Dear Mom And Dad,. I Completely Understand Why You Are

Weed, on the other hand, does not come close to how dangerous alcohol dependence and addiction is. In fact, “less than 10% of those who try marijuana ever end up meeting the clinical criteria for dependence, whereas 32% of tobacco users and 15% of alcohol users do.” Of course, the stipulation that weed is the number one most common, “gateway drug,” for teens in society today is a never dying myth that, was proven false. Most commonly, people who try marijuana never venture off to use any other illegal drug, and the vast majority of those who do try another drug don’t show signs of any associated problems, let alone become addicted. Truthfully in most cases, weed is an endpoint in drug use rather than a portal to fall deeper into experimentation.

Quitting Marijuana is difficult as quitting alcohol. Marijuana is very addictive. Most addicts find it difficult to stop smoking marijuana because they fear withdrawal signs and sleepless nights. Worry not, quit marijuana program doesn’t have withdrawal signs.

Some studies also have linked pot to suicidal thoughts. The NIDA notes that marijuana use can result in a 40% increased risk of getting psychosis, and the drug also can lead to Anxiety and Depression. Marijuana can ruin your kids’ lives. There has been an 80% increase in Weed use among teens since 2008. Do you want your teens to be making great grades for their education? You should need to know that studies have proved that teens who smoked pot regularly lost as much as eight points in their intelligence quotient test and they didn’t recover their intellectual ability when they became adults. Even though there are more articles about marijuana being good for you and the economy, I still believe that all these negative effects it has on you and the public are very bad, therefor it should remain illegal. Marijuana is used for medicine also, it is legal in 15 states for medical use only and in Colorado it is totally legal for everyone over 21 years old.

Studies show that our drug situation is a major public health and safety threat, and drug addiction is a condition that can be successfully stopped and cured. Legalizing drugs would boost their availability and normalize their use, leading to negative health results, mainly between young people. Drug legalization also weakens preventative health strategies a base in improving our overall public health in the United States. A drug like Marijuana places a strong tension on our health care system, and poses a substantial crisis to the health and safety of the consumer themselves, their families, and our communities. We all know that marijuana use, mostly long-term and chronic use that begin at a young age usually around 16-19, can lead to reliance and addiction. “In 2012, approximately 4.2 million people met the diagnostic criteria for wrong use or dependence on marijuana. Marijuana and other drugs is associated with addiction, respiratory illnesses, and cognitive impairment” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). “Studies also show that marijuana effectiveness has nearly tripled over the past 20 years, raising deliberate concerns about ramification for public health – especially among young people, for whom long-term use of marijuana could possibly be linked with lower IQ later in life” (DAWN Report). Drug use puts a lot of emphasis on parents, Siblings, grandparents and anyone who is part of the household. There are many reasons why. You can't always count on them to do what they say they will do, they may get distracted and forget because their pivot is the idea of getting and taking drugs, they might deceit or keep money to purchase more drugs, they might get terminated from their jobs, they might not come home at night, and they may do terrible things

Marijuana is a 'gateway drug'-The addiction rate for marijuana is lower than that of alcohol, and there is little scientific evidence that it acts as a trigger for harder drugs. While teen marijuana use is not to be encouraged, the real "gateway drug" risk might be from abusing prescription opioids and stimulants, like OxyContin, Vicodin and Adderall, or with inhalant drug use. These have strong addictive properties and more accessible to teens.

“Weed is addictive and is gateway drug. You shouldn’t smoke it.” This is a common misconception about Marijuana that a variety of people believe. This is because they do not know the history of it and what is in the Marijuana that makes it, what people say is “addictive.” They also probably do not know that there are disadvantages and advantages of using Marijuana. At the end of the day, it is really the choice of the user. But people should become more aware of where Marijuana originated from, what it is made from and the pros and cons of smoking it if they choose to.

Since the DSM-IV has been released, significant evidence has been found that withdrawal from marijuana can be supported. Gray (2007) explains that symptoms of marijuana withdrawal may include the following “emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms that include anger and aggression, anxiety, decreased appetite and weight loss, irritability, restlessness, and sleep difficulty. Less frequent but sometimes present are depressed mood, stomach pain and physical discomfort, shakiness, and sweating”. Withdrawal for marijuana and most substances usually occurs within twenty-four hours of termination. The symptoms of withdrawal may last from days to weeks. Gray (2007) states that recently adolescents have been the focus of marijuana withdrawal and there have been studies done to observe how adolescents act in a treatment center and on their own.

