Persuasive Essay: No Need For Weed

Marijuana, is a drug from the Cannabis plant that is intended for medical or recreational use. The main part of cannabis and what makes it so dangerous is THC one of the many known chemicals in the plant. Cannabis can be used in many ways including smoking, ingestion through food, or as an extract. My name is Timur Krapivin and I was caught being under the influence of drugs on school grounds. The specific drug that I was caught with was marijuana in the form of an edible. A weed brownie is one of the many forms that marijuana comes in. I regret everything that I did and now know that my decision was very wrong and could have harmed the ones I cared about the most. The substance Abuse Intervention Program really helped me realize how dumb I was for taking this drug. I put my friends and family in danger because it was my first time and I didnt know what was going to happen or how my body would react to it. The main reason for why I did this drug is because I was curious and wanted to try something new. I know now that this decisions was very irresponsible and dumb. I will definitely think before I act now and use the problem solving skills that I learned in the class. I will make better decisions in the future because I want to be able to reach my goals and have a successful life. I can't do these things by wasting my life on drugs. Marijuana is a very dangerous drug, it affects our community in many ways, and has a long history behind it.

"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many

Recently the drug policies and war on drugs has been increasingly seen in the headlines. Policies taken by the United States government against illegal drugs like marijuana are becoming apparent, and are coming into question. This has caused quite a controversy among supporters and opponents about legalization issues. Should marijuana be used as a medicine, as its advocates say? Or is it a dangerous drug of abuse that exposes users to brain damage and lung cancer? The debate over legalizing marijuana in all probability will continue for a long time, and it is a shame that this debate is so polarized. Marijuana produces long-term effects and damage on the brain. Although there have been reports of successful treatment in the use of marijuana as medicine, there appears to be more negative reasons why marijuana should not be used. Marijuana has been used for treatment of many diseases, some of which include cancer, post traumatic stress disorder, arthrosclerosis, digestive diseases, and HIV/AIDS. Despite the success for some medical issues, marijuana continues to be a “dangerous, addictive drug that poses significant health threats to users. Marijuana has no medical value that can't be met more effectively by legal drugs” ("U.S Drug Enforcement Administration"). The government and medical professionals should make it a point to emphasize the increasing problems of marijuana and its harmful effects on the body, as well as providing alternatives to

The use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana within America throughout the twenty and twenty-first century has been heavily disputed within our own government as well as shaped many of our leaders lives. Even currently, the argument for legalized marijuana is heavily debated and brought to the American public eye through vast media sources. The health risks involved in partaking of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol can be very consequential, or not at all. Many current political acts, such as Colorado legalizing recreational marijuana, have brought the eligibility of past studies on the health risks of marijuana to the surface as well as the health factors involved with other legal substances. This act followed by many other states has forced the government to reevaluate their stances on the legality of mind altering substances.

The love for hiking is slowly fading away as you lay in a hospital, waiting for the test results to come back. The doctor enters the room with a smug face. Severe arthritis in the knees destroys your dreams of hiking through the forest ever again. Every step is a struggle as pain rushes through your body. Prescription drugs aren’t working, but there is nothing else you can use to help ease the pain. Wrong, medicinal marijuana is the answer to get you back on your feet and fulfilling your dreams of hiking once again.

Marijuana use is on the rise, especially among teenagers and young adults. With the recent laws passed in eight states about legalizing medical marijuana , many stand divided when it comes to this never ending debate, but I firmly believe that this miracle working drug should be legalized throughout the United States.

Marijuana is the most popular illicit drug used among our teenagers in the United States. Research shows that 42% of high school seniors have smoked Cannabis, 18% within the past month and 5% smoked daily and 1 in 6 are addicts. More than 64% of teenagers reported that marijuana is very easily available (Gary). Unfortunately, some parents live in a world of denial and say “It’s not my kid. My child doesn’t smoke.” Unbeknown to us, there are unfavorable concerns for many young marijuana abusers such as the risk of addiction, poor school performances and a “gateway” to other lethal substances. Smoking marijuana increases respiratory diseases, impaired immune function, cognitive problems and motivational impairment. (National Institute on Drug Abuse). It is the leading cause of abnormal cognitive development which persists long after abstinence. Marijuana is the main drug used by children who seek emergency medical treatments and screened following an arrest or autopsies (Dennis et at).

