Introduction
Marijuana aka Cannabis sativa is illegal under the federal law of the US. Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana is listed as the Schedule I drug meaning that marijuana has high potential of drug abuse and serves no confirmed medical purpose. However, defying the federal laws, California, Washington DC and 16 other states have legalized the use of marijuana. In the US, over 39% people have used marijuana at least once many of whom have later become addicted to the drug. Marijuana addiction is pretty common especially among young adults aged between 18 and 25. In 2004, about 300,000 people underwent treatment for their addiction to marijuana. According to a report conveyed by Roger Roffman in 2009, a professor of social work at the University of Washington, “Approximately 3.6 million Americans are daily or near daily users”(The New York Times). There is a raging debate going on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. There are people who believe that marijuana is harmless and its negative effect is same as that of alcohol and cigarette. It has some medicinal properties that help cure nausea and vomiting. A poll result of 2012 showed that about 64% Americans are opposed to the federal government taking steps to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where marijuana is legal (Frank Newport). But according to many, the effect of continual use of marijuana is quite far-fetching and its side effects are more harmful and intense than that of alcohol and cigarette. The medicinal attributes of marijuana is yet to be confirmed. Personally, I believe marijuana should not be legalized because its side effects far outweigh its benefits. This paper will discuss in depth what marijuana is, the side effects of its use on health and how marijuana legalization would exacerbate the existing problems of marijuana usage.
What is Marijuana?
Before going on to how marijuana makes its effect on our body, it is important to know what marijuana is. According to the definition of NIH, "marijuana is a greenish gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of Cannabis sativa-the hemp plant"(NIH). Though popularly known as marijuana it is often called weed, herb, dope, smoke, pot, grass, reefer and so much as Mary Jane. Most of the marijuana users smoke it like "hand-rolled cigarettes called joints", some people use it in "pipes or water pipes called bongs" (NIH). Marijuana contains over 400 chemicals but the most active chemical that alters the brain function is called tetrahydrocannabinol or THC which quickly passes through the bloodstream into the brain and spreads across other organs of the body. It is a mild form of hallucinogen that also functions as a stimulant or depressant. Marijuana is used in brewing tea and at times assimilated into foods. Marijuana cigars called blunts are also quite liked by its admirers. Blunt is made out of removing a portion of tobacco from cigars and the remainder of the tobacco is mixed with marijuana.
Effects on Health
- Distorted Function of CBRs
The immediate reactions of taking marijuana involve disorientation, increase of heartbeat, decrease in physical coordination, loss of concentration, depression, anxiety, sleepiness and even panic attacks. The effects last through 1 to 3 hours. If consumed with food or drinks then the effect kicks in after 30 minutes lasting up to 4 hours. Marijuana smoking sends more THC into the body than its consumption through food or beverages. But long-term effect of marijuana doesn't end with the immediate effects. THC is a strong chemical that sticks in the body for a lengthy period of few weeks or longer. Research shows that THC affects the function of cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) that regulate memory, movement, coordination, sensory, pleasure, perception, and cognition. CBRs play an effective role in the development and function of our brain. The smoking of marijuana delivers THC in high amount which artificially overstimulates the CBRs resulting in disruption of its normal endogenous function. A continued use of marijuana can over time change the functionality of CBRs which "along with other changes in the brain, can lead to addiction and to withdrawal symptoms when drug use stops" (NIH).
- Carcinogenic and Lung Infections
Marijuana carries a number of toxins and cancarcinogenic chemicals that remain stored in the body for longer periods. A continued use of marijuana results in damaged respiratory systems, memory loss, decrease in hormone production in both male and female, damaged motor skills and lower immunity. THC and smoking of marijuana have led to miscarriage, stillbirth, in-utero fetal death, death of infants immediately after birth and a host of degenerative mental and biological abnormalities in children. Marijuana can contribute to serious health problems. Like smoking, consumption of marijuana is conducive to cancer. Pot smoke has higher level of certain toxins that are more harmful than tobacco and therefore, pot smokers suffer from degenerative lung infections with the effect on lungs from one joint amounting to that of five cigarettes. In a study made by the American Chemical Society, a comparison between the chemical constitution of marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke was drawn and the result showed some shared similarities in their constitution including the prevalence of hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and nitric oxide. However, the shocking difference noted between the two was that the level of ammonia used in marijuana is 20 times higher and the levels of hydrogen cyanide and nitric oxide in marijuana are five times higher than that of tobacco. The amount of damage to the lungs incurred by smoking 3 or 4 joints a day is similar to smoking 20 cigarettes a day because marijuana smokers take longer drags and hold the smoke for a lengthy period before exhaling (Sea Lion). Pot smoke also allows the entrance of HHV8 virus that causes Kaposi’s sarcoma. Kaposi’s sarcoma can prove quite harmful for a pregnant woman and her unborn child might suffer from neurobehavioral disorders and stunted growth.
- Reduced Immunity
Marijuana ruins the natural immunity power of our body to combat diseases. The chemicals present in marijuana affect the functioning of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) which help keep the immune system in check by releasing force enough to combat infection, but marijuana overstimulates MDSCs and puts them to suppress the immune system continuously. As a result, MDSCs stop functioning effectively, resulting in reduced power of immunity.
