“The Pros and Cons of Marijuana Use: Is it Safe?”

                 The specific research question that I will be addressing is on whether marijuana is relatively safe to use. Currently today, the use of marijuana has been more and more normalized for the purpose of one’s own enjoyment instead of only for medical uses. Like alcohol use, some people see it as a harmless drug to consume but how harmless can it be if having a drug addiction is possible and how much is considered safe? The scientific problem that are mentioned in all the articles are addressing the pros and cons of marijuana use and the effects it has on the body when consumed a certain amount. This problem must be addressed because although marijuana is considered “safe” to use for nonmedical purposes, some may take advantage of how much they can use being that it is advocated for its availability and the harmless, calming effects that comes with it. I will be expressing this problem through study cases, statistics, researched evidence, etc. mentioned in the articles in which is split into three categorical stances: marijuana is overall safe, or marijuana is overall harmful to use.

                One main reason why people consider this a harmless, safe drug to take is because “There are no documented deaths from a marijuana overdose” and that “Overall, marijuana is a relatively safe drug—certainly less harmful than some drugs that are legal today, and potentially beneficial to some people’s healthy through its medical use.” (Lopez) This expresses the fact that marijuana does, in fact, have positive effects towards the body in comparison to other drugs and that there no evidence that marijuana can cause serious damage to the body if ever taken more than the recommended amount. What effects does marijuana have on people for them to enjoy it so much in the first place? Marijuana, when smoked, has an immediate effect on the body. Some common effects include “euphoria feeling, relaxation, laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite.” (NIDA) They express the positive effects of the use of marijuana by listing all the reasons why people enjoy specifically smoking it. Furthermore, “Studies reviewed also suggest it carries several benefits, particularly for chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting”, which expresses the reminder that marijuana is a medical treatment that helps us with medial issues in the first place. Therefore, these authors both states the fact that marijuana have positive effects not only for your personal enjoyment but for medical purposes which is why people choose to consume marijuana.

              However, because it is labeled as a medical treatment and can be easily accessible, marijuana tend to be overused and can be obtained by people of all age. This is where marijuana is seen as a possible threat to our health because people of younger age groups have less control of their intake and can become easily addicted. Studies show that “Marijuana is the most used illegal substance in the U.S and its use is growing. Marijuana use among all adult groups, both sexes, and pregnant women is going up. At the same time, the perception of how harmful marijuana use can be is declining. 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.” (SAMHSA) This author wants the audience to know the incredibly high chance of anyone at any age becoming addicted to marijuana. They also stated that there are a good percentage of pregnant women using marijuana which shows how careless and less knowledgeable people are when it comes to the bad side effects of marijuana, especially when you can still get addicted to marijuana. Some negative, long termed effects of marijuana can include the following categories like brain damage, mental health, negative athletic performance, negative driving performance, negative baby’s health and development (during pregnancy), and negative daily life performance. Through this, the author explains that marijuana can affect you more than you think and even though it may not be as life threatening it can still lead to negative long-term effects that can potentially cause death. For example, the long-term effects of marijuana on driving can lead to car accidents which can lead to death. Overall, the author proves that marijuana may not have direct cause of death from overdose but when consumed on a day-to-day basis it can most likely pose harm doing normal activities such as driving because it affects your brain and movement coordination.

           Overall, all three articles stated how marijuana can be both good and bad in different ways. For example, one article (SAMHSA) mentions the perception of how harmful marijuana can be is declining which is why marijuana can be posed as a threat because people may use it more and more every day which can lead to an addiction. While another article explains the short-term side effects of marijuana stating that people can experience “anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic” during the effect of it. (NIDA) However, all three articles do mention that although marijuana is not necessarily life threatening or as bad as other drugs, it still does not mean that drugs are completely harmless and is safe to use in all scenarios.

Works Cited

Lopez, German. “Marijuana Is a Relatively Safe Drug – with Some Risks.” Vox, Vox, 20 Aug. 2018, https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/8/20/17938380/marijuana-legalization-health-safety-risks-addiction.

 NIDA. “What are marijuana’s effects?.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 19 Apr.      

              2021, https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-

              reports/marijuana/what-are-marijuana-effects Accessed 27 May 2022.

“Know the Risks of Marijuana.” SAMHSA, 13 Apr. 2022, https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana.

.