It’s hard to deny the overwhelming prevalence of marijuana in our society. From high school students to politicians, the cannabis leaf remains a smoking hot topic in daily discussion and debate. With all this talk, there are sure to be some misconceptions, right? Of course, many of the claims made by both supporters and opponents of marijuana are not rooted in fact.
First, let’s address the most common myth about marijuana: it is addictive. Marijuana is not physically addictive, and a very small number of those who smoke it end up in drug rehabilitation programs. However, although it does not cause physical dependence, those who smoke marijuana often experience physiological addiction, leading to mental dependence. So while it is not addictive in the same way as other abused substances, it is unfair to claim that marijuana is not addictive at all.
While many believe that marijuana causes brain damage or memory loss, long-term brain damage only occurs in heavy users and is extremely rare. Users do experience short-term memory loss, but only while intoxicated. Some also claim that users experience a loss of motivation, but studies have shown that this decline in motivation occurs only while someone is intoxicated. Marijuana use does have its side effects, but they tend to be short term.
As far as medical treatment, it is often claimed that marijuana holds a value. Conversely, the Center for Medical Cannabis Research in California has found that smoking marijuana is not effective or safe as a treatment method. Most researchers are attempting to isolate active ingredients within marijuana to produce a treatment that is an alternative to smoking.
Due to the respective legalities of marijuana and alcohol, many assume that alcohol is less damaging than marijuana, despite the increasing number of alcohol-related incidents per year. Alcohol is the more likely of the two to be a factor in a car accident; however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims marijuana is one of “the most frequently detected psychoactive substance[s] among driving populations,” second only to alcohol. While drunk driving is a huge problem, driving under the influence must also be recognized as an issue.
The list of misconceptions goes on and on, and society remains, for the most part, uninformed or misinformed about marijuana and its use. Legislation in favor of legalizing marijuana continues to make its way to state general assemblies; for example, Delegate David Englin of Alexandria recently proposed that Virginia look in to legalizing marijuana and selling it in Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) stores. Legalization has become more plausible, making it important than ever for citizens to understand all effects, or the lack thereof, resulting from marijuana use.
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This was clearly written by someone who enjoys being under the influence…. good going. Basically you’re saying that pot has no consequences, so essentially there is no reason for it to be illegal….. THAT COULD NOT BE MORE FALSE. Why don’t you get your head out of your own weed… and read some facts! (:
Going through your points:
1. I agree, marijuana is not proven to be psychologically addictive. Those who develop physiological addictions tend to do because they use the drug as a crutch, to avoid having to deal with ‘healthy’ amounts of stress, anxiety or other real life factors.
2. Your argument regarding brain damage is very biased. There are numerous studies regarding marijuana’s influence on the neural development of teens, especially its tendency to increase risk of schizophrenia.
3. Reading this paragraph I’m surprised this is the collective writing of the Outlook editorial staff. It just sucks, you threw in this ‘paragraph’ to cover the medical aspect of this issue, justified it with an authoritative source and moved right on.
4. well said
5. this paragraph is weakly tied together. You could have written it better but settled for less. Also, “lack thereof” is improperly used. In this instance you’re implying that marijuana has no effect. If this were the case, it wouldn’t be a drug.
Also, “Actual Journalist”:
You’re the exact reason this article was written. You aren’t an actual journalist, because actual journalists are capable of critical thinking. You simply regurgitate the dogma shoved down your throat instead of doing research and thinking for yourself.
Please show me these ‘facts’ because even if I accept your false facts about marijuana, you can’t deny the fact that prohibition does not lead to declining numbers of users. I’m not advocating legalization, but decriminalization.
Our failed war on drugs is focused on incarceration. This is part of why the United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. If we’re really having a war on drugs, why is our main goal to put drug users in jail which has little impact on the actual number of drug users. Concurrently, persons who are addicted to heroin that try to rid themselves of such an addiction face withdrawal effects of “cold sweats, chills, severe muscle and bone aches; nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever” while on a waiting list for up to six months. Is this an efficient way to manage our ‘war’ on drugs?
I’m not bothering to reread my comment so I apologize for typographical errors or logical inconsistencies, which I will be happy to clear up upon request.