marijuana use essay

Usage and Effects of Marijuana Essay

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Introduction

Reasons for discussion, origins and history, effects and properties, production, use, legalization.

Cannabis, or marijuana, has been a subject of discussions for decades. Emerging from earliest societies, the drug has had considerable presence in all kinds of industries and applications – ranging from medical to spiritual uses. In the modern world, more and more countries are recognizing the role of cannabis in bringing benefits to the population. As a result, discussions of legalization and decriminalization emerge with increased force. However, the actual relationship between society and marijuana is complex. The substance can have both positive and negative effects on the population. For some, it is a source of relief, for others it is a difficult habit that affects their daily functioning. For the purposes of better understanding the drug and navigating the modern realities, it is necessary to discuss marijuana in more detail.

As mentioned previously, marijuana plays an increasingly large role in society. Efforts or legalizing the drug bring forth challenges connected with the best way to regulate its distribution, usage and production. In cases of decriminalization, governments also struggle to choose the correct way to implement their policies. The process is hampered by the need to navigate the needs of diverse populations. In order to build a structure upon which the distribution and production of marijuana can be built, legislators must consider the wishes of companies and the populace alike.

At the same time, the population itself reaches a new level of understanding cannabis use. After a considerable period of being considered taboo and misunderstood, marijuana is entering the mainstream thought. Researchers, scholars and enthusiasts alike are searching for more ways of applying the plant, while also discussing its effects on the population.

Cannabis has a storied history. First appearing in Asia, the plant was popularized by Chinese emperors. From China, it quickly spread to surrounding countries, such as India, where it became a prominent part of culture and myth. Earliest uses of the substance are connected with medical remedies and rituals to appease gods. Europeans got into contact with marijuana much later, closer to the 19 th century, when explorers, seafarers and travelers started interacting with China. Much like the Asian continent, Europeans and Americans used marijuana for its medicinal purposes. However, it was slowly pushed out of the market by taxation and regulation.

Cannabidiol is one of the two primary active part of cannabis, one that is responsible for affecting individual’s nervous and cardio systems. Instead of stimulating receptors, like it was assumed, the substance works as an antagonist, potentially affecting the effectiveness of HTC, another active ingredient in cannabis.

The effectiveness of consuming cannabis or its extracts depends on how they entered the body – inhaling or smoking works quicker than eating products containing marijuana.

There are a number of potential effects that a person will feel after consuming cannabis. Depending on the individual, cannabis can produce different effects. Altered sense of smell, sense or perception is common, as well as an inability to properly understand time. The individual usually feels relaxed, or experiences quick mood changes. In addition, speech impairment, trouble moving and hallucinations can be common symptoms.

Each country chooses how to handle the process of legalizing/decriminalizing cannabis differently. Depending on the president/ruling party, the process can be restrictive or overarching. In some countries, focus is made on managing marijuana use, while in others possession itself is the target.

• Cannabis is difficult to discuss or ascribe morally.
• The drug affects a person’s mental and physical condition.
• Antagonizing one’s brain receptors, cannabis has relaxing properties.
• Efforts of decriminalization and legalization help populations that need cannabis.
• Certain populations are endangered by marijuana decriminalization.

Barton, Allen W., et al. “Trajectory classes of cannabis use and heavy drinking among rural African American adolescents: multi-level predictors of class membership.” Addiction , vol. 113, no. 8, 2018, pp. 1439-1449.

Carliner, Hannah, et al. “Cannabis use, attitudes, and legal status in the U.S.: A review.” Preventive Medicine , vol. 104, 2017, pp. 13-23.

Goode, Erich. “ Pot and the Myth of Shen Nung .” The New York Review of Books , Web.

Halperin, Alex. “ Cannabis Capitalism: Who is Making Money in the Marijuana Industry? ” The Guardian , Web.

Kicman, Aleksandra, and Marek Toczek. “The Effects of Cannabidiol, a Non-Intoxicating Compound of Cannabis, on the Cardiovascular System in Health and Disease.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences , vol. 21, no. 18, 2020, p. 6740.

Knaappila, Noora, et al. “Changes in cannabis use according to socioeconomic status among Finnish adolescents from 2000 to 2015.” Journal of Cannabis Research , vol. 2, no. 1, 2020.

“Legality of cannabis by country.” Map. Wikimedia Commons , Van De Voorde, Nick T., et al. “Denver’s Green Mile: Marijuana gentrification as a process of urban change.” Journal of Urban Affairs , 2021, pp. 1-19.

• The Marijuana Usage Legislation
• Cannabis or Marijuana for Medical Use
• Can Cannabis Cause Schizophrenia?
• Health Policy: Identification and Definition
• Health and Fitness: Developing a Healthy Community
• Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in a Community
• Health Care Spending Over Time
• Substance (Heroin) Use as Community Problem
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Marijuana Essay | Essay on Marijuana Essay for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Marijuana Essay:  Marijuana, also known as cannabis, among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used primarily for recreational or medical purposes. The main psychoactive component of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, and food, which has various mental and physical effects, including euphoria, altered states of mind and sense of time, difficulty concentrating, impaired short-term memory, and body movement, relaxation, and an increase in appetite.

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Long and Short Essays on Marijuana Essay for Students and Kids in Englis

We are providing students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic of Marijuana for reference.

Long Essay on Marijuana Essay 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Marijuana Essay is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa, also known as pot, herb, weed, grass, bud, Mary Jane, ganja, and many other slang terms. Some people smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, pipes, in blunts (marijuana rolled in cigar wraps), or water pipes (sometimes called bongs). Marijuana can also be used to brew tea. It is frequently mixed into foods (edibles) such as brownies, cookies, or candies, particularly sold or consumed for medicinal purposes.

For the consumption of marijuana, vaporizers are also increasingly used. Stronger forms of marijuana include sinsemilla (from specially tended female plants) and concentrated resins containing high doses of marijuana’s active ingredients, including honey like hash oil, waxy budder, and hard amberlike shatter. These resins are increasingly popular among those who use them both recreationally and medically.

The main psychoactive(mind-altering) chemical in marijuana, responsible for most of the intoxicating effects that people seek, is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Chemically related THC compounds, called cannabinoids and other chemicals are found in resin produced by the leaves and buds primarily of the female cannabis plant. The plant also contains more than 500 other chemicals, including more than 100 THC compounds.

When marijuana is smoked, THC, and other chemicals in the plant pass from the lungs into the bloodstream, which rapidly carries them throughout the body to the brain. The effects of marijuana begin almost immediately on the person. Many people usually experience a sense of relaxation and pleasant euphoria. Other common effects, which include heightened sensory perception (e.g., brighter colors), laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite, may experience or vary dramatically among different people.

An acute psychosis, which includes hallucinations, delusions, and a loss of the sense of personal identity, maybe experience by people who have taken large doses of marijuana. Although detectable amounts of THC may remain in the body for days or even weeks after use, the noticeable effects of smoked marijuana generally last from 1 to 3 hours, and those of marijuana consumed in food or drink may last for many hours.

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In 2013, Uruguay became the first country to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. Other countries to do so are Canada, Georgia, and South Africa, along with 11 states and the District of Columbia (though the drug remains federally illegal). Medical use of cannabis, requiring the approval of a physician, has been legalized in many countries.

Imaging studies have shown conflicting results on the impact of marijuana on brain structure in humans. Some studies suggest regular marijuana use in adolescence is associated with altered connectivity and reduced volume of specific brain regions involved in a broad range of executive functions such as memory, learning, and impulse control compared to people who do not use.

Some studies have also linked marijuana use to declines in IQ, especially when use starts in adolescence and leads to persistent cannabis use disorder into adulthood. More research will be needed to answer definitively whether marijuana use causes long-term IQ losses.

People with marijuana use disorders, especially adolescents, often suffer from other psychiatric disorders (comorbidity). On average, adults seeking marijuana treatment have attempted to quit more than six times and used marijuana nearly every day for more than ten years.

They may also use or be addicted to other substances, such as cocaine or alcohol. Available studies indicate that effectively treating the mental health disorder with standard treatments involving medications and behavioral therapies may help reduce marijuana use, particularly among those involved with heavy use and those with more chronic mental disorders.

