Our Cup Of Coffee Is More Addictive And Harmful Than A Joint Of Marijuana Essay

With marijuana being a very popular drug, it is not a harmful drug. Marijuana is used by many people all around the world. The percentage of people who smoke has increased by a significantly large amount. “Ever since marijuana has been known to mankind, not one single account of death

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.

Marijuana is a magical plant that has been used and accepted in every culture it had been introduced in up until it was made illegal in the United States. In fact, after declared illegal, the use of it greatly increased and has been rising ever since. It's legalization is sweeping the world, and now in California marijuana is a legal, regulated substance available to those over 21. I've heard some false information going around and I'd like to clear the air about it. These are the raw facts with absolutely no bias. Myth: Marijuana is extremely addictive. Long term marijuana users grow dependent, suffer from withdrawal, and often need professional drug treatment to break their marijuana habits. Fact: There is no physical addiction to marijuana.

Marijuana is a popular, and illegal, drug. Its largest consumers are young adults. Marijuana is smoked in a pipe or rolled in a cigarette. Thirty-seven percent of people between ages 12-17 have tried marijuana.(Adams 102) Marijuana gives a slight buzzing feeling of lightheadedness. Experimentation with marijuana is dangerous because studies show that 60% of people who smoke marijuana on a regular basis move on to try harder drugs soon after.(Lorimer 44) Marijuana tends to diminish the ambition and motivation in the user. In the long run, it may cause lung cancer and other respiratory problems.

because of the Mexican Revolution. These immigrants brought along a new culture and customs one of them being the use of Marijuana as a medicine and relaxant. Marijuana which had been known as “cannabis” by Americans was not illegal in the U.S. and was in fact commonly used for industrial and medical purposes. Citizens in the Western states were uneasy of the newcomers and with rising tensions in those states it was not a difficult task for the media to take advantage of the citizen’s unease and pit them against the newcomers and their customs. Harry Anslinger, who is considered the father of the war on weed was a prominent figure of prohibition during the time, used the media to demonize marijuana by using racist tactics. He made several racist claims such as, “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S. and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others”(huffpost.com). In succeeding in painting the Mexican immigrants in a bad light, the media also managed to arouse people’s fear towards the unknown effects of Marijuana The outlawing of marijuana would provide authorities with an opportunity to control Mexican immigrants.( Although the prohibition of marijuana was founded on racism one has to wonder if things are really the same today. Facts have continuously managed to show that

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

2. Once they discover that the government has been lying about marijuana, they are less inclined to believe official warnings about other drugs. 3. Once they buy marijuana on the black market, they are more likely to have the opportunity to buy other drugs” (Sullum). There is an obvious connection between pot smoking and other drug use because people who like the “high” that they get from pot, will enjoy a different “high” from another drug. However there is no connection between using marijuana and the desire to use other drugs. It is a matter of personality, environment, and personal influence. Even a National Academy of Sciences panel stated “There is no evidence that marijuana serves as a stepping stone on the bases of its particular drug effect” in a recent report (Sullum). Many other pro-prohibitionists have stated that marijuana is responsible for a long list of health problems. Although marijuana is connected to immediate lung problems like occasional coughing and phlegm production, and an increased risk for acute chest infections, there has never been a single tie to cancer. The results of studies linking marijuana smoking to lung cancer have also been hindered by small test sizes and subject bias, and the true results are saturated with unconfirmed studies and secret procedures with public results (Buddy). Marijuana is gaining headway with the most recent Gallup poll reported that 48 percent of the population supports decriminalization of marijuana, while

Marijuana became a problem in America from 1913 to the late 1930s. California was the first state to ban marijuana in 1913, and Utah outlawed marijuana in 1914. From 1915 to 1937 it was banned by 30 states, in the southwestern states it was outlawed because of racial prejudice against the mexicans who used it. In other states they thought that marijuana was a “gateway” drug and lead to heroin addiction. Marijuana also became illegal because of Henry Hearst, he invested in the timber industry to support his newspaper business and he did not want hemp as a competitor. Another man was also trying to get marijuana banned, he was the director of Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Harry Anslinger. He saw a business opportunity, like many other corrupt

The first marijuana laws weren’t directed at blacks and Mexicans by statute, but they were sponsored by law enforcement and an extension of Jim Crow tactics. Historians Richard J. Bonnie and Charles H. Whitebread, authors of The Marijuana Conviction: A History of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States, documented a pervasive racial bias that motivated the formation of these laws. Only a few press clippings were necessary to drum up enough fear to pass those early marijuana laws. “All Mexicans are crazy, and this (marijuana) makes them crazy,” was a quote from the floor of the Texas Senate which passed the first state marijuana law in 1914. From 1915 to 1937, 27 states passed laws against marijuana.

marijuana is no longer the "Devil's Weed" it was once thought to be, its long-term effects

Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act is legislation necessary to keep drugs with high abuse potential and no medical benefit out of the hands of common people. It serves as a protection, and therefore is necessary. However, in 1972 marijuana was placed in the Schedule 1 category the Controlled Substances Act, therefore deeming it illegal for use for medical reasons classifying it as a drug that has no currently accepted medical use. This would make it criminal not only for people to use for medical reasons but also, criminal for physicians to prescribe it to their patients. President Nixon actually caused marijuana to be viewed in a negative light not only by the United States, but the entire world (Sarich 2014). This was fine during

“Marijuana is the most commonly used drug illegal drug in the world.” (“What is Marijuana”, 2013). It has recently become legal in a couple states, and more states are sure to follow their lead in the upcoming months. People can make the argument that marijuana does not have any negative effects, but they are wrong. Becoming addicted to marijuana is easy, and it only opens up the door for you to try other harmful drugs once marijuana quits getting you high. You need to know the whole story, how people become addicted, the negative effects it has on your body and mind, and what you can do once someone you know has become addicted.

There is no denying the fact that the media displays marijuana users as lazy or having a lack of motivation. This stereotype is actually linked to studies that have been taken over people that regularly use this drug. These studies have shown to have specific links between marijuana use and detrimental ramifications in the workplace, such as heightened risks for accidents and injuries.In one study postal workers were isssued a pre-employment urine drug test. The study found that employees who tested positive for marijuana had 55 percent more industrial accidents, 85 percent more injuries, and 75 percent greater absence compared with those who tested negative for marijuana

All of these points are invalid. First, no one can definitively say that marijuana leads to laziness and failure. While it is true that someone can be a lazy failure and a smoker that does not mean smoking caused the laziness. Correlation does not prove causation! There are literally millions of other things that can account for that. Furthermore, the proof that someone who smokes can be successful lies in people like Barack Obama, Maya Angelou, and Bill Gates to name a few. Secondly, almost every article that’s published about the harmful effects of marijuana is never certain. For instance, these articles might say something along the lines of, “Chronic marijuana users may experience lung problems later in life.” The key word is here is “may” which indicates that it’s not absolutely true. There have been no definite health issues that are guaranteed to happen from using marijuana like there are for other drugs. Finally, there has been great debate about whether marijuana is truly addictive or not. No one has proven or disproven marijuana’s addictiveness. One doctor may say it is, another will say it isn’t. Therefore, one should not even say that it’s addictive until numerous studies have proven it to

Firstly, marijuana permanently damages the brain and causes a loss of freedom among its users. In a government article on the risks of marijuana it states, “overstimulation of the endocannabinoid system by marijuana use can cause changes in the brain that lead to addiction, a condition in which a person cannot stop using a drug even though it interferes with many aspects of his or her life.” (drugabuse.gov). As mentioned in the article, once a person becomes addicted, they lose the ability to stop; they are not free to leave it. And because using marijuana