Addiction to drugs has been identified as one of the leading health enormities due to which a huge population of the world is suffering. Indeed, various drugs in the current times have been determined as a supplement of cure and remedy of several diseases. Amongst various drugs that have been a part of numerous discussions and disputes with respect to its benefits and limitations, marihuana is one of the few to mention. Marihuana is also termed as pot, weed, cannabis, hash, dope, bud, and many more. Legalization of marihuana has been subject to controversies in the United States of America.
Even though the historical context of marihuana intake has a long history that dates back to centuries, but it was the latter years of the twentieth century when this drug became increasingly prominent in the United States. However, with respect to the legalization of marihuana in the United States, it had come to notice that it was the decade of 1930s when marihuana was legally regulated drug in almost all the states of the nation. The legalization of marihuana is perhaps related to its increased use in the medical field as a cure or recreational process for various diseases (Joffe, Yancy, American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse, & American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence, 2004).
Unfortunately, the legalization of marihuana brought in destructions within the country to a great extent and by the latter half of the twentieth century many of the states of the country took steps so that they can prohibit or abolish local regulations and laws related to legalization of marihuana. This was an initiative taken by the states of US, to disallow the possession as well as the sales of cannabis (Joffe, Yancy, American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse, & American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence, 2004).
Nevertheless, the advocators who were in support of legalization of marihuana made several attempts and efforts to legalize the possession and sale of marihuana in the country. This series of attempts of advocators became successful, and it was the latter years of the first decade of the twenty-first century when marihuana became legal again. Colorado and Washington DC have been identified as the states that legalized marihuana (possession and sales) for recreational and medical purpose (Joffe, Yancy, American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse, & American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence, 2004).
Advocators of marihuana believe that the benefits of marihuana weigh more than its drawbacks, and it is a productive and worthwhile drug that provides colossal benefits in the medical field. Cannabis is a pure medicine and remedy to several diseases and illnesses like cancer, AIDS, sclerosis and so forth. Cannabis simply helps in relieving various symptoms (such as nausea, vomiting, and so forth) and pain that the patients suffer during these illnesses (Walsh, Callaway, Belle-Isle, Capler, Kay, Lucas & Holtzman, 2013).
Numerous sources of information have also brought the fact into the limelight that smoking marihuana helps the people reduce their stress levels. Moreover, marihuana also helps people fight their mental illness of depression. In fact, it is a remedy that contributes in relieving other pains and enormities like headaches, anxiety, and so on (Walsh, Callaway, Belle-Isle, Capler, Kay, Lucas & Holtzman, 2013).
Marihuana as a medical treatment is not the only benefit due to which people intend to legalize this drug, but, many other advantages are associated with cannabis. Marihuana’s hemp is prolific and capable of making plentiful volume of paper when compared to the regular trees that are used for making paper. In fact, marihuana hemp can be planted is much less time in contrast to the regular trees, which would also facilitate in the survival of dying species. Additionally, deforestation can also be restored with habitats and trees (Gerber, 2004).
Looking at the other end of the spectrum, marihuana is also associated with several limitations, due to which an increasing number of people are against legalizing this drug within the country. Smoking marihuana is directly and closely related to the harmful impact on the human body. The heart, brain, lungs, and immune system are few of the functions of the human body that comes under the adverse impacts of smoking marihuana since the respiratory system of people is deteriorated when they smoke marihuana (Ramo, Delucchia, Liu, Hall & Prochaskab, 2014).
Furthermore, studies have also indicated that marihuana smoking has very much similar impact to smoking tobacco cigarettes and the people has to suffer the same painful and harmful impacts. According to the experts, smoking one cigarette of marihuana is almost equivalent to smoking ten regular tobacco cigarettes, which means that the human body functions are affected at a much higher rate (Ramo, Delucchia, Liu, Hall & Prochaskab, 2014).
Empirical research investigations have also revealed the piece of information that the people who are more likely to smoke marihuana tends to be more susceptible of learning disabilities, when compared to people who are less likely to smoke marihuana. This is because marihuana damages and weakens the learning abilities and memory of the human beings. Moreover, increased records of automobile accidents, workplace accidents, and criminal activities have been recorded for the people who are more involved in the intake of this drug (Ramo, Delucchia, Liu, Hall & Prochaskab, 2014).
References
Gerber, R. J. (2004). Legalizing marijuana: drug policy reform and prohibition politics. USA: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Joffe, A., Yancy, W. S., American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse, & American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence. (2004). Legalization of marijuana: potential impact on youth. Journal of Pediatrics, 113(6), 632-638.
Ramo, D. E., Delucchia, K. L., Liu, H., Hall, S. M. & Prochaskab, J. J. (2014). Young adults who smoke cigarettes and marijuana: analysis of thoughts and behaviors. Journal of Addictive Behaviors, 39(1), 77-84.
Walsh, Z., Callaway, R., Belle-Isle, L., Capler, R., Kay, R., Lucas, P. & Holtzman, S. (2013). Cannabis for therapeutic purposes: Patient characteristics, access, and reasons for use. International Journal of Drug Policy, 24(6), 511-516.
