Review Paper and Answer Worksheet

Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized

Drugs use has recently spiked within the last decade as a long-time prohibited drug, marijuana, has recently been legalized and used in addition to other intoxicating substances contributing to the drug use epidemic. As this recreational drug becomes frequently used throughout the United States the new generation of children will now also face the temptation of this drug along with other legalized drugs. With the current epidemic of drug use and health issues the legalization of marijuana should be reviewed on thorough health level as other drugs are reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. Marijuana use and respiratory issues, increased traffic accidents, increased drug use among teenagers. Marijuana should remain illegal because it brings on long-term health problems, increased traffic accident due cognitive impairment and its use can lead to addictive drug behaviors among teenagers.

Lung disease and cancer have taken the lives of many Americans, recent studies have now included the use of marijuana linked to these life terminating health issues, therefore marijuana should be illegal. Some of the recent studies that have been done by Academic Medical Centers around the country including clinical oncology trials on long term health problems include lung cancer and related respiratory issues. Studies conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, “showed, overexpression in marijuana users of Ki-67 (a cell proliferation marker), epidermal growth factor receptor, and p53 a gene suggesting a biologic basis for increased risk of lung cancer” (Weiss, P. A. 2008). Since studies found that heavy marijuana use throughout early adulthood leads to harmful health concerns. Also, with recreational marijuana legalization, this can cause more worry to individuals who use marijuana at an early age increasing their risk for mental and physical health problems such as anxiety, depression, and over all substance abuse. Unlike cigarettes which contain nicotine, the addictive substance in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The smoke produced by burnt marijuana contains many substances which are also present in cigarette smoke (Grzywa-Celińska1, 2019). With the addictive behavior now seen frequently within teenagers, recent surveys of traffic accidents have been connected with teenagers being under the influence of marijuana.

Marijuana in addition to carrying 50 percent more benzoprene and 75 percent more benzanthracene than an actual cigarette may have increased the chances for lung cancer within the adult years, the contents within marijuana have impaired judgment of young drivers. Being under the influence of marijuana affects the reactive parts of the brain therefore the reaction time of a human can be up to 90 seconds delayed, this significant within a person that is conducting a vehicle. Recently the state of Washington and Colorado released a High Patrol reporting stating the following, “subsequent changes in motor vehicle crash fatality rates in the first 3 years after recreational marijuana legalization” (Aydelotte, J. D., Brown, 2017). In addition to delayed reaction on a person on the under the influence of marijuana the cognitive behavior also demonstrates the sedative effect on the body where it can lead to falling asleep behind the wheel of an automobile leading to deadly accidents. Legalization of marijuana has affected the toll numbers of car crashes throughout the last five years adding an additional 12% to the total crash accidents under the influence of any type of drug. Furthermore, as legalization of marijuana continues throughout the United States many issues as described with car crashes will be seen as some of these events have already been seen and analyzed for root causes.

The amount of marijuana is now easily accessible to teens just as alcohol has been for many years creating a drug addiction epidemic. As the teenage lung develops, the exposure to marijuana smoke and use of marijuana has shown inflammation within the airway of the lungs.

The reports from the FDA have also connected several marijuana vaping teenagers to recent deaths, however the addictive behavior has now been seen with middle school students that have used vaping tools to help mask the smell of marijuana on campus. Teenagers addictive behaviors with the legalization of marijuana also have led to the exposure of other drugs with similar psychedelic affects leading to adulthood problems. In addition, as stated within an Epidemiology article, “With the addictive behavior now seen frequently within teenagers, recent surveys of traffic accidents have been connected with teenagers being under the influence of marijuana” ( Novak, 2015).

Although many debate over the legalization of marijuana within the United States many have failed to research the facts and details of this recreational drug. Smoking marijuana has led to lung cancer, Teenagers have increased their drug abuse due to marijuana, and more importantly Marijuana effects have impaired those conducting vehicles leading to increase in car crashes. As other drugs are legal within the United States, the country already faces a strong drug addiction epidemic, and with the legalization of highly abused drug, the known effects of the drug continue to affect and take lives away every year. Therefore the legalization of Marijuana should not be implemented within the United States.

References

Anna Grzywa-Celińska, Izabella Drogoń, Justyna Emeryk-Maksymiuk, Izabela Chmielewska, & Janusz Milanowski. (2019). Not only cigarettes – other culprits of lung cancer. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 4, 661. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.26444/aaem/109688