Marijuana, also known as; Cannabis, Ganja, Pot, weed, along with numerous other names, is a substance that is extracted from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illegal substances. Regardless of legal status, there are two very different stand points on this natural plant.
A large number of people believe that Weed is an extremely harmful drug, however others like myself, believe that it is a tremendously helpful drug. Marijuana has a very long and complicated history of illegal status. Studying the facts and truths about this controversial drug will allow us to then make accurate opinions if we believe this drug should be illegal or legal.
Marijuana is often thought to be a very harmful and negative substance. For years people have been claiming that marijuana is a negative substance for your health. Marijuana is believed to change and alter your mind. It is a psychoactive drug that many people are taught is very damaging to your health and physical well-being. The drug gives the user a somewhat euphoric feeling. People claim that because 'Weed' has an effect on the brain then it is automatically a negative effect that is harming your brain's functionality. The most well known side effect of marijuana is short-term memory loss. Unlike any of the side effects that I've stated this one is the only factual, scientifically proven side effect. While being intoxicated by 'Pot', a person is vulnerable to forget things. However this is only temporarily. There is no proof of long-term memory loss. Marijuana can also impair your driving. After being intoxicated by the drug, the user will be impaired and will not be functioning properly to drive. He will not be capable of safely driving by not being able to stay in a lane or correctly read traffic signs. In addition to being too intoxicated to drive, there is also research that shows that marijuana causes cancer if regularly used. When the smoke is entered into the lungs and held in, it comes into contact with the lung tissue, therefore irritating them and damaging how they function. There are numerous arguments that defend the argument that Marijuana is a dangerous substance and should remain illegal. Nonetheless we need to learn both sides of the argument to have a valid reasoning for what we believe.
I believe that Marijuana is greatly misconstrued. Marijuana is a drug that produces substantially positive effects. I have done personal experiments with the drug. I have a condition called Anxiety. When I am put in an uncomfortable, frustrating or overwhelming environment I will be vulnerable to having an anxiety attack. Marijuana treated my Anxiety by calming me, relaxing my muscles and allowing me to breathe and properly evaluate a situation without being overwhelmed, therefor stopping me from suffering an anxiety or panic attack. There are a large number of medical conditions that Marijuana treats. The statement that Marijuana can cause cancer is completely false. In fact, Marijuana has been proven to slow down cancer cells from growing and in some cases, it has even numbed and destroyed cancerous tumors in the lungs. Cannabis Sativa is a plant that has the widest range of medicinal uses. However, not only do I argue that Marijuana should be used for medicine but it should also be used for personal, recreational use. Pot is a drug that thousands of Americans use every single day. The users range from regular construction workers to business executives. The most commonly talked about personality of a pot smoker is a person that is very dirty, very slow, and somewhat out of it. This is a very misinterpreted idea of someone who smokes Marijuana. Because there are thousands of Marijuana consumers, there are going to be very different types of people the are using this drug. While there are in fact some people that are 'burn outs', there are also very responsible people who consume Marijuana. Pot does not make people crazy or insane. It does not kill brain cells and does not make people less intelligent. There have been studies that show Marijuana stimulated brain cells to grow and expand. Unfortunately once these studies were sent to the U.S. Government they were lost. Most of the claims that are made about Marijuana are usually false. Society has been fooled into thinking that this is a very dangerous substance, when in reality it is one of the best natural herbs known to man. As I stated earlier, the Cannabis Sativa plant in which THC is found in, is a plant that contains the most diverse uses than any other studied plant. Cannabis Sativa has been used for hundreds of years. Some of it's uses are for fiber, hemp, medicine, and even clothing. It seems as though we are afraid to study and research this plant simply because there is such a wide range of uses. When I was in grade school I remember countless times where we would have discussions on saying no to drugs. We would be lectured on how Marijuana along with other controlled substances are very harmful and dangerous. Instead of letting us discuss the good and bad sides of drugs, we were automatically subjected to the “say no to drugs” mindset. Without talking about Marijuana and researching every aspect of it, one person cannot simply say that it is bad and anyone who uses it should be in jail. Most people do not know the real reasons Marijuana is illegal.
Marijuana was made illegal in the early 1900s. The first state to outlaw Pot was Utah, after it had made it's way into the state. This was because the strong Mormon population had frowned upon it, along with alcohol and cigarettes. Shortly after Weed was outlawed in Utah, other states began doing the same. Because of how fast Marijuana use was growing, and how little the government knew about it, the only sensible thing to do was make it illegal. The war on drugs came about in 1969 by President Nixon. There are rumors the he began punishing Marijuana users due to the protesting of the Vietnam war. He found a way to eradicate protesters by arresting them for smoking Marijuana. Today, Marijuana is still illegal in most states. However in some states such as California and even our own state, New Mexico, has passed laws allowing persons with medical issues and disabilities to obtain and use Marijuana through prescriptions and referrals by and authorized doctor. Recently President Obama passed a law stating that federal marijuana laws should not contradict with state Marijuana laws. Meaning that the federal government will no longer prosecute Marijuana dispensaries, doctors, and patients.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug. Alcohol and Tobacco together, kill about 480,000 people a year. Alcohol and Tobacco are both legal substances. Marijuana, Pot, Weed, or whatever you'd like to call it, has never killed anyone. Not a single person has ever had an overdose of Marijuana. In fact, it is actually virtually impossible to overdose by smoking Marijuana. Until we can get past the stereotype and false beliefs that Marijuana is a dangerous drug, we will always be ignorant to what is an extremely healthy plant. Marijuana should be able for adults to use legally, and responsibly. Marijuana is a healthy substance. Only by researching and educating yourself about this plant, will you then understand the lies and false accusations society and the government have instilled in mainstream beliefs.
