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Arguments Against Legalizing Marijuana

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Marijuana is the most used illicit drug in the United States. It can be smoked or eaten and may cause hallucinations, an increase in appetite, dizziness or many other side effects. It tends to be called a gateway drug, which means it may lead to the use of other harmful drugs. Using marijuana affects the brain which causes chemical changes. It may cause difficulties in paying attention to details, learning new information, and concentration. It also has a negative effect on the lungs which could cause cancer or other diseases. Over 7% of the population uses marijuana (Palamar, 2014). Drug use has become more prevalent within adolescents and college students in the United States. Although many people use it for recreational or medicinal use, …show more content…

Researchers have found that more than 35% of adolescents have used one or more illegal drug (Single et al., 1974). It has been speculated that marijuana use would lead the user to take more harmful drugs. Arguments against the legalization of marijuana stated that using marijuana would lead to aggressive and criminal behavior and that it is the first step towards a drug addiction (Single et al., 1974). Typically, adolescents who have never used marijuana generally will not use other drugs. However, marijuana users often engage in other illicit drug use. It was found that within 13,000 High School students, 31% of the marijuana users have used LSD compared to the 1% who have never used marijuana (Single, et al., 1974). Among heavy marijuana users (have used 60 or more times) 84% report the use of “pills” (methedrine, amphetamines, barbiturates, or tranquilizers). 78% have used LSD or other psychedelics. 62% have used cocaine, heroin, or other narcotics (Single et al., 1974). Though data shows a strong correlation between marijuana use and other illicit drug use, data does not show that marijuana use actually will lead to the use of other drugs (Single et al., …show more content…

It is known that using drugs tend to lead to health problems. Within marijuana users, there have been many serious respiratory, neurocognitive, and malaise problems reported (Brook, Stimmel, Chenshu, & Brook, 2008). It has been shown that people who use marijuana that were “exactly one standard deviation greater than the mean of marijuana use” were 1.44 times more likely to have breathing problems (Brook, et al., 2008). Participants whose use of marijuana was exactly one standard deviation greater than 1.52 were more likely to have malaise, and 1.36 times more likely to have neurocognitive problems (Brook, et al., 2008). Using marijuana may also lead to an increased heart rate, depression, anxiety, and possible suicidal thoughts. Long-term marijuana use may lead to mental illness in some users. These may include paranoia or hallucinations. It has been found that using marijuana may react with a chemical in the brain that is linked to schizophrenia. It may also lead to a worsening of the symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, or people who do not know they have schizophrenia (Schnell, Becker, Thiel, & Gouzoulis-Mayfrank, 2013). This leads to a life-long medical condition that they would have never known existed if they never used

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One of the most well designed studies on marijuana and intelligence, released in 2012, found that persistent, heavy use of marijuana by adolescents reduces IQ by as much as eight points, when tested well into adulthood. Other studies have found that marijuana use is linked with dropping out of school, and subsequent unemployment, social welfare dependence, and a lower self-reported quality of life than non-marijuana abusing people. According to the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, youth with poor academic results were more than four times as likely to have used marijuana in the past year as youth with an average of higher grades. This is consistent with an exhaustive meta-analysis examining forty-eight different studies by Macleod and colleagues, published by Lancet, who found that marijuana use is consistently associated with reduced grades and a reduced chance of graduating from school. In addition, studies have linked employee marijuana use with “increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover.”

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Indeed, there is a strong correlation between psychosis and a regular consumption of marijuana. Moreover, anxiety and depression are also mental illnesses that can have a relationship with the use of marijuana, but doctors do not know if people smoke marijuana to feel better, or if it is because they are smoking that they feel depressed and anxious. In addition, doctors are afraid that people start to smoke daily, because they have the right to do so, and develop an addiction to this drug. Addictions are problematic, because if the drug is not consumed, it retains people to do their everyday life activities. THE GLOBAL MAIL

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969 Words | 4 Pages

The use of Marijuana affects the learning ability of the user even after weeks of consumption. This leaves the user in a distraught\ dream-like state. Elyn Saks, Fellow schizophrenic and Professor of law and psychology at USC said “ The schizophrenic mind is not so much split as shattered. I like to say schizophrenia is like a waking nightmare.” ( “A tale of mental illness -- from the inside”)

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Additionally, marijuana can cause disturbed thoughts and worsen psychotic symptoms in schizophrenics. Second, I will explain about long term effects of marijuana A long-term marijuana problem often results in lowered motivation and an impaired ability to function in daily life. Some also experience anxiety, panic attacks, respiratory illnesses and increased heart rate and risk of heart attack.

