The Harm of Legalizing Marijuana - Term Paper Example

?Running Head: HARM OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA THE HARM OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA Marijuana has been considered as the exclusively useful survival resource from the antediluvian ancestral times. Every part of the plant, from which the substance Marijuana is derived, has been considered as useful. Marijuana is extensively used in the manufacturing industry. On this context people believe that the usage of Marijuana is immense as it serves the source for the manufacturing of paper, fuel, chemicals, food, cosmetics, and thousands of other products and even for religious sacrament, and so it should be legalized. As per them, it contributes enormously as a source of medicine. For many decades it has been considered as a resource which throws in towards the physical and psychological benefit of human beings. Dr. Grinspoon has recognized the usefulness of Marijuana as a source of medicines and supported the fact of that usage of Marijuana should be regulated under the Control Substance Act. He stressed upon the fact the usage of Marijuana should not be eradicated completed as per the criminal code. It should be legalized subjected to certain reservations (Bello, 2010, pp. 1-25). The Court of law also considered the usefulness of Marijuana and outlined guidelines conveying the usage of Marijuana to be legal if it is consumed as a source of medicine for curing aliments. It also added the fact that if anybody is found to consume Marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substance Act, then such person will be punished by the court of law. In this act of legalization of consumption of Marijuana few doctors recommended to consider the purchase of Marijuana not falling under the medical expenses from taxation aspects. Their dictum of such statement is to make the consumption of the drug in a limited way so that it does not evolve out as destructive act for the society (Fiore & Nicholas, 1997). As per Gray 1998, few other doctors emphasized over the fact of consumption of Marijuana should be legalized fully and amendments should be made in the Substances Control Act by sticking exceptions. They supported the view of direct consumption of Marijuana as a drug which helped to combat against diseases like HIV/ AIDS. The patients and the doctors appealed for the release of marijuana for medical purpose. They did not support a full fledged campaign to take Marijuana out of the criminal code but wanted to persuade other medical doctors to illustrate empathy for those patients who would be assisted from the smoking of Marijuana (Gray, 1998). In recent times also, massive spending had been made over the fact of legalizing Marijuana as a source of medicine. Police also made several attempts for the same (Medical Marijuana Group is Big Spender, 2004). As per author Jacob & Jacob, the usefulness of Marijuana is far more than its evil effects. He weighted his argument by saying that Marijuana could be used as a harmless substance and it did not encourage any crime. He stressed that the usefulness of the drug was immense and should be promoted in good spirits in life rather than legalizing it (Jacob & Jacob, 2009, pp. 43-130). Even though many people believe and stress upon the fact that Marijuana is harmless, Marijuana should remain within the illicit category of the controlled Substances Act because medical use is unfounded and crime would become more pervasive. Harmful effects and arguments against legalization of Marijuana Few people exert importance over the usefulness of Marijuana and hold the view of legalization of the same without any reservation in the Control Substances Act. But the larger mass opposes the view and finds it harmful on the societal grounds. As per than the use of Marijuana is fatal and can encourage more crimes. So as pre them it is better to not to legalize the consumption of Marijuana in any way. Marijuana comes with several deadly effects on personal grounds of the life of any victims. Everyone responds in a different way towards the consumption of Marijuana. Most of the people experience several evil effects for the consumption of the same. People tend to get dizzy and face difficulties while walking which is caused as a side effect of Marijuana intake. People often suffers from heart disease, develop bloodspot eyes caused by the malevolence effects of Marijuana. These damages caused by Marijuana prevail for a long period of time and the victims encounter other dangerous side of the drug consumption too. The drug is responsible for damaging the cells in the brain’s grey matter and reduces the blood flow of the brain. As an effect of the same one can lose his/her memory as well. Marijuana contains cancer causing substances. When someone intake the drug, the person gets inclined to be affected by lung cancer causing death. As per the recent researches it has been found that Marijuana can lead to head and neck cancers as well destroying the longevity of any individual. It also damages the immune system of a person compelling him/her to fall sick every now and then. Researches had also shown that excessive