Short Essay on Marijuana Essay 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Marijuana Essay is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Marijuana, also known as pot, herb, weed, grass, bud, Mary Jane, ganja, and many other slang terms, is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa.

The main psychoactive(mind-altering) chemical in marijuana, responsible for most of the intoxicating effects that people seek, is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

When marijuana is smoked, THC, and other chemicals in the plant pass from the lungs into the bloodstream, which rapidly carries them throughout the body to the brain. Chemically related THC compounds, called cannabinoids and other chemicals, are found in the female cannabis plant’s resin.

Many people who consume marijuana usually experience a sense of relaxation and pleasant euphoria. Other common effects include laughter, altered perception of time, heightened sensory perception (e.g., brighter colors), and increased appetite. The experience may vary dramatically among different people.

Effectively treating the mental health disorder with standard treatments involving medications and behavioral therapies may help reduce marijuana use, particularly among those involved with heavy use and those with more chronic mental disorders.

10 Lines on Marijuana Essay in English

1. The hops in beers and marijuana in blunt belong to the same family of flowering plants. 2. A scientific study revealed that ingesting weed can hold the clue to cancer cure as marijuana could stop the spread or growth of many aggressive cancer types. 3. It is partly true and a common myth that smoking weed weakens your brain. Adults who are hooked to cannabis don’t show a decline in their IQ. 4. The first e-commerce transaction was the sale of cannabis, done by Stanford students back in 1971! 5. It’s common thinking that Netherlands or Jamaica may have the highest population percentage consuming marijuana, but it’s Iceland, with almost 18 % of its population reportedly using weed. 6. In Bhutan, the popular feed for pigs is weed as it is more common than grass; not many smokes it. 7. A pot smoker would theoretically have to smoke a lot of weed, nearly 680 KGs of marijuana, within about fifteen minutes to die of it. 8. A cigarette has a 90% addiction rate, while marijuana is even less addictive than coffee. Studies indicate that alcohol and smoking are more harmful than weed. 9. Approximately 4,600 pounds of CO2 has been released into the atmosphere; weed poses bigger risks to the ecology. 10. Researchers have discovered that the brain produces similar reactions as a weed as that of chocolate.

FAQ’s on Marijuana Essay

Question 1.  How is marijuana used?

Answer:  Marijuana can be smoked like a cigarette and rolled up like a joint or a cigar/blunt. Sometimes people mix it with food and eat it or brew it as a tea(edibles).

Question 2.  Is it possible to “overdose” or have a bad reaction to marijuana?

Answer: A fatal overdose is unlikely, but that does not mean marijuana is harmless. Too much of Marijuana can cause extreme confusion, paranoia, panic, anxiety, etc.

Question 3.  What causes the effect when consumed Marijuana?

Answer:  The main psychoactive(mind-altering) chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Question 4. Is it safe for a breastfeeding mom to use marijuana?

Answer: We do not yet know. Chemicals from marijuana can be passed to your baby through breast milk as THC is stored in fat and slowly released.

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The Evidence—and Lack Thereof—About Cannabis

Research is still needed on cannabis’s risks and benefits. 

Lindsay Smith Rogers

Although the use and possession of cannabis is illegal under federal law, medicinal and recreational cannabis use has become increasingly widespread.

Thirty-eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized medical cannabis, while 23 states and D.C. have legalized recreational use. Cannabis legalization has benefits, such as removing the product from the illegal market so it can be taxed and regulated, but science is still trying to catch up as social norms evolve and different products become available. 

In this Q&A, adapted from the August 25 episode of Public Health On Call , Lindsay Smith Rogers talks with Johannes Thrul, PhD, MS , associate professor of Mental Health , about cannabis as medicine, potential risks involved with its use, and what research is showing about its safety and efficacy. 

Do you think medicinal cannabis paved the way for legalization of recreational use?

The momentum has been clear for a few years now. California was the first to legalize it for medical reasons [in 1996]. Washington and Colorado were the first states to legalize recreational use back in 2012. You see one state after another changing their laws, and over time, you see a change in social norms. It's clear from the national surveys that people are becoming more and more in favor of cannabis legalization. That started with medical use, and has now continued into recreational use.

But there is a murky differentiation between medical and recreational cannabis. I think a lot of people are using cannabis to self-medicate. It's not like a medication you get prescribed for a very narrow symptom or a specific disease. Anyone with a medical cannabis prescription, or who meets the age limit for recreational cannabis, can purchase it. Then what they use it for is really all over the place—maybe because it makes them feel good, or because it helps them deal with certain symptoms, diseases, and disorders.

Does cannabis have viable medicinal uses?

The evidence is mixed at this point. There hasn’t been a lot of funding going into testing cannabis in a rigorous way. There is more evidence for certain indications than for others, like CBD for seizures—one of the first indications that cannabis was approved for. And THC has been used effectively for things like nausea and appetite for people with cancer.

There are other indications where the evidence is a lot more mixed. For example, pain—one of the main reasons that people report for using cannabis. When we talk to patients, they say cannabis improved their quality of life. In the big studies that have been done so far, there are some indications from animal models that cannabis might help [with pain]. When we look at human studies, it's very much a mixed bag. 

And, when we say cannabis, in a way it's a misnomer because cannabis is so many things. We have different cannabinoids and different concentrations of different cannabinoids. The main cannabinoids that are being studied are THC and CBD, but there are dozens of other minor cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis products, all of varying concentrations. And then you also have a lot of different routes of administration available. You can smoke, vape, take edibles, use tinctures and topicals. When you think about the explosion of all of the different combinations of different products and different routes of administration, it tells you how complicated it gets to study this in a rigorous way. You almost need a randomized trial for every single one of those and then for every single indication.

What do we know about the risks of marijuana use?  

Cannabis use disorder is a legitimate disorder in the DSM. There are, unfortunately, a lot of people who develop a problematic use of cannabis. We know there are risks for mental health consequences. The evidence is probably the strongest that if you have a family history of psychosis or schizophrenia, using cannabis early in adolescence is not the best idea. We know cannabis can trigger psychotic symptoms and potentially longer lasting problems with psychosis and schizophrenia. 

It is hard to study, because you also don't know if people are medicating early negative symptoms of schizophrenia. They wouldn't necessarily have a diagnosis yet, but maybe cannabis helps them to deal with negative symptoms, and then they develop psychosis. There is also some evidence that there could be something going on with the impact of cannabis on the developing brain that could prime you to be at greater risk of using other substances later down the road, or finding the use of other substances more reinforcing. 

What benefits do you see to legalization?

When we look at the public health landscape and the effect of legislation, in this case legalization, one of the big benefits is taking cannabis out of the underground illegal market. Taking cannabis out of that particular space is a great idea. You're taking it out of the illegal market and giving it to legitimate businesses where there is going to be oversight and testing of products, so you know what you're getting. And these products undergo quality control and are labeled. Those labels so far are a bit variable, but at least we're getting there. If you're picking up cannabis at the street corner, you have no idea what's in it. 

And we know that drug laws in general have been used to criminalize communities of color and minorities. Legalizing cannabis [can help] reduce the overpolicing of these populations.

What big questions about cannabis would you most like to see answered?

We know there are certain, most-often-mentioned conditions that people are already using medical cannabis for: pain, insomnia, anxiety, and PTSD. We really need to improve the evidence base for those. I think clinical trials for different cannabis products for those conditions are warranted.

Another question is, now that the states are getting more tax revenue from cannabis sales, what are they doing with that money? If you look at tobacco legislation, for example, certain states have required that those funds get used for research on those particular issues. To me, that would be a very good use of the tax revenue that is now coming in. We know, for example, that there’s a lot more tax revenue now that Maryland has legalized recreational use. Maryland could really step up here and help provide some of that evidence.

Are there studies looking into the risks you mentioned?

Large national studies are done every year or every other year to collect data, so we already have a pretty good sense of the prevalence of cannabis use disorder. Obviously, we'll keep tracking that to see if those numbers increase, for example, in states that are legalizing. But, you wouldn't necessarily expect to see an uptick in cannabis use disorder a month after legalization. The evidence from states that have legalized it has not demonstrated that we might all of a sudden see an increase in psychosis or in cannabis use disorder. This happens slowly over time with a change in social norms and availability, and potentially also with a change in marketing. And, with increasing use of an addictive substance, you will see over time a potential increase in problematic use and then also an increase in use disorder.

