Is Marijuana Bad for You and Should It Be Legalized?

Question by Catherine: Is marijuana bad for you and should it be legalized?
I’m doing a report on substance abuse: Marijuana. And I would like to get as many people’s points of view as possible on the subject.

Feel free to answer any of the following with support to defend you’re response whether it is in support or against. Please state your age and the state you live in if you respond.

1) Is marijuana really bad for you?
2) Should Marijuana be legalized?
3) Compared to marijuana…it seems as though most drugs that ARE legal (alcohol, prescription pills, caffeine, etc.) are abused just as often if not more and are even worse for your health. Marijuana is a plant that is grown just like every other plant, it really is not that bad. TRUE OR FALSE *this is basically my view point on it*
4. Any other information about Marijuana (whether it’s about substance abuse, statistics, or personal expieriences or facts) is always wanted as well.

As for myself, I am a 20 year old female, and I have been smoking weed for about 4 years. I used to smoke it more casually, use has increased throughout the years. I do not believe marijuana should be legal (I stated my defense in #3 above). I understand that it has it’s negative effects That it can be can be psychologically addictive because I experienced the symptoms of that when I was smoking multiple times a day every day, but after just a few weeks I was able to stop mentally craving it. It can be used as an temporary escape from reality, but as long as you have control over the fact that reality is going to come back and you cant escape it forever, that’s your problem. Unmotivation is also a problem for some people as well, which is why smoking before class is a horrible idea otherwise the option of “let’s just not go to class this one time” occurs. But I think a few negative things do not out weight the positive and/or it is your own choice to make all the negative things happen NOT happen, they are all psychological and you can keep yourself from doing them if you so chose. I’d say smoking marijuana is absolutely not a problem, smoking it every day all day is a different story, that may be the “substance abuse” part of it. The irritibillity when not high for a pot head is kind of ridiculous. Sorry, this was all rambled off of the top of my head.

Please take the time out to throw me a few opinions or facts. 🙂 Thanks alot!

Best answer:

Answer by c1221
I personally feel that marijuana is less harmful than both tobacco and alcohol. Actually, I know so, and it has been established as well. Furthermore, it’s only harmful for you if you smoke it; not so much if you use it to make baked goods or beverages. However, most people argue that it is illegal more importantly because it is a gateway drug. But from what I’ve heard and read, tobacco is just as big of a gateway drug, if not bigger, so I don’t know why marijuana is singled out, especially when it is less addictive than most other drugs. I mean, you can crave weed, but you don’t get withdrawal symptoms unless you have really gone over the top, and that craving dies off after a few days.

Also, if marijuana was to be legalized and enforced in the same fashion as tobacco and alcohol, then I feel there would be less problems, since marijuana is quite widespread, and it is just a waste of taxpayer’s money to enforce the use/possession of marijuana. Not to mention the fact that if marijuana was legalized, then it could be taxed, earning even more revenue for the government.

Turns out that there have been no recorded cases of casualties from marijuana overdose, because the user will be knocked unconscious before they can consume lethal levels of THC. Also, roughly 2% of all motor vehicle accidents have been linked to marijuana, but most of those incidents also had alcohol involved. In fact, drivers who are under the influence of marijuana do not show the speeding, reckless driving behavior of drunken drivers, but will drive relatively slower than average drivers, and take longer to decide to change lanes, etc.

Answer by fern11357
yes marijuana is harmful but so is anything else in excess. it should be legalized and people will still be responsible for their actions, whether under influence of marijuana or not.

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