Legalized Marijuana Essays - Cannabis, Medicine, Herbalism

Legalized Marijuana Marijuana Controversy: America is the land of the free and the foundation of democracy. This countries foundation is based on the fact that an individual can enjoy freedom from oppression and the minoritys opinions can be heard along with the majoritys. Our government is designed to be fair and open minded, to be a servant to the people it governs. Unfortunately once an opinion is placed into the collective mind of society, it is a struggle to alter that opinion through argument and information. The opinion in our country on the subject of marijuana use has always been a sensitive issue, open to debate and sparking many controversial questions and moral issues. The same questions come up time and time again when the debate starts. What are the effects on marijuana on the body? Does marijuana create a desire to try more potent substances? Is the resistance society places on the use of marijuana costing the taxpayers more than it is worth? What is the reasoning behind our decision to generally view marijuana as a bad substance worthy of resistance? And even though most hesitate to admit it isnt marijuana already a part of our culture and a major factor in the identity of multiple generations of Americans? So many questions surround the issue, likely they will not go away in the near Rubish 2 future. Marijuana is not a threat to our society, other than opinions that have been generalized into our cultural beliefs of right and wrong, we have much more productive ways to spend our tax dollars. Marijuana has never been proven to have any long term medical effects that are detrimental. Cigarettes, alcohol, and various drugstore stimulants should be of more concern than marijuana. The opinions that have been formed about marijuana are based on racist beliefs and also circumstantial moments in history. Supporters of the legalization of marijuana have valid arguments and can not be ignored forever. These people are becoming a strong voice in our society and can not be ignored. We have facilitated this with our blood and hard work in the creation and defending of our constitution. The first issue to be confronted is that of the effects of marijuana on the body. The physiological effects of marijuana on the body are not very strong. It would actually take 20,000 to 40,000 times the normal dose to kill a human being. There is no documented case of a death caused by marijuana overdose. The only noticeable effect on the body is the slight increase in heart beat, depending on the dose amount. The increase in blood pressure also usually creates bloodshot eyes. The mouth tends to dry out and the user has an urge to drink water. All of the other effects that could be related to marijuana use are inconsistent so cannot be directly linked to the substance (Model 15). Many people would argue saying that marijuana has long term long term effects on the body and marijuana effect a persons ability to drive making him a danger to others? These arguments can be addressed with information from cultural anthropologist Charles Levinthol as referenced in Michael Massings article in The Nation. There is Rubish 3 no evidence that marijuana is habit forming or that users suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Long term users do not suffer from increased heart diseases or any other visible signs of health problems. About the only proven long term effect is short term memory loss, and this is only while the person is under the influence of the substance. A perfect example of the long term effects of heavy marijuana use can be seen by looking at the Rastafarians, Costa Ricans and the Greeks. These people tend to have a more accepting attitude of marijuana use in their daily lives. When these groups were studied for adverse effects none could be found, other than a slight decrease in pulmonary functions (massing 6). As for the effects on the driver, marijuana can in high doses cause hallucinations. This is only in cases where doses 10 times the normal joint is smoked. This is also very rare and only happens to a small percentage of people who smoke. The person who is at the average level of