Marijuana Has Always Been A Concern In How It Should Be

There has been an extensive amount of research done on risk factors and marijuana use. Among adolescents the vast majority of the research has identified five major risk factors associated with adolescent marijuana use, family relations (parent-child attachment), peer associations, substance abuse programs, gender, and race. Some researchers have found that the family is the best predictor of adolescent marijuana use, while others claim that peer associations are predictors of adolescent marijuana use. Others believe that substance abuse programs are the key to deterring adolescent drug use. The final groups of researchers believe gender and race are the underlining predictors. The following studies will give a quick overview of the prior research on risk factors and adolescent marijuana use.

The usage of Weed is the most common illicit substance used in the United States. Pot is one of the cheapest illegal drugs on the market and is more accessible to buy it. Marijuana is mainly imported illegally to the United States and cropping this plant or producing it, is not as hard as other illicit substances. Illegal Marijuana plantations have also been found inside houses where they have been produced thousands of pounds without being detected. It is estimated that Marijuana users are between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. It is not common to see people over 35 smoking Weed. Unfortunately, most of these consumers are adolescents that because of the dazed feeling that it produces, creates long-lasting consequences for the body and mind. The use of Weed has been linked to car accidents, health complications, psychiatric symptoms and poor educational outcome (Feeney and Kampman, 2016). Socially speaking, smoking Weed is not well seen, although many people have accepted doing it, especially celebrities. Cannabis is linked to illegal drugs like cocaine and crack. Illicit substances major distributors are drug lords who have made millions and millions of dollars trafficking in the United States and Europe where most of the consumers are. This activity has also brought crime to the cities since it has been a very lucrative business. Many people have died or go to jail for selling, distributing and producing illegal drugs. Making this drug, legal, will increase the number of people addicted to illegal substances and will increase crime too. To differentiate a legal drug from an illegal one would be very difficult so it will be available everywhere. Drugs are an epidemic that is killing our society, especially our young ones. A solution to one problem cannot be a destruction of another one. For decades, the world has been battling against drugs and making it

Because marijuana is illegal in the United States and decades of government sponsored anti-marijuana programs, it’s often associated with crime though there is no association between weed use and crime. Although there are studies that link marijuana and crime, its almost all focused on illegal distribution. People who are high don’t commit violence. Its common knowledge that a person should never take alcohol or weed and drive, but although its true that marijuana affects the ability to drive, it is not as dangerous as drunk or buzz driving. A recent study show that marijuana use increases the odds of a fatal crash by 83 percent while driving with a blood alcohol level of at least .05 increased the chance of being in a crash by 575 percent. It is clear that the roads are threatened more by alcohol than weed but society is also affected by both in very different ways. Colorado is a state where weed is legal to those twenty one and older and offers a look on marijuana’s effects on society such as states with medical marijuana painkiller overdoses deaths have dropped 25 percent due to people substituting their prescriptions for weed (Christensen, Wilson "Is Marijuana as Safe as -- or Safer than -- Alcohol?”). Alcohol does not lower the number of painkiller but because

Cannabis began being outlawed all across the U.S. during the 1900’s and has remained illegal ever since, until recent years when states began legalizing it (huffpost.com). Although many people believe that the reason behind the prohibition of cannabis was based on genuine concern for the possible consequences it may have on the well-being of people if it remained accessible to all, the truth is that the drive behind the U.S.’s prohibition of cannabis was founded on racism. During the early 1900’s cannabis was considered an “ethnic drug” due to the fact that many Mexican immigrants smoked the plant (huffpost.com). With the tension in Western states regarding the migration of Mexicans into the states, laws concerning the use regulation of

It is almost unquestionably true that drug enforcement is racially biased. Despite equal usage rates of marijuana, African-Americans are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for possession than their white counterparts. There is also a major disparity in sentencing.

In order to pay for drug use, teens engage in criminal behavior, motor vehicle theft, and breaking-and-entering offenses (University of Washington ADAI). Teen Marijuana users need money to pay for drug use, and in order to obtain money, teens engage in problematic behaviors. There are also legal aspects when selling, using, or possessing marijuana, involving fines, jail time, and possibly a criminal record (Teens Health 2). Teen marijuana users’ problematic behaviors involving the law can lead to consequences, sometimes with the potential to damage the teen’s future. Laws against growing, possessing, and selling marijuana exist in all states but Washington and Colorado (2). Over 7.2 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges since 1990, many of which were teenagers (NORML). Marijuana association damages the lives of many teens who get caught engaging in marijuana associated problematic behaviors. The problematic behaviors associated with teen marijuana use can potentially damage not only a teen’s future, but also society.

