The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana

Being a college student, I, myself, have heard and seen a majority of the favored drugs that are used and passed around campus. A few of those drugs include alcohol, Adderall, cough syrup, and the most commonly abused drug, marijuana. This particular type of drug is the most popular around campus, so I am very familiar with it. Marijuana is the most debated about drug around the world. Many, including myself, have wondered if it is safe enough to be used recreationally or if it should stay illegal in the majority of the states. Being that the drug is so popularly used and is legal in a couple of places, many individuals consider the drug to be safe. The drug is misconstrued to be safe because it’s considered a “natural drug”, but many forget

The drug can be smoked in thin paper, known as a joint, or pit into cigar wrapping called blunts, but marijuana can also be smoked in a pipe or a bong. It can also be made in a liquid drink or even combined with food known as edibles. According to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World (2018), the danger of blunts and joints are that they are “sometimes laced with other powerful drugs, such as crack cocaine or PCP (phencyclidine), a powerful hallucinogen. The effects of marijuana when smoked are felt within minutes and are known to cause “increased heart rate, lessened coordination and balance, and a dreamy, unreal state of mind” (Foundation for a Drug-Free World 2018). Depending on the amount of THC and other drugs that may have been added to the mix, the effects could last for over 4 hours. Even though many would like for marijuana to be legalized, individuals may not know the potential dangers it will cause to the body. Also, many individuals who do know of the many harmful effects marijuana may have on the body, may not

The drug is a bit more acceptable in this time period because of the benefits it brings to helping to body with pain or disease and also causes relaxing effects. Many individuals believe marijuana should be legalized everywhere because it is not at all as harmful as cigarettes, which are known to have cancer causing chemicals and is also studied to be addictive. A major difference between marijuana and cigarettes is that marijuana can be used medically to assist with individuals with disease. According to Stroup (2016), it has been shown that “roughly 60% of the country today support full legalization”. A few reasons many may not be as accepting to drug because of the stories regarding “having a bad trip” or individuals dying because of the use of synthetic marijuana. Over the years the plant has been altered to have a higher percentage of THC, which has stronger and faster effects than how it used to be in the 1900’s. There have also been ways to replicate the drugs where the effects are dangerous and sometimes fatal. The effects of synthetic marijuana are “vomiting, chest pain, increased heart rate, blackouts headaches, kidney damage, high blood pressure, and psychosis” (Rahn, 2014). The reason many individuals turn to synthetic marijuana is because real “marijuana is illegal in their state and it does not turn up on