- Hereditary Problems
The effect of marijuana contributes to abnormal cell division that causes hereditary health defects. If a woman during her pregnancy consumes marijuana on a regular basis then she is likely to deliver a premature undersized and underweight baby. Scientific studies of marijuana have found that prenatal use of marijuana may result in the birth of children with permanent birth defects, brain abnormalities and a high risk of leukemia1.
- High Risk of Heart Attacks
Smoking of marijuana shoots up the heartbeat to a rapid degree within few minutes of its consumption and the blood pressure drops. The heartbeats increase to 20 or 50 beats per minute and can escalate more if marijuana is consumed with a mixture of other drugs. Due to the drop in blood pressure and increase in heartbeats, marijuana smokers are four times more likely to suffer from heart attacks within the first hour of its consumption and they are at high risk of suffering heart attacks in normal times when not smoking.
Exacerbation of Existing Problems
Lots of people believe that legalizing marijuana would decrease the illegal use of marijuana. In this context, an analogy can be drawn with gambling. Gambling is legalized in the US, but still it has not reduced the number of illegal gambling, rather it has escalated it. Legal gambling is controlled and taxed, illegal gambling is not. So just the way legal gambling has facilitated illegal gambling legal marijuana too would promote illegal trafficking of marijuana. Legalized selling of marijuana would be restricted and taxed and hence the drug suppliers would always look for some ways to make extra money by selling it illegally. In order for the illegal selling of marijuana to be stopped, the government will have to allow untaxed and unregulated selling of marijuana to interested buyers.
Marijuana is addictive. A continued use of marijuana leads to addiction which severely damages family life, career, job and social behavior. That marijuana is addictive is self-evident from the withdrawal symptoms a user develops when trying to stop the usage. The typical withdrawal symptoms of marijuana involve insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, irritability and craving for the drug. If the US legalizes marijuana, the number of people using marijuana would escalate. As per statistics, about 15.2 million people use marijuana in the US as opposed to 70.9 million tobacco and 129 million alcohol consumers. Although the number of marijuana users would not immediately match up to the number of alcohol or tobacco users but legalization of marijuana would surely hike up the number of users rapidly with an increase in its addiction.
Legalization of marijuana would increase the number of drug impaired driving. Already, marijuana accounts for a lot of accidents on highway leading to fatal injuries and death. In a national roadside survey conducted on nocturnal drivers, 8.6% people tested positive for marijuana, about four times higher in percentage of drivers tested positive for BAC. In another study made on grievously injured drivers admitted to hospitals, over 25% drivers tested positive for marijuana use and the same study conducted on fatally wounded drivers in Washington DC, 12.7% tested positive for marijuana. These findings prove the predominance of impaired driving due to marijuana consumption (CNBC).
Many people hold the opinion that marijuana legalization would boost the economy but that is not the case. Marijuana has to pass through certain quality standards before it is sold for the public. Any plant that does not meet the criteria would be disposed of, resulting in a waste of money due to food, land, water, workers, electricity, fertilizers, and the technology to measure the THC concentration level. Then since substance has to be regulated by a Bureau just like the Bureau of Tobacco or Alcohol, a new division has to be established with payments meted out to the agents. Additionally, there would be some significant expenditure on creating laws to prohibit underage sales, control drug impaired driving and enforcement of that law.
Conclusion
Marijuana aka Cannabis sativa is an herb plant that is listed under the Schedule 1 drug in the US. Though as per federal laws the use, sale and possession of marijuana is illegal in the US, several states of the US including California, Washington DC and 16 other states have legalized the use of marijuana. In the context of raging conflicts between state and federal laws, there is a heated debate going on across the nation whether or not marijuana should be legalized. I believe marijuana should not be legalized because its side effects offset its claimed medical benefits. It is carcinogenic, harmful for lungs, distorts the function of CBRs, weakens immunity, increases the risk of heart attacks, causes hereditary defects and an n number of other problems. Legalizing marijuana would increase the illegal trafficking of the drug, the number of people using it, the number of drugged driving cases and will be a burden on economy. Therefore, reduction in the use of marijuana is beneficial for the health of our nation and its productivity. Legalization of marijuana would result in an increased rate of addiction to marijuana among people and mostly among young adults and hence legalization will not prove to be a smart health strategy for our nation.
Works Cited
1. What is marijuana?, NIH, September 2010. Retrieved on 11th May 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-abuse/what-marijuana
2. Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana, CNBC, 20 Apr 2010. Retrieved on 11th May 2013 from http://www.cnbc.com/id/36267223
3. Why Marijuana Should NOT Be Legalized, The Sea Lion Psychiatrist, November 7, 2012 Retrieved on 11th May 2013 from http://publicsealion.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/why-marijuana-should-not-be-legalized/
4. If Marijuana Is Legal, Will Addiction Rise?, The New York Times, July 19 2009, Retrieved on 11th May 2013 from http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/if-marijuana-is-legal-will-addiction-rise/
5. Frank Newport, Americans Want Federal Gov't Out of State Marijuana Laws, December 10, 2012. Retrieved on 11th May 2013 from http://www.gallup.com/poll/159152/americans-federal-gov-state-marijuana-laws.aspx
