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Positives and Negatives of Legalizing Marijuana

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I have always been against the use of all illegal drugs including marijuana, but while researching this topic, I have learned a lot about some of the positives of legalizing marijuana use. Considering it is classified as an illegal controlled substance, I have always been under the assumption that marijuana was bad for people, no matter what my friends may have said about how good it was. I was peer pressured into trying it when I was fourteen. I knew right away that it was not for me. It made me pass out and sick to my stomach when I woke up. That reiterated my assumption that it was bad for people. I did not understand how people could like it. I figured other people must not have had the same reaction as I did after smoking it. …show more content…

It can also make judging distances and reacting to signals and sounds while driving more difficult. "A roadside study of reckless drivers who were not impaired by alcohol showed that 45% tested positive for marijuana" (Fiction). Marijuana use has also been linked to car crashes. Marijuana has been linked to adolescents engaging in risky behaviors. "Research has shown a link between frequent marijuana use and increased violent behavior. Research found that among youth, the incidence of physically attacking people, destroying property and stealing increased in proportion to the number of days marijuana was smoked in the past year" (Fiction). Youths engaging in delinquent behavior rose right along with their marijuana use. The ability of young people to concentrate and retain information has been linked to heavy marijuana use. "Regular marijuana use has been shown to be associated with cognitive deficits and poor academic performance" (Fiction). Students who smoke marijuana are known to skip classes and some miss classes because of illnesses caused by smoking marijuana. According to Just Think Twice, other dangers of marijuana use include: • The substances in marijuana stay in the fatty parts of the body for long periods of time. • A 50% concentration of THC can be found in the body up to eight days after using marijuana and traces can be found in the body up to 3 months after use. THC, the active ingredient in

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