Marijuan Why Not Even Once?

The uses of marijuana amongst teenagers has increased over the years making it the most accessible drug in America as well as one the most beneficial due to its medical uses. According to the article of Marijuana Use Among Youths Is a Serious Problem, written by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) (2004), stated that the uses of marijuana has impacted the youth in many ways due to the unknown factors of marijuana such as admittance to treatment facilities, and being admitted into emergency rooms. The CASA took the con side of the argument dealing with the issues of marijuana use with teenagers. The second article Marijuana Should Be

Imagine having a son or daughter who has six or more seizures a day. If you could could decrease the number of seizures they had a day by half, wouldn’t you consider medical marijuana? It is well known that medical cannabis has been used to cure many medical conditions for a long period of time already. Among the diseases marijuana can help treat, nausea, glaucoma, anorexia, epilepsy and more. Medical marijuana also helps with the side effects of many treatments, such as cancer chemotherapy. There are many health benefits of marijuana; it may have some negative effects, but the pain and symptom relief of many diseases and disorders makes it well worth it.

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

“Long term marijuana use can be addictive for some people” (CQ Researcher 531). For those

Marijuana addiction can negatively impact our children’s minds, body, relationships to others and future opportunities. Thus, their wellbeing and ability to function normally are obstructed by inducing mental aggressions and fatigue due to sleep deprivation. Teenagers choose to smoke marijuana out of sheer curiosity, peer pressure and the desire to fit in with friends. Adolescents have the perception that marijuana can help them to cope with anxiety, boredom, anger issues or unpleasant feelings

Throughout the process of cessation of marijuana, cravings do occur, just like with many other substances. Gray (2007) says that “cravings and urges are considered to reflect the fundamental motivational processes that maintain continued drug use”. A paradigm was created to test cravings for marijuana on adolescents who have recently stopped using. In this paradigm a researcher presents cues associated with marijuana, for example: drug paraphernalia, the sight of someone smoking, the smell of the marijuana, etc. This has shown to increase cravings for the substance, also, a higher heart rate has

However, there is accumulating evidence of the psychological consequences of using marijuana. Many chronic marijuana smokers have a psychosis that is now medically deemed as, “A-motivational Syndrome” (Chopra 38). A psychosis is a condition where a person experiences some loss of contact with reality. A person with a psychosis can experience any or more of the following symptoms: auditory hallucinations (hearing voices that aren't really there), visual hallucinations (seeing things which aren't there), delusions (believing things that aren't true), jumbled thoughts and strange behavior. Patients with A-motivational Syndrome are left with the well-recognized and permanent symptoms of memory loss, apathy and loss of motivation (Chopra 38). After marijuana started to be widely used approximately 20 years ago, for permanent damage to occur it was felt by some that marijuana had to be heavily used over at least three years. However, there is accumulating evidence that smaller amounts will do damage. It is logical that to get the permanent “ A-motivational Syndrome”, small amounts of damage have to accumulate incrementally (Chopra 40). Although many marijuana connoisseurs of today may totally deny that that the use of this drug has lasting effects on the brain, research findings clearly indicate that long-term use of marijuana produces changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse (Erickson 89).

Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance under the US federal Drug Scheduling system created by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA), which indicates that the substance has a high potential for abuse and no approved medicinal use. This policy has the support of several propionate organizations such as the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) (Office of National Drug Control Policy 2014). Despite these facts, Medical Marijuana is currently legal in 23 States and the District of Columbia (23 Legal Medial Marijuana States and DC 2014). The use of medical marijuana in these states is supported by several national organizations such as the American Nurses Association, the

Marijuana is known for causing issues with the human brain, which is a product of behavioral issues. Nevertheless, being under the influence of this drug can produce poor memory and little to no attention span (Marijuana: A Continuing Concern). Research shows that all of these effects can indeed take place after using the drug. After long term use of marijuana, the human brain may not become fully developed if the user started the drug at a young age. This could result in the brain not reaching its full potential. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that someone can have complications with their short-term memory after using the drug, and these complications can last for a multitude of days. People who are under the influence of marijuana have a difficult time paying attention to what is going on around them. With the use of marijuana comes brain damage, which some could become permanent (Marijuana: Breaking Down

Marijuana has linked to, lack of motivation, anxiety, reduced sexual capacity, confusion, mood changes, and schizophrenia-like brain changes, however all of these effects have not been proven. A study in 1999 concluded that heavy-users of marijuana over a 15 year period had not had any negative impacts on the users intelligence. (Armentano) These facts combined together show that both drugs have an effect on the brain but neither worse than they other.

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

But only 9 percent of marijuana users develop a dependence” (Boffey). Even still, of those 9 percent that develop a dependence, marijuana addiction is dissimilar to that of heroin, alcohol, or nicotine, from which withdrawal is often an extremely painful, physical experience. In addition, the long-held belief that marijuana is a gateway drug has been debunked, and even quietly removed from D.A.R.E’s list of gateway drugs. As far as medical research is concerned, the clear consensus is that marijuana use is less harmful to human health than most other banned drugs. While tobacco causes cancer, and alcohol abuse can lead to cirrhosis, there is no clear causal connection between marijuana use and any deadly diseases. Furthermore, it is less dangerous than highly addictive but legal substances like alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana use cannot, in and of itself, lead to fatal overdoses, and there is little evidence that it causes cancer. Like tobacco and alcohol, public policy concerns support the notion that it should be kept out of the hands of minors. The downsides to marijuana use are less compelling as reasons to foist criminal penalties on its possession, especially not in a society that allows nicotine use and celebrates

Marijuana is considered in popular culture to be a widely accepted mainstream recreational illegal drug used in the United States; its use comes with severe adverse side effects that are often overlooked. Long-Term use of marijuana 'sis shown to have negative effects on physical, mental, and environmental health. Studies have shown that in the United States, up to 20% of daily marijuana users become dependent (Marijuana and Lung Health) showing a physical or emotional need for the drug. Marijuana use has the potential to affect every aspect of a person 's physical and mental wellbeing negatively. Its use also comes with potentially life-altering risks to one 's future including an individual’s likelihood of obtaining a degree, impacting their future earning potential and decreasing their overall reported life satisfaction. Once dependent on marijuana, people stop caring about their schooling. Long-term use of smoking marijuana can result in the inability to learn, retain information and think critically.

Another myth surrounding the use of the plant is on dependence. Marijuana invokes an image of people getting “high” and having problems abstaining from the substance. This is untrue. Solomon (1966) clearly states that marihuana users do not come from the criminal class. Aggressiveness is not commonly seen among these users. Dependence or tolerance is characterized by prominent withdrawal symptoms. This is the true hallmark or defining characteristic of drug addiction. In the recent years, there is very little evidence to support the claim that marijuana caries a true risk of addiction. Studies, taken by Earleywine (2005), stated existing data do not prove that marijuana use correlates with an increase in teen marijuana dependence. Solomon adds

Marijuana is a contrast to tobacco and alcohol when addiction characteristics do not show with the use of marijuana while addiction shows with legal tobacco and alcohol. It shows that less than one in ten marijuana smokers convert to consistent consumers of the drug, and most intentionally terminate their use after age 34, by comparison, 15 percent of alcohol users and 32 percent of tobacco smokers display indicators of drug dependency. Cannabis withdrawal indicators are uncommon and do not need replacement medication to stop the habit. When smoking marijuana comes to an end of an intake, the vast majority of smokers do not feel subjected to uncomfortable withdrawal indicators commanding restarting the use of marijuana.