Marijuana Is Less Harmful than Alcohol

Health Effects My opponent claims there have been no studies that correlated marijuana with apathy. From what I could gather, neither of his sources contained any information more recent than 2012, and his second source contained no information later than 2003, with most information coming from the 1980's. Unfortunately for him, a 2013 study was done showing a drop in dopamine, the brain's "reward chemical", if you will, when using marijuana [1]. A drop in this chemical results in apathy and a lack of motivation. Therefore, marijuana causes apathy. My opponent also claims, using a 2006 article, that marijuana does not increase lung cancer risk. Unfortunately, many marijuana studies, especially those in the early to mid 2000's, have limited subjects due to the legality of marijuana [2]. Marijuana smoke has been found to alter the body's p53 gene, which 75% of the time leads to lung cancer [2]. Marijuana has been found to alter DNA and cause cancer: "The smoking of 3-4 cannabis cigarettes a day is associated with the same degree of damage to bronchial mucus membranes as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day" [3]. If this is legitimate (which it is), then secondhand smoke accounts also are. Marijuana causes direct damage, by itself, to surrounding people, unlike alcohol. The link between marijuana and psychosis actually does exist. According to a peer-reviewed scientific magazine, "Results from 7 cohort studies showed a 40% increased risk of psychosis in cannabis users compared with nonusers" [4]. This article also says there is "strong evidence" for an increased risk of schizophrenia in marijuana users [4]. Social Effects My opponent claims that speeding drivers up is worse than slowing them down. This is not the case. Imagine a person driving through a neighborhood, high on marijuana. A little kid steps out onto the street. The driver's reaction time slows, and bam, dead kid. Both marijuana and alchohol pose a significant danger to drivers, but Marijuana can pose a danger to drivers even when not used [5]. My opponent fully ignores the information from the Netherlands, even when his own article talks about the crime caused by marijuana in the Netherlands and the steps taken by the Dutch government to stop it by limiting the source of the problem, marijuana [6]. This article, cited by my opponent, also claims that the studies about lower crime in the US have not been long enough and the findings may simply be statistical artifacts [6]. Legal Issues My opponent still denies the fact that far more alcohol is needed to commit a crime than marijuana. Many people who drink alcohol, or even overconsume, do not commit crimes (I couldn't find a statistic, but anyone who understands drinking will know this). Meanwhile, everyone who smokes, sells, or grows cannabis is committing a crime. They can go to jail. People who drink do not go to jail for drinking. They go to jail for committing crimes. Therefore, marijuana is more legally harmful than alcohol. Conclusion My opponent has attempted to disprove my arguments using outdated and sometimes uncredible sources. He continually denies the validity of the legality argument, as it is a trump card in proving marijuana's harmfulness. Marijuana has been proven to have many socially adverse effects, have the same degenerative effects on the body as alcohol (though sometimes slightly weaker, and sometimes slightly stronger) as well as a plethora of other negative effects that alcohol does not have. Both marijuana and alcohol do have some positive effects, although an equal amount of positive effects (which is what they have) would not make marijuana less harmful than alcohol, and therefore give me the win. Although marijuana has been resoundingly proven the more harmful substance, if you, as the voters, remain unsure of the winner of this debate, I win. The burden of proof rests fully on my opponent, and if marijuana is found more harmful, or even equally harmful, I win the debate. Thank you. Sources [1] . http://www.menshealth.com... [2] . http://www.cancerresearchuk.org... [3] . http://www.sciencedaily.com... [4] . http://www.psychiatrictimes.com... [5] . http://www.nbcconnecticut.com... [6] . http://www.drugwarfacts.org...