Marijuana has been used by people over many centuries for medical uses. It is a natural pain killer used today as a recreational drug by people all over the world. According to Noel Merino in, “Introduction to Gateway Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints”, “a drug is something other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body”. Marijuana is a very controversial drug and has been outlawed in many countries for its affect on the function of the body. “Effects may involve hallucinations, impaired judgment, and mood swings.” Describes the effects of marijuana in “Marijuana” Current Issues Macmillian social science library. During the past century Marijuana has been legal, made illegal, strictly enforced, decriminalized, protested, used illegally by millions of people, protested for both views, legalized for medical uses, and the debate continues. People claim that marijuana is not harmful and should be made legal; others protest that it is a dangerous drug that leads to other serious problems personally, socially, and politically. Marijuana has been to cause physical effects such as breathing problems due to the inhalation of smoke if that is the method being used to take the drug. In “Marijuana is Dangerous for Teens”, by Joseph Califano he states that, “nine percent of those who use marijuana become dependent on it”, although it is not a big number it is because that is not the biggest problem with marijuana. Along with all of the health problems that marijuana use causes it also opens up the debate over the gateway theory. A gateway drug is a substance taken that opens peoples’ minds up to taking other progressively more dangerous drugs. Millions of people who use marijuana use it illegally, at some point ma... ... middle of paper ... ... Sun- Times, December 24, 2006 Andrew Morral, Daniel McCaffrey, and Susan Paddock, “Reassessing the Marijuana Gateway Effect” Addiction, vol. 97, December 2002, pp. 1493- 1504. Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and other Drugs “Introduction to Gateway Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints.” Gateway Drugs. Ed. Noel Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Califano, Joseph A., Jr. “Marijuana is a Dangerous Drug for Teens.” Marijuana. Ed. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Joseph C. Gfoerer, Li-Tzy Wu, and Michael A. Penne, initation of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns and Implications, Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, 2002. “Marijuana.” Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpointsnin Context. Web. 9 June 2011
Throughout history people have used marijuana for its dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds to relieve pain, stress, and other medical issues from one’s life. Within the recent years it has become one of the most debated issues in the United States. In the 1930s, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) claimed that marijuana was a “gateway” drug and was a powerful, addicting substance. During the sixties marijuana became a symbol for rebellion against authority so it became very popular by college students and “hippies”. So in 1982, Drug Enforcement Administration increased pressure on drug farms and houses which decreased the use of marijuana. In the past twenty years marijuana has become a
The usage and addiction rate of most illegal drugs has not increased recently, and in many cases has declined. The exception to this is Marijuana, being the only Illegal drug who has seen an increase in usage over the years. The usage of Marijuana has, as a matter of fact, skewed the results of usage surveys to make it seem as if the overall usage ...
Volkow, Nora D., M.D. “Marijuana Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse. N.p., July 2012. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. .
Works Cited Baum, Joanne, PH.D. It's Time to Know. Minneapolis: Johnson Institute, 1996 Grolier Electronic Encylopedia. Electronic Publishing, Inc., 1995. Herman, Nancy J. Deviance. Dix Hills, NY: General Hall, Inc., 1995. Torr, James D., ed. Drug Abuse: Opposing Veiwpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999.
The legalization of marijuana has been a highly debated topic for many of years. Since the first president to the most recent, our nation’s leaders have consumed the plant known as weed. With such influential figures openly using this drug why is it so frowned upon? Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, a menace to society, and mentally harmful to its consumers. For some people weed brings a sense of anxiety, dizziness, or unsettling feeling. Like alcohol, tobacco or any other drug, those chemicals may not respond well with their body. For other people marijuana brings joy, a sense of relief, and takes the edge off of every day stress. For those who are associated with cannabis, purposes usually range from a relaxant, or cash crop, to more permissible uses such as medicine, and ingredient to make so many other materials. We now need to look at what would change if marijuana were legal. Benefits to the economy and agriculture, health issues, and crime rates are three areas worth looking at. Deliberating on the pros and cons of this plant we can get a better understanding for marijuana. From there it will be easier to make a clear consensus on what is best for the nation.
“Marijuana: Facts for Teens.” The Science of Drug Abuse & Addiction. National Institute on Drug
About one out of five 10th graders and about 1 out of four high school seniors used marijuana in the past month (Facts for Teens, 1). It is the second most popular drug among teens in the US (Encarta, 1). Teens, ages 12-17, that use marijuana weekly are nine times more likely than non-users to experience with illegal drugs and alcohol (Fed. Study, 1). More 13 & 14 year olds are using drugs, fifteen pe...
United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. “Marijuana Abuse.” nih.gov. October 2002. Web. 3 May 2011.
Earlywine, Mitchell. Understanding Marijuana: A new look at the scientific evidence. New York Oxford University Press. 2002.
The use of drugs and mind-alternating substances has been a part of society for decades. The ‘high’ that people attain from the use of such substances is very attractive and exciting however, the effects of this use are minimized. Particularly for youth, a group of individuals who are seeking independence and experimentation, drug use represents the balance between taking risks and taking responsibility for one’s actions. However, the developmental processes of adolescents are known to not encompass the maturity required to fully think through such decisions. As such, the use of a ‘smaller-scale’ drug like marijuana is even more minimized. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the risks of using marijuana are for youths, why they are the most affected, how this problem has progressed over the last three decades, and what preventative measures and treatment options are in place. It will also discuss what schools, parents, and government agencies could be doing to help improve the issue, and the impact that this issue is having on society.
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know. Publication No. 98-4036. November 1998.
“Marijuana Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse: The Science of Drug abuse and Addiction. NIH, n.d. Web. 4 Feb 2014.
Swan, Neil. "Marijuana, Other Drug Use Among Teens Continues to Rise." NIDA Notes. Apr 1995. On-line. Internet. Available WWW: http://165.112.78.61/NIDA_Notes/NNVol10N2/Marijuanateens.html.
Sidney, S., Beck, J. E., Tekawa, I. S., Quesenberry Jr., C. P., & Friedman, G. D. (1997). Marijuana Use and Mortality. American Journal Of Public Health, 87(4), 585-590.
Marijuana has been a problem since the early 1900s and continues to create problems. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics created a law which prohibited marijuana use in 1937 (Reinarman 128). Twenty years later, THC was discovered to be the main psychoactive component in marijuana causing its negative side effects (Reinarman 129). Almost seventy-five years later, the United States is still battling the problem with illegal marijuana use. Although scientists discovered the negative effects fifty years ago, the information has gone practically unnoticed and the amount of users continues to increase. Approximately half of the United States population has used marijuana at one point (Reinarman 129). Instead of outlawing marijuan...