Societal Issues Surrounding Marijuana The use of marijuana has become very prominent in the United States. In 2009, approximately 16.7 million people ages 12 and up claimed to use marijuana (Answers to Frequently Asked Questions). Although many people associate marijuana use with a negative connotation, it has begun to take a turn toward the greater good: medicine. Marijuana has had a significant amount of medical breakthroughs in its ability to help treat many diseases and disorders such as, glaucoma muscle spasms and even anorexia and bulimia. However, despite these many medical advances, there still lay many controversies surrounding the topic. Marijuana supporters argue that the drug should be used in medicine and be legalized for recreational purposes; on the other hand, those against marijuana argue that it is a gateway drug and should not be used in medicine or recreationally. …show more content…
One of the major arguments used by supporters is the simple fact that there are way less toxic ingredients in marijuana than there are in cigarettes and alcohol, which are legal. Cigarettes contain around 600 toxic chemicals, much of which are known to cause cancer, including formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. The side effects of marijuana are temporary and way less harmful. Also, medicinal marijuana is recently being used to treat many conditions such as nerve pain, eating disorders, seizures and many more. Many people believe that the prohibition of marijuana is causing the United States more harm than good and that the legalization of marijuana could increase the amount of jobs and
This subject has been debated numerous times over the past few years. People’s points of view and researches about the topic have varied greatly. Some people believe that marijuana should be legalized, while the rest feel should stay prohibited. Proponents of marijuana argue that there are numerous medical benefits and that the drug is not more harmful than tobacco or alcohol. On the other hand, opponents argue that marijuana is too dangerous; its legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of teens and that marijuana use often progresses to the use of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine.
The Scrava School of Health Sciences and Engineering has had a rise in drug use in recent years. The school got an anonymous tip that a student named Peter Cruman was involved in a Facebook private group which they used to buy and sell drugs. The tip also stated that he had drugs on school grounds that day and was planning a drug deal. Principal Lyons searched Crumans phone and found the private facebook group. Cruman shortly after, admitted to where he was hiding the drugs on campus and where the drug deal was going to go down .
There are millions of people in the United States that smoke marijuana, legal or not in the state they live in, they will get their hands on it. This plant is a mixture of dried leaves and flowers of cannabis sativa which is a hemp plant. The human brain has similar compounds relating to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which is the main ingredient in cannabis has been proven to help patients in the hospital with pain and nausea. There are studies that show marijuana has a lot of health benefits, such as treating Glaucoma, may reverse the the carcinogenic effects of tobacco and improve lung health, and help control epileptic seizures. Since marijuana has been always looked at as a drug to people everywhere, legalizing it has been an uphill
Introduction In recent history, smoking marijuana (also referred to as weed and/or cannabis) has become a prevalent past time amongst college students of many majors, even students who aspire to become medical clinicians. According to the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), approximately 38% of college students have claimed to have used marijuana recreationally in 2015. That statistic is nearly 10% higher than the number of students who claimed to be recreational marijuana users in 2006 (DEA). Marijuana is particularly popular amongst premedical and medical students for its ability to relax the body, cause hallucinations, induce psychosis, and enhance mood when used (Marijuana, drugabuse.gov).
Many argue that marijuana may be the only thing that actually helps a patient (Mirman, 2014), while others argue that the legalization of marijuana and the drug's side effects will ultimately put the nation in danger.
Legalizing Marijuana When it comes to controversial topics, none has stirred the “pot” more than the legalization of marijuana. It is loved by many and hated by the law. It is one of the primary focuses on the War on Drugs. Many use it recreationally while just recently it has become a medical breakthrough with a potential to treat a wide range of diseases and illnesses. Over the years, it has gained a tremendous amount of public support.
Marijuana has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on which political and religious party you're talking to. Bottom line is that marijuana is a plant grown from the grown and produced by our very own Mother Nature. If abused, misused or overused, it can be catastrophic to one's body, mind and cognition abilities; however, when used appropriately, it can cure many ailments such as fear or nervousness, anorexia, pain, nausea and vomiting, just t name a few. Indians (meaning those native to the Americas, not the country India) have used cannabis for medicinal purposes for centuries.
Controversies on the Viewpoints of Marijuana Marijuana legalization is a topic that has been discussed for a while. There are at least fourteen states that have passed a law to legalize marijuana for medical purposes and at least a dozen more taking the law into consideration (Hoffmann, 2010). The public has many opinions regarding legalizing marijuana. In 1996, 12% of the public voted to legalize marijuana, but between 2010 and 2013, votes have changed from 12% to 53% in support of legalizing marijuana (Motel, 2015). Marijuana has been in use for a long time, but not for the same reasons today.
While marijuana , one of the most abundant crop in the country is currently a major source of controversy, medical records show that marijuana has never been much the reason for health issues,social problems, and death in the United states. It is contradictory for some people because using marijuana also has many advantages ; that’s why the debate over whether marijuana should be legalized or not is controversial.
There is a great deal of research to prove and back up the damaging and harmful effects that cannabis can have on a person and their mind. Since marijuana is not FDA regulated, there are many other drugs that can be and have been added to the edibles and smokable marijuana. Not only can it damage the person and the families struggling with their hardships, but the economy is being turned upside down with addiction. This doesn't mention the amount lost jobs because of failing drug screenings or “deals” gone bad, or even the amount of car crashes from driving high. One thing the research does not emphasize, is the heartache that families endure from the addicts, the deaths, and mind altering battles the people go through who chose to use and abuse.
Did you ever find a case of someone who died or got affected by marijuana? Marijuana has been banned from many countries for about 100 years since it is considered a drug. Although this drug has no negative effects on a human’s body if it is not over abused, somehow it still has been banned, while other items that greatly affect the health in a negative way and have no positive effects for example cigarettes are still legal in all the countries around the world. Medical marijuana should be legal because it helps cure many sicknesses that many people are suffering from and it also greatly slows down if not even stop the spread of cancer cells in the human body, which is extremely beneficial for many of us.
Marijuana is no worse than smoking a cigar, maybe even better (Walter 2017). “Marijuana is a mild intoxicant, not unlike alcohol. It’s use is no more dangerous or addictive then drinking beer, wine or liquor” (Walter 2017). Marijuana is a drug that could have benefits and is not any more dangerous than smoking a cigarette. Cigarette smoking kills on average 480,000 people per year, and alcohol
Today in society, marijuana legalization has become a hot topic. There are many untruths about cannabis, but the truths are slowly starting to come out and there is much controversy over them. There are stereotypical views of what people think as the typical “pot head.” As a former marijuana user, I strongly believe that marijuana should be legalized for all uses. Only recently, the medical use for cannabis has been approved by some states.
Legalization of Marijuana, With or Against? There has always been a debate whether or not medicinal marijuana would prove to be better than the regular prescription drugs. Twenty three states in the US has already branded medicinal marijuana legal but due to society’s aggressive look down on marijuana it has always gotten mixed reviews on whether or not it should even be legalized to use. The big question is, should it be allowed to use marijuana for medicinal purposes?
Other Practices Content A General Study of Specific Cases In order to understand a bit more why some countries support the legalization of marijuana, let us study different specific cases. Country Where Marijuana Is Legal First of all, it is important to say that there is already one country in the world where the consumption and sale of this drug is a legal concept. Indeed, for almost two years now (December 10th 2013), marijuana is legal in Uruguay. Thus, specific markets sell the drug, and any adult can buy some.