If you're interested in seeing if cannabis is right for you, is this something you can talk to your doctor about?

I think your mileage may vary there with how much your doctor is comfortable and knows about it. It's still relatively fringe. That will very much depend on who you talk to. But I think as providers and professionals, everybody needs to learn more about this, because patients are going to ask no matter what.

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast , an editor for Expert Insights , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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Marijuana Legalization - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Marijuana legalization is a contentious issue with implications for health, economy, and society. Essays might explore the arguments for and against legalization, the experiences of regions where marijuana has been legalized, and the legal, economic, and social ramifications of legalization. Additionally, discussions might extend to the medical uses of marijuana, its impact on the criminal justice system, and its societal perceptions. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Marijuana Legalization you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Marijuana Legalization and Regulation

Medications/Drugs are a part of everyday life. We take medications for various ailments, to return ourselves to good health. Yet, as time and healthcare technology have moved along, we have discovered that some medications or drugs are inherently good (i.e.: antibiotics, cancer medications, and insulin) and some are inherently bad or, at least, can be used for bad purposes (i.e.: mind altering substances such as LSD, and cocaine). The "bad" drugs can be deadly. They have effects that can addict […]

Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Legalization

Thursday, June 09, 2011 Much debate has been conducted regarding the legalization of marijuana, with an unusual amount of contradicting research. There are many perspectives to take into account, and they always seem to come down to the personal motives of the debater. Whether it's being argued from a medical, political, or economical perspective; it continually comes down to whether Federal Government should be our dictators or we should be responsible for our actions. The Canadian medical Association Journal reports […]

Marijuana should be Legalized?

We are living in an era where noxious things like alcohol, rum and cigarettes -that lead us to nothing but a dreadful death- are legal, and a plant which has no obnoxious effects on our body and mind is illegal. For years and years, marijuana has been used as a mean to achieve elation. The criterion to impose a ban on something, or to term it illegal, is that its cons should overshadow its pros; and that it will have […]

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Medical Marijuana Legalization the Good Bad and Ugly

The legalization of medical marijuana has been discussed amongst the country's states for decades. Medical marijuana legalization has taken a positive shift throughout these years and is now legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The initial drug, marijuana, was band for the dangerous effects it brought to people. Throughout the year's people have turned to marijuana to ease anxiety, pain, and stress. Legalizing marijuana has brought multiple perspectives on the topic. Differences such as medical marijuana legalization, […]

Medical Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana legalization has become a topic of relevance in the United States as recent changes in various state legislations fuel the controversial issue relating to its effects on society. With more than thirty states legalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational uses, the once taboo topic has reemerged into the spotlight for policymakers to consider the benefits and adverse effects of cannabis for state legislation. Although the legal status is changing nationwide, the uncertainties surrounding marijuana today stem from the political […]

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana

When we first picked our topic for our presentations I had an idea of what we were going to do. Ideas from school shootings to you and human trafficking were some I was thinking of. The drug epidemic was what first came to thought but I felt that was to broad of of a topic. With state after state legalizing Medical or Recreational Marijuana it is becoming more likely within the near future will become federally legal. Today there are […]

Against Marijuana Legalization

In my high school years I met a lot of people, I’ve meet hundreds of people who ruined their lives by just “trying” a drug. One of those friends is named Carmen, my dear friend Carmen smokes marijuana recreationally everyday, she’s tried everything under the rainbow; pot brownies, gummi bears, cookies, anything that you can think of is probably an edible. She’s even forced me to try marijuana when we were in high school once. It was the worst experience […]

Marijuana Legalization in Texas: an In-Depth Examination of the Ongoing Debate

The contentious issue of marijuana legalization has engendered fervent discourse across the United States, resulting in a patchwork of divergent legislation among different states. The state of Texas, renowned for its traditionally conservative ideology, is now grappling with a pivotal juncture as it engages in more prevalent deliberations around the legalization of marijuana. The primary objective of this essay is to critically analyze the complex and intricate discourse pertaining to the subject matter in the state of Texas. This analysis […]

Legalization of Marijuana: Good or Bad

The legalization of marijuana is a hot topic these days. Marijuana has been legalized in many different states. Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2012. Since then, Texas has been talking of legalizing it as well. Although the legalization of marijuana has brought quite a bit of controversy over the nation, I believe the good outweigh the bad. Marijuana is used for different medical reasons, ranging from anxiety all the way to helping some side effects of cancer. Many […]

Legalization of Recreational Marijuana

Marijuana, also known as pot, weed, kush, or dank, is a debated topic nationwide. Surveys have shown that " more than half of American adults have tried marijuana at least once in their lives ...nearly 55 million of them, or twenty two percent, currently use it"(Ingraham). Many people believe that there are only few negative effects affiliated with smoking weed, but there are many poor and preventable outcomes that are not always taken into consideration. The effects of marijuana on […]

A Legalized Drug in the United States

In the United States, marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs that should have been legalized a long time ago along with alcohol. Although, 15 states in the United States have already legalized the use of marijuana, many others still lag behind at the thought of even legalizing Cannabis. In addition, many people think that marijuana is a bad drug, while on the other hand, people like myself believe for many reasons that it should be legalized. Marijuana […]

Pro-Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana has always been a much-discussed subject that has sparked heated discussions among experts and officials, in addition to a perpetual dialogue among family and associates. This is primarily due to the fact that people are still divided on whether cannabis should be legalized or not. While many people are aware of the dangers of cannabis for recreational purposes, many states are pushing for the legalization of medical cannabis. Several studies of cannabinoid elements have revealed its medicinal qualities, which […]

Proposal One: Impact on Warren, MI’s Future

Proposal One is the allowing of individuals age 21 and older to purchase, possess and use marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles, and grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal consumption. Impose a 10-ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences and require that amounts over 2.5 ounces be secured in locked containers. Creating a state licensing system for marijuana businesses including growers, processors, and transporters. Ryan Mainer (Libertarian party) supports proposal one. How do we know this is true? He has […]

The Legalization of Marijuana Today

Over the last decade, there has been plenty of speculation revolving around the whether the legalization of marijuana is even ethical, well it is here, and it is legal. For the time being it happens to be in only a select number of states. Despite some people not agreeing with various laws that have decriminalized marijuana because they still believe it is a harmful "drug" for humans. Well when the facts reveal the real benefits from marijuana and how it […]

Legalization of Marijuana: the Current Situation

Scholars are increasingly exhibiting interest in matters concerning marijuana legalization especially considering laws related to healthcare. The increments in interest emanate from concerns that legalization of this drug is not in alignment with existing health-related laws according to the federal government (Kilmer et al., 2010). According to Hopfer (2014), the government has failed to fully support legalization because few studies have been conducted to prove its medicinal worth. Nonetheless, medical legalization of this particular drug is increasingly gaining support. A […]

Marijuana Decriminalization in all States

The government should legalize marijuana on the federal use due to the multifaceted health, economic, and criminal benefits now outweigh the outdated downsides of use. Many researchers have come to the conclusion of outdated research not being correct. "One function of government is to protect citizens from harm, whether it is from foreign enemies or from internal causes such as poisonous food or contaminated water." Researchers believe that legalizing marijuana will not help the people only harm them and the […]

The Cost and Benefit of Legalization of Marijuana

In recent years, marijuana has become a controversial topic, and the United States government has been struggling to find a solution for the legalization of marijuana. Some argue that the government should legalize marijuana because it is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco. They also believe legalizing marijuana will decrease crime rates, especially drug trafficking. It is because marijuana is illegal in most states, and its penalties are often quite harsh, which can deter people from committing related crimes. Others […]

Legalization of Marijuana Throughout States

Legalization of marijuana use is spreading throughout states in the nation. There are many people who want to make recreational marijuana legal in the state of Texas. Some opponents of keeping marijuana criminalized argue that it would decreased alcohol and tobacco consumption, makes people passive and peaceful and that it aids those who are in pain. However after researching the effects that long-term marijuana use has on people, one will find that those are not realistically always the case and […]

The Impacts of Legalizing Marijuana

The impacts of legalizing marijuana have been far reaching. Legal or not, there are health issues to consider when it comes to medicinal purposes or recreational purposes. Studies show that non-medical marijuana users are at an increased risk for physical ailments involving the respiratory system and pulmonary functions. Psychological problems are also a concern, involving depression, insomnia, anxiety, and drug addiction. Other things associated with marijuana use are criminal justice involvement and lower academic achievement and functioning (Lankenau, et al., […]

Legalization of Marijuana and Economic Growth

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Marijuana is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used for medical or recreational purposes. It is sold in the form of dried leaves which can be smoked. Recreational marijuana was introduced in the U.S in the early 20th century by immigrants from Mexico. Marijuana is a controversial topic in the United States because many people think it shouldn't be legalized . Some will agree on making it legal throughout the United States, and some would think otherwise. Many debates […]

Persuasive Speeches on Legalizing Weed: Exploring the Benefits and Concerns

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How To Write an Essay About Marijuana Legalization

Introduction to marijuana legalization.

