Marijuana is a mind-altering drug derived from the cannabis plant, used for either recreational or medicinal purposes. It is the second most used drug after alcohol, and the youths mostly use it. For medicinal purposes, marijuana is used by patients having various types of diseases. Physicians and scientists have been identifying various treatments basing on the importance of cannabis. In Canada, the senate legalized marijuana on 7th June 2018 for recreational and medicinal purposes. Marijuana has positive and negative impacts, forcing policymakers to have different views on legalizing marijuana.
The group in favor of legalizing marijuana argue from various perspectives. Medical marijuana is helpful to patients because of its cannabidiol (CBD). Many patients have reported the importance of CBD in relieving anxiety, insomnia, spasticity, and pain-relieving in life-threatening conditions like epilepsy (Pacula & Smart, 2017). A condition such as Dravet syndrome is difficult to control, but it responds dramatically with the dominant marijuana strain (charlotte’s web). For elderly patients, marijuana has proved to be safer than opiates because of the inability to overdose. People experiencing nerve pain and multiple sclerosis have benefited from the marijuana impact. Drugs like Lyrica, Neurotin, and Opiates are very sedative (Pacula & Smart, 2017). It makes the user experience disengagement when performing a task.
However, with marijuana, the patients can resume their daily duties with little or no disengagement at all. 14% of Canadians aged 16 years and above use marijuana for medical purposes from the Canadian-cannabis survey. The territorial and provincial usage range from 7% to 21% (Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020, 2020). The same survey showed that for medical purposes, the frequency of marijuana consumption varied. 35% of the Canadians consumed daily, 8% consumed at a frequency of 5 to 6 days per week, 9% consumed at a frequency of 3 to 4 days per week, 13% consumed at a frequency of 1 to 2 days per week. On a monthly basis, 16% consume at a frequency of 2 to 3 days per month, 6% consume at a frequency of 1 day per month, and 14% consume at a frequency of less than one day per month.
People suffering from diseases such as Parkinson’s are experiencing the benefit of medical marijuana. It has formed the best muscle relaxant as it can lessen tremors. It helps manage weight loss and nausea, with a promising future in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Pacula & Smart, 2017). Patients from combat zones have reported a significant improvement when using marijuana to treat PTSD (Pacula & Smart, 2017). From the Canadian-cannabis survey, from 2019 to 2020, cannabis users have spent approximately $67 on cannabis products every month (Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020, 2020). The amount spent on legal sources is $49, which increases revenue generation in Canada.
Marijuana legalization for recreational purposes is proposed because of the enjoyment that comes with the usage of marijuana. Recreational usage does not involve prescription as it is used occasionally (Mennis et al., 2021). The user has no compulsion to use marijuana as it is used when offered freely, and most of the time is spent on other significant activities. The user of marijuana is not stoned to using marijuana frequently as only a small portion of marijuana is allowed with mild effect (Mennis et al., 2021). It is advised to use marijuana when in a social setting only to help the user relax. It is purely recreational and not using marijuana to stimulate things like mood for sex or even appetite.
Despite Marijuana being helpful on the medical side, the opposing group views marijuana as a harmful drug that requires illegalization because of its negative health impact on people and society. Marijuana has a negative effect on the cognition of people (Kroon et al., 2021). Using marijuana for an extended period, especially from adolescence to the middle age of about 38 years, results in cognitive impairment (Kroon et al., 2021).
This is proven by a reduction in verbal comprehension, processing speed, executive functioning, perceptual reasoning, and memory. In Canada, cannabis usage varies depending on the type of end products. Eating cannabis is approximated 65%, vaping cannabis approximated 75%, and smoking cannabis approximated 73%. In 2020, 25% of Canadian used cannabis in the last 12 months (Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020, 2020). From the same survey, the percentage of consumption of marijuana increased significantly in 2020. In 2020, male consumption increased from 29% to 31%, and female consumption increased from 21% to 23%. Youths and young adults are the top consumers of marijuana. Individuals with age 16 years to 19 years had a constant consumption of 44% of marijuana in 2019 and 2020. The youths aged 20 to 24 years increased their consumption from 51% in 2019 to 52% in 2020. Individuals with 25 years and above also increased their consumption from 21% in 2019 to 24% in 2020.
