Marijuana Should NOT Be Legal in America

All Americans have their ideas on legalizing marijuana, yet they need to make sure they have done substantial research using past experiences the American people have already experienced from using this drug; also they need to take a good look into what the actual outcomes are of smoking marijuana, before making a final decision on whether or not to legalize marijuana for medical purposes or any other reason. Americans will look at health and social issues as well as review money matters concerning legalizing marijuana and realize it is not right for the United States . First, Americans should know what marijuana actually is before they would even consider legalizing it. Marijuana, also known as pot, is a dried out weed that mixes the leaves, stems and even the flower of the cannabis, or the hemp plant and taken into the human body. It can be taken in by either smoking it or it taking it in with food. The main ingredient in marijuana is THC, which is short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (National Institute on Drug Abuse). THC is the most psychoactive compound found in marijuana (Taylor). “Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug” (Wilbur, J). The ingredients in this plant are very dangerous and unhealthy for the human body. Now that Americans know what marijuana is, and some of the ingredients in it, they should consider the negative effect that marijuanahas in the health of the human body and how it affects the social aspects of the American people. First, look at some health issues associated with marijuana. Smoking marijuana can lead to withdrawal from the drug, some of those withdrawals included increased sleepiness, and the “munchies” ( Taylor). After smoking marijuana the heart rate is increased anywhere from twenty percent to one hundred percent which could be very dangerous for any healthy person yet far more dangerous for someone with an existing heart condition. This effect can last up to several hours after the drug has been smoked (National Institute on Drug Abuse ). The brain is another thing affected by smoking marijuana, leading to loss of memory in the brain. The nervous system also is affected when using this drug (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Loss of memory and the effects it has on the nervous system alone should raise concern for the American people. Continuing on with heath issues associated with the use of marijuana, it is proven to impair the immune system and can also promote tumor growth (Taylor). The immune system is essential to keep healthy because this is what fights off other illnesses within the body. Increased risk of lung cancer, and cognitive difficulties all can be associated with the use of marijuana (Wilbur). Research has proven smoking marijuana affects health several ways; even though most have been discussed take a look at the following chart, it will help visualize some health issues that are associated with smoking marijuana.

The health issues listed here are just a glance at what this drug can do to one’s health. Additionally, social life is also affected by smoking marijuana. Smoking marijuana has been proven to make the youth of this country lazy (Sailer). Americans already struggle with kids being lazy, they all are enjoying the technology of today and sitting instead of being outside doing chores. It also raises the risk of car accidents (National Institute on Drug Abuse). After research and looking at the health issues it was found that the nervous system is affected, therefore the risk of car accidents will be affected. With the increased risk of car accidents being associated with the use of marijuana, Americans should be greatly concerned because this could affect all Americans on the road, as well as our police force and officers that are out there trying to protect us. Driving impaired can affect anyone at any time. Next, Americans should take a look at the age these teens are starting to use marijuana. How do we let such young kids get involved with such drugs as marijuana? Americans need to stop and realize how many teens are using marijuana. Looking at howmarijuana affects the youth of the United States, we realize it affects them in more ways than the people of the United States are willing to admit. Marijuana is a very widespread drug among adolescents and young adults of this country (National Institute on Drug Abuse ). Not only do Americans need to consider how many teens are using marijuana, but they also need to consider the age these teens are when they start smoking marijuana. They may be surprised at the age of these teens that are smoking marijuana. Statistics show that youth as young as the 8th grade are using marijuana. The following chart will illustrate the grade levels and percent of youth that are usingmarijuana.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse).

