Is Frequent Marijuana Smoking Harmful to Health - Assignment Example

Legalization of Marijuana ‘Drug abuse on the rise’ is a headline that has been catching our attention quite frequently over the last few years. Today, the pervasive use and abuse of drugs in our society has escalated to rampant extents. No section of the society seems to be immune to this growing menace, not sportspersons, top-level executives, celebrities, politicians or police officers. Drug abuse is widespread in all segments of modern society, with a current estimation of 4,396 million users of substances such as cocaine, heroin, alcohol, substituted amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioids and other synthetic drugs. (UNODC). The majority of the Americans are in favour of legalizing the use of marijuana. They seem to be conforming to the adage in Genesis 1:29 that: “God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb-bearing seed...upon the face of all the earth’.” (The Economist). By the end of the year 2012, the use of marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes has been legalized in several states of the US, including Washington and Colorado. Though popular belief condemns legalization of marijuana, implementing such a measure with the right balance of foresight and strategy may lead to exceedingly desirable consequences. For an effective cost-benefit analysis of legalizing marijuana, it is indispensable to first look at its positive aspects. Legalization of marijuana is accompanied by a range of benefits. The first and foremost advantage is that it will save the funds of the government which are otherwise spent in vain on imprisonment and detention of the addicts. Every year millions of dollars are spent on carrying out legal and criminal proceedings on those who get involved in the illicit sale, purchase or use of the drug. “Total expenditure on drug law enforcement by the US has been estimated at over $1 trillion during the last 40 years… In 2010, the Mexican government spent $9 billion fighting drug trafficking… In Australia, spending in 2002-03 was AUS$1.3 billion on proactive expenditure.” (Rolles et al, 3). Another huge benefit to the government is that it would lead to a rise in tax revenue thereby increasing the earnings of the state. Legalizing marijuana would enable the state to levy taxes on both its sale and purchase. The money thus spent by the consumers on the drug will add to the state’s treasury. And the biggest and perhaps the most significant benefit of legalizing marijuana will be the alleviation of drug dealers and criminals from the drug business. With the legalization of marijuana, the drug will begin to be freely available at shops and marketplaces. This will eliminate the need of the users, mostly youngsters, to rely on the illegal drug dealers for their supply of the drug. As a result of this, both the demand for and the business of the dealers with face a steady decline. Apart from looking at the benefits of marijuana from the government’s point of view, we can glance at it from an objective perspective also. The drug nevertheless has a wide range of medicinal qualities as well. “Cannabis was widely respected as a medicine since ancient times throughout the world. Before prohibition, the U. S. Pharmacopoeia listed over 100 approved uses for it, and it was one of America’s most popular over-the-counter medications in the 19th century.” (Bello, 12). Some of the chemicals present in marijuana can offer relief from nausea and pain. Some researchers have suggested that it can even help to stimulate one’s appetite. But unfortunately, till date all the research about the drug has been concentrated on its negative and harmful outcomes like addiction, schizophrenia etc. Very rarely do we find a research work enumerating the medical properties of the drug. The result is that the federal laws in most of the countries have laid down laws to prohibit the use of the drug. (Watson, Joy and Bensen 547). Not only in the US but also in the UK, addiction therapists are of the view that the existing drug policies of the nation are not bearing any fruits when it comes to reducing the incidence of drug addiction. The society has chosen the easy path of dealing with the problem through the ban on drug use and legal action on the suppliers and users. This method, however, has been seen as lopsided and ineffective. Some experts argue: “… our whole approach is perverse to say the least. Why for example, are tobacco and alcohol freely available when combined they probably kill more people than every other illegal substance?” (Smallwood). Such an ambiguity and double standards in the treatment of abusive substances makes marijuana to exist in an indeterminate state with respect to legal considerations. It is greatly ironic