Marijuana, which had once been considered as a lethal drug, is now seen as a mild drug and the number of people demanding it to be legalized has skyrocketed over the last couple of decades. And all this thanks to the media, which have played a pivotal role in bringing about a shift in people’s perception of marijuana.

Long back, marijuana was considered as a typically lethal drug. Many movies, novels and celebrities were largely responsible for instilling in people such made up facts about marijuana. “Reefer Madness”, the 1936 cult hit, depicted marijuana as the primary cause for turning two teenagers into sex-crazed murderers. Novels such as “Badge of Evil”, “Casino Royale”, etc were used as strong propaganda against marijuana causing it to be considered as a violence inducing drug.

Currently, marijuana does not have the lethal drug status anymore. If we happen to see someone smoking marijuana in a television program, we will definitely not get embarrassed. Although marijuana is illegal in many states of America, it is so popular and a recent study reveals that one in fifteen high school students smoke marijuana almost every day. The 21st Century considers marijuana as a medicine for many debilitating diseases and relief for chronic aches. No doubt, marijuana is a best remedy to increase appetite and thus resolve the weight loss problem in HIV patients. Similarly, marijuana is best to alleviate the intensity of pain in cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy.

Marijuana as a means to get high

For the majority of users, the primary purpose of using the drug is to get high. Marijuana provides the users with a feeling of elation, increase appetite and reduce inhibition. The smokers of the drug start experiencing the effect in 15 to 45 minutes after inhaling it. Studies point out that first time users of the drug may not experience these effects and may experience a totally reverse effect. However, over a few times of smoking it, their body starts responding to it positively.

usage of marijuana
Propaganda against marijuana

Possible Risks of using marijuana

While gathering the facts about marijuana, it is equally important to note the risks associated with it. The drug can affect one’s short term memory, coordination of thought, concentration, cognition and perception of time. Patients of serious mental ailments such as schizophrenia are more likely to use marijuana as a means to reduce the trauma often as self medication. Instances of such cases show that the use of marijuana triggered their symptoms than alleviating their problems in long run.

In short, what we can gather from all these is that the right dosage of marijuana for the right person for the right purpose is not an issue. But how can this be ensured?

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