The Legalization of Marijuana

"Many people who do Marijuana do it to get a "high.""- What is wrong with that? "Many people also believe no harm can come from Marijuana, but Marijuana effects the nervous system and can negatively effect your brain. Things such as short term memory loss, slowed down reflexes, loss of brain cells, etc are all negative outcomes of the use of marijuana."- I would like to see a source on this. source: http://www.nida.nih.gov... "Research into the effects of long-term cannabis use on the structure of the brain has yielded inconsistent results. It may be that the effects are too subtle for reliable detection by current techniques. A similar challenge arises in studies of the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain function. Brain imaging studies in chronic users tend to show some consistent alterations, but their connection to impaired cognitive functioning is far from clear. This uncertainty may stem from confounding factors such as other drug use, residual drug effects, or withdrawal symptoms in long-term chronic users."- So basically some scientists speculate the drug has negative effects, yet despite many studies, they cannot come up with any evidence. "Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problemsolving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that, in chronic users, marijuana's adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time."- These are the only proven effects of the drugs, of which most users are aware of and know that they are long term and it is their choice whether to risk these things or not. "Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana"- That is quite a small figure, especially compared to tobacco which is legal. "Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms including: irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which can make it difficult to remain abstinent. These symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2-3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation."- These are pretty mild symptoms again, especially compared to tobacco which is legal. "A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be an important risk factor, where early use is a marker of increased vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence."- Again, they cannot find and solid proof that the drug does any harm unlike many other drugs that are illegal and tobacco which is legal. "Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;6 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.7 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time."- Yet again, they cannot find anything harmful about the drug in the long term. "The potential medicinal properties of marijuana have been the subject of substantive research and heated debate. Scientists have confirmed that the cannabis plant contains active ingredients with therapeutic potential for relieving pain, controlling nausea, stimulating appetite, and decreasing ocular pressure. Cannabinoid-based medications include synthetic compounds, such as dronabinol (Marinolï¿½) and nabilone (Cesametï¿½), which are FDA approved, and a new, chemically pure mixture of plant-derived THC and cannabidiol called Sativexï¿½, formulated as a mouth spray and approved in Canada and parts of Europe for the relief of cancer-associated pain and spasticity and neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis."- They do know that it is an effective medicine. Also, the legalization of the drug would stimulate our failing economy greatly. Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs in use. Lots of people would buy the drug and if the drug was taxed, it would stimulate the economy greatly. It would also minimize the dangers of the drug being dangerous because it was bought from unregulated producers who often lace the drug with more harmful drugs. There are ways to take the drug that minimize its possible harmful effects like ingesting it instead of smoking it. I think the good effects of marijuana being legalized outweigh the possible bad effects by far.