Drugs Essay, Research Paper
How do we define a drug? Who makes a drug illegal and why do they make it illegal? Marijuana is considered a drug; but why is it considered a drug? In this essay I hope to persuade you that marijuana doesn’t deserve the label it has been given. I will use several different examples that will prove to you that marijuana isn’t as harmful as people portray it to be. This is a discussion that we have had in the past, when or culture was trying to prove that alcohol wasn’t as bad as our government was trying to portray it. Hopefully after reading this essay you will understand why people push for the legalization of marijuana.
First example is our brains are flooded with the natural forms of the drug. The form of the drug I am talking about is Cannabis, which is another form of marijuana. Cannabis or Marijuana has many advantages for health reasons: blocks pain, erases memories and triggers hunger. Some new studies show that they also regulate the immune system, help reproduction and protect the brain from stroke and trauma damage. Another scientific study showed that marijuana had certain ingredients in it that could counter act nausea, another plus for patients with cancer or aids.
Marijuana has been part of our society for as long as humans can remember. Five thousand years ago Chinese physicians used the marijuana plant to treat malaria absent mindedness, and female disorders. How can marijuana be illegal when the (IOM) Institute of Medicine declared that marijuana wasn’t addictive and did not appear to be a gateway drug? Being a gateway drug has been the biggest knock on marijuana use. People say that if you use marijuana, then you are more than likely to use cocaine or heroin. Now this myth has been proven medically incorrect.
My biggest argument for the legalization of marijuana; compares the affects of marijuana and affects of alcohol when under the influence. When under the influence of alcohol or marijuana we are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle because of our inability to react or make wise decisions. On the other hand there was a study that was done that proves that people under the influence of marijuana where marginally less likely to have an accident than those who are drug free. This studied was done by a pharmacology team from the University of Adelaide and Transport. The evidence in the study says that people under the influence of marijuana drive more cautious and drove more slowly because of altered time perception. People under the influence of alcohol were responsible for 90 percent of the accidents recorded.
Another example of the effects of alcohol compared to the effects of marijuana is the violence that occurs when under the influence. When you drink alcohol your brain gets numb so you have no judgement what you are doing. That’s why a lot of fights occur when you drink because you react and don’t think of the consequences. If there was a study done on domestic violence more than likely the study would prove that alcohol was the cause. Anytime you attend an event were there are a lot of people consuming alcohol you are going to have an altercation. On the other hand marijuana use doesn’t cause any aggressive behavior. Instead of wanting to fight you will find yourself in a more loving and friendly mood.
People who have never smoked marijuana probably ask the question: why do people smoke pot? After researching this question I have came up with this answer. It makes them feel good. People who smoke pot say its like no other substance known to man. You might ask why it is like no other substance known to man because: it causes no hangovers, it heightens the sense, it is not toxic or poisonous, and it is not addictive in any physical term. One of its best features is the increased sensual perception marijuana brings. It makes you aware of your body and the workings of your mind. It also sharpens your sense of smell, of touch, of hearing, and of sight.
I have many suggestions on how marijuana should be dealt with. I believe marijuana is an issue of social and health education, similar to alcohol and cigarettes. The current laws tend to criminalise thousands of law-abiding citizens and take up valuable police manpower that could be targeted at real crimes such as murder.
The (DEA) Drug Enforcement Agency was quoted in 1988 responding to the harmful effects of marijuana “In strict medical terms, marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.”(Legalize Marijuana) Another quote on the harmful effects of marijuana is from the Government’s report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the Administrative Law Judge of the American Drug Enforcement Agency: “There is insufficient evidence to enable us to reach any incontestable conclusions as to the effects on the human body of the us of marijuana, but much of the research undertaken so far has failed to demonstrate positive and significant harmful effects in man attributable solely to the use of marijuana.” (Fight to Legalize Cannabis) After hearing these two quotes dealing with the harmful effects of marijuana ask yourself if it should still be illegal.
A lot of people say marijuana causes loss of short-term memory. There never has been a studied that has proved that marijuana causes short-term memory loss. You can also say acholol causes short-term memory loss, when enough is consumed. I can also use the argument that I have known people who have used marijuana since the sixties and they are holding down a six-figure job.
There are many people who think marijuana is a horrible addictive drug. I hope after reading this essay you have a better understanding about marijuana. Marijuana is a natural herb that makes you feel different when smoked. I feel if we where too legalize marijuana then we would be doing are society a favor. Anytime you can help aids or cancer patients and also help out are economy, it must be a positive substance. Society views drugs as bad and illegal because our government has given marijuana the label of a bad drug.
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