When embarking on an essay about marijuana legalization, it's crucial to begin with a comprehensive overview of the topic. Marijuana legalization is a multifaceted issue that encompasses legal, medical, social, and economic dimensions. Your introduction should briefly touch upon the history of marijuana use and its legal status over time, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the arguments for and against legalization. Establish your thesis statement, outlining the specific aspect of marijuana legalization you will focus on, whether it's the potential medical benefits, the social implications, or the economic impact of legalizing marijuana.

Examining the Arguments for Legalization

In this section, delve into the arguments commonly made in favor of legalizing marijuana. These arguments often include the potential medical benefits of marijuana, such as its use in pain management and treatment of certain medical conditions. Discuss the viewpoint that legalization could lead to better regulation and quality control of the substance, as well as potentially reduce crime rates related to illegal drug trade. It's also important to consider the economic aspect, such as the revenue generated from taxing legal marijuana sales. Provide well-researched evidence and examples to support these arguments, ensuring that your essay presents a balanced and informed perspective.

Exploring the Counterarguments

Next, address the arguments against marijuana legalization. These may include concerns about the health risks associated with marijuana use, such as potential impacts on mental health and cognitive function, especially among young people. Discuss the fears that legalization might lead to increased usage rates, particularly in adolescents, and the potential for marijuana to act as a gateway drug. There's also the argument regarding the challenges of enforcing regulations and controlling the quality and distribution of legal marijuana. Like the previous section, ensure that you present these counterarguments with supporting evidence and a fair analysis, demonstrating an understanding of the complexities of the issue.

Concluding the Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points from both sides of the argument. This is your opportunity to reinforce your thesis and provide a final analysis of the issue based on the evidence presented. Reflect on the potential future of marijuana legalization, considering the current trends and policy changes. A well-crafted conclusion should provide closure to your essay and encourage the reader to continue contemplating the nuanced aspects of marijuana legalization. Your concluding remarks might also suggest areas for further research or consideration, underscoring the ongoing nature of the debate surrounding marijuana legalization.

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Marijuana Argumentative Outline

• Categories: Marijuana

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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The benefits and harms of marijuana, explained by the most thorough research review yet

A new report looks at more than 10,000 studies on marijuana. It has good and bad news for pot users.

by German Lopez

Marijuana has been with humans in some way or another for thousands of years. But after all this time, there is still a lot of public debate about what, exactly, pot’s risks and benefits are.

A recent review of the research from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine attempts to fill the gap in our knowledge. By combing through more than 10,000 studies published since 1999, the review, conducted by more than a dozen experts, provides the clearest look at the scientific evidence on marijuana yet.

The research finds both some strong benefits and major downsides to cannabis. It seems to be promising for chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and cancer patients. But it also seems to pose a significant risk for respiratory problems if smoked, schizophrenia and psychosis, car crashes, lagging social achievement in life, and perhaps pregnancy-related problems.

• How Obama quietly reshaped America’s war on drugs

The findings aren’t just for marijuana; they’re for marijuana or cannabinoids, chemical compounds commonly found in pot. It’s possible that, down the line, some of the benefits in particular will be split from the marijuana leaf itself — although many drug experts believe that there’s an “entourage effect” with marijuana in which all of its cannabinoids and chemicals, which number in the hundreds , work together to make its effects as potent as possible.

One major caveat to this: The report is, by its own admission, only a best guess for a lot of its findings, because much of the research out there just isn’t very good. The report pins the lack of good research largely on government policies — particularly regulatory barriers linked to marijuana’s federal classification as a highly restricted Schedule 1 substance — that make it hard to conduct good studies on the drug. The National Academies ultimately calls for these barriers to be cut down and more research to be funded so we can get a better idea of what pot is capable of, especially as more states legalize it for both medical and recreational uses.

Still, the report is the best look at marijuana yet. It is nearly 400 pages; if you want a really deep dive into the benefits and harms of marijuana, you should read it in full . But here I’ve provided a summary of what the researchers found.

What are marijuana’s benefits?

Since the mid-1990s, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical uses. But in all that time, the benefits of pot have remained hazy. Despite some research showing that it can be good for pain and muscle stiffness, many of the claims about what pot can do for other ailments — such as epilepsy and irritable bowel syndrome — are based on anecdotal evidence and have yet to be scientifically proven.

The report can’t fully validate or invalidate all of the claims about marijuana’s medical benefits, given that there are still no studies on some of these questions, and many of the studies that are out there are bad or lacking. But it does have some solid findings.

For one, the review confirms what previous studies have found: There is “substantial evidence” that marijuana is good for treating chronic pain. This is one of the most common reasons cited for marijuana’s medical use — particularly in light of the opioid painkiller epidemic , which has spawned in part as patients turn to opioids to try to treat debilitating pain. The report concludes that marijuana can treat chronic pain. And that may allow it to substitute more dangerous, deadlier opioid painkillers.

The report also found “conclusive evidence” that marijuana is effective for treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Coupled with the findings on pain, this suggests that marijuana really is a potent treatment for cancer patients in particular, who can suffer from debilitating pain and severe nausea as a result of their illness.

• One way to fight the opioid epidemic? Medical marijuana.

And the report found “substantial evidence” that marijuana can improve patient-reported multiple sclerosis spasticity symptoms. But it only found “limited evidence” for marijuana improving doctor-reported symptoms of this kind.

Beyond the strongest findings, the report found “moderate evidence” that marijuana is effective for “improving short-term sleep outcomes in individuals with sleep disturbance associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and multiple sclerosis.” It also found “limited evidence” for marijuana’s ability to treat appetite and weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS, improving Tourette syndrome symptoms, improving anxiety symptoms in individuals with social anxiety disorders, and improving PTSD. And there’s “limited evidence” of a correlation between marijuana and better outcomes after a traumatic brain injury.

The report also disproved — or at least cast a lot of doubt — on some of the claimed benefits of pot. It found “limited evidence” that marijuana is ineffective for treating symptoms associated with dementia and glaucoma, as well as depressive symptoms in individuals with chronic pain or multiple sclerosis.

And it found “no or insufficient evidence” for marijuana as a treatment for cancers, cancer-associated anorexia, irritable bowel syndrome, epilepsy, spasticity in patients with paralysis due to spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, drug addiction, and schizophrenia. This doesn’t mean that marijuana can’t treat any of these — some patients, who are prescribed pot for these ailments today, will swear that marijuana helped treat their epilepsy, for example — but that there’s just not enough evidence so far to evaluate the claims.

Overall, the report suggests that, as far as therapeutic benefits go, marijuana is a solid treatment for multiple symptoms associated to chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and multiple sclerosis. Everything else, from epilepsy to HIV/AIDS, needs more research before pot is more definitively shown to be effective or ineffective.

What are marijuana’s harms?

Marijuana is often described as one of the safest drugs out there, in part because it’s never been definitively linked to an overdose death and it’s broadly safer than other drugs like alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, and heroin. And while the National Academies’ report doesn’t find evidence of a marijuana overdose death, it does add a few wrinkles to the narrative of marijuana as a safe drug.

