The utilization of cannabis has expanded in all layers of society globally, with an intermittent utilization of marijuana presently being a widespread practice. At present, there is a disparity in the field’s comprehension of the connection between successive marijuana use and other substance use, psychological wellness, and crime rate among the population. People support the legalization of the drug due to the assumption that it has a therapeutic effect on patients with anxiety. Nevertheless, studies show that health deterioration and deviant behavior are the potential risks of cannabis abuse. For these reasons, it is critical to forbid the wide use of the substance.
The primary argument against the legalization of the drug is the common belief that it may lead to psychological disorders. However, there is not enough data to associate marijuana use and mental illnesses’ occurrence. Recent investigations demonstrate inconsistent results which indicate almost no relationship between cannabis use and the danger of acquiring a mental illness. Keith et al. (2015) report that “only five out of ten studies that investigated marijuana use and a diagnosis of depression found evidence of an association” (p. 500). Consequently, the connection between marijuana use and emotional wellness is not clear.
Another reason for banning involves the potential harm of marijuana to the heart. Some scientific articles exhibit that cannabis use may have no impact on acquiring coronary artery disease among young and older drug abusers. Despite this assumption, recent discoveries exhibit no relationship between the advancement of chronic cardiac disease and prolonged marijuana use (Burt et al., 2020). One research proposes that “6.8% of the 146 marijuana users had evidence of coronary artery disease” (Burt et al., 2020, p. 1). Therefore, there is no significant data which can prove the harmful effect of cannabis on human health.
Nervousness relief is a significant stimulus for marijuana consumption, especially for frequent users. Many undergraduates report pressure alleviation as the most widely recognized explanation behind weed use (Keith et al., 2015). Nonetheless, the substance’s ‘therapeutic’ abilities against anxiety are highly questionable. The lifelong use of cannabis, which started in the early period of life, might induce a depressive mood and nervousness. The studies that compared the occurrence of stress among frequent marijuana users and nonusers found a more grounded connection between the first group (Keith et al., 2015). Hence, constant marijuana use does not treat anxiety but might become the cause of it.
Continuous marijuana use was related to expanded abuse of other substances, especially cocaine. For instance, one examination that included students from 140 colleges over the U.S. discovered that almost 100% of marijuana users revealed the current utilization of different substances (Keith et al., 2015). In any event, when gatherings were coordinated for the recurrence of strong drinking habits, the utilization of both cannabis and alcohol was related with more negative results, contrasted to the individuals who utilized only liquor (Keith et al., 2015). Additionally, when contrasting the moderate marijuana users and the occasional users with no cannabis use representatives, it was found that there is a significantly higher probability for the drug users to participate in illegal conduct utilizing weapons, including firearms (Brook et al., 2014). As a result, the legalization of marijuana might increase severe crime rates among the population.
There is a controversy regarding the legalization of cannabis due to the insufficient information regarding its effect on the addicts’ health. Nevertheless, the statistical data implicate that continuous exposure to marijuana causes susceptibility to other substances. The cannabis abusers are more prone to deviant behavior and often commit crimes that include weaponry. Even though there are inconsistent results in studies analyzing the relation between short-term marijuana use and mental diseases, longer consumption seems to deteriorate the nervous system. Therefore, the legalization of marijuana use might bring substantial damage to society.
References
Brook, J. S., Lee, J. Y., Finch, S. J., & Brook, D. W. (2014). Developmental trajectories of marijuana use from adolescence to adulthood: Relationship with using weapons including guns. Aggressive Behavior, 40(3), 229-237.
Burt, J. R., Agha, A. M., Yacoub, B., Zahergivar, A., & Pepe, J. (2020). Marijuana use and coronary artery disease in young adults. PLoS ONE, 15(1), 1-8.
Keith, D. R., Hart, C. L., McNeil, M. P., Silver, R., & Goodwin, R. D. (2015). Frequent marijuana use, binge drinking and mental health problems among undergraduates. American Journal on Addictions, 24(6), 499-506.