Marijuana does not mean the deterioration of intellect...

People say marijuana is harmful to your mind and body, but I say what isn't nowadays? If marijuana doesn't have any more damaging effects or even up to the amount of damage as tobacco and alcohol and doesn't make you any more inebriated, then why is it illegal? This is my last hope to show any disbelievers that marijuana shouldn't be any less legal than tobacco and alcohol. Marijuana should be legal, and if it isn't, then tobacco and alcohol shouldn't be either. Some people think marijuana is this horrible drug that messes you up, makes you crazy, and turns you into a criminal but that thought is old thinking of the past. "The idea has persisted that in the long run smoking marijuana causes some sort of mental or emotional deterioration. In three major studies conducted in Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Greece, researchers have compared heavy long-term cannabis users with non-users and found no evidence of intellectual or neurological damage, no changes in personality, and no loss of the will to work or to participate in society" (Grinspoon). I acknowledge that there is some basis for pothead stereotypes. People who are under the influence of marijuana most of the time, like people who are drunk most of the time, may not get good grades in school or promotions at work. But that does not mean that occasional marijuana use renders people incapable of academic or professional success, any more than an occasional drink does (Sullum).

People also have this theory about marijuana leading to other drugs. The "gateway theory," formerly known as the "steppingstone hypothesis," has long been a staple of anti-marijuana campaigns. “Marijuana use, it is claimed, leads inexorably to the use of more dangerous drugs like cocaine, heroin and LSD. If we can stop kids from trying marijuana, we can win the drug war” (Nadelmann). This has also been shot down by the Institute of Medicine and Canada. People who do illicit drugs most of the time have used marijuana first, just like most people who have used marijuana have drunk alcohol first. There is no proven fact that marijuana leads to other illicit drugs; it is true that if you are a marijuana user, you may be around or exposed to other drugs because of where you choose to use it, or buy it from. But marijuana is not in itself a gateway to other drugs. People are confusing correlation with causation; it is not safe to conclude from the fact that marijuana users are more likely to use heroin or cocaine that marijuana use results in heroin or cocaine use (Nadelmann). Most people who use marijuana do not use other illicit drugs such as opiates and heroin, just like not all people who drink alcohol use marijuana.

Now that I'm speaking of marijuana and alcohol, I would like to make some comparisons. Unlike alcohol, marijuana tends to suppress criminal and violent behavior whereas the intoxication from alcohol may induce violence, rage, and criminal behaviors. The intoxication from marijuana on the other hand "induces a mild lethargy that is not conducive to any physical activity, let alone the commission of crimes. The release of inhibitions results in fantasy and verbal (rather than behavioral) expression. During the high, marijuana users may say and think things they would not ordinarily say and think, but they generally do not do things that are foreign to their nature. If they are not already criminals, they will not commit crimes under the influence of the drug..."(Grinspoon) So I must conclude in repeating that marijuana should not be illegal while tobacco and alcohol are legal, it is simply a contradiction.

Works Cited

Lester Grinspoon, James B. Bakalar, and Ethan Russo. "Marijuana Use Is Not Usually Harmful." Opposing Viewpoints: Marijuana. Ed. Jamuna Carroll. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Web. Century College Library. 8 Feb. 2010

Nadelmann, Ethan A. "The Dangers of Marijuana Use Are Exaggerated." At Issue: Legalizing Drugs. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Century College Library. 23 Feb. 2010

Sullum, Jacob. "The Truth Behind Propaganda About Marijuana's Adverse Effects." Contemporary Issues Companion: Marijuana. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Century College Library. 23 Feb. 2010

With all due respect...

With all due respect to President Obama, the decision he made on October 18th to "deliver new guidelines on medical marijuana: suppliers and users won't be arrested if they abide by state laws", may have been one of the worse decisions he could have made as a president. By making this move, he is bringing the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use one step closer. I just hope one day it doesn't come to down being up the the public's vote, because with the number of people uninformed and addicted to the drug we are doomed to face the legalization of it.

David Murray, the special assistant to the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, put my theory into the perfect statement by stating, "People feel good after they take it, but they don't get better".

I will conclude my posting to this blog to let my fellow students know they put up a good fight, but in the end it comes down to marijuana being an illegal drug for a reason, and I don't see that changing unless something drastically happens in the future.