use of the drug deter any person from the normal lifestyle of the society. The only thing the victim can remember is only the intake of drug and thus gets addicted to the same. In case not getting the drug the person can become violent and soon becomes a hazard for the society (Arenofsky, 2001 Apr). For those who get addicted towards the drug’s use it as a source of pain assistance, mood regulation, loosening up etc, the availability should be restricted. Those individual aims at experiencing the intoxicating effect of the drugs for self relaxation. This in turn reduces the effectiveness of human metabolism leading to several diseases. Taking heavy doses of the drug lead to a toxic delirium. This as a side effect leads to confusion, agitation, hallucination and loss of coordination. Moreover the intake of the drug also leads to poor sperm count. Apart from theses the difficulties faced which are not functionally associates are mutilation of memory, concentration, inspiration, self respect, healthiness, employment, interpersonal relationship, personal safety and finance and pregnancy. Moreover a number of researches indicated Marijuana as a stepping stone drug. Marijuana users face relatively higher risk of use than any other peril drug user. It has been seen the expectation of positive outcomes from the usage of such drug is fewer. It is also been observed that the usage of one contemptible drug strengthens the possibility of trying other peril drugs as well. This can be addictive or habit forming leading to mental dependencies (Sussman, Stacy, Dent, Simon, & Johnson, 1996). In this pretext it will be harmful to legalize the free usage of Marijuana on medical grounds. If the same is legalized then it will be an indirect motivation by the government which in turn will lead towards health hazards. The issues that seek most concern are that Marijuana should be kept illegal for the teens. The society has been alarmed by the usage of Marijuana by the teens from time to time. Usage of taking Marijuana had lead to detrimental effect on the teens. Marijuana had been the most extensively used illegitimate substance in the United States. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) had been the known as the active chemical in marijuana. It had been the oldest hallucinogenic drug ever. The amount of the THC intake decides the potency and is the root cause of mind altering effect amongst the teens. But the teens had not been worried about the same. As per reports the intake of the drug had been increased over the last thirty years amongst the teens and studies had showed enormous health risk of the teens resulted by the drug intake. Teens, those are mentally feeble, are found to be more likely victims of Marijuana. Earlier study showed that the teens who had remained depressed in the few last year consumed the Marijuana twice in effect than those who had not being reported as demoralized. The Marijuana usage enhanced the risk of development of mental disorder amongst the teens. It had also been found that adolescents who smoked Marijuana are at higher level of risk of health adverse issues and psychosocial outcomes comprising school drop outs, legal problems and criminal behavior (Not so Harmless? Today's Marijuana Has Highest Levels of THC, 2008). The consumption of the drug had its risk over the teens and had long term effects. The use of the drug therefore be illegalized and discouraged. The regular consumption of the tetrahydrocannabinol substance present in the drug led to short term memory loss amongst the teens. Driving under the influence of marijuana caused accidents by the teens inducing them to face live challenging situations. In this context it had been recommended to put penalty of those who would be found driving under the influence of the threatening substance. Possibilities were there that the intake of the drug during adolescents could deflect the teens from the normal course of life by putting their lives in a wrong path. Before making the consumption of the drug legal and to deter the teens from its peril effect the conditional history of the relationship of the drug with psychoactive substance should be kept in mind. Researches had said that taking the drug at an early stage of life enhance the possibility of slippery slope towards the acceptance so all other drugs. In this note few researches given their views that the effect of all drugs were not the same, so such view did not hold good over the legalization aspect of Marijuana. In addition if this issue could have been framed in front of the teenagers then they would not have accepted the view since it was generalized and hypocritical. To deter the teens from such hazardous intake of drugs vigorous advertising campaign against the intake of marijuana should be developed. The availability of Marijuana should be limited by imposing a ban on the same. If the legalization of the drug is done then the unlawful use of the drug by the teen would be continued affecting the health of the future of the nation enormously (Clark, 1997). Individuals with lifted up concern towards the society appeared to be meticulously vulnerable towards the Marijuana related issues. As