Marijuana Is Less Harmful than Alcohol

Health Effects My opponent claims a large number of drugs cause apathy. This has no relevance to the argument, as the only drugs being discussed are alcohol and marijuana. The apathy caused by marijuana and the high that comes with it affects those at work and school, causing their performance to suffer. To examine these problems, we must look at a country where weed is legalized, in order to predict the outcome on other countries. In the Netherlands, students coming to school high has proved a major problem for schooling systems [1]. My opponent also claims that just because those who lightly use marijuana do not have much larger of a percentage of dying of lung cancer than the average person, it means that lung cancer is a low risk among marijuana smokers. This is equivalent to saying a light drinker has a low chance of developing liver cancer, because they drink less. Heavy marijuana smokers have a higher chance of lung cancer than nonsmokers. Marijuana contains the same carcinogens as cigarette smoke [2]. Secondhand marijuana smoke exists as well, which can cause a high or elevated risks of cancer for those around the smoker [3]. Alcohol cannot directly impact the surrounding people, and cannot impact them at all if used in moderation. This is not true of marijuana. Marijuana can also cause delusion and hallucinations, as well as heighten risk for schizophrenia [4]. Social Effects My opponent, in both of his rounds, brings up many social effects alcohol has, such as drunk driving and an elevated risk of alcohol-induced crime. Marijuana has also been proven deleterious for the driver and has been found to increase risk of accident twofold [4]. Many of the Netherlands' famous coffee bars, in which marijuana is sold, have been found to increase crime rates, including, but not limited to, sex trading and illegal drug trade [5]. The Netherlands has begun to decrease the amount of coffee bars as they see the negative impact marijuana is causing. Marijuana trading in itself is a crime in most countries, and along with arrests, it can also lead to death [6]. Legal Issues I believe my opponent has slightly misunderstood my attack on marijuana. Alcohol is a drug that is safe in moderation. As I stated before, a small amount of an alcoholic beverage can be healthy for a person (as can a small amount of marijuana, in these areas they are comparable). However, people, not alcohol, cause the arrests. People decide to overdrink. The overconsumption of any drug is a problem. However, the mere presence of marijuana can cause harm for a person. If the overdose argument is valid because it takes less alcohol to overdose than marijuana, this argument is valid as well, because it takes far less marijuana to be arrested than alcohol, and imprisonment is a serious harm to the person, worse than death according to the inmates in the articles provided above. Therefore, my opponents arguments are weak and do not disparage the damage marijuana is capable of. I hope the voters can see the deleterious effects marijuana has on society, which far outweigh alcohol's effects on the individual. Alcohol could be a safe drug if people used it in moderation, while marijuana, in this day and age, is not safe at all. Thanks, and back to you. [1] . http://www.dailymail.co.uk... [2] . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... [3] . http://secondhandmarijuanasmoke.com... [4] . http://www.cnn.com... [5] . http://www.washingtonpost.com... [6] . http://www.dailymail.co.uk...