Cannabis: Should it be Legalized?

Marijuana, also known as cannabis and many other names, is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of Cannabis sativa (Abuse). This plant is a highly addictive drug among adolescents. Marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal substance worldwide (Marijuana Facts). Growing up in a county where drugs, such as marijuana, is commonly used and abused among adolescents who have no clue of the history and effects of the drug encouraged me to research a bit more about this topic.

Marijuana is a naturally occurring plant. It derived from the cannabis plant, and it can be grown in any climate. According to the article Medical Marijuana, there are over 400 chemicals in marijuana, but only 61 of them are unique to the Cannabis plant. One of the most active is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It was isolated and synthesized in 1964 (Medical Marijuana). This is the part of the plant that gives the “high” feeling. The potency between cannabis products varies.

Marijuana has had many uses in the past and present. According to the article, History of Marijuana as Medicine - 2900 BC to Present, the oldest known written record on cannabis use comes from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. He discovered the healing properties that marijuana has along with other Chinese herbs (Medical Marijuana). Marijuana today is mainly used for recreational uses for smoking and medical treatments, such as cancer. Additional uses for marijuana in the past includes treatment for glaucoma, inflammation, malaria, constipation, the pain of childbirth, and hemp. In the 20th century, marijuana was sold as a cure for morphine addiction.

There has been controversies in the United States on whether marijuana should be le...

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...dical supervision (Medical Marijuana).

I do not agree with the Controlled Substances Act for categorizing marijuana as a scheduled 1 drug, because other drugs that fall in that category, such a heroin, have greater effects on an individual. I however do believe that marijuana use should definitely have a limit on how much can be consumed. Using marijuana, along with other kind of drugs, at a young age while your body is still developing can have many complication into adulthood. Therefore there should be an age limit as well.

Marijuana dependence is most prevalent among patients suffering from other psychiatric disorders, particularly among adolescent and young adult populations (Abuse). There are no medications approved for treating marijuana addiction. Adolescences should be aware of all these information I have presented before even considering using marijuana.