Though there are obvious serious medical uses for marijuana, they will not be addressed, since, in Canada, marijuana can be prescribed. Unfortunately marijuana is not used for certain milder medical applications because of its illegal s

The most important thing about a drug, however, is not what it does that is good, instead it is what it does that is bad. According to DARE (drug abuse resistance education), the problems are too numerous to legalize. The DARE allegations are: Marijuana overdoses could occur, use eventually leads to brain damage and, or, memory problems. Heart problems, hormonal changes, reproductive system damage, weakened immune system, birth defects, cancer, fat cells retain the drug and can keep one high for long periods of time, Amotivational Syndrome, driving ability hurt, the gateway effect to other drugs and drug use leading to crime are all cited as marijuana related problems. However, a marijuana overdose has never been recorded. In fact, according to animal testing, forty thousand times as much THC as you need to get high would have to be consumed to overdose. Compare this to four or a maximum of ten times for alcohol comparatively. Psychoactive drugs, such as marijuana, are used to alter brain patterns in ways the brain can alter them itself, not kill brain cells as alcohol does. Short term memory issues are noted, but only in the hours after use, brain patterns return to normal and no damage is done. Because marijuana use accelerates heart rate, some heart problems could arise for people with already present cardiovascular problems. However for people with sound health, there is no cardiovascular risk. Hormonal changes due to marijuana are completely unfounded. Reproductive system damage was recorded by only one scientist, a Dr. Gabriel Nahas. He was criticized to the point where he renounced his results. While the subject is under the influence of marijuana, a decrease in the livers’ production of lymphocytes and macrophages is noted, but as the influence wears off levels return to normal, thus risk is very low. As well, some studies have noted an increase in some of the immune systems activities. Though no drug use is recommended during pregnancy, no studies have proven light marijuana use is detrimental to the child. In fact, using marijuana in the third trimester increases the birth weight of a child. When you take into account that alcohol causes fetal alcohol syndrome and smoking causes low birth weights and sick babies, marijuana is relatively safe. However, for heavy users, some marijuana can get to the baby via the placenta. Cancer is always going to be a risk with smoking. To marijuana’s merit, however, to attain the desired effect, a large amount does not have to be smoked as is the case with cigarettes. Even when you take nicotine in through other sources it is unhealthy to the user. For instance the use of chewing tobacco has been associated with various cancers. Whereas ingesting marijuana is a common practice in the Middle East as with the drink ‘bhang’, or even when people bake the drug into their food, one has a safe alternative to smoking with marijuana. However, to compare the smoking of the two drugs, marijuana does not deter the actions of the lung cleaning cilia, nor does it constrict the bronchial tubes and hur

Some topics in this essay:
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