The Negative Effects of Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

Marijuana legalization has been a very debatable topic for many years. Debates have been born on the positive and the negative of the drug itself. “While more than 8 in 10 Americans (83 percent) support legalizing medical marijuana, people are still evenly split on recreational policy. There is 49 percent of Americans that support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, while 47 percent oppose it, according to the poll” (O’Hara). Several have argued that the positive uses of marijuana outweigh the negative. Other individuals have debated that the negatives of using marijuana outweigh the positives. In addition, legalizing recreational marijuana will lead to long-term health issues: addiction, memory loss, and introduction to other illegal drugs.

“According to a poll, 52 percent of Americans over 18 have tried marijuana at some point in their lives” (O’Hara). Marijuana is the most commonly addicted illegal drug in the world, and becoming addicted is very easy. “When an individual uses Marijuana, Cannabinoid receptors in the brain are activated by a neurotransmitter called Anandamide. THC mimics and blocks the actions of natural neurotransmitters like Anandamide to the point where the body no longer produces sufficient Anandamide on its own. As a result, the brain gets reprogrammed to need marijuana to feel normal. When the THC has stopped the body, often experiences withdrawal symptoms because of the resulting lack of Anandamide. Wanting to quit using marijuana but being unable to do so is a strong indication of an addiction” (Juergens).

“A study in the Hippocampus journal found that teenagers who smoked pot every day for three years had “abnormally-shaped” hippocampal when they reached their early 20s. Those individuals “performed around 18 percent worse in long-term memory tests,” compared to other test subjects who had never smoked marijuana” (Crane). Marijuana smokers do not have the same ability to remember and organize information compared to people who do not smoke. Smoking marijuana regularly can damage the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. “While marijuana will not cause blackouts or amnesia, the drug can cause short-term memory problems, fuzzy thinking, and forgetfulness. Deterioration of the hippocampus is what causes age-related memory loss, and THC appears to accelerate this process” (Keller). Fortunately, research suggests that weed-related memory deficits are not necessarily permanent and may improve with abstinence.

Since the FDA has no involvement with the oversight of marijuana, concerns about being adequately evaluated for safe consumption become a factor. FDA’s regulated drugs are labels what is safe for consumption. Unfortunately, the actual composition is unknown for marijuana. With marijuana being unregulated harmful substances can be added that can have serious consequences. Well, known rapper DMX (Earl Simmons) recently lost his battle with addiction this year. DMX has battled addiction and substance abuse for many years. “In an interview last year, DMX said that his addiction began when he was just 14 years old when he unknowingly smoked a blunt laced with crack cocaine given to him by his mentor” (Prince Williams/Wireimage P). In 2018, a deadly batch of synthetic marijuana laced with rat poison had claimed four lives in the US Midwest. “Several states have raised the alarm over a recent outbreak of illness caused by Brodifacoum, a lethal blood thinner used in rat poison, which was in the synthetic pot that victims consume. As a result, the federal government and many states have banned some of these products or specific ingredients. However, the CDC says manufacturers skirt these laws by creating new products or labeling them “not for human consumption” (Number of US deaths). 

In conclusion, Marijuana legalization has been a debatable topic for many years. Debates have been born on the positive and the negative of the drug itself. using include addiction, memory loss, and is an introduction to other illegal drugs. “When an individual uses Marijuana, Cannabinoid receptors in the brain are activated by a neurotransmitter called Anandamide. When the THC has stopped the body, often experiences withdrawal symptoms because of the resulting lack of Anandamide. Marijuana smokers do not have the same ability to remember and organize information compared to people who do not smoke. Fortunately, research suggests that weed-related memory deficits are not necessarily permanent and may improve with abstinence. Since the FDA has no involvement with the oversight of marijuana, concerns about being adequately evaluated for safe consumption become a factor. With marijuana being unregulated harmful substances can be added that can have serious consequences.