Studies show that our drug situation is a major public health and safety threat, and drug addiction is a condition that can be successfully stopped and cured. Legalizing drugs would boost their availability and normalize their use, leading to negative health results, mainly between young people. Drug legalization also weakens preventative health strategies a base in improving our overall public health in the United States. A drug like Marijuana places a strong tension on our health care system, and poses a substantial crisis to the health and safety of the consumer themselves, their families, and our communities. We all know that marijuana use, mostly long-term and chronic use that begin at a young age usually around 16-19, can lead to reliance and addiction. “In 2012, approximately 4.2 million people met the diagnostic criteria for wrong use or dependence on marijuana. Marijuana and other drugs is associated with addiction, respiratory illnesses, and cognitive impairment” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). “Studies also show that marijuana effectiveness has nearly tripled over the past 20 years, raising deliberate concerns about ramification for public health – especially among young people, for whom long-term use of marijuana could possibly be linked with lower IQ later in life” (DAWN Report). Drug use puts a lot of emphasis on parents, Siblings, grandparents and anyone who is part of the household. There are many reasons why. You can't always count on them to do what they say they will do, they may get distracted and forget because their pivot is the idea of getting and taking drugs, they might deceit or keep money to purchase more drugs, they might get terminated from their jobs, they might not come home at night, and they may do terrible things

Marijuana is a popular and universal drug. It is easily accessible to most people and is the number one illicit drug used in North America. Although the availability and knowledge of this drug is fairly equal for all people in North America, marijuana tends to be more prevalent in teenagers and young adults. Maisto, Galizio, and Conners (2004) reported that "use of marijuana [in young people] was 8.0% among those aged 12-17; 16% among those aged 18-25," as compared to "6.8% among those aged 26-34; and 2.4% among those 35 and older." People of all ages, races, and religions use marijuana and have their own reasons to use it. Young people first try marijuana because of some common reasons. Some teenagers feel pressured by their peers to

The Author in this article is discussing the alarming truth that more people have been arrested for small amounts of marijuana this year compared to those who have committed serious violent crimes last year. The author also argues that an excessive number of African Americans have been arrested for marijuana use similar to whites but are prosecuted far more frequently.

Howard S. Becker gave me a lot to think about as it comes to being a marijuana smoker. I have been around people that have used marijuana for pleasure, but along with that I have witnessed the use of smoking for medical purposes. The idea that people who don’t have a good experience within recreational use of the drug being based on how they smoke it. That being stated, I think it is caused by the peer pressure of doing what seems rebellious/ deviant to seem cool. On the other side of the peer pressure of doing something deviant is the peer pressure of the idea that drugs are bad, and if you do them, your life will go on a downward slope.

Teenage marijuana use is at an all time high, it has been found that today’s teen marijuana smokers are doing so at extreme amounts, some even do so daily. What are the factors that cause them to start experimenting and smoking marijuana? The amounts of marijuana being smoked by today’s teenagers must have an effect on the developing teens. The minds and bodies of the teens who smoke must be facing some sort of developing issues. Marijuana is a mild drug compared to harsher drugs like cocaine, heroin, meth, etc. the users of marijuana will eventually look for a stronger and long lasting high so they will turn to these harsher and more addicting substances. The decisions that today’s teens are making to smoke marijuana might have a

Even though it is illegal if the drug abusers have not been caught they will continue to use the drug and use others. Many adolescences experiment with marijuana due to curiosity and peer pressure studies have shown that the use of marijuana at a young age causes the adolescences to want to try more dangerous narcotics such as cocaine and heroin. An article titled “Evidence That Marijuana Is a Gateway to other Illicit Drug Use” by Joseph Gfoerer, Li-Tzy Wu, and Michael Penne states that, “the highest prevalence of use of heroin, cocaine, and psychotherapeutics in the lifetime was noted among those who initiated marijuana before they were 15 years old. With many young people trying strong narcotics illegally it is no surprise that other young people will also become more apt to try these heavier drugs. The article, “Marijuana is a Dangerous Drug for Teens” by Joseph Calfifano discuses why marijuana is so dangerous for teens and how the gateway effect plays part in this problem. The article states that marijuana use is a “signal of trouble”, the troubles include lack of growth, focus, and motor skills. He also brings up the gateway effect in the article the statistics he uses include, “Twelve to seventeen year olds who smoke marijuana are eighty five times more likely to use cocaine than those who would not.” These statists are very strong in

There are many factors that are associated with the social context of marijuana use, such as the money it makes, culture, and even reputation among celebrities. A study from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, shows that the popularity of youth consuming marijuana from 1991 to 1994 almost doubled from 1.4 million to 2.4 million (Schensul et al., 2010). The previously stated factors may be the cause as to why the number of young individuals consuming marijuana grew so rapidly. According to Schensul (2010), the social setting that takes place while consuming marijuana is usually with a group of people, and these individuals prefer to share their experience with others. I believe that this may be a sign of peer pressure, and another

The second reason that the government should not legalize marijuana is that doing so will send the message that is okay to use other psychoactive drugs. Legalizing marijuana could result in advertising of this drug to adolescents. A study was conducted during 2003 showing that roughly 48 percent of twelfth graders reported using alcohol in the past thirty days and 24 percent reported smoking cigarettes in the past thirty days. Household access to illicit substances is coupled with a greater risk of marijuana use among both younger and older adolescents. This is often coupled with parental drug use which sends the message that it is okay to use psychoactive drugs (Joffe & Yancy, 2004, p. e636). The general idea is that we, as people, shouldn’t be making it easier for our children to get drugs. Thus far, it is shown that there is a struggle to educate the youth to avoid the use of psychoactive drugs. However, certain organizations, such as DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), have made solid efforts to

Within today’s society, Cannabis is seen as a harmful substance of such negative controversy. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Despite many malicious allegations have been made regarding marijuana today, the truth of what marijuana’s real dangers are are beginning to come about again. Sadly, these facts have been held under considerable judgement because of what people stereotype a pot smoker as. This has been brought under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.” This image society has of a lazy and unambitious America has all been the result of almost one hundred years of false propaganda and stereotypes gossiped by certain private individuals trying to keep weed illegal for their own personal benefit.