Should Marijuana Be Legalized

According to the article, marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the U.S. There are three main arguments that those who oppose the legalization of marijuana state. The first is that marijuana is currently the leading cause of substance dependence other than alcohol in the U.S. and legalizing it would only make this worse. A study done in 2008 on people, aged 12 or older, who are classified with the dependence on, or with the abuse of, an illicit drug, showed that 4.2 million out of 7 million people used marijuana. This means that nearly two-thirds of Americans suffering from any substance disorder suffer from marijuana abuse or marijuana dependence.

Another factor that contributes to the anti-legalization of marijuana is that drug-impaired driving would increase dramatically. The article mentions that marijuana is a significant factor in highway crashes, injuries, and deaths. It goes on to say that in a recent national roadside survey of weekend nighttime drivers, 8.6 percent tested positive for marijuana use. This was nearly four times the percentage of drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 g/dL (2.2 percent), completed during the same survey.

The third and final argument suggested by the article is through the analogy of marijuana use to that of gambling. Sports gambling, most of which is still illegal, has had a significant increase in illegal gambling since other forms of gambling have been legalized. This precedent strongly suggests that illegal drug suppliers would sell more potent marijuana products outside the legal channels so that their wares are not taxed or restricted. As the article says, if marijuana were legalized, the only way to eliminate its illegal trade would be to sell marijuana untaxed and unregulated to any willing buyer.

So should marijuana be legalized? You decide.

Drug Facts: Marijuana

Over the next few weeks I will be discussing the drugs most commonly used in the United States. The first common drug I will discuss is marijuana.

Marijuana comes from the cannabis sativa plant. It is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers from this plant. The mixture can be green, brown, or gray. Marijuana also has over 400 chemicals in it. The most psychoactive chemical, also known as mind alterering, is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The THC content of marijuana determines marijuana’s potency and it has been steadily increasing since the 1970s.

Street names, or slang terms that refer to marijuana, include; pot, grass, herb, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, skunk, boom, gangster, kif, chronic, and ganja.

Marijuana can be used in many ways. The most common is smoking loose marijuana rolled into a cigarette known as a joint or nail. Marijuana can also be smoked through a water pipe called a bong. It could also be smoked through a hollowed out cigar known as a blunt. Other users brew marijuana as tea or mix it with food.

Within minutes of inhaling, a user of marijuana begins to feel “high”. This is because THC activates the chemical dopamine in the brain which creates good feelings but these feelings are short lived. Marijuana affects memory, judgment, perception, and decision making. Many factors contribute to how a person will be affected by marijuana. These factors include; a person’s genetics, whether they’ve used marijuana or any other drugs before, how much marijuana is taken, and its potency. Combining marijuana with other drugs is not only unpredictable, but is dangerous.

THC affects the brain in more ways than just activating dopamine. It also interferes with learning in memory by affecting the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays a critical role in certain types of learning. This leads to problems studying, learning new things, and recalling recent events. Another part of the brain affected by marijuana is the cerebellum which controls balance and coordination, resulting in slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and problems responding to signals and sounds.

Long-term use of marijuana leads to higher risk of psychosis. Psychosis is a severe mental disorder in which there is a loss of contact with reality, including false ideas about what is happening (delusions) and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there (hallucinations). Marijuana has also been known to increase depression and anxiety, particularly when a user tries to stop using the drug.

Currently there are no medications that treat marijuana addictions. There are many treatment programs that claim to help with breaking the addiction but they focus on behavioral therapies rather than treating the addiction itself. Marijuana is known as a “gate-way” drug because users of marijuana are more susceptible to trying “harsher” and more addictive drugs like cocaine. This susceptibility is not because of a direct cause of the marijuana but because the user has a higher likelihood of being exposed to the harsher drugs and therefor more likely to try them.

Next week I will be discussing the facts about stimulants such as cocaine, methamphetamines, and ecstasy.

Student Athletes Held to a Higher Standard

It is no new news that University of South Carolina Quarter Back Steven Garcia was dismissed from the football team this past Tuesday. In this article by ESPN, they state the reason for Garcia's dismissal was do to testing positive for alcohol and marijuana. Which was a direct violation of his contract to stay on the team.

"Being a student-athlete at the University of South Carolina is a privilege, not a right and we remind all of our student-athletes that there are consequences for their actions," Eric Hyman said in a statement.

However, this is not Garcia's first run in with alcohol problems in his college football career. This past April he arrived to skills seminar under the influence. Also, during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta he ran into a few issues, that began this long downward spiral. When asked if by the media if he had an alcohol problem Garcia stated "negative, no."

Many make arguments that Garcia had too many opportunities. However, no matter how many chances he was given, this is a good example of how ones actions with drugs and alcohol can have long term consequences. Now Garcia, can no longer play college football and also unlikely to be drafted to an NFL football team. This also, goes to show that when one is a public figure and many are looking at that one the societal standards are raised higher.

This semester USC has provided several cases of the importance of understand drinking and drugs -especially with underage drinking. Which leads to the point that many argued in favor of Garcia that he does not drink more than the average college student. However, that is not the principal of this situation, the principal is when you have other obligation and they require you to have a zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs, you must weigh out the consequences. As show through Garcia's dismissal you can lose opportunities of a life time, that many only dream of having.

There are many other consequences that could have happened. It is important to know that it only that it only one time use of illegal/legal substance for these consequences to happen. The worst case scenario is the lost of ones life. So please before partaking in any substance make sure you think about the consequences.