Marijuana: Detrimental or Beneficial?

The debate over the legalization of marijuana is one that has lasted for many years. Politicians and citizens alike have had their share of this issue in deciding whether it should be made legal because of its medicinal properties or whether it should be banned because of its tendency to make its victims "addicted." Though the debate is still in full force over whether or not to legalize this drug, one thing is certain and that is that there is both a positive and negative point of view to both sides of the story. In this paper I will analyze the contrasting views of two major organizations that play a major role in presenting the issues as to whether or not marijuana should be legalized for medical applications. These two groups are The Marijuana Policy Project, who believes that marijuana should be legalized for mostly medical purposes, and The National Institute on Drug Abuse, who believes that more research should be done before legalizing this drug.

Before I get into depth about this issue, it is necessary to answer the question: What is marijuana? In a technical sense, marijuana is any form of drug derived from the dried or shredded leaves of the hemp plant. All marijuana contains THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the main active ingredient of the drug along with about 400 other chemicals. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the amount of THC found in marijuana has been increasing since the 70s.There are also stronger forms of this drug such as sensemilla and hashish. Marijuana also goes by many slang names such as pot, bud, ganga, herb, Mary Jane, weed, hydro, and chronic. With a basic understanding of this drug and it's origins it is much easier to examine political issues that are present due to its existence.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more research should be done before allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes. They also argue that other uses of marijuana, especially amongst teens, are very unhealthy. Marijuana has negative effects on both physical and mental performance. Some of these hinderences include a loss of memory, loss of motor coordination, and an increased heart rate. Marijuana also weakens one's immune system and makes the user vulnerable to various lung-infections. Marijuana is also not healthy for pregnant mothers because of the detrimental effect it has on the fetus. Not only does it affect the fetus, but also children of parents who smoked marijuana while they were pregnant have been said to have various behavioral, memory, and decision making problems.

Furthermore, studies have gone on to show that marijuana has a negative effect on the human brain. Heavy use of marijuana directly affects the user's memory, attention span, and learning skills. It is also said that some of the mental changes caused by this drug are very similar to the effects caused by cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. According to some studies done, marijuana is also addictive to some users, especially teens who have had antisocial problems in the past. Also, those who use marijuana heavily may desire a larger than previous amount of the drug to achieve the same effect as they did before while using a smaller amount. The National Institute on Drug Abuse continues to educate people about these issues involving marijuana through videos, brochures and the internet.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has shown us some very compelling reasons why this drug should not be legalized, but the Marijuana Policy Project counters with some very logical reasons as to why it should be legalized. The medical uses of this drug are the primary focus of this group. According to some common questions presented to The Institute of Medicine, marijuana is the least addictive amongst other drugs. It is also stated that marijuana is very effective in the easing of nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, marijuana has many beneficial uses such as the reduction of inner-eye pressure and the reduction of muscle spasms. It also helps to alleviate many illnesses associated with and caused by AIDS and AIDS medications. Most