“In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis, marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.” Francis Young, DEA Administrative Law Judge, stated. Marijuana was thought of as a drug that was enormously harmful to the user’s health and well-being, but the truth about it is that if used correctly, marijuana has the ability to alleviate a variety of medical conditions, some that were thought to be “untreatable.” An immense amount of research and evidence has proven repeatedly that marijuana is able to treat many problems that plague much of our nation. Medical marijuana needs to legalization across the United States because of its ability to aid those with respiratory issues, to assuage one’s struggle with mental disorders, and it has a profound ability to mitigate the side effects often seen with people who are burdened with cancer.

Weed or also called marijuana, herb, pot, grass, Mary Jane, and many other names is a plant that can be a drug but also a medication for some. It is a topic that has became very big on figuring out should it be legalized or not throughout the US. Many people believe that it should be legal although many others disagree and think that it shouldn't be legal. With the effects of weed being the same as other drugs such as alcohol as research as shown, the decrease on the amount of people in jail or drugs if legalized, and how it is used as an important medication that can cure things such as cancer which has also been shown in experiments that have been conducted the US should legalize weed.

Smoking marijuana also has implication for others in society. When one thinks of the negative aspects of smoking cigarettes, the effects are similar with marijuana smoke. Smoke, regardless of tobacco or marijuana, causes lung cancer and affects those who involuntary breathe the smoke second-handed. Therefore, the leagalization of marijuana can lead to increased health issues and medical costs for our country. This drug is also known to have negative effects on the brain, including but not limited to reduced brain function, depression, memory loss, diminished reactions, and poor decision-making and problem solving abilities. As a result, there are escalating concerns over the potential of rising traffic accidents and fatalities resulting from recreational marijuana use. There is also concern that such more traffic accidents and fatalities will occur to the combined use of alcohol and marijuana use.

Finally, the last reason why weed should be legal is that being illegal is actually not stopping anyone from smoking or trying it. In the United States reported by Herb.com with a survey that they recently done that there is actually more American at this time that report to smoking weed than ever before. It reports that 45% of Americans admit to smoking or trying cannabis for personal use, which is the most in U.S history (Sanger).

If the United States legalised weed it would create a lot of different effects both good and bad. The United States would have less smuggling of weed into the country and people wouldn't get arrested and fined for possession of an illegal substance. Although, people will most likely abuse people would be using it out of control such as alcoholics. There must be a line for recreational and medical use of marijuana and that needs to be enforced nationwide not just statewide because we are a united nation and it needs to remain that way. This great country has always been just one nation, this issue and what we decide needs to show that it always will remain just one nation.

“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.

Medical marijuana refers to the use of cannabis as medical therapy in the palliative sense to treat diseases or alleviate symptoms. This treatment modality has proven to be a highly debatable issue within the medical field due to the use of this substance as an illicit drug. “The National Youth Risk Behavior Survey monitors priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). The most recent survey conducted on ninth through twelfth grade students in public and private schools throughout the United States indicated that in 2011, a mean of 39.9% of participants reported ever using marijuana one or more times during their lives (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Although this substance has been most often used for recreational purposes, recent studies have shown that an increasing number of people are fighting to have legislation passed in order for the use medicinal marijuana to be made legal. The populations most affected by such legislation include those positively affected by the use of medical marijuana, patients suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses, and those who utilize the drug for other reasons associated with recreation and personal pleasure. The issue highlights the beneficial aspect of marijuana use detailing symptom management and improving overall quality of life; and conversely,

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