For one, the report finds “substantial evidence” of marijuana’s negative effects for a few conditions. For long-term marijuana smokers, there’s a risk of worse respiratory symptoms and more frequent chronic bronchitis episodes. For pregnant women who smoke pot, there’s a risk of lower birth weight for the baby. For marijuana users in general, there’s a greater risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses. And there’s a link between marijuana use and increased risk of car crashes.

The report also found “limited evidence” of links between marijuana use and several other negative outcomes, including an increased risk of testicular cancer, triggering a heart attack, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pregnancy complications. And it found “moderate” to “limited” evidence that marijuana use might worsen symptoms or risk for some mental health issues, including depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among heavier users, and anxiety disorders, particularly social anxiety disorder among regular users.

Besides medical conditions, the report found evidence for some psychosocial problems. There’s “moderate evidence” that acute marijuana use impairs learning, memory, and attention. There’s “limited evidence” of marijuana use and worse outcomes in education, employment, income, and social functioning.

• America can end its war on drugs. Here's how.

There was some good news: The report found “moderate evidence” of no link between marijuana smoking and lung cancer or marijuana use and head and neck cancers, which are commonly linked to tobacco. There was also “moderate evidence” of better cognitive performance among individuals with psychotic disorders and a history of marijuana use.

The report, however, couldn’t find sufficient evidence for pot’s links to a lot of problems: other types of cancer, an increased chronic risk of heart attack, asthma, later outcomes for infants born of mothers that used marijuana during pregnancy, deadly pot overdoses, and PTSD.

With the problems specifically linked to smoking marijuana, it’s worth noting that other forms of consumption — vaping and edibles in particular — may not carry the same risk. More research will be needed to evaluate that, particularly for vaping.

The report also found some “substantial evidence” that more pot use can lead to problematic marijuana use — what one typically thinks of as excessive use or even dependence. It also outlined, with “limited” to “substantial” evidence, some of the risk factors for problematic marijuana use, including being male, smoking cigarettes, a major depressive order, exposure to combined use of other drugs, and use at an earlier age. But it also cited “limited” to “moderate” evidence to rule out a few risk factors, including anxiety, personality, and bipolar disorders, adolescent ADHD, and alcohol or nicotine dependence.

It also found a “limited” to “moderate” evidence of a correlation between marijuana use and use of other illicit drugs. This is the typical evidence cited for the so-called “gateway” effect: that marijuana use may lead to the use of harder drugs.

One caveat to much of the research: correlation is not always causation. For example, in the case of the “gateway” effect, other researchers argue that the correlation between pot and harder drug use may just indicate that people prone to all sorts of drug use only start with marijuana because it’s the cheapest and most accessible of the illicit drugs. If cocaine or heroin were cheaper and more accessible, there’s a good chance people would start with those drugs first.

Still, the bottom line is that marijuana does pose some harms — particularly for people at risk of developing mental health disorders, pregnant women, those vulnerable to respiratory problems, and anyone getting into a car. And while some of these harms may be overcome by marijuana’s benefits or curtailed by consuming pot without smoking it, the evidence shows that weed’s reputation as a safe drug is undeserved.

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2018 Theses Doctoral

Essays on Cannabis Legalization

Thomas, Danna Kang

Though the drug remains illegal at the federal level, in recent years states and localities have increasingly liberalized their marijuana laws in order to generate tax revenue and save resources on marijuana law enforcement. Many states have adopted some form of medical marijuana and/or marijuana decriminalization laws, and as of 2017, Washington, Colorado, Maine, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Nevada, Alaska, and the District of Columbia have all legalized marijuana for recreational use. In 2016 recreational marijuana generated over $1.8 billion in sales. Hence, studying marijuana reforms and the policies and outcomes of early recreational marijuana adopters is an important area of research. However, perhaps due to the fact that legalized recreational cannabis is a recent phenomenon, a scarcity of research exists on the impacts of recreational cannabis legalization and the efficacy and efficiency of cannabis regulation. This dissertation aims to fill this gap, using the Washington recreational marijuana market as the primary setting to study cannabis legalization in the United States. Of first order importance in the regulation of sin goods such as cannabis is quantifying the value of the marginal damages of negative externalities. Hence, Chapter 1 (co-authored with Lin Tian) explores the impact of marijuana dispensary location on neighborhood property values, exploiting plausibly exogenous variation in marijuana retailer location. Policymakers and advocates have long expressed concerns that the positive effects of the legalization--e.g., increases in tax revenue--are well spread spatially, but the negative effects are highly localized through channels such as crime. Hence, we use changes in property values to measure individuals' willingness to pay to avoid localized externalities caused by the arrival of marijuana dispensaries. Our key identification strategy is to compare changes in housing sales around winners and losers in a lottery for recreational marijuana retail licenses. (Due to location restrictions, license applicants were required to provide an address of where they would like to locate.) Hence, we have the locations of both actual entrants and potential entrants, which provides a natural difference-in-differences set-up. Using data from King County, Washington, we find an almost 2.4% decrease in the value of properties within a 0.5 mile radius of an entrant, a $9,400 decline in median property values. The aforementioned retail license lottery was used to distribute licenses due to a license quota. Retail license quotas are often used by states to regulate entry into sin goods markets as quotas can restrict consumption by decreasing access and by reducing competition (and, therefore, increasing markups). However, license quotas also create allocative inefficiency. For example, license quotas are often based on the population of a city or county. Hence, licenses are not necessarily allocated to the areas where they offer the highest marginal benefit. Moreover, as seen in the case of the Washington recreational marijuana market, licenses are often distributed via lottery, meaning that in the absence of an efficiency secondary market for licenses, the license recipients are not necessarily the most efficient potential entrants. This allocative inefficiency is generated by heterogeneity in firms and consumers. Therefore, in Chapter 2, I develop a model of demand and firm pricing in order to investigate firm-level heterogeneity and inefficiency. Demand is differentiated by geography and incorporates consumer demographics. I estimate this demand model using data on firm sales from Washington. Utilizing the estimates and firm pricing model, I back out a non-parametric distribution of firm variable costs. These variable costs differ by product and firm and provide a measure of firm inefficiency. I find that variable costs have lower inventory turnover; hence, randomly choosing entrants in a lottery could be a large contributor to allocative inefficiency. Chapter 3 explores the sources of allocative inefficiency in license distribution in the Washington recreational marijuana market. A difficulty in studying the welfare effects of license quotas is finding credible counterfactuals of unrestricted entry. Therefore, I take a structural approach: I first develop a three stage model that endogenizes firm entry and incorporates the spatial demand and pricing model discussed in Chapter 2. Using the estimates of the demand and pricing model, I estimate firms' fixed costs and use data on locations of those potential entrants that did not win Washington's retail license lottery to simulate counterfactual entry patterns. I find that allowing firms to enter freely at Washington's current marijuana tax rate increases total surplus by 21.5% relative to a baseline simulation of Washington's license quota regime. Geographic misallocation and random allocation of licenses account for 6.6\% and 65.9\% of this difference, respectively. Moreover, as the primary objective of these quotas is to mitigate the negative externalities of marijuana consumption, I study alternative state tax policies that directly control for the marginal damages of marijuana consumption. Free entry with tax rates that keep the quantity of marijuana or THC consumed equal to baseline consumption increases welfare by 6.9% and 11.7%, respectively. I also explore the possibility of heterogeneous marginal damages of consumption across geography, backing out the non-uniform sales tax across geography that is consistent with Washington's license quota policy. Free entry with a non-uniform sales tax increases efficiency by over 7% relative to the baseline simulation of license quotas due to improvements in license allocation.

• Cannabis--Law and legislation
• Marijuana industry
• Drug legalization
• Drugs--Economic aspects

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Know the Risks of Marijuana

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the U.S. and its use is growing. Marijuana use among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women is going up. At the same time, the perception of how harmful marijuana use can be is declining. Increasingly, young people today do not consider marijuana use a risky behavior.

But there are real risks for people who use marijuana, especially youth and young adults, and women who are pregnant or nursing. Today’s marijuana is stronger than ever before. People can and do become addicted to marijuana.

Approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted. When they start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to 1 in 6.