In modern society, marijuana is considered the “gateway” drug. Some of the women used marijuana first and then started using hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin while it was the other way around for some people. “For most women, their initial use of drugs occurred during adolescence and included alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana,” (Sterk, 24). They were introduced to drugs and alcohol at a young age by their peers, girlfriends, boyfriends, or relatives. Since they started at a young age, they become compulsive drug users. If they cut off their connections with these friends or relatives, they would’ve never had become users. Many women in FAST explained that their continued drug used depended on coincidence while others looked for situations where drugs would be available. This shows that they had a choice and decided to make the wrong one. As they continue to use more drugs, they can only identify themselves

On a more reasonable side to the argument, Deborah Peterson Small shines light on the factors that DuPont missed. The former director of public policy for the Drug Policy Alliance observes that, “...the real gateways to addiction are poverty, trauma, mental health problems and the effects of criminalization and stigma.” (Deborah Peterson Small, "Look at the Real Gateways to Drug Addiction.") Basically, Small looks at the real problems that can be prove to lead a more general group of people to experiment with drugs. Not just a high school kid who 's feeling a little rebellious and wants to see what the high life is all about. It is important to keep in mind that marijuana may enhance the brain’s reaction to other drugs, but it cannot make the brain want to try more drugs. The gateway to try other drugs is left open, it is a personal choice that can be made by anyone without the influence of marijuana. Whether it be a mental illness or difficult life situation, marijuana is not a gateway drug, so it was a well thought out decision to have it removed from the list of gateway drugs.

There are two parts to the gateway theory: 1) those that use illicit substances like cocaine or heroin will use marijuana first and 2) the use of marijuana exerts a casual influence on one’s likelihood of using other illicit substances. According to the "Can Social Psychological Delinquency Theory Explain The Link Between Marijuana and Other Illicit Drug Use?” article, the study set out to disprove the second qualification of the gateway theory. However, it failed to do so because the results suggested “those who use marijuana are between three and five times more likely than counterparts to use other illicit drugs even after adjusting statistically for the influence for strain, social bonding and differential association.” It noted that the “results were observed across multiple time points and across multiple methods, one of which adjusts statistically for the influence of unmeasured variables.” It conceded the point that the use of marijuana may contribute in a casual manner to one’s probability of using other illicit drugs. It has been widely regarded that “postponing youths’ marijuana initiation, prevention efforts will reduce the likelihood of hard drug use and abuse” (Yamaguchi & Kandel 1984b; Kandel et al. 1992; Golub & Johnson 2001). Postponing one’s marijuana initiation to a certain extent only brings them closer to the drug underworld. In a

First time marijuana use does not mean an individual will use harder drugs because people will use whatever drug is available when they are ready to experiment. According to data from the 2000 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a plant used to produce hemp fiber and as a psychotropic drug. There are many ways to consume the plant, but most often, it is consumed through a cigarette. Over many years, marijuana has been looked at as a gateway drug and something attached to violence and addiction. Users of marijuana have been stereotyped to abuse the drug to get high rather than to medicate their bodies. The hip-hop and hippie communities shed a light on marijuana that gave society a good excuse to view it negatively. Many have overlooked the benefits of marijuana by being blinded by the stereotypes society has created. Despite the negative outlooks, there are an abundance of benefits that using

“Don’t do marijuana kids! it is a gateway drug that will have you hooked!” was a popular slogan used by the D.A.R.E. volunteers throughout many schools in America. The fact of the matter is Studies have shown that Marijuana is not as addicting as made out to be. Some studies have shown marijuana is as addicting as your morning cup of coffee; which stems from habit more than a bodily craving.

Think for a minute about alcohol. It's something we are well accustomed to in our every day lives. We associate it with celebrations, parties, relaxation, and many other things that involve leisure. What else do we associate alcohol with? How about drunk driving and the deaths that occur as well. The thought of alcoholism and the destruction of the body as well families might spring in to mind. Now think about marijuana. Pot is something we all have been taught is next to sin. " Pot will make you stupid and lazy." "Pot will ruin your life." These might be a few examples of phrases that accompany the mentioning of the marijuana in any context, and the government has spent a lot of

Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. Research showed that up to 9% of marijuana user became addicted and that number is doubled if the user started using at a young age. In addition, the withdrawal symptoms are very similar to most other drugs. Some