Marijuana: An Illegal Smokescreen
Do you know what it feels like to get high? To experience the euphoria of having all of your senses heightened and your appetite exponentially increasing? These are all side effects of smoking marijuana, which is currently illegal to do in the United States. Despite the growing number of people and states advocating for its’ legalization, there are a number of valid reasons for it remaining illegal. The first reason is because of the effects that it has on people who use it on a daily basis. The second reason is because of the long-term health effects that it can cause. The third reason is because of the crackdown on “medicinal marijuana” by those who do not believe in its’ medicinal properties.
There are a number of negative health and social effects that marijuana can have on a young adult in today’s age. According to David Frum’s “Weed Wacked,” “Habitual marijuana users experience more difficulty with learning and schooling. They do worse at work, miss more workdays, and suffer more accidents. They have fewer friends and occupy lower rungs on the socioeconomic ladder.” (FRUM D. Weed Whacked. Newsweek [serial online]. December 24, 2012;160(25):22.) This suggests that marijuana users are more likely to end up poorer and with dead-end jobs. In the article “Sex, Drugs and Cognition: Effects of Marijuana,” studies show that marijuana “has been used by 28% of persons between the ages of 18 and 25 in the United States.” (Anderson B, Rizzo M, Block R, Pearlson G, O'Leary D. Sex, Drugs, and Cognition: Effects of Marijuana. Journal Of Psychoactive Drugs [serial online]. December 2010;42(4):413-424.) These statistics suggest that marijuana use can start at an early age, and continue for months or years depending on the individual’s social status and upbringing. It also suggests that not everyone is doing it, contrary to popular