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Marijuana can cause bronchitis, breathing problems, and even cause problems with child development during pregnancy. Mentally, smoking marijuana can cause risk of psychosis. People who have used it excessively are more prompt to be diagnosed with a mental-health condition like schizophrenia (Blaszczak-Boxe 2016). Even though marijuana might not be that extreme and cause death like many other drugs, it causes our basic abilities to be

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696 Words | 3 Pages

Those who are against Marijuana’s legalization believe that it is a gateway drug and it would cause an individual to use stronger drugs. Marijuana does not have any bad effect on society that heroin or cocaine have. These two drugs not only affect the user, but the families and their society all together. Individuals that use cocaine or heroin are more likely to rob and steal to get money for the drug. Most cocaine or Crack addicts are chasing their first high.

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3744 Words | 15 Pages

Even though marijuana may perhaps possess some medical value in severely managed situations, consuming it without prescriptions is harmful to health. It is bad for the lungs and the brain, and affects the heart and is dreadful for an individual who plans to operate a machine. Marijuana users risk developing psychological health issues such as depression and schizophrenia. It is increasingly addictive. Research reveals that every 1 in 10 users develops over-reliance with time.

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1120 Words | 5 Pages

The non-supporters did a survey for high school students and asked them if they would try marijuana if it were legalized “5.6 percent said yes and about 45.6 percent of high school seniors admitted that they have already tried it, meaning that legalization would increase that number to 51.2 percent” (Castillo). Non-supporters have argued that legalizing marijuana will increase the use because the people who used to smoke it, but stopped because they were looking for a job would start to use it again. By legalizing marijuana people will have easier access to it. When people have access to something as dangerous as marijuana it will ruin many lives. Non-supporters say that the number of car crashes will increase tremendously because of the guesstimated amount of people that would smoke if it were legalized.

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1835 Words | 8 Pages

Like any other drug, marijuana carries its own set of risks and adverse side effects. Marijuana has been cast into the tier of Schedule I drugs almost entirely due to how commonly it is abused and illegally used for recreational purposes. Marijuana is the most abused drug in the United States aside from alcohol, which led to its label as a Schedule I drug despite its possible medical significance. Abuse is an especially urgent matter in adolescents who are more prone to long-term impacts due to their bodies and brains still in stages of development. Although marijuana alone has never be the direct cause of a death, it leads users to behave dangerously and partake in risky activities that many “social lubricants” often result in.

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1187 Words | 5 Pages

In the United States, legalizing marijuana has been a topic of varying discussions and beliefs. On one hand, adults advocate legalization of marijuana. Whereas, the other hand is against any access to marijuana. Specifically, youth in the United States are the focal point of attention. Since most adults are able to either receive marijuana for personal or medical use, more than one in four youth are in connection with adults that have used marijuana.

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552 Words | 3 Pages

However, the U.S Department of Justice has classified marijuana “as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse” (Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Marijuana). Parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement are severely affected. Some of these senses can be so severely damaged that it could take up to seven days for the brain to recover. If marijuana is legalized, it would put the general population in danger. Not only is the brain affected by the drug during use, but research has shown that “chronic marijuana use may increase the risk of schizophrenia, and in high doses, the drug can produce acute psychotic reactions” (Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Marijuana).

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1003 Words | 5 Pages

This is why it is crucial that teenagers and young adults do not use the drug. It can cost them a great deal of undue educational problems. Long term use further reduces the ability to organize and integrate complex information. (Top Ten Reasons Not to Legalize “Medical” Marijuana). One use of the drug that most people seem to agree on is the prescribed use of marijuana for certain medical use.

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1387 Words | 6 Pages

The issue of mental illness is now coming on a rise and it has been shown that the continuous intake of marijuana leads to this problem. This paper provides more insight on the link between marijuana and mental illness, but it centers more on the negative effects of legalizing marijuana. Keywords: implement, supply, policy, legalization and mental illness The growing rate of illicit and illegal drugs in the world is enormous.

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1453 Words | 6 Pages

Research has shown that using marijuana can lead to depression, anxiety, and even neglect. Research has shown that people who are using marijuana disconnect with their family members. It also says that they believe that the family members are the ones that are blamed by the user for no reason. They also get very hungry while on the drug.

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1419 Words | 6 Pages

Additionally, in their opinion, is that with the legalization of marijuana there will be an increase in the usage and dependency on the drug. Although, yes, marijuana is the most popular drug consumed by adolescents, there has actually been a decrease in teen marijuana usage. According to studies by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, teen marijuana usage has dropped in spite of the recent years where states have legalized recreational usage and medical usage.

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