Marijuana Prohibition for Substance Abuse-myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Why Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized Answer: Marijuana prohibition is not a burden to the society; instead, it is a benefit. Just like alcohol, marijuana has negative impacts and it more related to crime and addiction (Hopfer, 2014). If the legislature agrees with the legalization of marijuana, they must be ready to face the consequences of their actions such as residents driving under the influence of the drug and even much worse like dealers engaging in other harder drugs. Legalization advocates have opened up discussions with the law regarding the medicinal use of the drug, but there's not enough evidence to show the benefits are more than the risks. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that most of those discussions are facilitated by people who just want to get high. According to research done by United Nations, marijuana substance is the second from alcohol to be found in the bodies of drivers involved in fatal accidents. The researchers also found out that more than 3.8% of the planet's population uses the substance. According to US Drug Enforcement Administration, most of the criminal arrested in 2005 were tested positive for marijuana. My question is, why would anyone feel any need to make such a substance legal and socially acceptable? Most pot smokers argue that marijuana makes them relax and are more aggressive (Cooper, and Haney, 2010). Surprisingly, research on the link between marijuana and aggression is mixed as it seems to make people relax but all the same, it causes paranoia and anxiety problem making the users a threat to themselves or others. Studies show that marijuana harms both the teenage and an adult brain (Ammerman, Ryan, Adelman, and Committee on Substance Abuse, 2015). What I am mostly concerned about, is the belief of most teenagers that marijuana is harmless drug and the rising population the teenagers using this drug. Dozens of research show that the drug affects the brain of a teenager and their IQ is reduced by 8% if they continue to use it to adulthood. Even if they stop using the drug at a later age, they may recover what they had lost. Students as young as 15 years old and above using marijuana are more likely to do worse or drop out of school, earn less when they become of age and have unsatisfying career according to research done by Dr. Ed Gogek, an author of Marijuana Debunked. I am sure that no parent wants this for their children, but most of the school's teacher says that marijuana is one of their main problems. Advocates campaigning for the legalization of marijuana claim that this will result to unclogging the prisons but justice department argue that most criminals found in possession of marijuana were also charged with other serious offenses. They also claim that tax collected from marijuana business will bring more profit to the country, but this is just misleading stories as they do not tell us about the legalization cost(Li, Brady, DiMaggio, Lusardi, Tzong, and Li, 2011). The taxes will not come anywhere near what marijuana takes from the society, i.e., lost productivity, health cost and criminal injustice among other losses. Marijuana affects the health of its uses negatively; it overreacts part of the brain that has high receptors causing the high' feeling (Pacula, 2010). The short-term effect includes; changes in mood, impaired memory, hallucinations, psychosis and impaired body movement while the long-term impact includes; a problem in child development during and after pregnancies, decline in IQ levels and impaired brain development. Theres no medication currently available to treat marijuana. Though behavioral support including therapy and motivational incentives has shown to be effective they still at some time are unable to reduce withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapse (Hopfer, 2014). Long-term users trying to quit mostly report mild symptoms such as cravings and grouchiness making quitting difficult. In conclusion, marijuana is harmful drug no matter what the drugs advocates say and not the kind we put stamps for approval. No community/ legislature should allow legalization of the drug no matter what, as it benefits only two groups, i.e., seller and buyer. For the rest of us making sure it stays illegal is the best option. References Li, M.C., Brady, J.E., DiMaggio, C.J., Lusardi, A.R., Tzong, K.Y. and Li, G., 2011. Marijuana use and motor vehicle crash. Epidemiologic reviews,34(1), pp.65-72. Ammerman, S., Ryan, S., Adelman, W.P. and Committee on Substance Abuse, 2015. The impact of marijuana policies on youth: clinical, research, and legal update.Pediatrics,135(3), pp.e769-e785. Pacula, R.L., 2010. Examining the impact of marijuana legalization on marijuana consumption. Hopfer, C., 2014. Implications of marijuana legalization for adolescent substance use.Substance Abuse,35(4), pp.331-335. Hopfer, C., 2014. Marijuana legalization: impact on physicians and public health.Annual review of medicine,67, pp.453-466. Cooper, Z.D., and Haney, M., 2010. Opioid antagonism enhances marijuana's effects in heavy marijuana smokers.Psychopharmacology,211(2), pp.141-148.