"Timeline of President Obama's first year.(Politics)(Chronology)." Newsweek. 154. 18 (Nov 2, 2009): 40. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Century College Library. 8 Feb. 2010 &contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=OVRC&docId=A210546702&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=mnacenturycl&version=1.0>.

Marshall, Patrick. "Marijuana Laws." CQ Researcher 15.6 (2005): 125-148. CQ Researcher. Web. 8 Feb. 2010. /cqresrre2005021100>.

Time for change?

Also, according to the Obama Administration, they “will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.” Of course this does not allow medical marijuana users to cover up for illegal drug transaction for they may still be prosecuted by the government. I believe this a step to legalizing the use of medical marijuana for a good cause. Now people with serious illnesses and their caregivers cannot be prosecuted for by the federal resources as long as they comply with the laws given in their state for medical marijuana.

Barrett, Devlin. "New Medical Marijuana Policy: Obama Administration Will Not Seek Arrests For People Following State Laws." The Huffington Post Huffinton Post Inc., 18 Oct. 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2010.

Johnson, Carrie. "U.S. eases stance on medical marijuana." The Washington Post Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2010.

“Marijuana, in its natural form is the safest therapeutically active substance known.”

“Marijuana, in its natural form is the safest therapeutically active substance known.”

It was said that for many years, marijuana has been used to treat many physical disorders or illnesses. Although the U.S. Government refuses to see its medical potential so they “educate” the Americans that marijuana is bad and they classify it as a Schedule 1 type of drugs. The estimated deaths from marijuana are lower than from those attributed from alcohol and aspirins. Of course marijuana cannot “cure” any illnesses or diseases, but it can surely relieve the patient from pain. Which patient would not like to feel some sort of relief after feeling so sick for so long, especially those with constant nausea, loss of appetite and those with chronic pain? Other patients have also reported that “marijuana is useful for treating arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other debilitating mood disorders.”

Some say that using marijuana leads the users to use harder drugs or is a “getaway” for other drugs but “this is largely because the supply network for illegal marijuana is often part of the supply network for other, more dangerous, illicit drugs. Marijuana buyers, forced to purchase from illegal distributors, are led to meet drug dealers who have an interest in selling more profitable substances to their customers.”

Also, the support for legalizing medical marijuana is strong from both the public and the medical community. Here the statistics show that:
• Since 1996, a majority of voters in Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington state have voted in favor of ballot initiatives to remove criminal penalties for seriously ill people who grow or possess medical marijuana. Polls have shown that public approval of these laws has increased since they went into effect.
• A CNN/Time poll published November 4, 2002, found that 80% of Americans believe that "adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes it...." Over the last decade, polls have consistently shown between 60% and 80% support for legal access to medical marijuana. Both a statewide Alabama poll commissioned by the Mobile Register, published in July 2004, and a November 2004 Scripps Howard Texas poll reported 75% support.
• Organizations supporting some form of physician-supervised access to medical marijuana include the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, and many others.
• A 1990 scientific survey of oncologists (cancer specialists) found that 54% of those with an opinion favored the controlled medical availability of marijuana and 44% had already suggested at least once that a patient obtain marijuana illegally.

The support is strong for legalizing the use of medical marijuana and fourteen states have already legalized the use of medical marijuana (with proof of residency).

In addition,this graph according to SaferChoice.Org shows that Marijuana has the least dependency as withdrawal out of all the other drugs.



Ford, Adam, and Walter Andrew. "Points: Marijuana should be Legalized." Point of View Reference Center EBSCOhost, 2009. EBSCO. Web. 8 Feb. 2010.

Jack E. Henningfield, PhD for NIDA, Reported by Philip J. Hilts, New York Times, Aug. 2, 1994 "Is Nicotine Addictive? It Depends on Whose Criteria You Use.

Marijuana Policy Project. "Medical Marijuana Should Be Legalized." Opposing Viewpoints: Marijuana. Ed. Jamuna Carroll. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Century College Library. 8 Feb. 2010

ProCon.org. "14 Legal Medical Marijuana States." MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 26 Jan. 2010. Web.
08 Feb. 2010.

Project, Marijuana Policy. "Medical Marijuana Should Be Legalized." At Issue: Legalizing Drugs. Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Century College Library. 8 Feb. 2010

Put an end to the negative side effects, I'm supposed to be preaching the negatives of drug use- not you!