per them if the same had been legalized then it would end up creating a detrimental harm towards the society. As per reports the influence of Marijuana had increased in last few years. It had accounted for greater risk over health issues who considered usage of Marijuana as harmless. The social avoidance and the inclination towards having the drug to get rid of anxiety, had contributed broadly towards the marijuana related problems in the society (Buckner, Heimberg, Matthews, & Silgado, 2012). Author Peter also held his view over the legalization of Marijuana as a social problem and stressed over the prevention of the same (Peters, 2010). The actuality that millions of people in the society have been using the drug has been a tragedy which seeks harder effort for a change. This issue seeks attention and change to a great extent not because that Marijuana had serious consequences of the families of society from time to time, but because it can lead to the other drug usages which are associated with greater degree of violence, other health and emotional ailments. So in this light, the consistent and unequivocal message towards the society should be to deter the consumption of the drug, even as medicines, because it is not a harmless drug. The usage of Marijuana affects each individual of the society in a negative way. But it has been seen attempts had failed in educating people about the evil effect of Marijuana due to lack of proper campaign and initiative. The backward class people of the society are found to be more prone towards the intake of the drug as a mean of addiction. It had drawn a pessimistic and depressing effect over the society. Studies had shown that people are found to be more likely in consumption of the drug due to lack of awareness of the unfavorable effect. Researches also showed that the use of Marijuana had lead to broad riskier consequences. The ingestion of the usage of the drug had also lead to real risk aspects with broader consequences over the lives of the people living in the society. Any one person taking the drug brought evil effects not only for the individual but also for the family as well which affected the society in the broader viewpoint (Marijuana Use in America: Hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary U. S, 1996, pp. 70-79). This analysis proves the fact that if the using up to the drug goes on as before then the day will be not far when the world will witness the destruction of the society. The usage of the drug is still prevalent in our society owing to the social acceptance of the same. In order to cease the dangerous effect of Marijuana steps should be taken by the society itself. In such a scenario if the drug is legalized then it will put a step ahead in the destruction of the society in future. Marijuana had been the problem of the society as well as the entire country, not because it is prohibited but because it is harmful for the society. So the illegalization of the drug is desired from the purview of saving the society from serious damages in the long run. Ingestion of Marijuana within the body had also leaded to several crimes. As per Vito & Maahs, researches had been conducted to indentify the relationship between illegal drug and crime rate putting in violence and criminology in the society. As author found that the use of Marijuana had been cyclical. During 1990’s the State marked increase in the crime rate. Resulted showed that the violent crime rate increase had been an effect of the dominant usage of the drug in that period. But during 1970’s the consumption of the drug was submissive and did not result into any severe crime. This indicated that people are different in nature and had reciprocated in a different way by the intake of marijuana. But it had always ended up into creation of violence but its intensity differed from time to time (Vito & Maahs, 2012, pp. 279-280). According to Larson & Garrett, over the years society had witnessed the extensive usage of the drug and how it resulted having a close connection with the crime. The increasing crime had been a issue for the society. Several article, newspaper and other media captured violence caused by the side effect of marijuana. During the 1930 the violence, criminal activities caused by marijuana had become so prominent that the government had to take step against it. The government produced a feature film to augment the awareness of the mass objected to discourage them from its intake. The step taken by the government had a positive effect and the criminal activities owing to the marijuana intake receded. Studies made during that time proofed that people who took the marijuana as a medicine were less inclined to crime rather than those who took the same for relaxation. But the same was wronged when the criminal activities were enhanced during 1980’s. Then it was found that marijuana was the most extensively used unlawful drug and contribute as a source of crime in the society (Larson & Garrett, 2003, pp. 57-59). To detain the destructive effect of the use of marijuana within the society the federal and state government formulated several policies regarding the illegitimate drug. In the recent times