The founders of CNN and Apple, Brad Pit, Megan Fox and Barack Obama all have one thing in common.

In the report, “Marijuana and Medicine,“ released by the Institute of Medicine, it is stated “the most encouraging clinical data on the effects of cannabinoids on

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.

Not only are the toxic levels of alcohol much greater than those of marijuana, but the consequences of drinking long-term are far more damaging as well. Next to smoking tobacco and being overweight, drinking alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Not including all the accidents and homicides that are attributed to the use of alcohol, the number of people that suffered alcohol induced deaths was 20,687 in 2003 alone (Foland). Those who choose to drink face the risk of many different health conditions, including some cancers, liver cirrhosis, liver disease, and heart disease---not to mention the risk of physical dependency (“Alcohol vs. Marijuana”). The effects on the brain are just as detrimental. In contrast to the old myth that drinking alcohol kills brain cells, recent studies have shown that instead it prevents new cells from being made. This process of making new cells, called neurogenesis, was found to be decreased by over fifty percent in abusers of alcohol. Marijuana seems to have the opposite effect. The same study showed that the use of marijuana actually increased neurogenesis, thus increasing the making of new brain cells (Wenk). Recent studies

Bill Hicks once said, “Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn’t the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit...unnatural?” Why is it illegal when it could be used for so much more other than just getting high? When really it actually comes with so many more benefits. In the article, “The Case for Legalizing Cannabis” the author Joe Cressy utilizes simple diction, common sense, and intimidating facts proving his point that the war on drugs is a waste of money and is setting Canadian health care back.

Legalising marijuana would have a detrimental impact on our future generations and result in more people exploitation the dangerous drug. This increase in users would be a threat to the safety of Australian citizens like you and I who are not under the influence and have negative impacts on Australia’s health. Merely considering cannabis usage not to be a forbidden transgression is highlighting how ignorant and misguided the minority of individuals who support authorising this malicious substance are.

According to a report put out by the British Police Foundation in March 2000, cannabis has been shown to produce less harmful effects than its other legal counterparts such as alcohol and tobacco. This kind of information calls into sharper focus the question on the minds of many as to why such a plant that is not only less harmful than legal drugs but has significant health benefits has remained illegal.

According to the National Academy of Sciences recent study, the main ingredient in marijuana called tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as THC) had been proven to decrease the size of brain capacity. In their records of data they had stated “...researchers looked at 48 adults who used the drug at least three times a day, for an average of eight or nine years, and 62 people who didn't use marijuana. It turned out that the people who had been smoking pot daily for at least four years had a smaller volume of gray matter in a brain region called the orbitofrontal cortex, which previous research had linked to addiction”(1). As a result in my research I have found that a prolonged usage of medical cannabis massively affects your brain size and learning capacity

Many people who develop addictions with dangerous drugs such as heroin and cocaine have started somewhere smaller. Marijuana is a common street drug and there is lots of controversy around it. There are several arguments about its use, and one of them is whether it is a gateway drug.

First of all, the classification of cannabis is completely inaccurate. Schedule I classification describes a substance or chemical, as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Research has shown that it supports cancer patients and many other terminally ill patients. Cannabis, even when consumed recreationally, has never been linked to any deaths, and when you compare it to alcohol and tobacco, both of which are legal, cannabis is completely harmless.

When looking at the issue of legalising recreational marijuana, it is clearly visible to many that there are positives and negatives to this issue. Regarding, the claim and counterclaim of recreational marijuana, it has been proven that it doesn’t lead to more dangerous drugs. The reason for recreational marijuana being legalized slowly in many states is because of it not being harmful to the body like many legal substances. Altogether, legalising recreational marijuana would allow people to be safer, and instead of putting harmful substances in their body that will hurt them in the long

Marijuana is a gateway drug. A gateway drug, such as marijuana, is a drug that leads people to do more harmful drugs such as cocaine or heroine. The American Council for Education did a recent study showing that people who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use other drugs compared to people who do not smoke marijuana. According to Andrew Cox, a licensed addiction counselor , “Most of the people that we see in drug court started out with marijuana… anywhere from 12 to 14 years of age, and gradually progressed to other kinds of

Everyone has an opinion on the reoccurring subject of cannabis legalization. Some people are against cannabis just because it is against the law. While others believe cannabis usage goes along with free will and that the government has no right to interfere. Some say marijuana is a gateway drug, leading to the use of more serious drugs. Still, a percentage of the population believes hemp is okay and legal growing in the U.S. could benefit our economy, with an abundance of uses that would be a better choice for the environment and our health, than other options we currently seek. There are many reasons that people want cannabis legalized, and many fears for which they don’t. Whatever the opinion, people need to

First people consider cannabis as a gateway drug. An opinion that says the cannabis isn 't harmful, but it will lead to the use of harder drugs like cocaine and heroin. People who use cannabis have a strong connection with the use of other drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a person who smokes cannabis is more than one-hundred four times more likely to use cocaine than an individual who never tries

One of the constant debates about whether or not marijuana should be legal or not is is it relatively safe. The herbal plant marijuana, individuals have “cultivated and consumed the flowering tops of the female cannabis plant since virtually the beginning of recorded history. Cannabis-based textiles dating to 7,000 BC have been recovered in northern China and the plant's use as a medicinal and euphoric agent date back nearly as far” (Armentano 1). Marijuana has been proven to “have a relatively unique safe record, particularly when compared to other therapeutically active substance” (Armentano 1). Unlike alcohol and any other drug, individuals cannot by physically addicted to marijuana or have an overdose on marijuana. When an individual is

No one has ever died from marijuana overdose. Is it possible to overdose on marijuana? The answer is no. In other words, marijuana and opioids affect different pathways of the body. Opioid pathways, also known as receptors, are present in areas of the brain that control breathing. As a result, if you take too many painkillers it can cause a person to stop breathing. But marijuana acts on a completely different set of pathways. These pathways are called cannabinoid receptors, and they do not affect breathing. Marijuana cannot cause someone to stop breathing, no matter how much they ingest. “Because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brainstem areas controlling respiration, lethal overdoses from Cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur” (National Cancer Institute). As seen here no matter how much weed is