Marijuana Risks

Marijuana use can have negative and long-term effects:

Marijuana and Pregnancy

Marijuana use during pregnancy can be harmful to a baby’s health and cause many serious problems.

What is Your Marijuana IQ?

How much do you really want to know about the risks of marijuana? You might be surprised.

Marijuana Addiction

Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. Research shows that:

• 1-in-6 people who start using the drug before the age of 18 can become addicted.
• 1-in-10 adults who use the drug can become addicted.

Over the past few decades, the amount of THC in marijuana has steadily climbed; today's marijuana has three times the concentration of THC compared to 25 years ago. The higher the THC amount, the stronger the effects on the brain—likely contributing to increased rates of marijuana-related emergency room visits. While there is no research yet on how higher potency affects the long-term risks of marijuana use, more THC is likely to lead to higher rates of dependency and addiction.

About Marijuana

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug that contains close to 500 chemicals, including THC, a mind-altering compound that causes harmful health effects.

People smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes, in pipes or water pipes, in blunts, and by using vaporizers that pull THC from the marijuana. Marijuana can also be mixed in food (edibles), such as brownies, cookies, and candy, or brewed as a tea. People also smoke or eat different forms of marijuana extracts, which deliver a large amount of THC and can be potentially more dangerous.

Rise of Marijuana Use

Today, marijuana use is on the rise among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women. People ages 18-25 have the highest rate of use.

Marijuana and THC remain illegal at the federal level, even though many states have legalized its use. In states where legal, marijuana is a fast-growing industry with sales to individuals over 21 in retail stores, wineries, breweries, coffee shops, dispensaries, online, as well as grown at home.

Get the Files

» View and share the following marijuana videos and resources

Video: Marijuana Use while Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Video: Virtual Assistant

7 Ways Marijuana Can Affect Your Brain Health (PDF | 901 KB)

Video: Build a Brain

If you, or someone you know, need help to stop using substances – whether the problem is methamphetamine, alcohol or another drug – call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 , or text your zip code to  435748 (HELP4U), or use the SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to get help.

References and Relevant Resources

• Find Treatment
• Technology Transfer Centers (TTC) Program marijuana resources
• Tips for Teens: Marijuana
• Changes in Cannabis Potency over the Last Two Decades (1995-2014) - Analysis of Current Data in the United States: National Center for Biotechnology Information
• Does Marijuana Use Affect Driving? | NIDA
• Drug Facts: Marijuana | NIDA
• Drug Facts: Marijuana | United States Drug Enforcement Administration
• Early-Onset, Regular Cannabis Use Is Linked to IQ Decline | NIDA
• Is Marijuana Addictive? | NIDA
• National Survey on Drug Use and Health | SAMHSA
• Marijuana and Public Health | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Marijuana: Facts for Teens | NIDA
• Marijuana: Is there a Link Between Marijuana Use and Psychiatric Disorders? | NIDA
• The Contribution of Cannabis Use to Variation in the Incidence of Psychotic Disorder Across Europe | The Lancet

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How to Write Legalization of Marijuana Essays

By: Angelina Grin

Since the legalization of marijuana has been a heated subject in recent years, many teachers give essay writing assignments on this to judge a student's knowledge of current affairs. Although you may have a basic understanding of what an essay on the legalization of marijuana is and how to write one, it is critical to continue to improve your research, composition, and essay structure. You can always build in some respects.

Essay Sample: Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Health benefits of legalizing marijuana, negative effects of legalizing marijuana, use of medical studies, use of sub-headings and sub-points, references to use in the essay.

Studybay has provided a sample essay, its analysis, reviewed some essay fundamentals, and what the examiner will be looking for. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also seek   homework help . 

Marijuana is one most vehement adversaries in the war on drugs by Americans. And, given that alcohol and tobacco, two life-threatening drugs, are legal, it's fair to wonder why medical marijuana is prohibited. When taxpayers in America fill out their tax forms and hear the government's hash argument against marijuana, they will partially address this issue.

Marijuana, which is derived from Cannabis plants, is known by a variety of names. Marijuana has a variety of nicknames, ranging from cannabis to ganja to weed. Marijuana is made up of the leaves and flowers of the Cannabis plant. 

THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the primary active ingredient in marijuana. It enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain. This substance induces a state of relaxation in the body.

There have been several debates on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Many people assume that this substance is toxic to the human body, but there is hard evidence to the contrary. Marijuana has real advantages that can outweigh the ostensibly negative consequences. Arguments for drug legalization began in the United States of America. It has been shown to have many medical benefits, including anxiety relief, pain relief, nausea relief, and the reduction of epileptic seizures. A significant number of states in the United States allow for the use of marijuana on a prescription basis.

Medical Cannabis is commonly used to treat sleeping problems, appetite deficiency, autism, and cancer therapies such as chemotherapy. Cannabis can also be used to cure anorexia until it is approved. Emotion and mood control are two immediate effects of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Marijuana has been shown to have mild side effects when used in controlled doses.

The legalization of marijuana is expected to improve the country's economic development. If state officials vote to legalize marijuana, they will save a lot of money for taxpayers. 

State officials spend a lot of money on the branches of law enforcement that are in charge of enforcing drug prohibition laws. Every year, thousands of people are prosecuted for either using or possessing marijuana, and governments pay vast sums of money to keep them locked up. Legalizing marijuana would save this money.

Marijuana has not caused any apparent harm in countries where cannabis has been legalized. Marijuana users are thought to be abusive, according to some stereotypes. However, there is no concrete evidence to back up this claim to date. In the United States, several states have allowed marijuana for both medicinal and recreational uses, with no harmful consequences. In contrast, Colorado has seen a decline in marijuana-related property destruction and crime.

Essay Analysis

The essay example above is a fairly insightful work that covers many of the essential facets of essay composition. There are, however, certain main segments and points that are required. The aspects that should have been included are as follows:

A Strong Argument

Since we don't necessarily agree with what's right or rational, a well-crafted argument will assist us in determining what's fair or real. It's used to resolve disagreements to find the facts. Argument shows us how to analyze competing theories, as well as how to evaluate proof and inquiry processes. Argument teaches one how to explain our views and express them clearly and objectively and how to respectfully and critically evaluate the ideas of others.

In the above sample, the following sections on the effects of marijuana can be added:

• Pharmaceutical cannabis has been   shown in studies   to reduce nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy and almost entirely prevent vomiting.
• Marijuana can help with muscle spasticity, which is   often linked to multiple sclerosis   and paralysis.
• Marijuana can aid in the   treatment of appetite loss   caused by HIV/AIDS and some forms of cancers.
• Certain forms of chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain, may be   relieved by marijuana .
• When isolated, as CBD has been, these compounds can contribute to   further advances in medical treatment options   without the "high" provided by THC.
• Regular usage of marijuana causes a   negative impact   on your short-term memory.
• Smoking any substance, whether nicotine or marijuana,   will cause significant lung harm .
• Due to drug abuse, marijuana has a high potential for violence and addiction.
• Marijuana has been linked   to a large number of car collisions and industrial accidents.

No wild claims have been made. All the pros and cons are back up with solid evidence from studies and proper medical research journals. 

On this point, there are some vital benefits you should note while writing your essay:

• It adds creativity and interest to your essay.
• You have a lot of options for adding information.
• Your essay would be 100% original.
• Your ideas would be clearer and more efficient.

Headings describe the paper's main themes and supporting theories, subheadings, bullets, numbered lists, etc. They use visual cues to communicate significance levels. Readers can discern the key points from the others thanks to differences in text size.

For instance, in point 1, we see the sub-headings as 'Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana' further by sub-points in alphabetical order. 

The sample essay lacks a summary, an analysis, or a conclusion to the topic. The following paragraph could have been added as a conclusion:

While medical marijuana is still controversial, it is gaining popularity as a legal treatment option for several ailments. Although many states have approved cannabis for medical uses (and a few for commercial use), it would require more lawmakers and the federal government to make it accepted and sold around the country. However, proving or disproving the effectiveness of medical marijuana and eventually loosening the prohibitions on its use would almost certainly necessitate a much broader body of legal clinical study.

