Decriminalization of Marijuana

I will move on to the iteration of my main points. Contention 1: Marijuana is indeed detrimental to health. As this following point will prove through the provision of evidence, marijuana is indeed detrimental to the health of the human being.1a. Marijuana leads to an increased risk of cancer. A study on cancer in relation to use of marijuana made the following findings in their report: "Ever-use of mari-juana by nonsmokers of tobacco cigarettes was associated with increased risk in men of prostate cancer (RR = 3.1, CI = 1.0-9.5) and with a nearly significant increased risk in women of cervical cancer (RR = 1.4, CI = 1.0-2.1) rela-tive to nonuse of marijuana and tobacco cigarettes. " 1b. Marijuana increases chances of mental illness and worsens existing ones. WebMD reported the following information: ""New research being conducted here and abroad illustrates that marijuana use, particularly during the teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and schizophrenia," said White House Drug Czar John P. Walters. Another study highlighted by officials, published in 2001, suggested that people who were not depressed but used marijuana were four times more likely to develop depression years later than those who never used the drug. Researchers have long observed a connection between drug use and mental illness. Many studies show the simultaneous occurrence of mental illness and substance abuse. People with mental illnesses are also known to use drugs to lessen their symptoms, a phenomenon psychiatrists refer to as "self-medicating. " According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances have been associated with marijuana use. However, the NIDA says it is not known whether marijuana use is an attempt to self-medicate an already existing mental health problem, or whether marijuana use leads to mental disorders (or both). "The evidence is collectively indicating that there is a causal connection," says Neil McKeganey, PhD, professor of drug misuse at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. "The United Kingdom Department of Health acknowledged in January, 2004 that cannabis is an “important causal factor” in mental illness. A spokesman for the Department said that “There is medical clinical evidence now that there is an important causal factor between cannabis use and schizophrenia—not the only factor, but an important causal factor. That is the common consensus among the medical fraternity"1c: Marijuana causes other serious harmful effects to the brain. "PET scans (a brain mapping method which allows scientists to visualize what is happening in the brain) of regular marijuana users show that marijuana may continue to impact the brain three or more days after use, particularly affecting motor coordination, memory and learning. According to two studies, marijuana use narrows the arteries in the brain, “similar to patients with high blood pressure and dementia”11 and may explain why memory tests are difficult for marijuana users. In addition, “chronic consumers of cannabis lose molecules called CB1 receptors in the brain’s arteries,”12 leading to blood flow problems in the brain which can cause memory loss, attention deficits, and impaired learning ability. ""Research has now established that marijuana is addictive. Each year, more teens enter treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined. Over sixty percent of teens admitted to drug treatment cite marijuana as their primary substance of abuse. "Contention 2: Decriminalization is negative for society. The following quotes are important to point out from Dr. Robert L. DuPont, the former direction of the National Institute on Drug Abuse:"Contrary to the beliefs of those who advocate the legalization of marijuana, the current balanced, restrictive, and bipartisan drug policies of the United States are working reasonably well and they have contributed to reductions in the rate of marijuana use in our nation. The rate of current, past 30-day use of marijuana by Americans aged 12 and older in 1979 was 13.2 percent. In 2008 that figure stood at 6.1 percent. This 54-percent reduction in marijuana use over that 29-year period is a major public health triumph, not a failure. .. Reducing marijuana use is essential to improving the nation’s health, education, and productivity. New policies can greatly improve current performance of prevention strategies which, far from failing, has protected millions of people from the many adverse effects of marijuana use. "The United States Department of Justice reports on their own ventures in legalizing marijuana: "The consequences of legalization became evident when the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in 1975 that the state could not interfere with an adult’s possession of marijuana for personal consumption in the home. The court’s ruling became a green light for marijuana use. Although the ruling was limited to persons 19 and over, teens were among those increasingly using marijuana. According to a 1988 University of Alaska study, the state’s 12 to 17-year-olds used marijuana at more than twice the national average for their age group. Alaska’s residents voted in 1990 to recriminalize possession of marijuana, demonstrating their belief that increased use was too high a price to pay. " ResourcesWhite House Drug Czar Launches Campaign to Stop Drugged Driving. ” Office of National Drug Control Policy Press Release, November 2002. . http://www.justice.gov...http://www.cnbc.com...(There may be more)