that the laws that are enforced with the aim of curbing the business of drug dealers and criminal gangs, in a convoluted way, eventually leads to the perpetuation of that very dangerous trade. In a way the legal machinery and the drug prohibition laws hand over the monopoly of drug supply to these very illicit groups which they are supposed to restrict. As truly stated “…today the only “laws” addressing the actual use, sale, and quality of these drugs are those enforced by the illegal drug sellers. In truth, to a large degree we have experienced a literal collapse of the rule of law in this area.” (Gray, 10). When a youngster approaches a drug dealer for lighter substances like marijuana or cannabis, it is highly probable that he will soon be offered harder varieties like cocaine or heroin by the dealer. The constricted access to marijuana through the outlets of dealers hence serves as a gateway to increasing their business at the cost of greater harm caused to the user. (Caulkins, 98, 222). Philip Jenkins points out two ambiguous issues which might play a crucial role in determining the validity of legalisation as a way of curbing the menace of drug addiction. Firstly, Jenkins opines that the definition of a "drug" is dubious. For example, GHB (Gamma-Hydroxy-Butyric acid), a naturally occurring compound in the central nervous system of man as well as in wine, beef and small citrus fruits, is considered an illegal drug in many countries. But in contrast, nicotine is not officially regarded as a drug in most countries. Secondly, the word "abuse" suggests an accepted standard of use for any substance. In most of the Western countries, occasional drinking is often acceptable while drinking several bottles together is perceived as an abuse. But those who staunchly advocate abstinence consider drinking even one glass as an abuse. In some communities, the use of even caffeine or marijuana in any quantity is condemned owing to the fact that the substance is harmful, even in small quantities (Jenkins, 6). The Health Officers Council of British Columbia, in their 2005 policy discussion paper, state that while “beneficial use” of drugs is limited to recreational, casual and medical use that has negligible health or social effects, “chronic dependence” is characterized by routine and compulsive use despite negative health and social effects. (HOC of British Columbia). Hence, the legalisation of marijuana would help to rule out the overriding and mystifying temptation for the substance. This would in turn lead to a controlled and restricted consumption of the drug in permissible amounts, leaving lesser chances for abuse. Nonetheless, there are numerous cases where legalization of marijuana has shown positive results in terms of decline in the incidence of drug abuse, shrinking of the illegal peddling and improved general health of citizens. But the concerned authorities need to understand that there is not just one drug problem within or across countries, nor is there any one panacea that will solve the drug problem. They must remain watchful of the diverse ramifications of this complicated issue in their respective zones and figure out the best way to deal with the specific manifestations of drug and substance abuse. The best solution is to continue trying new approaches that move in this direction. Though legalization of marijuana is not the single exclusive model for success, it surely is one of the most appropriate alternatives. Works Cited A Public Health Approach to Drug Control in Canada, Health Officers Council of British Columbia, 2005, Web. December 8, 2013 from Caulkins, Jonathan P., Hawken, Angela, Kilmer, Beau, & Kleiman, Mark A. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to KnowRG. Oxford University Press, 2012, Print. Jenkins, Philip. Synthetic panics: the symbolic politics of designer drugs, New York: NYU Press, 1999, Print. Smallwood, David. Marijuana Is a Dangerous Drug: But Its Time to Legalize It. The Huffington Post UK.  2014, July 30, 2014 from: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/davidsmallwood/marijuana-drug_b_5532501.html The great pot experiment. The Economist. 2014, July 30, 2014 from:http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21606851-legalising-drug-harder-it-looks-great-pot-experiment Tashkin, Donald P. Is frequent marijuana smoking harmful to health?. Western Journal of Medicine, (1993) 158.6, 635. Watson, Stanley J., Benson, John A., & Joy, Janet E. Marijuana and medicine: assessing the science base: a summary of the 1999 Institute of Medicine report. Archives of General Psychiatry, (2000) 57.6, 547-552. World Drug Report. UNODC, 2010, July 30, 2014 from: http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/2.1_Unterstanding_the_extent_and_nature_of_drug_use.pdf Read More