Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, some of which can cause short-term of marijuana usage such as: Impairments in learning, memory, perception, judgment, difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts. Other effects marijuana that causes long-term use are: Enhanced cancer risk, decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men, increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility, diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure and Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect. (4) Sandra Lacar, executive director of the Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii says, "The legalization of marijuana as a medicine and the abandonment of our science-based FDA testing and approval process are irresponsible as long as proven, positive alternative treatments are in place." (5) We are supposed to find new support for medical research, not use drugs such as marijuana.
Secondly, marijuana is a gateway drug. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States and tends to be the first illegal drug teens use. Police Chief Lawrence K. Mahuna said, "In the early 80's, there was near open cultivation of marijuana in many areas of the Big Island. Growers had hired people, with guns, to protect their crops. There were big, open fields of it. It was a dangerous situation. They booby-trapped there plots. People out hiking were also shot at. Locals were paranoid about going into the out-of-doors. It was out of control and needed to be stopped." (11) Marijuana is illegal, unhealthy and could very well be a gateway to other drugs. People who smoke marijuana are two to five times more likely to move on to harder drugs. While most marijuana users do not go on to use more dangerous drugs, most heavy drug users started with marijuana.
