The Legality of Cannabis
The controversial discussion over whether or not marijuana should be legalized seems to always be trending. With a history of defamatory attention on the subject, the truth about marijuana is gradually coming to the surface. Consequently, the veracity is under ladened criticism due to stereotypes created by media. This harsh perception has skewed society into a state of misinformed about the benefits and positive side of the plant. In fact, there are as many, if not more, pros as there are cons surrounding the matter. With that being said, the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, due to its presumed health benefits and because it can be used to substitute for many addictive substances, could benefit the American lifestyle.
In some parts of America, marijuana can be sold publicly to those with an appropriate permit, though in most parts, it is very illegal and the consequences of obtaining this plant can be extreme, including fines and imprisonment(Clark). Though there are enacted laws that allow marijuana to be sold, the federal government can overrule said laws as unconstitutional(US Department of Justice). The Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA) can arrest, charge, and impose upon the people of America for the personnel, recreational, and medical use of marijuana as it calls for in the Controlled Substance Act(CSA) if one chooses to consume marijuana, regardless if it is medically implied or not.
Being the most commonly used illegal drug, marijuana can come in many different forms, some more convenient than others. It can be green, gray, brown, and even purple, with a distinctive sweet or sour aroma, depending on the strain. There are hundreds of strains and all strains can be separated into two separate categorizations: indica and sativa. Indica tends to be shorter and affects the body, giving a relaxed, all-body sedation. On the other hand, sativa tends to enhance creativity and uplift along with cerebrally-focused effects(Wachtel, Elsohly, Ross, Ambre, & de Wit, 2002). Despite their differences, each carries various helpful alternatives for treatment for various diseases and disorders. The primary active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is responsible for the euphoric high. Tetrahydrocannabinol is a cannabinoid and cannabinoids(Wachtel, et al., 2002) react with receptors in the brain and body to create a vast amount of effects. Though the cannabis plant contains quite a bit, “more than one hundred” cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol is the most well known due to its psychiatric distinction(Wachtel, et al., 2002). The reason marijuana can be used medicinally is because cannabinoids are “secondary metabolites”(Wachtel, et al., 2002) and are chemicals produced by the plant itself, and theories indicate that these “secondary metabolites” act as a protectant for the plant through its development, and since humans have tetrahydrocannabinol receptors, the protective effects can benefit health or reduce pains in humans as it does for the plant.
The use of marijuana in a medical setting is nothing new. As a matter of fact, using marijuana to treat dates back thousands of years. Ancient Chinese emperor, Shen Nung, was the patient who had the first recorded medical marijuana treatment (Hill, Palastro, Johnson, & Drite, 2017); records indicate that he received the treatment to reduce pain in his gout and rheumatism. Included in his records of the medical use of marijuana, was imbedded one mediocre con: excessive use of the herb may result in “hallucinations and a staggering gait”(University of Shanghai). Marijuana was used widely in ancient China, and the Chinese made use out of the entire plant: “the root for medicine; the stem for textiles, rope and paper making; the leaves and flowers for intoxication and medicine; and the seeds for food and oil”(Hill, et al., 2017). A variety of disorders and symptoms can actually be treated with cannabis oil, including pain relief, nausea, movement disorders and diseases that cause poor appetite, including cancer and HIV/AIDS, which can also benefit due to the increase in appetite when consuming marijuana. Thousands of patients are able to better cope with the condition they are in due marijuana's positive effects to their alignments(Lash, 2002). This advantage of consuming for medical purposes is only granted in about a dozen states and can be stripped by the government under its own authority. If the herb eventually does become legalized, those who are sick would be able to take advantage of the much cheaper substitute rather than spending so much on prescription drugs that usually are not too safe when not consumed correctly.
As marijuana legalization is currently up in the air, many are looking at the roots of the issue. Nationwide, schools teach that “drugs are bad” and the main focus is always on marijuana and because it’s illegal, adolescents forever correlate danger with marijuana. The misleading phrase that one is “killing brain cells” when using marijuana can be proven wrong as the marijuana itself is not killing any brain cells(Press, 2000). It is the smoke in which is inhaled and exhaled if consuming the product by smoking and when there is too much smoke entering the body, oxygen becomes scarce and brain cells are first to die off. However, smoking a cigar or cigarette can produce the exact same issue, although said products are socially accepted. Likewise, the whole “killing brain cells” all started in the 1970s when a Tulane University doctor, Robert Heath, conducted an experiment on monkeys where he would give each about thirty marijuana-filled joints every day for three months(Press, 2000). Unfortunately, most of the monkeys started to die, so it was concluded that the marijuana killed their brain cells which eventually led to their fatalities. However, years later, the confidential paperwork from the conducted lab experiment was given to by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws(NORML), revealed that Dr. Robert Heath actually had given each of the monkeys more than double his claimed amount of joints. Even worse, the joints were pumped into the monkeys by face masks in matter of five minutes at a time(Herer, 2009). Instead of dying from loss of brain cells, suffocation was the actual cause of death for every participant in the experiment. Furthermore, trying to prove whether or not the monkeys became addicted to marijuana would be difficult as they were not willingly consuming it; it was being forced into them. A Harvard Medical School emeritus professor of psychiatry, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, stated that “this drug is not addicting. Clinical experience says that”(Press, 2000) and to this date, there is still no other experiment like Dr. Robert Heath’s and more data is needed to determine and prove what really is so bad about marijuana.
Additionally, marijuana can be a much safer substitution for many addictive substances including prescription drugs and alcohol. In 2015 alone, an estimation of 221,000 underage drinkers, ages twelve to seventeen, were already abusing alcohol (“Prevalence of "Heavy" Alcohol Use in the US”) and in 2006 alone, a whopping 85,000 deaths were due to the consumption of alcohol (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality). Not only is there an emerged alcoholism problem in the United States, the epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse continues to grow. Similarly to alcohol abuse, an estimation of twelve million people ages twelve and older reported that they used prescription painkillers non-medically in the year 2010 and majority confessed to the nonmedical usage to be more than once(Shepard, 2017). While the thousands of deaths are caused by the abuse of alcohol or prescription painkillers continual increase, there has never been a reported case of marijuana being the cause of death in any record. Marijuana users very rarely suffer from dependence on the drug and “the experience of dependence on marijuana tends to be less severe than that observed with cocaine, opiates, and alcohol”(Budney, Roffman, Stephens, Walker, 2007) which, in turn makes it much less harmful to the body and safer all around. Although marijuana has historically been linked to short term memory loss, it is nowhere near as severe as the short term memory loss due to prescription painkillers or alcohol. As with alcohol and prescription painkillers, the extensive use of marijuana can build a tolerance to the effects and the drug itself, however, some users never develop this tolerance(Budney, et al., 2007). Though tolerance may be an effect, marijuana is not as addictive as some media outlets have lead people to believe. It is actually at the bottom of most addictive substances statistics. The leading addictive substance is nicotine and following nicotine is caffeine, thus, marijuana is less addictive than a cup of coffee.
Considering that most of the effects and uses of marijuana are positive, it is difficult to grasp why the plant is still illegal. There are statements presenting that marijuana should be illegal, however, the pros of the matter outweigh the weak cons. Marijuana has many benefits and has the potential to transform the current substance abuse epidemic because it is much safer than many normalized, addictive substances that have been legalized for decades.