“I find it quite ironic that the most dangerous thing about weed is getting caught with it.” Bill Murray. This quote is very true but there are still people who say that weed is bad and shouldn’t be legalized. They have some very good points as to why this may be. These points include that the bad effects of smoking always outweigh the good and that since it’s already illegal then it must be bad. It is also said that it is a gateway drug. People argue that it’s as addictive as heroin, it’ll screw up the economy, and that it’ll have a negative effect on everyone’s health.
The first point against it is that the bad effects of smoking marijuana outweigh the good. Some effects of marijuana are relaxation, euphoria, increased libido, and increased …show more content…
While there are over 50 carcinogens found in cannabis smoke there is no consensus on whether cannabis can actually cause cancer or if it is just a coincidence. Research has found that low and moderate cannabis doesn’t increase the risk of cancer and that most concern of cancer is around high usage of cannabis. People also say that it can cause cardiovascular disease. While people who smoke cannabis may have or develop a cardiovascular disease in life there is no proof that the cause of it is cannabis. Although there is no proof of marijuana causing heart disease, the research is very hard to conduct considering that marijuana is often used in conjunction with tobacco, alcohol, and …show more content…
The theory that marijuana is a gateway drug is pretty much that smoking marijuana leads people to use harder drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. They argue that because people who use these harder drugs sometimes have a record of marijuana use that the marijuana must be the cause of this. The implication is that because the user is already smoking they are becoming desensitized to use of other drugs making them more likely to try them. While this may be true for some people who are more easily manipulated and/or more apt to desensitization, the vast majority of research shows that marijuana users don’t usually go into using harder drugs and usually stop using drugs altogether once they join the adult social world. Even though marijuana isn’t a gateway to hard drugs, there is obviously something that makes people try hard drugs. This factor may be poverty/poor social environment, association with people who already use hard drugs, and certain mental illnesses.
A fourth point people make against cannabis is that it is as addictive as heroin. These people are right in the sense that it is possible to become psychologically addicted to marijuana. However, cannabis is nowhere near as physically addictive as heroin. It is estimated that only 9% of Americans are at risk for developing an addiction to cannabis compared to the 32% chance of addiction rare for nicotine, 23% potential addiction rate for heroin, 17% rate
The first point against it is that the bad effects of smoking marijuana outweigh the good. Some effects of marijuana are relaxation, euphoria, increased libido, and increased …show more content…
While there are over 50 carcinogens found in cannabis smoke there is no consensus on whether cannabis can actually cause cancer or if it is just a coincidence. Research has found that low and moderate cannabis doesn’t increase the risk of cancer and that most concern of cancer is around high usage of cannabis. People also say that it can cause cardiovascular disease. While people who smoke cannabis may have or develop a cardiovascular disease in life there is no proof that the cause of it is cannabis. Although there is no proof of marijuana causing heart disease, the research is very hard to conduct considering that marijuana is often used in conjunction with tobacco, alcohol, and …show more content…
The theory that marijuana is a gateway drug is pretty much that smoking marijuana leads people to use harder drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. They argue that because people who use these harder drugs sometimes have a record of marijuana use that the marijuana must be the cause of this. The implication is that because the user is already smoking they are becoming desensitized to use of other drugs making them more likely to try them. While this may be true for some people who are more easily manipulated and/or more apt to desensitization, the vast majority of research shows that marijuana users don’t usually go into using harder drugs and usually stop using drugs altogether once they join the adult social world. Even though marijuana isn’t a gateway to hard drugs, there is obviously something that makes people try hard drugs. This factor may be poverty/poor social environment, association with people who already use hard drugs, and certain mental illnesses.
A fourth point people make against cannabis is that it is as addictive as heroin. These people are right in the sense that it is possible to become psychologically addicted to marijuana. However, cannabis is nowhere near as physically addictive as heroin. It is estimated that only 9% of Americans are at risk for developing an addiction to cannabis compared to the 32% chance of addiction rare for nicotine, 23% potential addiction rate for heroin, 17% rate