Cannabis is dried, shredded leaves and flowers of the plant Cannabis sativa. It is typically referred to most as marijuana. It also has other slang names such as weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane. The prominent psychoactive chemical is delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC). This is the intoxicating chemical that is sought to find the high. This chemical is primarily found in the resin of female cannabis plants. Marijuana is also made up of 500 other chemicals. These are including “100 compounds that are chemically related to THC, called cannabinoids.” Marijuana can be used using bongs, joints, blunts, edibles and a few other different uses. Edibles use the concentrated resin in food such as brownies, cookies, etc.. The legalization issue is that some states believe that marijuana should be illegal, some believe that it should be legal for medical use, and some believe it should be legal for recreational use. The purpose of this essay to help the class understand both sides of the argument and to clarify their side. …show more content…
This side of the argument believes that marijuana negatively affects different parts of the body. Marijuana is said to affect the brain and cause loss of memory and lack of comprehension. They also believe that it creates 5 times the tar as tobacco does in the lungs. Also that it causes cancer in many parts of the body. Many also consider marijuana as a gateway drug. This means that marijuana opens up a door to begin doing harder drugs such as cocaine, heroin, etc.. “Of adults 26 or older who used marijuana before age 15, 62% went on to use cocaine at some point in their lives; 9% went on to use heroin at least once; and 54% made some nonmedical use of mind-altering prescription drugs.” All people against legalizing marijuana see it as a dangerous drug that should not be