the government had taken steps to forbid the drug with significant resources assigned for law implementation and prison. To put a block over the flow of the drug in the State, the government took several rigid steps. As per reports most of the violent crime took place in the society not because people wanted to buy drugs but they had been already on criminal drug. But still now, Marijuana laws are being questioned in the US society. The intake of marijuana increased the aggressive tendencies and lowered the inhibitions causing crime. People were observed to be a part of crimes like burglary or theft for getting money to purchase more marijuana which they were addicted to. The violence had been stimulated by the illegal manufacturing, distribution and sale of the prohibited drug with no lawful mechanism of dispute resolution (Shepard & Blackley, 2007). To control the hazardous effect caused by Marijuana strict steps should be taken by the government over the banning and illegalization of the fatal drug. The debate against the medicinal use of Marijuana had been significant. It indicated a conflict between the forces of coherence than that of the emotions. The legalization issues regarding marijuana has came up as a struggle between ideologies as the effect on the human beings over a long period of time. The heart of the dispute deals with a disaccord about what science, evidence and the truth. In this pretext, before coming to any conclusion, the pain and the side effects caused by the illegal use of marijuana should be remembered. Marijuana had been stated as the weed of madness due to its fatal effect over human beings. The step of declaring marijuana as a medicinal substance provoked astounding confrontation and hostility. Although such application did not envision prejudice of personal and recreational use but the concern served as a substitute war for the drug transformational debate as a whole. The debate over the medicinal use of Marijuana reflected a conflict between the public and the private individual and that of the culture. It had been observed that those who came out in sustainment of the public virtue were the same mass who also sustained the domination of the private sphere. Before legalizing the drug the drug chemistry must be known. Explicit studies should be made regarding adequate safety studies regarding the drug. Evidences should be greatly available showing the benefits of the drug over the mass. The drug, before legalization, should also be qualified by the medicinal experts. Studies had shown that the drug as a collection of dangerous chemicals and exerted dreadful effect over human beings rather contributing towards the welfare. Marijuana apart from THC contained sixty others cannabinoids which modified absorption, accessibility and alteration of the THC in the body. Three sixty other compounds had also been found in the composition of the drug. All these components are proven to be harmful and exerted terrible influence on the normal functioning of the human body system. The medical prescription of marijuana did not contribute towards the relief of pain but enhanced the pain of the patients. But those who obtained marijuana for relaxation derived immense pleasure out of it. The iniquity effects of marijuana had been witnessed more rather than its usefulness. The dangers arising by the use of marijuana undermined the public sphere and motivated alienation and intemperance. This was termed as the amotivational syndrome. This syndrome encouraged atomized community in turn (Manderson D, 1999). Marijuana had been used as a psychoactive intoxicant more rather than as a medicine. This use of marijuana had accounted for several deaths of youths. The benefits of the drug had been misused enormously by the youth of the society causing annihilation of life (Fitzgerald, Bronstein, & Newquist 2013). Official statistics showed that marijuana could kill or may lead to long term damage of human body system. With growing concerns of evil effects of marijuana the government banned the personal possession of marijuana. Deaths were observed in the medical literature for the overdose of marijuana. But before that marijuana was supposed to be beneficial on the medical grounds. As per reports, ten thousands of people had been affected by the medicinal usage of the drug. It was also observed that marijuana use and dependency had been the primary reasons for hospitalization (Hawkwn, Kilmer & Kleiman, 2012, pp. 61-63). So before legalization of the drug the government should keep a concern and evaluate all the issues. Marijuana had accounted for several disorders amongst the overall population both culturally and psychologically. Government had formulated guidelines regarding the controlled use of the drug. Despite of overall constancy in occurrence of the usage of marijuana, more adults in the United States of America had been diagnosed for the as victims of the marijuana use in the states. The enhancement of the marijuana use had been dominant with the population of mostly the black men, women and young Hispanic men. The rates of the predominant marijuana use did not increase within the white men and women but the rate of