The Legalization of Marijuana Increases Other Drug Use

Marijuana is one of the most widely abused illicit drugs in the United States. However, despite its ‘illicit’ nature, twenty-three states have already legalized it especially for medical use since the late 1990s. Other states such as Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington have now legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. It’s now almost five years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado and in a span of those five years, the scope of drug use, abuse and addiction has changed a great deal and spread to other states – with most of these changes being for the worse. Marijuana can have devastating effects on the lives of people by affecting their brain structure and performance, social life and other health issues such as lung cancer. Additionally, it can be used for medical purposes.

When marijuana is used for recreation purposes and is legalized, reaction from the medical marijuana community is often divided. This reaction ranges from enthusiastic advocacy to strong opposition; others are left in between. Recreational marijuana contradicts its medical uses because it becomes uncontrollable implying that even teens can access and use it. Marijuana is also being taken in large quantities or overdose unlike when it is used for medical uses, and lastly, whereas the medical use of marijuana treats several ailments, its use for recreational purposes can lead to dire consequences on both the user and the community. Currently, access to marijuana even among teens has doubled.

According to Dr. Mercola, the term Medical marijuana refers to the use of the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant and its pure extracts to either treat a particular disease or improve a symptom. Its healing properties are as a result of special substituent’s such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the substance that gets you high and is highly addictive. The healing properties in marijuana are found in CBD, which has no THC in it. An initial medical test of marijuana was the treatment of tumors which was conducted by Dr. Allan Frankel. Other common illnesses that medical marijuana (Meaning CBD, Not THC) has been proven to treat include mood disorders, degenerative neurological disorders such as dystonia, multiple sclerosis, seizures, and Parkinson’s disease (Dr. Mercola, n.d). Marijuana can also be used as a nausea relief, nerve pain reliever, and treatment of epilepsy, lupus, cancer, and Crohn’s disease. (Cicero, 2015).

Over the years, marijuana production, peddling, and use have all changed. Forty years ago, for instance, making a pot brownie meant crushing some of the leaves of marijuana into the batter and stirring them by hand. Currently, marijuana is baked in brownies and sold as Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Cheeba Chews, Mile High Mint Bars and Bubba Kush Root Beer. The market of marijuana has also grown exponentially as the medical legalization spread since early 2000 (Wardarski, 2015). Also, during ancient times, cannabis sativa was used for solely for medical or religious purposes (THC levels of 1-3%), and it was used to only impact positively on the lives of the users. Now, it is being abused especially in the recreational scope thereby resulting in numerous side effects. Today, THC levels in marijuana edibles, tobacco, and concentrates are 30-80%. This increase in THC is due genetic modification of the product by removing the stable quality, CBD.

If misused or abused, marijuana can be very harmful to the user. Apart from being addictive, there are specific chemicals in marijuana that often result in negative health effects. Anyone can become addicted to marijuana. The likelihood of being an addict depends on when one starts to use it (Marijuana Facts). Marijuana use also leads to school suspensions and expulsions, extra medical budgetary allocation on marijuana-related diseases, and marijuana-related traffic accidents and deaths, according to a September 2015 report by the Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Traffic Area (Schipani, 2016). In Colorado, for example, marijuana-related traffic deaths increased by 154% between 2006 and 2014 while emergency room hospital visits increased by 77% from 2011 and 2014 due to intense hallucinations, violent illness, and hyperventilation. Jessie Wardarski (2015) notes that over consumption of marijuana like what is happening now can lead to hospitalizations. The risks associated with marijuana use are far much less than the ones associated with cocaine or overdose, but nevertheless, one is likely to be very altered and disoriented hence increasing chances of causing marijuana-related havocs. Long term effects of marijuana include loss of motivation, a co-occurring mental health disorder including schizophrenia and temporary or permanent psychosis, and respiratory problems similar to the ones caused by tobacco smoking.

