A Case Study on the legalization of marijuana
The term marijuana generally refers to the flowers, leaves, seeds and finally the stems, usually harvested from the hemp plant also known as cannabis sativa. Normally, these parts are left to dry for a few days before being made useful. Essentially, the most mind-altering component amongst all the known chemicals of the cannabis plant is widely known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In addition, marijuana tends to be a highly effective drug processed with the main agenda of being a psychoactive medicine. However, many people end up misusing it due to its fast mental and physical effects that leave the users euphoric. As a result, the federal law in America strictly prohibits the use, exchange or ownership of all kinds of the cannabis plant. Conversely, this paper brings out a critical argument on the legalization of marijuana by actually proposing that it should not be legalized in America, with the exemption of its medicinal uses.
According to (Caulkins & Kleiman, 2016), marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in America with the main victims being young people. Mainly, these young people comprise students from both the middle and high schools. As such, the proportion of young people who engage in the misuse of marijuana is very large compared to those who do not, and is thus very alarming. These ignorant young people misuse marijuana in various ways such as through smoking, vaporizing it, adding it to food or ultimately, as an extract. In order to acquire the maximum desired euphoric effects, people smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes popularly known as joints or by using water pipes also known as bongs.
Consequently, manifestation of the effects of marijuana varies with relation to the method of administration used by the victims. As a result, when marijuana is smoked, the onset of effects is usually in minutes while when cooked and eaten, weed cookies, it takes about thirty minutes to an hour (Allhoff et al, 2010). In addition, researchers categorize these effects into either long term or short term depending on the length of usage by the affected individuals. Some of the short term effects include variances in mood, impaired memory and body movement and interference with an individual’s senses among others. On the other hand, marijuana also causes long term effects on the brain and eventually causes permanent brain damage such that the victims’ brains cannot process any memory or learning functions.
In addition, the excessive use of marijuana causes degenerative physical effects to the victims’ bodies. Some of the most dangerous effects include breathing problems, increased pulses and finally abnormal child development during both prenatal and postnatal care, among others. Although most researchers do not know whether marijuana users have a higher risk for lung cancer, the users tend to experience more lung illnesses and infections as compared to non-users. Sadly, prolonged use of marijuana leads to long-term mental effects such as anxiety disorders and increased suicidal thoughts due to occasional feelings of helplessness. In turn, most users tend to have lower chances of succeeding in both their academic and career lives (Sheff, 2013).
However, researchers have come up with the idea that marijuana is actually important for medicinal purposes. As a result, an exemption for the legalization of marijuana is inevitable but only in a medical context (Rosenthal et al, 2013). In conclusion, the use of marijuana results to more harm than good as clearly shown in the essay. As such, the federal law in America should remain adamant in legalizing marijuana in order to curb the many adverse effects resulting from its use. In addition, stringent measures that emphasize on tough punishments for marijuana peddlers and users should be set up in order to serve as a warning to the perpetrators and the wannabes as well.
References
Caulkins, J. P., Kilmer, B., & Kleiman, M. (2016). Marijuana legalization: What everyone needs to know.
Rosenthal, E., Kubby, S., & Newhart, S. (2003). Why marijuana should be legal. Philadelphia: Running Press.
Allhoff, F., Jacquette, D., & Cusick, R. (2010). Cannabis – Philosophy for Everyone: What Were We Just Talking About?. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Sheff, D. (2013). Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
