Legalizing Marijuana (Argumentative Against Opinion)

Introduction

Marijuana is the common way to refer to a class of drugs called cannabinols. The cannabinols include marijuana (grass, pot, weed, joint, reefer, dube), hashish, Charas, Bhang, ganja, and sinsemilla. The active ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hashish and Charas have a THC content of 7% to 14%; ganja and sinsemilla, 4% to 7%; and bhang and marijuana, 2% to 5%. However, modern growing techniques have increased the THC content of marijuana sold illicitly. For simplicity, the various forms of cannabinols will be referred to as marijuana (Shepard, 32).

Acute Physical and Psychological Effects

Marijuana is usually smoked in cigarette form or in pipes. It can also be ingested, normally by baking it in brownies or cookies. Marijuana users experience euphoria; enhancement of taste, touch, and smell; relaxation; increased appetite; altered time sense; and impaired immediate recall. An enhanced perception of the humor of situations or events may occur. The physiological effects of marijuana include increase in pulse rate and blood pressure, dilation of blood vessels in the cornea (which produces bloodshot eyes), and dry mouth. Motor skills and reaction time are slowed.

Marijuana intoxication has an adverse effect on attention span, short-term memory, and psychomotor performance. Anxiety and panic attacks can occur, primarily in new users who are not familiar with marijuana's effects. At very high doses, some people experience delusions and hallucinations. There are no cases of fatal marijuana poisoning, and humans are unlikely to be able to ingest a fatal dose. The effect of marijuana intoxication impairs motor and cognitive abilities necessary to safely drive a car or operate machinery.

The extent to which marijuana is involved in auto accidents is unclear. Many motorists intoxicated with marijuana drive more slowly and carefully and take fewer risks. However, there is an increased risk of accidents after using marijuana, but marijuana alone does not appear to contribute a great deal to accidents. Marijuana in combination with alcohol does (Cohen, 47).

Physical Effects of Chronic Use

Marijuana smoke contains carcinogens. However, because of nondefinitive or conflicting results, additional research on the association between smoking marijuana and certain cancers should be conducted. There is no evidence that the rate of infectious diseases is increased among heavy marijuana users. However, with very high doses of marijuana, animal studies have shown immune system impairment, reduced resistance to infection, and compromises in the immune defense system in the lungs. Studies of HIV patients who use marijuana have not produced evidence of an accelerated progression to AIDS.

The use of marijuana during pregnancy is associated with small birth weight but not with an increased risk of birth defects. Similar but smaller, behavioral, and developmental effects resulting from maternal tobacco use have been seen in studies of infants prenatally exposed to marijuana. Animal studies have demonstrated disruption in the reproduction system from chronic administration of THC. However, no definitive research has been conducted on the impact of heavy marijuana use on the reproductive systems of humans. The changes in heart rate and blood pressure from marijuana use are not ...