Rudra Patel

Professor Whittener

EH102

4/12/21

Opposing Viewpoints : Marijuana

The drug known as marijuana can be seen as holding both a positive and a negative

connotation. The reasoning behind this is because marijuana can be used medicinally to treat

certain symptoms but can also be abused as a drug due to it’s psychoactive effects. Because the

drug is so common, it can easily fall into the wrong hands which can lead to further drug abuse.

When marijuana is smoked, THC and other chemicals in the plant pass from your lungs

into the bloodstream, which then rapidly carries them to the brain. When this happens, the person

beings to feel the effects almost immediately. However when marijuana is consumed in a food or

beverage, the effects are somewhat delayed. They usually appear after 30 minutes to an hour

because the drug must first pass through the digestive system before feeling effects. Eating or

drinking marijuana however deliver significantly less THC to the bloodstream than smoking an

equivalent amount. Due to this delayed effect, people can sometimes consume more THC than

intended.

One main reason that marijuana is pushing to be legalized is that it has many benefits to

people that suffer from chronic illnesses that produce pain as a symptom. The patients that have

these chronic illnesses may use marijuana in order to suppress their pain. For example,

Parkinson’s Disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with

walking, balance, and coordination. Marijuana has been used in Parkinson’s treatment before and

has been shown successful. The THC in marijuana comes in contact with the endocannabinoid
system which is located in the brain and is made up of cannabinoid receptors which are linked to

neurons that regulate thinking and other bodily functions. A study done in Madrid shows that

mice injected with a strain of Parkinson’s and then introduced to THC showed increased

tolerance to pain, reduced motor skills, as well as their tremors being reduced. Another reason

that marijuana is being pushed to be legalized in the United States is that when legalized, the

amount of teen possessed marijuana decreases. This is shown by a study done at Washington

University School of Medicine. The study shows that the marijuana use among 8th graders in

Washington dropped from 9.8% to 7.3% in 2012 following the legalization of the drug.

However, despite the positive sides of marijuana, there are still many people who do not

want this drug to be legalized in the United States. One of the reasons behind this is that

marijuana contains hundreds of compounds, many of which are harmful to health. Another

reason that marijuana is disliked by some in society is because of it’s psychoactive effects. When

consuming marijuana, one should stay away from operating heavy machinery or driving because

of the effects that may make you feel tired, dizzy, or even loopy. In addition to this, the black

market and organized crime would benefit from the drug becoming legalized. According to law

enforcement, they have more opportunities to undercut the licensed seller which would

ultimately lead to a government budget deficit. The Colorado Attorney General’s office stated

that the legalization “has inadvertently helped us fuel the business of Mexican drug cartels.

Finally, a reason that marijuana is struggling to become legalized is that people see it as a

“gateway drug” where if one tries marijuana and likes it, they will naturally move on to a much

stronger drug such as cocaine or heroin, which is not the case in most of the situations.

In conclusion, there are two sides to this discussion, one where you are in favor or

legalizing marijuana and one where you are not. There are many reasons for legalization and not
that many to keep the drug illegal. But both sides put up an even argument which will soon be

broken when the drug becomes legalized nationally. Marijuana can be used for medicinal

purposes to help patients where they could not be helped previously but it can also be used as a

recreational drug for whatever purposes it may be needed for. Overall, the war over marijuana is

not over, but it will be soon.