consumption of the drug had remained high. As per studies during 2001-2002, the need for development, implementation and intervention program amongst the youth specifically the minority youth had been the highest. Marijuana had been the most common illegal drug and continued to be so for decades. With the growing concerns understanding of the change of the utilization of marijuana over a passage of time had became an important issue for several reasons. Studies had shown that marijuana association had been impaired with educational accomplishment, reduced anti marijuana use workshop productivity, and enhanced use of the other substance. Its dominant usage played the major role in bringing an adverse effect in the respiratory and cardiovascular system and motor vehicle clashes. On the contrary studies had also showed that the usage of marijuana had been necessitated by the certain population for medical purpose. But the same was not a sufficient condition and resulted in dependency and abuse of the drug and clearly came out as a problem affecting the culture on the whole. Marijuana abuse in respect to the culture on the whole had been defined as the replicated occurrences of usage of hazardous conditions and quantifiable meaningful mutilation in cultural, occupational educational implementation or legal tribulations related to the marijuana usage. As per the reports marijuana dependence had been a enhanced tolerance, irrational usage, prejudiced control and a prolonged use resulting into physical and mental hazards which in turn affected the overall culture of the entire state. Beyond the significance of these disorders in their own way, marijuana exploitation and dependency had enhanced the risk and possibilities of the other serious troubles like personality psychopathology. Later on with the virtue of the public health endeavors precise information over the alteration in the potential susceptible group drawn attention towards the need for focusing on both the national and local level rationally based deterrence and intervention programs. Irrespective of several attempts made to uproot the usage of marijuana, it prevailed over the society cultural and interpersonal problems. It was relevant from the studies that the predominant use of marijuana continued to exist in the cultural scenario due to need for increased amount of marijuana to achieve the desired effect of relaxation from the pain or medical consequences, usage of marijuana in a larger amount for a prolong period of time, time spent on a huge basis for procuring, using, or revitalizing from its harmful effects, giving up important occupational, cultural, social or leisure activities in favor of using marijuana and persisted marijuana usage despite of recurring physical and psychological ailments resulted by its use. A number of others factors contributed towards the cultural and psychological imparity caused by the enhanced addiction potentials operated independently and marijuana potency. The cultural and psychological issues were observed most in the youngest individual of the society and certain subgroups. As per the reports venomous outcome of acculturation on marijuana drugs over the growing number of Hispanics faced, was adaptive and ever changing with the culture. Cultural factors accompanied with few historic factors also accounted for the change in the usage and consumption of marijuana over the passage of time. Rates of the marijuana disorder were likely to be more prevalent amongst the Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican American and Cuban American etc. Concerning to the public health affair and cultural disparity it is important to address the increased influence of marijuana through illegalization of the same (Compton, Grant, Colliver, Glantz, & Stinson, 2004). Several studies had also found marijuana as a gateway to others peril drugs. Evidences had proved that people consuming marijuana are prone to consumption of cocaine in the later stages of life cycle. Structural approximations also accounted for the unmonitored heterogeneity that affected both the marijuana and cocaine demand indicating the past marijuana use enhanced the possibility of cocaine intake by a substantial amount. Marijuana usage had been a maker of either evident personal characteristics or unobservable aspects that make the marijuana users more expectedly to step forward to the usage of cocaine. On the other hand it had been said that marijuana intoxication can also render towards the reduction of the other threatening drug. But the chances of the same are found of be very insignificant in real terms. It created a gateway effect in two distinct ways. The first one accounted for the simultaneous complementarity of both marijuana and cocaine. The second was though a direct positive outcome of the past marijuana consumption of other peril drugs. In this pretext marijuana had served both as the gateway to cocaine consumption and also as a substitute of cocaine resulting into euphoria. It assures the fact that if the usage of the threatening drug is not banned then it will lead serious consequences in future (DeSimone, 1998). Refutation: The above analysis contributes towards