Marijuana is a gateway drug, isn’t it? If so, why should we help get our kids addicted to it? Legalizing the recreational marijuana in the states means creating a market for it, lowering its price, encouraging the public to consume it, and broadcasting sensational advertisings to lure consumers and have them addicted to our new “healthy” product. Thus, legalizing the industry of marijuana is all what we need to destroy our nation’s health, economy, and safety. Why do we want to do that? Is there anyone out there who can answer my “why”?
Healthily, marijuana (also called cannabis) is more harmful than a regular cigarette. According to Dr. Teena McGuinness, University of Alabama, “The inhalation of cannabis smoke carries significant health risks” because it contains “fifty to seventy percent more carcinogens” than what a regular tobacco contains. She reported to the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing in 2009 that a heavy use of marijuana decreases immune function. It also causes cardiovascular problems. Information found in Dr. McGuinness’s research shows that marijuana can cause depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia in human’s life. It’s not only Dr. McGuinness’s report, but actually many of reliable facts strongly link marijuana to several health risks. Do we really need that many? One suspicion should merely be enough for us to avoid what could negatively affect on our health. It is a health issue, right?
Economically, the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the White House believes that “the costs to society of alcohol and tobacco – substances that are legal and taxed – are much greater than the revenue they generate.” The government actually spends a lot of money on funding drug abuse treatment plans. If marijuana were legalized, it would substantially burden the federal budget because of the certain increase of that funding due to the new addicts marijuana creates. In 2002, the University of Chicago had published a scholarly article written by professor Jeff DeSimone that shows that the legalization of marijuana would also “reduce the likelihood of employment” because we all know that the employers don’t hire alcoholic person, if he fails to pass the pre-employment drug screening. In turn, we will have huge numbers of unemployed people depending on the welfare aids as a result to unemployment. This is an economical suicide; I believe.
Lastly, researchers believe that a heavy use of marijuana leads to adult criminal involvement. A 2010 research conducted by a group of professors chaired by Kerry Green demonstrates that there is a link between marijuana use and the increase of crime rate in the states. The research suggests that “the prevention of heavy marijuana use among adolescents could potentially reduce perpetration of drug and property crime in adulthood.” However, it believes that marijuana has “little effect on violent crime.” OK, let’s just think about this, do we really need research to know how drug intoxication pushes people to do crazy things? The fact of marijuana increasing the crime rate is so common sense that it is like the fact of the earth being spherical.
Some may argue that marijuana is like a tobacco; both cause health problems. I would say if it’s too late to stop cigarette use, it’s not late to protect our health, economy, and society’s safety from a tornado of marijuana. I can’t even imagine how the “junkie” life would look like in our “marijuana” society. Jeez! Can you?
Works Cited DeSimone, Jeff. “Illegal Drug Use and Employment.” Journal of Labor Economics, Vol. 20, No. 4 (October 2002), pp. 952-977. The University of Chicago. Web. 2 June 2013.
Green, Kerry M., Elaine E. Doherty, Elizabeth A. Stuart, and Margaret E. Ensminger. “Does Heavy Adolescent Marijuana Lead to Criminal Involvement in Adulthood? Evidence from a Multiwave Longitudinal Study of Urban African Americans.” National Institutes of Health, (1 November 2010), pp. 117-125. Web. 2 June 2013.
McGuinness, Teena. "Update On Marijuana." Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services 47.10 (2009): 19-22. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 2 June 2013.
Office of National Drug Control Policy in the White House. Marijuana Legalization, n.d. Web. 2 June 2013. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/ondcp-fact-sheets/marijuana-legalization>.