Cons of Marijuana Legalization

 Cons of Marijuana Legalization
The majority of people think that marijuana should remain illegal. What is the basis of this argument? Due to the incessant debate on whether marijuana should be legalized or not, researchers have taken the task to establish if really marijuana causes significant harm to individuals and society. There is substantial evidence that marijuana causes severe effects on the brain. Ameri (2009) posits that marijuana consumption leads to immunosuppressive effects in the body. This implies that the immune system cannot function appropriately. The active component in marijuana is delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Ameri, 2009). The research established that, this compound cause cell death and results in DNA atomization in the hippocampus part of the brain. Ameri (2009) concurs that marijuana causes similar brain effects as morphine and other hard drugs.

Research work indicates that marijuana users had increased death rates as compared to non-users. A research carried out by Sidney, Beck, Tekawa, Quesenberry, and Friedman (1997), established that marijuana users had increased mortality rates with 28% of 65 171 marijuana-consuming men analyzed, dying as compared to 11% of non-consuming men (p. 585). This is a clear indication that marijuana is harmful and anti-marijuana campaigners have a reason to continue with their campaign. Marijuana smokers have high chances of contracting AIDS and consequently die out of it (Sidney et al. 1997, p. 585). Due to hallucinations caused by marijuana, people are likely to make misjudgments and engage in risky practices predisposing them to HIV. Researchers strongly link marijuana, just like other psychoactive drugs with irresponsible behaviors like unprotected sexual relationships (Leigh and Stall, 1993). This is a dangerous affair.

There are claims that marijuana may have medicinal value; a notion held by many who support marijuana use. However, Berger (1998) posits that there is no substantial scientific evidence to support these claims. Without proof, it will be difficult to uphold any claim because people are always right in their opinions per se. Claims that marijuana may be of medicinal value emerged in the early 1970s and this led to increased home use. As a result, there was a significant increase in crime around that time (Berger, 1998). This extends the negative effects of marijuana use to social quarters.

There have been reports of marijuana-associated lung diseases. A research carried out by Tan, Lo, Jong, Xing, FitzGerald, Vollmer, Buist, and Sin (2009), established that smoking marijuana increased the risk of lung and respiratory complications. Essentially, smoking involves the respiratory system where the particulate toxins of the smoked substance embed and cause destruction (Tan et al, 2009). Therefore, marijuana legalization will escalate these respiratory complications.

Acute marijuana use affects decision-making and impairs cognitive processes. According to Vadhan, Hart, van Gorp, Gunderson, Haney, and Foltin (2007), acute marijuana consumption disrupted basic cognitive processes during times of intoxication (p. 357). People should not mistake improved activity with accuracy. Vadhan et al. (2007) posit that even though people under influence of marijuana may have improved activity, the levels of accuracy remain low at the same time (p. 360). This questions the logic of using marijuana to improve performance while the accuracy of the improved performance declines.

Researchers have linked testicular cancer to marijuana consumption. Research, published in the journal of cancer, established that being a regular smoker of marijuana predisposed someone to testicular cancer (Buddy, 2009). A person under influence of marijuana experiences hallucinations, delusions, impaired memory, and disorientation. These effects touch several frontiers in one’s life. Marijuana in general, like any other abused drug, leads to health deterioration. This may explain in part the reason why anti-drug campaigns are mushrooming by the day in a bid to sensitize individuals on the effects of drug abuse like marijuana.