the fact that marijuana is not directly fatal does not indicate that it does not possess any acute risk. The fact that advocate and opponents characterized themselves on the right side of the equation respectively, suggested us that what is at stake is specifically the meaning of rationality. Eminent personalities had debated over the medicinal and other usefulness of marijuana. The court law considered the intake of marijuana as a source of medicine to be legal. Few other doctors emphasized over the fact that the medicine should be legalized as it served as the source to combat against fatal diseases like AIDS. There had also been an assumption healing treatment through smoking marijuana was better than ingesting the THC through oral medication. But all the notions were wrong. Researchers have proved that marijuana is harmful and had been used illegally in a way fetching adverse consequences. The intake of marijuana as medicines had resulted into the heart diseases. Researches had been made which showed its damages in the short term memory loss, distorted perception and several other chronic diseases. People had became addicted by the consumption of marijuana resulted into life threatening diseases. Teenagers tend to get influenced easily for the consumption of the drug by the peers’ pressure owing to the easy availability of the drug. As per author Shalala, eminent researches had observed in their findings that marijuana use during pregnancy period had resulted into harmful outcomes over the children’s intellect abilities (Shalala, 1995). The situation had turned worse because law had not been rightly perceived the by the citizens of the democracy as the appearance of the national significances and legalization of the same would give an impetus towards the dominant intake of marijuana on the national level basis. The intake of marijuana also accounts for maternal risk by aiming the neurobehavioral damages, which in turn affect the child growth into adulthood. The pain that marijuana exert in the lives of a normal human being is much more than the temporary relives it offers. Studies had also proved that marijuana had accounted for the AIDS patients suffering in a negative way. The application of the drug as medicine had augmented their suffering to great extend rather than diminishing of the pain. In long term use of the drug as medicine has also been found as full of flaws damaging public health. As per the Proposition 215(1) amendments had been made towards the medicinal usage of marijuana for treatment of several diseases like glaucoma, AIDS etc. But this step contributed more towards the backwardness of society rather than its improvement since the intake of marijuana as medicines is full of flaws and results into damage of health in every way. Finally, authors Gabriel el al., cleared the confusion between the usage of the peril drug as useful medicine. As per them intake of marijuana was a obligatory petition to empathy for suffering. They considered the smoking of marijuana and the intake of the same as medicinal pills paved the gateway for death for the patients. They emphasized cover the fact that the usage of marijuana could no longer be considered as the therapeutic intervention. The bliss of few cannot turn into the tragedy of the entire mass. The count law should come ahead with proper legislation to control the spread of marijuana as a hazardous drug and save the mass from its threats (Nahas, Sutin, Manger, & Hyman, 1997). Conclusion: Since 1960’s marijuana had been classified as the schedule 1 drug which in turn hindered the researches of the scientists to determine whether the attributes were true in nature. The legal status of marijuana had endowed along with mystical properties which was harmful on the societal pretext. The usage of marijuana has also accounted for the several crimes and the same drug continue to be available to the common mass, then the degradation of the public health and that of the society would not be very far (Nahas, Sutin, Manger, & Hyman 1997). The entire approaches made so far regarding the legalization had been unhelpful and exerted a negative effect. The courts and state legislature should answer these troublesome issues and take necessary steps to reconcile the conflicting issues and should not go for the legalization of the peril drug. References Arenofsky J, (2001 Apr), Know the dangers of marijuana, Current Health 1, 24(8), 6-11. Bello J, (2010), The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological and Spiritual, United States Of America, Lifeservices Press Buckner J D, Heimberg R G, Matthews R A, & Silgado J, (2012), Marijuana-Related Problems and Social Anxiety: The Role of Marijuana Behaviors In Social Situations,  Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 26(1), 151-156 Clark T W, (1997), Keep Marijuana Illegal--For Teens. The Humanist, 57(3), 14-15 Compton W M, Grant B F, Colliver J D, Glantz M D, & Stinson F S (2004), Prevalence of marijuana use disorders in the United States. JAMA: the journal of the American Medical Association, 291(17), 2114-2121. DeSimone J, (1998), Is marijuana a gateway drug? 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