This chart can be very disturbing, showing us just how young these teens are, some of them are as young as twelve years old, that are using marijuana, and it should also raise a concern with the effects that marijuana has on these young people and their families. Increased violence and poor academic performance can also be associated with the use of marijuana (Wilbur). Among the teenagers of this country those who smoke marijuana on a regular basis they are four times more likely to become engaged with behavior that is violent (Wilbur). As the American people know they already have high violence within the school system, therefore they do not need to make marijuana more available to these adolescents which would lead to more violence within schools. The lower grades in school alone should raise concern from the American people (Margolis). If Americans could see for themselves how this drug affects not only the people using it but those around them, it should affect the decision on legalizing this drug. Some personal family members were once affected by the drug; they were imprisoned finally, but up until that point the children and adults in the household were affected strongly in a negative way. After watching this situation first hand it was easy to realize that parenting is almost impossible when addiction to this drug is a problem. Marijuana not only affects the way one would parent with making decisions for the family, but also the finances in the home due to buying the drug and also not being able to hold onto a job. Parents who smoke marijuana also have the drug more accessible to the young people within the household; not to mention the second hand smoke that family members are inhaling is actually doing more damage than cigarette smoke alone. On the other side of the controversy of legalizing marijuana in America, some Americans argue the fact that it should be legalized to free up the American tax dollars that are currently going to support inmates that are in prison for possession of marijuana or even selling it. They argue that if marijuana were legal there would not be as many arrests which would lead to fewer people in jail for American tax dollars to support (DuPont ). While Americans are concerned with the tax dollars being spent housing these inmates, what they are not realizing is that the criminal justice system is helping these prisoners by sending them for treatment. This not only helps the person on drugs but also their families which helps the American people as a country. In a treatment center that is state funded called Treatment Episode Data Set, TEDS, more than one third of the people sent there for treatment came from the criminal justice center. Out of that one third percent, fifty seven percent of those referred by the criminal justice system were abusing marijuana(DuPont). What Americans need to be working toward is treatment centers and the criminal justice system to work closely together to find help for these individuals, helping not only them but the families affected in each situation (DuPont). In fact, this is exactly the type of treatment that was received by a family member. After seeing this first hand Americans should be thankful for such treatment offered to the ones in need of it. It is shocking that American people could be so greedy they will not consider looking at the negative effects of this drug and only be concerned with the tax dollars they are paying. Americans need to look at the future of the country as a whole, not just the current money situation. Saving money is important, but not if it affects people so negatively as legalizing marijuana would then it isn’t worth the risk. The kind of treatment these inmates are getting from the tax dollars could affect a family so positively that the outcome of the children’s lives could also be turned around. Once treatment is received it could put parents or even future parents on the right track in life. Another argument is, smoking marijuana can alleviate pain for aids patients (Earlywine). Americans argue marijuana should be legal to help those who are suffering from such disease, but they need to also look at the side of the argument that there are other drugs that can do the same thing that has already been made legal medically. Marijuana is said to prevent epileptic seizures, and help patients with glaucoma. However, there are many pharmaceutical drugs that have already been approved to help alleviate suffering from cancer, aids, and glaucoma; some still argue that marijuana is the only drug that can help these conditions (Evans). This drug must first be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before it can be sold as a medicine (Evans). “Although marijuana contains a chemical that has been synthesized, tested and approved for medicine does not make it a safe or effective medicine. Modern pharmaceutical science would require all four hundred or more chemicals in marijuana.L egalizing such an illicit drug as marijuana is suffers too much risk to all Americans” (Evans). Speaking of tax dollars being spent, look at the cost it would take to get marijuana legally approved through the Food and Drug Administration. Americans need to stop being greedy and be willing to reach out and help the people of the nation that are addicted to marijuana. Once the American people and government have looked over the ideas of legalizing marijuana, they found that smoking marijuana can affects adolescents and young adults more than they realized, definitely affecting them in a negative way. As far as health issues, the rise of heart rate, risk of lung cancer, sleeplessness, and anxiety is just a mention of a few. Then social issues, decrease in academic performance, laziness, and how it affects others around them should be enough in itself to raise concern. After weighing out the money issues, that were once a concern, such as supporting inmates, they see that if the criminal justice system and the treatment centers work closely together to help the individual smoking marijuana it would benefit many Americans. Knowing this, it gives the American people confidence in the way their tax dollars are being spent; they realize the entire nation will benefit from helping the ones affected by marijuana. In order to improve the nation’s health, productivity and education Americans must reduce the amount of marijuana used (Dupont). Wanting to make the right decision has caused Americans to research the affects marijuana has on their country, after doing this they realize their forefathers have made the right decision for marijuana to be illegal. They are concerned with the future of their country so they want to keep marijuana illegal for all American people, protecting youth and young adults which are the country’s future leaders.

Works Cited
Earleywine, Mitchell. Understanding Marijuana: A New Look At Scientific Evidence. New York: Oxford Universty, 2002. Web. 26 Oct. 2010 <http://netlibrary.com>.
Evans, David G., and John E. Limp. "Medical Marijuana Should Remain Illegal." Legalizing