Marijuana is a Social Problem
"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many
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It's destructive to the learning performance, memory, and attention span. It has insidious side effects including lung damage and cancer risks. It also impairs ability to work, drive, and make clear decisions, not to mention, the lack of motivation, depression, and paranoia. In addition, "daily marijuana use has been associated with a doubling of the risk for psychosis. The most common type was a brief acute organic reaction characterized by mental dulling, distortion of time, dreamlike euphoria progressing to fragmenting thoughts, and hallucinations. More potent marijuana can cause even more severe reactions" (Baum 16). This means marijuana has tremendous costs on those who use it as well as society. The effects of marijuana abuse on an individual can be substantial, but the costs to society are innumerable. The effects can be felt in the rising of health care to increased insurance premiums. As the number of marijuana users increase, the number seeking medical attention also increases. In addition, being treated for various illnesses caused by marijuana abuse, results in missed days at work. Productivity levels fall not only because of absenteeism, but also as a result of impaired abilities. Workers under the influence of marijuana suffer from cognitive disorders that hampers their productivity. Further, as a social problem, marijuana costs society billions of tax dollars every year in an effort to obliterate drugs.
According to an article by Charles Oliver, The Harrison school district in Colorado has barred a student from attending classes if he takes medicine to control his seizures, states that “The boy was prescribed a lozenge containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The school said he couldn’t bring the pills to school because it would violate its zero tolerance policy on drugs” (Oliver). Without the pills containing THC, the young boy could have a seizure. If medicinal marijuana was legal, this wouldn’t have been an issue, and that is why marijuana should be legalized in the United States. It will not only benefit those who need it for medical issues, but the taxation will also benefit our economy.
Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While
In America there are a lot of problems, ranging from violence to obesity. A growing concern of many Americans is the drug “epidemic” with the growth of the war on drugs. Marijuana, throughout history, has been demonized and illegalized, however now a newfound acceptance of the drug is growing rapidly with some states fully legalizing the drug recreationally, and others medically.
Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America behind only alcohol and tobacco, and is estimated that nearly 80 million Americans use it at least one occasion. According to government surveys, some 20 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 11 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Being used for medicinal purposes or simply for recreational, there are not only laws to consider when the topic of legalization comes up but also ethical concerns as well. For this paper I will outline some of the uses for this drug and some of the benefits of its use. I will apply the
Thesis Statement: Marijuana has been regarded as a harmful plant that can endanger lives and is thought to be nothing more than an extra problem to be dealt with in today’s society. However, based on its economic value and medical benefits, the cannabis has proven to outweigh its negatives with numerous other positives.
The social problem of legalizing marijuana has been an issue for many years. I argue that marijuana should be legalized in all the United States. Through research it has been proven that marijuana can bring benefits to society if it were to be legalized. Benefits include, assistance to those who have health issues, reducing crimes related to drugs, as well as uplifting the economy. Marijuana has caused various issues within the minority communities, those who live within a minority community are more likely to receive jail time if caught with the drug, if Marijuana were to be legalized this would prevent minorities from becoming incarcerated. This leads to the conflict theory. The conflict theory states, that “society is in a state of perpetual conflict due to competition for limited resources. It holds that social order is maintained by domination and power, rather than consensus and conformity.” This is a social conflict because through the resource marijuana those outside of the government are making a profit, but also risking their lives because of not conforming to society. In order for this social problem to be fixed, as a citizens we need to educate those who are unaware of the benefits verses the dangers of marijuana.
Within today’s society, Cannabis is seen as a harmful substance of such negative controversy. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Despite many malicious allegations have been made regarding marijuana today, the truth of what marijuana’s real dangers are are beginning to come about again. Sadly, these facts have been held under considerable judgement because of what people stereotype a pot smoker as. This has been brought under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.” This image society has of a lazy and unambitious America has all been the result of almost one hundred years of false propaganda and stereotypes gossiped by certain private individuals trying to keep weed illegal for their own personal benefit.
Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a plant used to produce hemp fiber and as a psychotropic drug. There are many ways to consume the plant, but most often, it is consumed through a cigarette. Over many years, marijuana has been looked at as a gateway drug and something attached to violence and addiction. Users of marijuana have been stereotyped to abuse the drug to get high rather than to medicate their bodies. The hip-hop and hippie communities shed a light on marijuana that gave society a good excuse to view it negatively. Many have overlooked the benefits of marijuana by being blinded by the stereotypes society has created. Despite the negative outlooks, there are an abundance of benefits that using
“Marijuana is the the third most popular recreational drug in the United states,” stated in the NORML article. Societies viewpoints tend to stand on two opposite extremes. In some states, the drug is becoming legalized for medical purposes. In other states, the drug is just become legalized for the purpose of being openly consumed, marketed and sold. The other viewpoint blames this drug for the rate of crime, poverty, and unemployment rising. Some people also fear that although the drug doesn’t directly lead to death, it is the gateway to harsher drugs making the legalization and use immoral.
Living in the 21st Century, a majority of the laws and regulations that guide our daily lives have already been legitimized and written decades ago. Although a large portion of these laws still exist today, there is always need to revise and rewrite laws. In this article I will talk about the myths and beliefs of marijuana and compare them to reliable sources to form an opinion on whether or not marijuana is a relatively safe drug for medical and recreational use along with the physical and social effects to the user and their environment. Regard, this paper will not focus on any other associated topics such as the price of prisons, annual marijuana dispensary revenue, drug trafficking or law policy’s. However many of the used articles compare and contrast the use of alcohol to cannabis.
This survey was conducted to further expand on the subject of marijuana use in our modern society. The survey consisted of 15 questions regarding social acceptance, the effects on society, related health issues, legal concerns regarding state versus federal law, and its use for both medicinal and recreational purposes. There were 50 participants involved in this survey varying in age from 18 to 66 compromised of 28 males and 22 females. Although other pertinent data was collected, the survey highlighted 4 key points of interest.
In today’s society, marijuana is used for many different reasons. Marijuana is a plant that is known as cannabis, weed, pot, hash, grass and dope. This type of drug is popular all over the country therefore, the intake of marijuana should be taken, very seriously. Regardless, how weed makes a person feel, it comes with positive effects as well as negative outcomes. Without a doubt, smoking marijuana or eating the drug will affect people’s behavior. Individual’s find themselves at home feeling relaxed or have problems concentrating, which can lead to poor grades. The main point is, when people are feeling relaxed, they are still obligated to take care of their responsibilities to the best of their ability. With this essay, a reader will find out, why marijuana should only be legalized for medicinal use (a) it affects people differently, (b) it can result in health problems and (c) it needs to be used responsibly.
In today’s society, it is clear people use marijuana for different reasons. Marijuana is a plant that is known as cannabis, weed, pot, hash, grass or dope. This type of drug is popular all over the country therefore, the intake of marijuana should be taken, very seriously. Regardless, of how weed makes a person feel it comes with positive effects as well as negative outcomes. Without a doubt, smoking marijuana or eating the drug will affect people’s behavior. Individuals self esteem increased, along with feeling relaxed or have problems concentrating. The truth is, regardless, how marijuana affects humans, they are still obligated to take care of their responsibilities to the best of their ability. With this essay, a reader will find out, why marijuana should only be legalized for medicinal use (a) it can be harmful to people’s bodies, (b) there are different side effects and (c) it needs to be taken responsibly.
Beginning in 1990s, the famous plant known as cannabis has increased its popularity among adults and teenagers, while still being both researched and labeled by the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 as a highly addictive drug with no known medical use. Yet, marijuana has gained popularity among U.S. citizens and calls for legalizing it has finally come. However, no one seems to be terrified from the consequences of using pot. They label it as “harmless plant” with great use for patients. Therefore, we debunk those claims and side with the non-legalization side, for the good of this country’s future generations.
The use of marijuana impairs the health of the users. Marijuana causes distortions of time and space perceptions and impairs coordination. Heavy marijuana abusers are unable to interact socially, work, or have cognitive ability because of marijuana. Eventually, marijuana