Like I said, every drug has some sort of side effect. If it were up to me people wouldn't even use most prescription drugs. If you have something like anorexia, you should get help for it instead of just temporarily solving your problem by using a drug. When that drug is gone, you still have a problem.

Say someone is medically prescribed marijuana. What happens when they feel the need for increased amounts of the drug to achieve the desired effect that they felt in the beginning of the prescription? They continue to use it after they have been "cured" from their sickness because they are dependent? They are all of a sudden steered away from recovering from their illness and are now spending a great deal of time obtaining, using, or recovering from the effects of marijuana? They start giving up important social, occupational, recreational activities in order to use marijuana? I think most people believe it would be "fun" to legalize marijuana, and sure there are some positive side effects- but what follows them are far from fun...

Peele, Stanton. "Marijuana Can Be Addictive." Opposing Viewpoints: Addiction. Ed. Christina Fisanick. Detroit: Greenhaven Press,2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Century College Library. 6 Feb. 2010&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010103276&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=mnacenturycl&version=1.0>.

Response to Morgan 2-4-10

According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, they said that:

"There is no convincing data that medical legalization would lead to an increase in recreational use of marijuana."

Again as I have stated before, "Marijuana is less addictive than alcohol or nicotine."

"There is no physiological evidence that marijuana is a "gateway" to harder drugs like cocaine or heroin."

Even so if there are other kinds of prescription drugs or treatments, they are “more expensive, often highly addictive, have unpleasant side effects or are ineffective for some patients.” In this current situation of the economy, people don’t have as much money for other kinds of treatments anymore. Marijuana is also more accessible and cheaper than prescription drugs. Along this prescription drugs, there is also the side effects that may affect the person taking it.

Some side effects include:

“Body as a whole: Asthenia.

Cardiovascular: Palpitations, tachycardia, vasodilation/facial flush.

Digestive: Abdominal pain*, nausea*, vomiting*.

Nervous system: (Amnesia), anxiety/nervousness, (ataxia), confusion, depersonalization, dizziness*, euphoria*, (hallucination), paranoid reaction*, somnolence*, thinking abnormal*.

*Incidence of events 3% to 10% ”

These are just some of the side effects from the drug Marinol. Also Marinol had sesame oil in it which already limits some people allergic to it.

According to the RX list, this drug may result in addiction. Meaning if people use this drug on a regular basis or in large doses, they may become dependent on it and become addicted to it.

So why not just legalize marijuana if the prescribed drug work in almost the same way but is more expensive?


Rx List N.p., 29 May 2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2010. .


Koch, Kathy. "Medical Marijuana." CQ Researcher 9.31 (1999): 705-728. CQ Researcher. Web. 3 Feb. 2010. .

Response to Morgan's response on Kahoua's thesis, on 2/4/10

Morgan makes a good point; Marinol seems like a very good alternative source of THC for patients. But Marinol has its shortcomings. Marinol contains pure THC and can be extremely potent and powerful and to some patients it is unpleasant and incapacitating (Rosenthal). Natural marijuana contains many other non-psychoactive ingredients with medical actions of their own that can counteract the adverse effect of THC. Many physicians and patients avoid Marinol because smoking marijuana more effectively delivers THC and allows them to go about their normal activities. For patients using Marinol for nausea, the swallowing of the capsule actually can invoke vomiting, and even if the patient manages to get the pill down without vomiting, they must be able to keep it down until the capsule releases the THC to help with the nausea (Rosenthal). Another reason why Marinol isn’t always the best way to go is the cost. It costs $1,000 a month for Marinol, which is significantly higher than even high quality Marijuana (Rudolph). Anyone undergoing chemotherapy would definitely rather not have to tack that extra thousand on to their bill. So Morgan, the use of Marinol seems on the surface to be a good easy fix to avoid the legalization of marijuana but with further speculation it may not be the answer patients’ need.

I found a great, very interesting video about marijuana vs. Marinol. It shows a lot of facts and opinions from users and doctors.
Works Cited

Gerber, Rudolph J. "Beneficial Effects of Marijuana as a Medical Prescription." Contemporary Issues Companion: Marijuana. Ed. Joseph Tardiff. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. Gale. Century College Library. 23 Feb. 2010

Rosenthal, Ed, and Steve Kubby. "Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Use." Opposing Viewpoints: The War on Drugs. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. Gale. Century College Library. 2 Feb. 2010