Argumentative Essay on Negative Effects for the Legalization of Marijuana

Introduction

Legalization of the use of cannabis both for medical purposes and recreational purposes has been a controversial matter globally. In the United States, the legalization varies by the state wherein some countries, the sale and use of weed are legal while in others it is still illegal. Polls show that over 50% of the citizens in the United States are now supporting the legalization of marijuana (Pacula et al., 2015). In the state of California, the use of marijuana was allowed adults who are 21 years old and above to use cannabis and be in possession of up to 1 ounce of weed. Legalization of marijuana hurts the users and the country at large as it may result in increased use for unintended purposes, substantial health care costs and increased number of traffic deaths.

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Legalization of marijuana has significant adverse effects on the users and the state at large since it may lead to the increased use for unintended purposes. The legalization of weed will allow all persons of legal age to have access to the drug freely (Pacula et al., 2015). Increased availability will then influence the use of weed for other purposes other than the intended goal for its legalization. Despite the laws being in place, the legalization of the drug makes it difficult for the government to enforce the laws that are in place for the possession of marijuana. Police officers can no longer search a suspect for the possession of weed and would not, therefore, be able to determine whether the individual possesses more than the fair amount of the drug. The use of marijuana may lead to increased cases of alcoholism among high school students. An adolescent may use marijuana and other drugs for recreation purposes. With the legalization of marijuana, high school students will have unlimited access. The use of the drug impairs their judgment and may aggravate their use of alcohol. The high school students may then be at risk of alcoholism. Studies show that marijuana users are likely to report higher involvement in substance abuse (Pacula et al., 2015). Youths are more probable to use more than one drug for recreational purposes. For instance, in the various parties that are organized by high school students, different substances are usually part of the party such as marijuana, liquor, and other hard drugs. Therefore, students are more likely to abuse different drugs at the same time and more likely to be convoluted in substance abuse.

Due to the detrimental effects of marijuana on the users, more stigma is associated with the drug. The excessive use of marijuana may lead to mental health problems. When California's Proposition 215 was enacted, patients were allowed to use cannabis for medical purposes as long as it was prescribed by a physician (Pacula et al., 2015). However, the patients risked being stigmatized for the practice. Most patients by-passed their doctors in obtaining a recommendation for the use of marijuana for medical reasons in addition to using various strategies to justify the use of the drug among their families and friends to reduce the likelihood of stigma (Pacula et al., 2015). Stigmatization of marijuana affects how users seek treatment. The shame may cause patients not to find the medication even when it is fundamental for their health (Pacula et al., 2015). Users who are stigmatized may get involved in other forms of substance abuse as a means of coping with the stigma.

Marijuana usage leads to low performance in school due to increase substance usage and little interest in engaging in a productive activity. The use of marijuana could lead to various adverse effects such as blackouts, overdose, physical and psychological overdependence among others. Depression and severe anxiety will affect the ability of an individual to engage in useful activities such as studies and co-curriculum activities (Joffe & Yancy, 2004). Users may not show interest in an engagement which will eventually lead to low performance in their school work. In most occasions, users of marijuana exhibit antisocial behavior through avoiding interaction with other persons in the society. Antisocial behavior aggravates problems associated with depression and drug use (Joffe & Yancy, 2004). Even small amounts of a substance impair the judgment of an individual and thus affect the concentration of users in class. Lack of focus and interest will then influence the performance of an individual negatively. Productivity is decreased significantly consequently leading to social issues.

In addition to the unintended alcoholism which may result from an increase in marijuana usage, users are at risk of developing dependency and addiction (Joffe & Yancy, 2004). Continued use of marijuana leads to addiction which will then lead to other social problems associated with substance abuse. Users may find it difficult to function without the use of the drug. Withdraw symptoms are also likely to occur when one discontinues the use of the drug (Joffe & Yancy, 2004).

Marijuana use is linked with increased health care expenditures and puts users at risk of developing health complications that increase healthcare expenditure. Although marijuana is not a cause of a known health problem, smoking leads to the development of other health complications such as respiratory problems (Volkow et al., 2014). Substantial evidence exists which shows that marijuana users are a higher risk of outpatient visits in comparison to non-users is available (Volkow et al., 2014). Excessive use of marijuana could lead to other health problems thus increasing the likelihood of users to visit hospitals for outpatient services. In addition, the use of the drug has led to increased hospital visits for complications that are related to respiration and injury. The effects of the drug on the cognitive abilities of an individual lead to injuries as judgment is impaired (Volkow et al., 2014). Therefore, users of the substance often visit the hospital due to injuries that result from impaired judgment. Hallucinations are a significant adverse effect of marijuana and can lead to self-inflicted injuries (Volkow et al., 2014). The costs of healthcare, therefore, increase as resources are allocated for the management of other health problems which result from the use of marijuana. Thus, legalization of marijuana in California will have the adverse effects of increasing the health care costs in the state. Health complications that develop from the use of the drug also increase the healthcare expenditure in California (Volkow et al., 2014). These resources could be allocated to other activities for the development of the society.

The legalization of marijuana will increase traffic accidents and deaths since more users will drive under the influence. The relationship between traffic deaths and marijuana use is increasingly relevant to the debate that exists on the legalization of marijuana. The legalization will lead to more people having access to marijuana for recreational purposes, increasing the chances of people driving under the impact. Use of cannabis impairs the judgment of individuals even when used in small quantities (Volkow et al., 2014). Concerns have therefore been raised about the ability of users to drive safely under stimulation of cannabis. Driving under the stimulus of high dosage of marijuana could have the same properties as that of driving under the stimulus of alcohol. Evidence shows that the use of marijuana has an adverse impact on driving although the risk may be insignificant after controlling other risk variables (Volkow et al., 2014). More studies should be conducted on the issue to ensure road safety is maintained in California through ensuring citizens do not drive under the influence of not only cannabis but other substances that can affect the cognitive abilities negatively. However, there is still an increased possibility of the high incidences of motor vehicle accidents being attributed to the legalization of cannabis.

Conclusion

Legalization of marijuana is a controversial issue not only in the United States but also in other nations worldwide. The use of the drug has been legalized in various states in the United States including California. However, the controversy is still in existence due to the harmful effects brought about by the actions to legalize it. There is sufficient evidence to support that legalization of marijuana has a detrimental impact on the society and the users. A rise in the usage of the drug leads to users being at risk of engaging in other practices such as alcoholism and substance which is an unintended purpose. The cost of healthcare increases significantly based on injuries and other side effects of marijuana accrued by the users. The legalization has also been linked to an increase in the number of traffic accidents due to people driving under the stimulus of cannabis. Therefore, the legalization of marijuana needs to be re-evaluated and more restrictions put in place to control its use among the citizens.

References

Joffe, A., & Yancy, W. S. (2004). Legalization of marijuana: potential impact on youth. Pediatrics, 113(6), e632-e638.

Pacula, R. L., Powell, D., Heaton, P., & Sevigny, E. L. (2015). Assessing the effects of medical marijuana laws on marijuana use: the devil is in the details. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 34(1), 7-31.

Volkow, N. D., Baler, R. D., Compton, W. M., & Weiss, S. R. (2014). Adverse health effects of marijuana use. New England Journal of Medicine, 370(23), 2219-2227.