Marijuana also has a negative implication on a teenager’s brain. Several studies have shown that marijuana use causes abnormalities in the brain structure and function of heavy users particularly on the volume, white matter quality and even performance of cognitive tasks. Smaller gray matter volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex have also been noted in heavy smokers among teens. Marijuana, therefore, reduces the I.Q of heavy users by a significant percentage (Squeglia et al. 2009). This is according to a study conducted by Dr. P.A Fried, Barbara Watkinson, Deborah James and Robert Gray in 2002. These neurological conditions, however vary from one teenage to another with genetic conditions such as schizophrenia increasing the likelihood of being affected by the marijuana user (Ghose, 2015).

Legalization of marijuana in Colorado has done more harm than good for Colorado citizens. The state, for instance, tops the list of the most drugs used and abused states in the country. A recent survey has placed Colorado on the top list for consuming drugs such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine (The Washington Post, 2016). Kaleb, 19, a former addict, makes a confession that the more he used ‘weed’, the more he drank and eventually he started using pills (The Gazette, 2015). Therefore, it is true to say that since Marijuana was made legal in Colorado, alcohol and other drug use has increased. Legalizing it gave young people an opportunity to access and use it and currently the state is facing a drug-related problem even among the teens.

In Colorado, early adolescence has increasingly become a time of drug experimentation (Kelley, 2015). A survey at Pikes Peak region middle schools showed drug violations in 2015 had increased by a two-fold when compared to 2014. Youth see nothing wrong with using a substance that has been legalized, and this is partly due to easy access and peer pressure. Dr. Kenneth Finn says that there is ease of access in schools in Colorado is higher than ever despite the existence of measures to curb marijuana for recreational uses. Matt Meister, spokesman for Falcon School District, says that “The legalization of marijuana in Colorado has increased access, and in some homes, marijuana may be available on a level similar to that of alcohol” (Kelley, 2015).

There are many ways to which the teens can be restricted from using marijuana. First, make it illegal. Colorado State tops the list of drug use since marijuana (the commonly abused drug in the U.S) has been legal even for recreational purposed. The illegality of the drug might open the drug’s black market, but it will for sure reduce its prevalence among teenagers. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Changes allowing for legal medical or recreational marijuana use” is to be blamed for the increased marijuana use among teens. Therefore illegalizing it will reduce its access to the youth. Also, there should be numerous community-based, family-based or school-based education programs that will teach young people the dangers of using marijuana. These educational programs will involve the parent or guardians of these children, the school and the whole community in general. The majority of teens use marijuana because they do not know that it is harmful to their health.

References

Squeglia, L. M., Jacobus, J., & Tapert, S. F. (2009). The Influence of Substance Use on Adolescent Brain Development. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience : Official Journal of the EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ENCS), 40(1), 31–38.

Azofeifa A, Mattson ME, Schauer G, McAfee T, Grant A, Lyerla R. (2016 Sept. 1) National Estimates of Marijuana Use and Related Indicators — National Survey on Drug Use and Health, United States, 2002–2014. MMWR Surveill Summ 2016;65(No. SS-11):1–25. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6511a1

Fried, P., Watkinson, B., James, D., & Gray, R. (2002, April 2) “Current and former marijuana use: preliminary findings of a longitudinal study of effects on IQ in young adults” CMAJ. http://www.cmaj.ca/content/166/7/887.short

Kelley, D. (2015, March 6) “Drug violations spike in Pikes Peak region middle schools, analysis shows” The Gazette. Retrieved from http://gazette.com/drug-violations-spike-in-pikes-peak-region-middle-schools-analysis-shows/article/1547467

The Gazette (2015, March 24). “Teen: Colorado voters were duped into legalizing recreational marijuana. Retrieved from http://gazette.com/teen-colorado-voters-were-duped-into-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/article/1548420

Cicero, K. (2015, April 22) “How Effective Is Medical Marijuana? Here's A Closer Look At 14 Different Uses” Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.prevention.com/health/14-uses-medical-marijuana