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ElizabethSiniscal
ProfessorJulianaAnselmini
English101012
7December2015
UnreasonableLegalization
Youreacopstrollingthroughaparkinmidsummer.ItisaWednesdayevening,hotand
humidwithfirefliesinthefieldinfrontofyou.Themoonispeekingout,anditisbeginningto
getdarkout.Severalfamilieswithyoungchildrenarewalkingtheirdogs.Asyounearsome
picnictables,youspotafewyoungadultsgoofingoffinthedistance.Suddenlyastenchfills
yournose,andthecloseryougettogroup,thestrongertheodoris.Youquicklygatherwhats
goingontheyaresmokingpot,andbecausemarijuanawasrecentlylegalizedinthisparticular
state,theresnothingyoucandobutallowthemtocontinue.Itsbecomeevidentthatmarijuana,
foritsrecreationalpurposes,shouldnotbelegal.
Cannabis,alsoknownasmarijuana,isaplantwithapsychoactivechemicalwhichgoes
bythename
delta9tetrahydrocannabinol
,orTHC.(DrugFacts:Marijuana).Thischemicalis
whatcausesonescentralnervoussystemtoreact,resultinginabsentmindednesswehave
probablyallwitnessedinonewayoranother.Thehumanbrainhascannabinoidreceptors,which
areassociatedwiththinking,memory,pleasure,coordination,andtimeperception.(Whatis
THC?).Whenthesereceptorsaredominatedbymarijuana,thebraincannotfunctionproperly.
Thisexplainswhysomanyusersofmarijuanahaveexperiencedastateofeuphoria,asthey
cannotprocessanycognitivethoughts.


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MarijuanawasdescribedinanancientChinesemedicalreference,supposedlydating
from2737B.C.Theirmainusewasmedicalpurposes,butwhenitspreadtoothercontinents,its
usesbecamemorebroad,withIndiabeingthefirsttouseitforrecreationalpurposes.Eventually
marijuanawasbroughttoAmericabytheSpanish,whereitwasusedasacommercialcropalong
withtobaccoinJamestown.(HistoryofMarijuana).Todaymarijuanaisusedallover,inmany
variousforms.Sinceitcanbeusedinsomanydifferentwaysandtakesdifferentforms,itcanbe
hardtoknowjusthowbaditisforpeople.Someexamplesofitsformsare:eatenasabrownie,
drunkasatea,rolledandsmokedaspot,ablunt,orajoint,driedintoheads,crushedashash,
madeintohashoil,cannabisoil,andsoon.(Cannabis(marijuana)).Theextensivenessofthe
sideeffectsdependsontheformthemarijuanaisbeingconsumedin.Forexample,ifonewere
toconsumehashishopposedtocannabisoil,theconcentrationofTHCwouldbemuchstronger
inhashishthanitisifitsincannabisoil.
Today,thebenefitsofmarijuanaappeartobeoutweighingthesideeffects,butwecant
knowforsure.Aknownbenefitofcannabisisitsabilitytobeusedasasedativebycalmingthe
mind.However,theoppositeeffecthasalsobeenproven,aspanicoranxietyattackshavebeen
resultsfromcannabisuse.Ithasnotbeenclarified,though,astowhetherornottheanxietyis
permanentornot.(MedicalMarijuanaandtheMind).Cannabinol,orCBN,isthoughtto
inhibitthespreadofcancercells,andCannabidiol,orCBD,isthoughttoinhibitthegrowthof
cancercells.(TheFactsAboutMedicalMarijuana).Medicalcannabisisalsoclaimedtotreat
Alzheimersdisease,seizures,severenauseacausedbychemotherapy,tinnitus,eczema,arthritis,
lymedisease,andsoon.(IllnessesTreatablewithMedicalCannabis).Becausethelistofits
benefitsisveryextensive,itappearstobenoquestionthatmedicalmarijuanaisverybeneficial,


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ifusedcorrectlyandappropriately.However,hereliesthebigproblemwithlegalizing
marijuanawecantbesurethatpatientswillnotbecomeaddictedorthatitwontfallintothe
wronghands.Medicalmarijuanamayseemlessharmfulbecauseitisbeinggivenundertheright
conditions,bytherightpeople.Butmedicalornot,itisstillmarijuana.Therewillalwaysbea
potentialfordangerwithanydrugusedforseverecases.
Peoplewithbipolardisordersorschizophreniaareadvisedtokeepawayfromcannabis,
asitmayriskinthembecomingmoreunstable.(MedicalMarijuanaandtheMind).Increased
heartrateorappetite,drowsiness,slowedreactiontime,anddifficultyofbalanceareall
examplesofshorttermhealtheffects.Dependingonhowlargethedosageorformofcannabis
is,hallucinationsmayevenoccur.Longtermeffectscanbeassevereaschroniccoughand
frequentrespiratoryinfections,learningdifficulties,asthma,cancersinthroat,mouth,andlungs.
(Cannabis(marijuana)).NationalInstituteonDrugAbusestates,Babiesborntomotherswho
usedmarijuanaduringpregnancycanhaveproblemswithattention,memory,andproblem
solving.Consequently,thewithdrawaleffectsofmarijuanacanincludeirritability,insomnia,
restlessness,andanxiety.Asidefromwithdrawaleffects,alargeproblemwithcannabisisits
tolerancelevel,astolerancecandeveloprapidlyforfrequentmarijuanausers.Thiscausesusers
toseekastrongerdosage,ormorefrequentdosesthroughouttheday.Followingthetolerance
level,addictioniscommon,asitiswithmostdrugs.(AProfessionalViewpointonMarijuana).
Withthesefactsaside,asurveytakenbyTIMEinOctobershowedthat58%ofthepoll
takersaptedthattheysupportlegalizingmarijuana.Leaving42%oftheparticipantssplitfornot
supportingthelegalization,itshows,thoughmorefavorthelegalization,thatwedefinitelydo
notseeeyetoeye.Itseemsthatpeoplefromtheoldergenerationaretheresistantones,withthe


