2008 Woodie Awards
Should Marijuana be legalized?
One student's opposition...
Rebecca Hall
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: opinion
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When I heard that there was slight, serious consideration towards the idea of legalizing marijuana I was completely shocked. Even the simple thought of this actually occurring completely frustrates me. There is a reason that marijuana has been illegal for so many years, and why, suddenly, this is even becoming an issue completely baffles me. The mental and physical effects that come along with the use of marijuana are dangerous and harmful, not only to the user but also the people around them. This is why, for so long, marijuana has been a controlled substance in the United States. These so called "studies" that prove otherwise I find to be completely erroneous, and why someone, other than a user, would want to make a drug like this legal is unethical and beyond my comprehension. There are more studies and solid evidence to prove that marijuana is a destructive and dangerous drug than there are to prove it is not. If one were to look at the evidence, I'm sure they would agree marijuana should remain illegal.
Even though marijuana is widely available and even acceptable in some places it still remains a highly harmful drug. Marijuana's main ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is a mind altering chemical, and the marijuana produced today has 25 times the amount of THC then marijuana produced in the 1960's. Not only is the presence of THC harmful but, the way the plants are "cut" can also add other harmful substances to the marijuana, many of which are carcinogenic, or cancer causing (www.teengrowth.com). The THC in marijuana causes many adverse and detrimental mental effects such as impairing or reducing short-term memory, altering one's sense of time, and reducing the ability to do things which require concentration, swift reactions, and coordination, such as driving a car or operating machinery (www.well.com). It is because of this impaired judgment that the user and also the people around them are in danger. For example, when users attempt to drive under the influence they become a danger to themselves and those around them, causing unnecessary accidents and killing innocent people. If a person continually uses, and uses higher and higher doses, they may experience hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, panic, depersonalization, and/or paranoia. Not only are there many negative mental effects to using marijuana but there are also many negative physical effects. Some of these effects are heart rate increases, blood vessel dilation, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, coughing, and can also trigger or worsen asthma (www.teennewhorizons.com).
Even though marijuana is widely available and even acceptable in some places it still remains a highly harmful drug. Marijuana's main ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is a mind altering chemical, and the marijuana produced today has 25 times the amount of THC then marijuana produced in the 1960's. Not only is the presence of THC harmful but, the way the plants are "cut" can also add other harmful substances to the marijuana, many of which are carcinogenic, or cancer causing (www.teengrowth.com). The THC in marijuana causes many adverse and detrimental mental effects such as impairing or reducing short-term memory, altering one's sense of time, and reducing the ability to do things which require concentration, swift reactions, and coordination, such as driving a car or operating machinery (www.well.com). It is because of this impaired judgment that the user and also the people around them are in danger. For example, when users attempt to drive under the influence they become a danger to themselves and those around them, causing unnecessary accidents and killing innocent people. If a person continually uses, and uses higher and higher doses, they may experience hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, panic, depersonalization, and/or paranoia. Not only are there many negative mental effects to using marijuana but there are also many negative physical effects. Some of these effects are heart rate increases, blood vessel dilation, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, coughing, and can also trigger or worsen asthma (www.teennewhorizons.com).