Additional Points

The following points can be expanded upon in this essay:

• History of drug use in the medical history and as a recreational drug
• Recreational purposes of marijuana
• Decriminalization on the federal level
• How to approach the marijuana-related drug policy
• Other illegal drugs and their usage

You can also opt for   essay help   in covering the main points from professional services.

Here are some valuable research papers and sources to include and quote to get good grades:

• FDA and Cannabis: Research and Drug Approval Process
• Legalization of Marijuana: Potential Impact on Youth
• Experimenting with Pot: The State of Colorado's Legalization of Marijuana 
• Legalizing Marijuana: California's Pot of Gold?   (Covers the economic benefits)
• Medicinal and Recreational Marijuana Use by Patients Infected with HIV

After you've finished writing your cannabis Sativa legalization essay, be sure to address the following points:

• The grammar and distinctiveness of the marijuana essay have been double-checked and revised.
• A solid a backed up by ideas, arguments, and proof.
• The overview and analysis of the research and opinions of other authors.
• An introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion are all part of a coherent framework.

Keep in mind that you can get expert essay assistance from Studybay when writing your   research paper .

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How Marijuana Legalization Is Affecting Use

Research shows changes in cannabis use throughout the u.s..

Posted May 31, 2024 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer

• New research shows more people are using cannabis than ever before.
• There is no evidence of an increase of cannabis use among teens.
• Despite the stable teen use, adolescents who do use cannabis report using more frequently.

Over the past several decades, marijuana legalization has accelerated across the United States. Cannabis is now legal for recreational use in 24 states and Washington, D.C., as well as for medical use in 38 states and Washington, D.C. Now that it’s more widely available, researchers are asking how legalization is affecting cannabis use.

Not surprisingly, surveys have found that cannabis use is increasing. For the first time on record, more Americans are using cannabis daily than alcohol , according to a new study published earlier this month in the journal Addiction .

The study used data from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which was conducted four times between 1979 and 2022. In 2022, 17.7 million people reported using cannabis every day or nearly every day, compared with 14.7 million who reported using alcohol every day or nearly every day. In 2022, the number of people who reported using marijuana daily was 15 times higher than reported in 1992.

But there are clear health threats to using cannabis products regularly. One systematic review found regular cannabis use impairs cognition , lowers motivation , and can lead to mental health problems.

Part of the trouble is that today’s cannabis is more potent. A 2020 systematic review found that levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, has increased by approximately 2.9 milligrams each year since the 1970s. A gram of cannabis now has two to four times what is considered the standard dose of THC, which typically produces a mild intoxication for non-regular users. Evidence also shows that higher doses lead to higher rates of addiction and psychosis among marijuana users.

Cannabis use may be an increasing public health problem for adults, but what about adolescents?

Surprisingly, data shows marijuana use among teens is flat or slightly declining.

A study published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics used data from the Youth Risk Behavior survey, which has collected information from more than 900,000 high school students from 2011 to 2021. The study found that after states enacted legal commercial sales of cannabis for adults aged 21 and older, more adolescents reported using no cannabis at all. But at the same time, frequency of cannabis use increased for adolescents who were already cannabis users.

The increased use is a problem because young people are more susceptible to the health risks of using marijuana. A study of 11,000 teens published this month found teens who use cannabis are 11 times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder than those who don’t. (Interestingly, for study participants ages 20 to 33, cannabis was not linked to higher rates of psychiatric disorders.)

The take-home message: Cannabis use is increasing among adults; among younger people, cannabis users are consuming more than they have in the past. These trends could leads to increased risk of mental health disorders.

The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University is focused on using research findings to improve health and well-being of people at all stages of life.

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THREE ESSAYS ON THE EFFECT OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL SECURITY

The legalization of marijuana has emerged as a critical public policy issue, with far-reaching implications for health, education, and government programs at both the state and federal levels. The three essays of this dissertation show that medical marijuana legalization (MML) has a negative effect in each of these areas. The first essay shows, that the enactment of MMLs can exacerbate the crisis of overdose deaths in the United States. The study analyzes three key areas: the rate of overdose deaths caused by both legal and illegal drugs, the impact of MML on social norms regarding the perceived harm of marijuana, and an investigation into the gateway theory by examining the use of other addictive drugs. I find that MMLs increase deaths attributed to overdose by 21.5% population. MMLs s also indicate increase the number of deaths due to prescribed opioids by 44.6%, and deaths from all opioids (heroin and cocaine in addition to prescribed opioids) by 37.2 % Results suggest an overall increase in the use of marijuana, primarily due to lower perceived risk among adolescents. Additionally, results show an increase in hospital admissions due to substance abuse. The analysis suggests that legalizing medical marijuana may exaggerate the current problem of drug overdose in the United States. The second essay examines the impact of improved access to medical marijuana, measured by the proximity of schools to the nearest dispensary, on the academic performance of high school students in California. Students in schools farther from a marijuana dispensary have higher academic performance as measured through AP, ACT, SAT scores, and average GPA, and lower number of suspensions due to violence and illicit drug use. To show this, I construct the first geocoded dataset on marijuana dispensary and high school locations, use newly developed difference-in-differences estimators that rule out any bias due to heterogeneous treatment effects over time, and explore dynamic responses. This essay reveals the importance of ensuring a largest possible distance between schools and dispensaries to protect adolescents from the potential harm caused by medical marijuana. Finally, the third essay shows that in the long term, MMLs increase the number of disabled workers who receive Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) because of mental health issues. SSDI is a major social insurance program that provides benefits to workers who become disabled, and understanding how policy changes in other areas may impact this program is important. In this study, there were important differences between the results of a two-way fixed effects model and a new model by Callaway and Santa’Anna. MMLs, in theory, could either increase or decrease the number of SSDI recipients, and traditional fixed effects models suggest both could be at play; however, only the negative effect is robust to correction for heterogeneous effects. This highlights the need for future research to understand the true impact of medical marijuana legalization

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Daily marijuana use is increasing. That's cause for concern.

Millions of people drinking daily was already a problem, and millions more now getting high is another. adults have to be smart about the risks of heavy cannabis use..

A man smokes marijuana in lower Manhattan outside the first legal dispensary for recreational marijuana in New York in December 2022. Daily and near daily marijuana use is now more common than high-frequency drinking.

Ted Shaffrey/AP

This will likely come as no surprise to most people, even if they didn’t see the recent news reports on the research: More people are using marijuana, more frequently than ever.

It’s an entirely predictable outcome of marijuana legalization, now in place in 24 states. Some 17.7 million people use marijuana daily or almost daily, which is more than the 14.7 million people who use alcohol daily or on a near-daily basis, according to an analysis of 2022 results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey has been in use since 1979, but these latest results mark the first time that more people reported daily pot use than daily drinking.

Advocates of marijuana legalization are quick to cite its benefits. Recreational cannabis sales bring much-needed tax revenue to cash-hungry state governments; Illinois raked in $417.6 million in cannabis sales tax revenue in 2023. Legalization also is a blow to the war on drugs and its disproportionate impact on impoverished Black and Latino communities. There’s no going back to prohibition, especially now that the Drug Enforcement Administration has proposed removing marijuana from its Schedule 1 classification of far more dangerous drugs, such as heroin and ecstasy.

Even so, there are obvious reasons to be concerned about the growing heavy use of marijuana. “Safer than alcohol” is the conventional wisdom, but that doesn’t mean “without risk.”

Daily marijuana use can increase the risk of developing cannabis-associated psychosis, according to Dr. David A. Gorelick of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Heavy marijuana use has also been linked to heart problems. In a study published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers found that the more often someone smoked pot, the greater their risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke : Daily users had a 25% higher risk of having a heart attack and a 42% higher risk of experiencing a stroke.

It’s also alarming that just as more people are reporting using pot daily, more people are reporting “driving while high” (which explains why you’re smelling pot smoke wafting from the open windows of drivers while sitting in traffic or waiting at a pedestrian crosswalk).

An eye-opening 12 million people age 16 and over reported driving while under the influence of marijuana in 2018, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. Those ages 21 to 25 were most likely to report driving under the influence of pot.

Millions of people drinking daily was already a problem. Millions more getting high every day is another. But recreational marijuana is here to stay. Adults have to be smart about the risks of how much, and how often, they use pot.

