Have you ever heard someone complaining that their apartment "reeked of weed" from their neighbor's joint? Some people in Oregon brought an unusual neighborhood complaint to the Court of Appeals: the smell of marijuana was - to say the least - “unpleasant.” But the court ruled earlier this week that while odors such as rotten eggs and raw sewage are “objectively unpleasant,” weed doesn’t necessarily smell that bad. What Does Marijuana Smell Like? A "Physically Offensive" smell? "We are not prepared to declare that the odor of marijuana smoke is equivalent to the odor of garbage. Indeed, some people undoubtedly find the scent pleasing," the appeals court wrote. "Who determines whether a particular odor is offensive?" the appeals court added.
This argument is important because marijuana is considered a "gateway drug," which has not been scientifically proven. Many people have tried marijuana or at least know someone who has attempted to smoke weed. A person most likely does not know as much as they think they know about what it is or the effects.
According to the United Nations, “158.8 million people around the world use marijuana—more than 3.8% of the planet’s population” (Marijuana). Marijuana has become a crucial topic throughout the world in recent years. Marijuana has been legalized medically throughout many countries, such as Australia, Chile, Spain, and Uruguay. Within the United States of America, twenty-eight states have legalized marijuana for medicinal use, the most recent legalization passed was in the state of Florida. Therefore, one can assert that medical marijuana is a controversial topic locally and globally. Medical marijuana portrays many advantages and disadvantages within society. Medical marijuana portrays many benefits to victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
The legalization of marijuana has been an argument for over 70 years. Even though voters helped to legalize the drug in Colorado and Washington, it’s still legal for the rest of the United States. There are many pros and cons for marijuana
Each year the United States government documents drug related deaths in our country, breaking the deaths down into categories of cause. These categories include tobacco, alcohol, prescription medications, illegal drug, and of course marijuana related deaths. Every year the number of deaths coming from marijuana is equivalent to zero. So why is there even controversy over the issue of legalization? Obviously, there are still some people out there who believe the drug is a topic for concern in our nation. In recent years, there has been tremendous progress being made in the field of medicine. University hospitals around the country have been proving again and again that the drug poses no threat to human health and well being, even
2. Once they discover that the government has been lying about marijuana, they are less inclined to believe official warnings about other drugs. 3. Once they buy marijuana on the black market, they are more likely to have the opportunity to buy other drugs” (Sullum). There is an obvious connection between pot smoking and other drug use because people who like the “high” that they get from pot, will enjoy a different “high” from another drug. However there is no connection between using marijuana and the desire to use other drugs. It is a matter of personality, environment, and personal influence. Even a National Academy of Sciences panel stated “There is no evidence that marijuana serves as a stepping stone on the bases of its particular drug effect” in a recent report (Sullum). Many other pro-prohibitionists have stated that marijuana is responsible for a long list of health problems. Although marijuana is connected to immediate lung problems like occasional coughing and phlegm production, and an increased risk for acute chest infections, there has never been a single tie to cancer. The results of studies linking marijuana smoking to lung cancer have also been hindered by small test sizes and subject bias, and the true results are saturated with unconfirmed studies and secret procedures with public results (Buddy). Marijuana is gaining headway with the most recent Gallup poll reported that 48 percent of the population supports decriminalization of marijuana, while
The origins of The Cannabis use began in the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. While in the Middle East, the use of cannabis spread throughout the Islamic Empire to North America. In 1545, the cannabis spread through the county; Chile began to use the drug as a fiber. Consequently, cannabis grows throughout tropical and humid parts of the world. The seeds have been used as animal food, fiber for hemp rope and oil as a vehicle for paint ("Cannabis, Coca, and Poppy").
Wether you call it Hemp, Mary Jane, Pot, Weed; it doesn't matter. It is still Cannabis Sativa, or cannabis for short. And it is still illegal. The use of marijuana as an intoxicant in the United States became a problem of public concern in the 1930s.