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otherhalf,theyoungerones,favoringadecisionthatwillbenefitthem.(TIME).Inasimilar
poll,57%saidtheywanttoseeitlegalized,leaving43%arguingthatitshouldntbe.(Survey
onMarijuanaLegalization).Whenaskedwhytheywantedmarijuanalegalizedforrecreational
use,itwasunanimouslydecidedthatthemajorityrepliedwiththesimplereasonofWhynot?
andPeopleuseitanyway.Onthecontrary,theanonymousmajoritywhodecidedtheydidnot
wantitlegalized,stateditwasbecauseitisAddictiveandunsafe,andUnhealthyforusand
oursurroundings.However,itispossiblethatmanyofthepolltakerswhoareinfavorofthis
legalization,dontknowasmuchastheythinktheyknowaboutmarijuana.
Currently,marijuanaislegalinAlaska,Washington,Oregon,andColorado.Medical
marijuana,however,islegalinMaine,NewHampshire,Vermont,Massachusetts,NewYork,
Connecticut,RhodeIsland,NewJersey,Maryland,Delaware,Michigan,Illinois,Minnesota,
Montana,Nevada,California,Arizona,NewMexico,andHawaii.(StateMarijuanaLaws
Map).Intotal,thatistwentythreestateslegalizingmarijuanainsomewayorform.Theidea
behindsomeofthesepolltakersseemstobetogeteverystatelegalwithmarijuanafor
recreationaluse,butthequestionis,isthisreallyagoodideaforAmerica?Withonlyfourstates
actuallyallowingmarijuanatobeusedforrecreationalpurposes,itsclearthebandwagonhasnt
reallysetsailyet.
IfwelookintoSeattle,wheremarijuanaislegal,EricJohnsonstatesThenumberof
childrentreatedannuallyforaccidentalpotconsumptionhasreacheddoubledigits.Kevin
Sabet,thegroupspresident,says,Weneedapumpingofthebreaksonthemarijuanaindustry.
Whenwehavehospitalizationsandburnsanddeaths,weneedtostopmanyoftheseproducts
frombeingsold.InWashingtonandColorado,therehavebeendangerousproductsreleased


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suchasinfusedcandiesandconcentrates,onesstrongerthanever.(
AntiWeedGroupUses
PotRelatedIllnessesToCallForStricterMarijuanaLaws
).
Withlegalizationoccurringinotherstatesandnewproductsbeingreleased,marijuanais
slowlymakinganentranceinAmerica.Itseemsthatthenumbersofaccidentalpotconsumption
willonlyincreaseatthisrate.ThisdoesnotpaintaprettypicturefortherestoftheU.S.,whose
populationisencouragingmarijuanalegalizationanduse.Whilemedicalmarijuana
is
very
reasonable,asitsusesareverybeneficial,legalizationofthedrugforrecreationalusedoes
not
provereasonable.


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WorksCited
Bradford,Alina."WhatIsTHC?"
Livescience
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<http://www.livescience.com/24553whatisthc.html>.
"Cannabis(marijuana)."
BetterHealthChannel
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<https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/cannabismarijuana>.
"DrugFacts:Marijuana."
NIDA
.N.p.,Sept.2015.Web.3Dec.2015.
<http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana>.
"TheFactsAboutMedicalMarijuana."
Dummies
.N.p.,n.d.Web.16Nov.2015.
<http://www.dummies.com/howto/content/thefactsaboutmedicalmarijuana.html>.
"HistoryofMarijuana."
Narconon
.N.p.,n.d.Web.12Nov.2015.
<http://www.narconon.org/druginformation/marijuanahistory.html>.
"IllnessesTreatablewithMedicalCannabis."
UnitedPatientsGroup
.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Nov.
<http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com/resources/illnessestreatable>
Johnson,EricM."AntiWeedGroupUsesPotRelatedIllnessesToCallForStricterMarijuana
Laws."
HuffPostPolitics
.HuffingtonPost,7Mar.2015.Web.22Nov.2015.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/05/marijuanaillnesses_n_6419530.html>.
"MedicalMarijuanaandtheMind."
HarvardHealthPublications
.N.p.,1Apr.2010.Web.16
Nov.2015.
<http://www.health.harvard.edu/mindandmood/medicalmarijuanaandthemind>.
NIDAInformationTeam."AProfessionalViewpointonMarijuana."Emailinterview.24Nov.
2015.


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Sifferlin,Alexandra."MoreAmericansThanEverSupportLegalizingMarijuana."
TIME
.TIME,
21Oct.2015.Web.18Nov.2015.
<http://time.com/4081755/americanmarijuanalegalpoll/>.
Siniscal,Elizabeth.SurveyonMarijuanaLegalization.19Nov.2015.Rawdata.NewJersey,
n.p.
"StateMarijuanaLawsMap."
Governing
.N.p.,19June2015.Web.20Nov.2015.
<http://www.governing.com/govdata/statemarijuanalawsmapmedicalrecreational.html
>.