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Is America’s weed habit dangerous?

Our analysis of the data.

F EW RICH countries have taken to legal weed quite like America. Although federal regulation remains tight, the drug is legal for recreational use in 24 states and for medical use in 38. One in six American adults now uses marijuana at least monthly, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health ( NSDUH ); nearly one in 20—about 11m people—gets high every day. A recent paper by Jonathan Caulkins of Carnegie Mellon University estimates that the number of “daily or near-daily” marijuana users—defined as those who report getting high on at least 21 of the past 30 days—surpassed the number of daily alcohol users in 2022.

That finding grabbed headlines. It does not mean that weed is a bigger health risk than alcohol, but it does have some worrying implications.

The first point to note is that a lot more Americans drink alcohol than get high from cannabis; drinking is a lot more dangerous. Around two-thirds of American adults have had a drink in the past year, compared with a fifth who have had a toke. More than half imbibe at least once a month. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reckons that the number of deaths in America that can be attributed to alcohol, either in full or in part, is now nearly 180,000 per year. The mortality risk from marijuana is virtually nil. The main danger comes from driving under the influence.

But weed users tend to indulge their habit more often. One in five marijuana users gets high every day (before legalisation by some states the figure was around one in ten). By our calculations, disregarding “near-daily users” the number of daily tokers surpassed the number of daily drinkers in 2018. Their habit may not be harmless.

Studies have shown that people who use cannabis regularly may develop schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders earlier than they might otherwise have done. Heavy users may also have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes. In an article for the Washington Monthly Mr Caulkins explained that heavy use may also harm short-term memory, concentration and motivation, resulting in “lost opportunities in schools and the workplace”. Our analysis appears to back this up. Data from the NSDUH survey show that in 2022 just 42% of daily or near-daily marijuana users said they had “very good” or “excellent” health, compared with 53% of monthly users and 56% of yearly ones (see chart 2). Those differences remain even after controlling for demographic characteristics such as age, race and education, and excluding people who use marijuana for medical purposes. Daily pot users also tend to report worse mental health, with a larger share saying that they suffered an episode of depression in the past year.

On measures of employment the findings are less stark. Serious stoners fare only slightly worse in the workplace than more casual pot users. Working-age adults who use marijuana every day or nearly every day are only slightly less likely to be employed than are monthly users. They work roughly the same number of hours, too. But the data also show that heavy marijuana users tend to skip work more often than do casual users and non-users. They also earn less (see chart 3).

Correlation is not causation. It may be that people with lower incomes and poorer health are more inclined to become heavy pot users; or that some third factor causes all three outcomes. Whatever the explanation, the number of daily smokers could rise as legalisation becomes more common. As many as five states could legalise recreational use of the drug in 2024. Voters in Florida and South Dakota are already set to vote on the issue in November. ■

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Many Americans cite health reasons for using marijuana

One in six patients serviced by a major California healthcare system said they used marijuana regularly, with many citing health reasons for doing so, a new study finds.

In most cases, doctors may not know that weed is part of a patient's daily life. Advertisement

"Patients may not tell their primary care providers about their cannabis use, and their doctors may not ask about it," said study author Dr. Lillian Gelberg , a professor of health policy and management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

• Daily use of marijuana more frequent than alcohol among Americans
• Risk for psychosis skyrockets among teens who use cannabis
• Cannabis overdoses rise among older adults

Relaxed laws around marijuana have greatly boosted Americans' access to the drug. In total, 38 states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia now allow cannabis for medical use, and 24 of these states also permit recreational use. Advertisement

At the same time, the potency of all this cannabis has greatly increased, the researchers noted. Numerous studies have linked cannabis overuse to conditions such as new-onset psychosis .

Concerned, a leading independent advisory board known as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended in 2022 that physicians routinely screen patients for cannabis use.

In the study, Gelberg's team looked at the medical records of almost 176,000 patients enrolled in the UCLA Health system. The system asks members to complete surveys during pre-appointment check-ins, which include questions about cannabis use.

The researchers found that about 30,000 (17%) of the patients said they had used marijuana at least once over the prior three months.

Among this group, more than a third had what the researchers gauged to be moderate- to high-risk cannabis use disorder.

Among cannabis users, 40% used cannabis once or twice in the previous three months, 17% used it monthly, 25% used it weekly and 19% used it daily or almost daily, the team reported.

Marijuana was commonly inhaled (65% of users) or taken as edibles (64.7%).

When asked why they used the drug, a large majority (76%) said they used it to help manage health issues. These included mental health symptoms or stress (56%), to help with sleep (56%) and to ease pain (37%). Advertisement

Most people who said they used marijuana recreationally say they also used it sometimes to manage a health symptom.

The findings were published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open .

Gelberg's team noted that the findings are only from California, where cannabis has long been legal, so it's possible that the numbers might not be replicated in other regions. Much of the survey was also conducted during the pandemic, when it's thought cannabis use might have been higher than usual.

"Still, given the high rates of cannabis use and medical cannabis use that we found in this large urban healthcare system, it is essential that healthcare systems implement routine screening of all primary care patients," Gelberg's team wrote.

More information

Find out more about the potential dangers of cannabis overuse at Yale Medicine .

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National Research Council (US) Committee on Substance Abuse and Habitual Behavior. An Analysis of Marijuana Policy. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1982.

An Analysis of Marijuana Policy.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

CONCLUSIONS

For the last decade, concern with health hazards attributable to marijuana has been rising. The hearts, lungs, reproductive functions, and mental abilities of children have been reported to be threatened by marijuana, and such threats are not to be taken lightly. Heavy use by anyone or any use by growing children should be discouraged. Although conclusive evidence is lacking of major, long-term public health problems caused by marijuana, they are worrisome possibilities, and both the reports and the a priori likelihood of developmental damage to some young users makes marijuana use a cause for extreme concern.

At the same time, the effectiveness of the present federal policy of complete prohibition falls far short of its goal--preventing use. An estimated 55 million Americans have tried marijuana, federal enforcement of prohibition of use is virtually nonexistent, and 11 states have repealed criminal penalties for private possession of small amounts and for private use. It can no longer be argued that use would be much more widespread and the problematic effects greater today if the policy of complete prohibition did not exist: The existing evidence on policies of partial prohibition indicates that partial prohibition has been as effective in controlling consumption as complete prohibition and has entailed considerably smaller social, legal, and economic costs. On balance, therefore, we believe that a policy of partial prohibition is clearly preferable to a policy of complete prohibition of supply and use.

We believe, further, that current policies directed at controlling the supply of marijuana should be seriously reconsidered. The demonstrated ineffectiveness of control of use through prohibition of supply and the high costs of implementing such a policy make it very unlikely that any kind of partial prohibition policy will be effective in reducing marijuana use significantly below present levels. Moreover, it seems likely to us that removal of criminal sanctions will be given serious consideration by the federal government and by the states in the foreseeable future. Hence, a variety of alternative policies should be considered.

At this time, the form of specific alternatives to current policies and their probable effect on patterns of use cannot be determined with confidence. It is possible that, after careful study, all alternatives will turn out to have so many disadvantages that none could command public consensus. To maximize the likelihood of sound policy for the long run, however, further research should be conducted on the biological, behavioral, developmental, and social consequences of marijuana use, on the structure and operation of drug markets, and on the relations of various conditions of availability to patterns of use.

• Cite this Page National Research Council (US) Committee on Substance Abuse and Habitual Behavior. An Analysis of Marijuana Policy. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1982. CONCLUSIONS.

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During the cross-examination, government lawyers elicited anguished, and excruciating, details about their relationship at the time.

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By Eileen Sullivan ,  Glenn Thrush and Zach Montague

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden Neal took the stand on Friday in hopes of taking her father’s defense into her own hands. By the time she embraced him at the defendant’s table after an hour of emotionally raw testimony, it was unclear whether she helped or harmed his cause.

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The government’s goal is to prove Mr. Biden was using drugs regularly in 2018 and 2019 and knowingly falsified the form. His lawyers have offered a spirited, if narrower, defense centered on questioning whether Mr. Biden was actually using drugs in October 2018 and challenging the recollection of the prosecution’s witnesses.

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