijuana users died no sooner than those who did not smoke it (Wing). Alcohol use increases the risk for cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, and breast. Likewise, more than 3 million cases of alcoholism and alcohol dependence have been reported per

Hall, P. W., & Degenhardt, P. L. (2009, October). Adverse Health Effects of Non-Medical Cannabis Use. The Lancet, 374(9698), 1383-1391.

Marijuana has falsely been said to be highly addictive. Tobacco and alcohol have proven to be far more addictive than we are told. A comparative risk assessment using the margin of exposure(MOE) approach was taken to demonstrate the risk factor of many different drugs. MOE tested a wide range of substances: heroin, cocaine, cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol. In short, MOE: “Specifically, the results confirm that the risk of cannabis may have been overestimated in the past.” The four main substances that were

Legalization of marijuana, also known as cannabis, weed, etc. has been a trending controversial topic in many sectors of Canada. Although, there have been several studies, organizations and celebrities endorsing the legalization; marijuana should not be legalized due to its severe health effects. Cannabis has both short and long term effects on an individual’s health. These effects range from brain function and development, mental illness, heart rate to lung damage. With almost 44 percent of Canadians who have tried marijuana, the health of Canadians is at stake.

Most research performed in the past on the use of illegal drugs focuses on a very broad group of people. Research also tends to be very anti-cannabis, and focuses on younger people. With this in mind, the researching of long-term cannabis effects on regular cannabis users has been neglected. This article was made to compensate for the under-researched aspects of cannabis, and to delve into a lesser known field. Chatwin and Porteous (2013) sought to show that cannabis can be beneficial to the long-term, regular cannabis user, despite what historical

It seems every decade marijuana studies show that it has no side effects on users, in turn it become more available like when some states in America had legalized it. Dr Kevin M. Gray believes that the only side effect of smoking weed is the physical addictions it causes, he believes that over 51% of all teens have used weed at least once and the biggest problem we are facing with this rapidly growing drug use is only addiction. Dr Marshall M. Gay believes that the health effects of weed isn’t that much as smoking cigarettes and doesn’t see it a threat to people’s health. “More than half (51%) of adolescents reported that marijuana is fairly or very easy to obtain.2 this ease of availability may have contributed to a recently reported "reverse gateway" from cigarettes use to marijuana”. The more ignored belief is that marijuana can lead to a variety of developmental, mental and physical side effects. The effects of smoking weed can extend to those of smoking cigarettes “studies show regular marijuana use can lead to many of the same

There are several myths presented to make marijuana seem harmful to one’s health, but many of them have been proven scientifically wrong. Three myths commonly presented and associated with smoking marijuana are: marijuana causes mental permanent mental illness, smoking marijuana is more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco, and also marijuana is a gateway drug. Through my research I have found that the commonly believed myths and misconceptions of marijuana intoxication are only social fears of those whom have not done any research on the effects of the drug.

As marijuana get legalize throughout the US, the American College of Cardiology wanted to test their theory on whether or not marijuana (medically known as cannabis) may increase heart failures. The study used the data from hospital discharge records, varied from age 18-55 years in 2009 and 2010. When comparing the records of cardiovascular disease patients that are using marijuana with patients that are not, the researchers noticed that there was a link of increase rate for strokes and heart failures in marijuana users. Marijuana also associate with the risk of coronary artery diseases, high blood pressure and obesity. It has been tested that there is a cannabis receptor in the heart muscle cells. When cannabis is in use, the receptor will

in “Marijuana Facts” 1). From an outsider’s perspective, one has to ask why is there so much tension and hesitation in legalizing marijuana? If alcohol is the direct cause of many deaths, while marijuana has not been responsible for any, it only makes sense that our health would not be our greatest concern in legalizing the drug. Also, it is important to understand marijuana consumption is less susceptible to overuse than alcohol or other drugs (Marijuana 10:477). Despite this, critics often argue that marijuana is a gateway to other more potent and harmful drugs. According to Dr. Halbach of the World Health Organization there is no pharmacological link between cannabis and opiates (Marijuana 10:477). This demonstrates the physiological unlikelihood of marijuana being a stepping-stone to other more potent drugs containing opiates. Marijuana does have drawbacks and side effects, as any other drug whether medicinal or recreational. However, putting the drug in perspective helps one to understand the contradiction in legalizing other drugs while continuing to ignore marijuana even though it can beneficial in different capacities.