Also, Dr. Pierre-Bernard Roques, from France, concluded that marijuana does not have any neurotoxicity effects, unlike alcohol and cocaine. Even though there are literal benefits of this "drug" - when used responsibly - there are still millions of people who find possession of marijuana highly illegal. Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, Federal law in the United States preempts confliction state and local laws. However, there are some states and local governments which have established laws that are attempting to decriminalize marijuana. And one of the most fascinating findings about this, is that within those jurisdictions the number of "simple possession" has reduced. One will quickly find that the law is very shaky when it comes to possession of marijuana -- there are constantly conflicting rules and regulations. Such as in the 2006 election, amendment 44 of Colorado suggested making it legal to possess less than one ounce of marijuana. However, this amendment failed and the election was 40-60, however, the interesting point is, it is still just a misdemeanor to possess up to one half pound, and is punished mainly by fines unless a sale is established. Basically, what this is saying is that Colorado will not legalize one ounce of marijuana, but they will allow you to carry a half-pound bag of marijuana, and classify that as only a misdemeanor and the punishment is a fine.
Supreme Court justices ruled unanimously against marijuana becoming legal. They all agreed that it has no medical benefits whatsoever. While nine states have made it legal, it seems as if the Supreme
Dope, Mary Jane, Pot, Grass, Weed, Blunt, Joint, and Nuggets are only a few of the countless names for marijuana, a narcotic drug used for recreational and sometimes medicinal uses across the world. Recently growing enough popularity among younger generations due to the glamorization of media, and the overwhelming financial gains through taxes and fees seen in Colorado, have caused Ohio legislators and citizens to consider the idea of legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medicinal marijuana use. Marijuana is a toxic gateway drug that impairs the judgement of its users and should not be legalized for recreational and medicinal purposes aside from the numerous ‘benefits’ it will bring to Ohio because of the consequences will be far greater.
Some worry about the side effects. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) argues, “Marijuana smoke, like tobacco smoke, is an irritant to the throat and lungs and can cause a heavy cough during use. It also contains toxic gases and particles that can damage the lungs”. Although this is true, smoking the drug isn’t the only way of consumption. Vaporization, oil, tinctures and tonics, and butter/cooking oil are some of the different ways to consume it.
Many people think smoking marijuana is just as harmful as smoking tobacco, but this is not true. Those who hold that marijuana is equivalent to tobacco are misinformed. Due to the efforts of various federal agencies to discourage the use of marijuana in the 1970's the government conducted several biased studies designed to return results that would equate marijuana smoking with tobacco smoking, or
Marijuana is considered in popular culture to be a widely accepted mainstream recreational illegal drug used in the United States; its use comes with severe adverse side effects that are often overlooked. Long-Term use of marijuana is shown to have negative effects on physical, mental, and environmental health. Studies conducted within the United States have shown that up to 20% of daily marijuana users become dependent (Marijuana and Lung Health) showing a physical or emotional need for the drug. Marijuana use has the potential to affect every aspect of a person's physical and mental wellbeing negatively. Its use also comes with potentially life-altering risks to one's future including an individual’s likelihood of obtaining a degree, impacting
Cigarettes are a mixture of the most dangerous substances for humans to consume and yet they are legal and mass produced so that everyone can smoke them. Marijuana on the other hand is nowhere nearly as harmful as cigarettes but is illegal and looked at as if it were far worse than cigarettes. It is long overdue that society recognizes the fact that marijuana is better for people than cigarettes by a mile. Cigarettes are extremely more addictive than marijuana, the usage patterns for marijuana cannot compare to cigarettes, and dozens of lethal chemicals are put into cigarettes whereas marijuana is a natural plant and doesn’t contain nearly as many chemicals.
Furthermore, anti-marijuana supporters feel smoking marijuana is just as harmful as having a cigarette. Smoking three marijuana cigarettes is equal to having twenty cigarettes. They also declare smoking cannabis can cause cancer just like smoking a cigarette. There is also a complaint that not only is it harmful for the users, but harmful to anybody else who is around breathing in the secondhand smoke.