Another negative impact of marijuana is associated with the respiratory system. Respiratory diseases that arise from the usage of marijuana include inflammatory lung disease posing a high risk of getting lung cancer. The effect leads to reduced pulmonary function among heavy users of marijuana. Marijuana’s effect is not only on the lungs but also on organs such as gastrointestinal, reproductive, and immunologic systems (Tan & Sin, 2018). Medical marijuana is not subjected to oversights like other prescription drugs. They are grown in state dispensaries, and every state has its regulatory standards, which vary from strict to almost non-existing (Tan & Sin, 2018). The crude marijuana may have external substances such as fungi and molds, which may compromise the immune systems of patients with cancer or HIV/AIDS.
Additionally, marijuana has more than 60 active cannabinoids, and only a few of these cannabinoids have been studied and explored by scientists. Marijuana has more than 20 products that require thorough clinical trials to identify the correct combinations that may not be lethal to patients (Tan & Sin, 2018). Many state dispensaries experiment with marijuana by breeding several types of cannabinoids, and this is very risky as it increases the potency of tetrahydrocannabinol which is lethal when smoked.
Legalizing marijuana poses a high potential for diversion as patients are allowed to grow marijuana for their medication. This increases the threat of contamination and also the concentration of marijuana (Hickman et al., 2020). Furthermore, diversion of marijuana from medicinal to substance use tends to increase as many bypasses the set regulations. With this homegrown marijuana, people tend to sell it at a lower price than the dispensary price increasing the rate of substance use in the community (Hickman et al., 2020). Marijuana may have proven helpful in treating diseases, but it is a risk factor in psychotic disorders and schizophrenia. In genetically vulnerable populations, marijuana has proven to precipitate schizophrenia. The risk propagates when marijuana is used at an early age.
In the social context, marijuana impacts social safety implications such as one cannot drive effectively. Marijuana users have difficulty in judging distance, time, and speed. It tempers with brain functionality, thereby reducing the ability to track objects that are in motion. In studies involving drug-related motor vehicle fatalities, Marijuana is among the top leading drugs that lead to vehicle accidents. The risk of marijuana-related accidents has been increasing with the increased usage of marijuana (Hall et al., 2020). Among adolescents, marijuana usage has risen dramatically. Many youths view marijuana as a source of pleasure, and with the legalization of recreational and medical marijuana, the risk of perception among the youths has been increasing tremendously (Hall et al., 2020). The youths are exposed to the dangers of marijuana, such as cognitive disorder and short-term and long-term psychosis.
In conclusion, marijuana legalization has negative and positive impacts on the health of the people and society. With the legalization of marijuana for medical use, scientists are studying to identify various medical solutions from marijuana varieties. Medical marijuana has several cannabinoids that are useful in relieving spasticity, insomnia, and anxiety. Marijuana has proven to help treat patients with epilepsy, PTSD, and people having Dravet syndrome. For recreational purposes, marijuana helps to ease the pressure of work and making people enjoy it. It is not used occasionally hence reducing the risk of addiction. However, the opposing sides of the legalization of marijuana argue that marijuana has health issues such as cognitive disorders. This impairs the user in perceptual reasoning, processing speed, memory, and verbal comprehension. Other negative impacts are associated with respiratory system disorder and social safety implications as individuals have difficulty driving effectively.
References
Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020: Summary – Canada.ca. Canada. Web.
Hall, W., Leung, J., & Lynskey, M. (2020). The effects of cannabis use on the development of adolescents and young adults. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 2(1), 461-483. Web.
Hickman, M., Hines, L., & Gage, S. (2020). Assessing the public health effects of cannabis use: can legalization improve the evidence base? World Psychiatry, 19(2), 197-198. Web.
Kroon, E., Kuhns, L., & Cousijn, J. (2021). The short-term and long-term effects of cannabis on cognition: recent advances in the field. Current Opinion in Psychology, 38, 49-55. Web.
Mennis, J., Stahler, G., & Mason, M. (2021). Treatment admissions for opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamines among adolescents and emerging adults after legalization of recreational marijuana. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 122, 108228. Web.
Pacula, R., & Smart, R. (2017). Medical marijuana and marijuana legalization. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 13(1), 397-419. Web.
Tan, W., & Sin, D. (2018). What are the long-term effects of smoked marijuana on lung health? Canadian Medical Association Journal, 190(42), E1243-E1244. Web.