Legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington has raised a lot of controversy in American society in the recent past. According to Clarke (71), there is a changing perception on the real definition of marijuana in terms of its effect on the body. A section of the society believes that it is a stimulant, just like tea, coffee, or a cigarette. They consider it as a stimulant that is not harmful to its users when taken in regulated quantities. This is the group that has been campaigning for the legalization of this drug. Although this still remains a controversial issue in the society, some states such as those mentioned above have approved its use in regulated measures. Other states such as California have also been discussing this issue, and the possibility of legalizing this drug is very high in this state. This research seeks to challenge the definition that views it as a stimulant that is not harmful to human health.
Marijuana has been an illegal drug in this country for a very long time. Most of the other world nations have also illegalized sale and consumption of this substance within their borders. According to Caulkins (90), Marijuana is known to have direct negative health effects in the body of a person. This puts to question the general belief that some people have held that Marijuana is a stimulant that is harmless to human health. From the medical perspective, it has been categorized as a hard drug. In most countries around the world, including the United States, major stimulants such as tea, coffee, or even cigarette, have not fallen to this category. It is important to understand the effect of this substance on the body before defining it as either a hard drug or a stimulant because many people will rely on the definition given by credible authorities to decide on whether to use it or not. The youth, especially adolescents, are at risk of abusing cannabis once it is categorized as a stimulant that has limited or no health consequences. This audience must therefore, be guided appropriately in order to ensure that they do not expose themselves to harm that is associated with the use of this substance.
The report by Nagle (49) shows that marijuana has short-term and long-term effects on its users. This report further states that the short term effects of using it include increased blood pressure, rapid heart rate, increased breathing rate, and slowed reaction time. Some of its psychological effects include aggressions, depressed mood, anxiety, and decreased or increased appetite. Overuse of this substance may result in hallucinations or one being delusional. The above short term effects of this substance confirm its definition as a hard drug. It has negative health effect on the body, and unless care is taken by the user in regulating its use, the effects mentioned above can become worse. Clarke (56) notes that this substance, when used in regulated doses, is a stimulant that has similar effect to that of a cigarette. However, several medical researches that have been conducted by various researchers have stated otherwise. In the report by Caulkins (117), the main problem with it is that once used, it brings the desire to increase its usage. This leads to addiction. The more one uses cannabis, the more he or she realizes that the smaller doses have no effect on their body. To get the desired effect, they would always try to increase the dosage, and with time, the abuse of the drug becomes unavoidable. As Nagle (89) notes, the more the dosage is increased, the greater its impact would be on the body.
This drug has been associated with some health effects when used for a long time. According to Clarke (96), those who use marijuana have higher chances of developing cancer than non-users. This drug also causes serious irritation in the mouth, throat and in the lungs. Acute chest illness and increased risk of infection of the lungs are other effects that have been associated with the use of this substance. Some researchers have also stated that its prolonged usage causes memory loss, impaired immune system of the body and tumor growth. These are effects that make the substance to be considered more of a hard drug than a stimulant.
Medical practitioners have stated that marijuana has other social effects that make it undesirable as a commonly consumed substance in society. The consumers always tend to be very aggressive once they consume it. Given that it makes them reason irrationally, they can engage in activities that may harm other members of the society. Such vices as robbery, rape, homicide, kidnapping, erratic shootings, are closely associated with the users of this substance. They engage in such acts because of the desire for the substance, but lack money, or because of their impaired judgment. It is therefore, a hard drug, and not a stimulant as some people defines it.
Works Cited
Caulkins, Jonathan. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, 2012. Print.
Clarke, Robert. Marijuana Botany: An Advanced Study: the Propagation and Breeding of Distinctive Cannabis. Berkeley: Ronin Publishing, 1981. Print.
Nagle, Jeanne. Marijuana. New York: Rosen Publishers. Group, 2008. Print.