Trying to explain the harms of marijuana to an average young college student is like trying to explain to a cat it needs to use that fancy scratcher you bought instead of your couch; they listen, but they don’t really care.
Here goes nothing.
In the case of marijuana and its effects on mental and physical health, it’s an obvious fact that there are more fabrications and false information than with any other drug. And let’s not kid ourselves, marijuana is a drug, much like alcohol in terms of its recreational use. Those who tell you it’s a plant or a medicine are simply shielding themselves from the truth.
As far as smoking marijuana goes, the serious physical concern is that marijuana smoke can contain as much as, or even more harmful chemicals than cigarette smoke. Although it’s true that people smoke cigarettes far more often than marijuana, marijuana users differ in that they hold the smoke in as long as possible to get the most effect. Heavy smokers face serious lung problems over long periods of time. Another concern is the rate at which marijuana smoking speeds up the user’s heartbeat-as much as 50 percent per use. This may not be a concern for those in good health, but for people with heart disorders or blood pressure issues it can be a serious problem.
Marijuana, in the short term, can also have effects in mental development and function. Many users can experience effects of anxiety or paranoia; feelings which usually pass as the high passes. It’s been theorized that long-term use of marijuana can lead to schizophrenia or other mental diseases, but this remains to be proven. What is true is that marijuana, in both the short and long term, can cause forgetfulness or impaired concentration in some users. It also reduces logical and critical thinking skills, and can affect reaction times, making the user less safe to drive a car or perform other tasks that require a fully-alert brain.
It’s being said that marijuana legalization in California could be placed on the ballot in 2010. As a supporter of democratic empowerment for our citizenry, I couldn’t be happier as this gives everyone a chance to show their opinion on a very complex, controversial topic. However, there are a few scenarios with marijuana’s legalization that I think ultimately harm its ability to become legal in the first place.
The first and most obvious issue is: how do you tell if someone’s high at that moment, and how much they smoked? This is for people who are stopped while driving. If a person has had alcohol, they’re a simple breathalyzer or field sobriety