How Do Marijuana Affect Our Lives

The legalization of marijuana has been a debated subject in America since the 1970's. The pro-marijuana society in America has made claims as to how marijuana can help cure or lessen the effect of some diseases and that by legalizing the drug; the use of pot will actually decline. The fact of the matter is that marijuana is a drug that can be placed into a similar category as cocaine or heroine. Like these other drugs, pot (marijuana) smoking carries with it serious side effects that can effect the user forever, and sometimes-even cause death. Marijuana was first cultivated in America during the colonial time period and was used as a fiber for rope and even clothing. The plant was not used for its psychoactive properties until 1910,

     Marijuana does have some negative effects, but compared to other drugs marijuana is harmless. Other drugs are highly addictive were marijuana is not. Alcohol is one of the most leading causes of car crashes. Marijuana is nowhere near being a leading cause of death. Other drugs can lead to cancer where marijuana is used to cure it, and other drugs can lead to deaths. Other drugs impair you vision, but marijuana does not. All the other drugs except alcohol are gateway drugs, and the only way to purchase them is by smuggling them across the border. Many advocates say “we should begin to reflect that reality in our state and federal legislation, and stop acting as if otherwise law-abiding marijuana smokers are part of the crime problem. They are not, and it is absurd to continue using law enforcement resources arresting them.” (Gary) Many advocates also say, “Far more harm is caused by marijuana prohibition than by marijuana itself.”(Gary)

Marijuana has negative side effects on a consumer that may end up being the reason why the legalization is wrongful. Most drugs have crimes tied along them, and this automatically gives a reason to keep drugs illegal. Along

Marijuana has been seen more as a recreational drug and not a hard-core drug which is why most people do not see it as a high- risk drug or to have longing effects on a person or the body itself. Since the 20th century, marijuana has been prescribed by doctors for use to deal with glaucoma and cancer. Being that it is legal for medical use but illegal to use on a federal government level will and has always set off two different sides of legalizing or not legalizing marijuana. Marijuana cannot and should not be in categories with drugs that can kill because there are no studies of marijuana killing a person.

In order to gain an understanding of marijuana's so called "harmful" negative effects; it should be compared to other drugs that are presently legalized in this country. In the pharmaceutical world, over-the-counter drugs are being prescribed for everything these days. Ritalin and Adderall are readily available for college students in the university health centers across the country. Kids are staying up all night studying, complaining that they can not pay attention, and are immediately referred to the prescription drugs which in many cases they do not even need. Along with the prescription drug problem in our nation, we have a serious issue concerning alcohol and tobacco. Alcoholism is killing people daily with liver malfunctions

There has never been a death from marijuana overdose. “A person would have to smoke 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC in a joint to overdose” (Wing). Marijuana was classified as an illegal drug in 1970, because it can be abused very easily (“infoplease”). Marijuana was then grown indoors. Marijuana is illegally used by many people daily. Marijuana should be legalized because it is naturally grown and can be used to help cancer patients, relieve stress, and be used daily.

Marijuana is illegal in most cities in our country because of the effect it has on the human body. When marijuana is inhaled, THC is released into our bloodstream, brain, and organs. THC levels affect parts in the brain that focus on pleasure, memory, thinking, and coordination. Due to this, marijuana can cause long term damage to one’s brain. Or at least that’s what they want us to believe. There are no real cases where someone has suffered severe

marijuana is a misunderstood drug. Many assume that marijuana is dangerous, but in fact it's the opposite. Legalizing marijuana is such a debatable topic in the United States. I strongly agree with the drug for medical purposes. Weed is considered a schedule on Gateway Drive with cocaine and heroin. Marijuana is supposedly the downfall of our youth, and has received a negative reputation.

In the world we live in today, most people do not look at marijuana as a drug that is harmful to the body. So many different people smoke marijuana on a daily basis, it has become the drug people turn to when they need to get away or relieve stress. Marijuana is used for many different reasons. For example, some people smoke it to get that high they have been wanting all day, but other people actually need the drug, this is called medical marijuana. The people who use this drug on a regular basis probably do not realize how it could affect them not only mentally, but physically. I believe that marijuana should not be legalized due to the many problems it can cause.

Marijuana is an unhealthy drug and it can cause a lot more damage than you think. It can cause so much harm to your body. It is very addicting and people think that it is a harmless little plant but in reality, it can cause so much harm to your body. So many people in America are smoking Marijuana and they think that it doesn’t do anything to harm them because it is an all natural plant. Marijuana is smoked all over America and in some places it is illegal and others it it legal.

Some medical reasons that marijuana shouldn’t be decriminalized are that it has long and short terms effects. Examples of the short term outcomes include memory loss, difficulty with thinking, loss of motor skills and increased heart rate. According to the National Institutes of Health show that someone smoking about five joints per week is taking in as many cancer causing chemicals as someone smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. There is no science proof that smoked marijuana can be used for medication. Since cannabis plants are polluted with a range of fungal spores, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of infectious organisms. Taradiff, J. "Marijuana and the War on Drugs. “Marijuana. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Thomas Gale, 2008. 157. Print.

names for it. Marijuana affects your life if you smoke it. It has THC in it. The amount of THC is

Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many people are even considering legalization of one of the most used drugs, marijuana. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial issue that has been fought for and against for several decades. Marijuana is defined as a preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, which is usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria and to heal and soothe. (dictionalr.com)

Marijuana is one of the most used drugs in the world. It is illegal because it has been assumed to be a gateway drug upon us. A gateway drug, is a type of drug that leads the users of one drug, (the gateway drug), to other drugs that are extremely addictive and can kill such as Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Shrooms, LSD, etc. Just because gateway drugs lead the users of them into addictive drugs, does not always mean that the gateway drug itself, (Marijuana) is addictive. Marijuana is infact, non-addictive. But it can still lead to abuse if used at the wrong time or in the wrong place such as driving or in a state where it is not legal.

Many people claim that there is no known case of people dying due to marijuana. This is a half truth since it’s not the marijuana itself that kills; it’s its side effects. Marijuana causes lung and throat cancer much like cigarettes. As a matter of fact, marijuana is worse for the lungs, since it contains three times as much tar as cigarettes and it’s usually smoked without a filter. They also claim there is not nearly as much crime due to marijuana use compared alcohol. This is also true but for one simple reason. Alcohol is legal and more easily accessible than marijuana. It’s the fact that marijuana is illegal that is keeping these numbers so low. Legalizing marijuana would be like adding fuel to a fire. If marijuana were to be legalized these number are sure to increase.