The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana

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“Marijuana—also called weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of other slang terms—is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa— the hemp plant.” The mixture can be green, brown or gray. More potent forms of the drug are called sinsemilla, hash oil or hashish (teen.drugabuse.gov, 2014). Marijuana is generally smoked but can also be ingested (Silvestri, 2011, p 1077). Marijuana can be smoked through a regular pipe, water pipe or rolled like a cigarette. Marijuana can be baked into cookies or cakes or it can be infused into butter or oil that is used for cooking. Marijuana can be used as a tincture (mixed with an alcohol solution), in a vaporizer or it can be mixed with topical agents and applied directly to the skin or muscles. When smoked, marijuana …show more content…

Some drugs are deemed less dangerous to the body and as a result they are considered more acceptable. In our society, marijuana is seen as one of the most socially acceptable drug. In 2011, the Gallop Poll found 50% of Americans saying marijuana use should be legal. Then in 2013 a Pew Research Center poll found that 52% of those polled favor legalization, a 10 point increase since 2010 (Roffman, 2013). There are numerous amounts of groups and individuals lobbying for the legalization of marijuana, mainly because it is a natural substance with medicinal properties. Society has become tolerant of marijuana due to its medicinal properties. However, many are unaware or misinformed about the drug’s addictive nature and as a result many persons, especially youth, become addicted to marijuana. Marijuana is proven to have many medical benefits. However, for those who do not understand the dangers that may accompany marijuana use, such as the youths, legalization may give the impression that marijuana has no risks and this may change the attitudes and prevalence of its

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