Expository Essay Sample on Marijuana Impact on Society

Introduction

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the world especially in developed countries (Bovasso, 2001). For instance, According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse), 95 million Americans age 12 and older have tried pot at least once, and three out of every four illicit drug users reported using marijuana. The use of marijuana has adverse health, safety, social, academic, economic, and behavioral consequences. Marijuana usually became popular among the general youth population in the 1960s. Back then, many people who would become the parents and grandparents of teenage kids today smoked marijuana without significant adverse effects, so now they may see no harm in its use thus its persistence in existence. Most of the marijuana available today is considerably more potent than the weed of the Woodstock era, and its users tend to be younger than those of past generations. The observation from the video states that today’s young people live in a world vastly different from that of their parents and grandparents. Kids these days, for instance, are bombarded constantly with pro-drug messages in print, on-screen, and on CD (BOVasso, 2001).

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How Did the Media and Culture Effect the Legalization of Marijuana?

However, marijuana is known to be an addiction of drugs to the youth, there is easy access to the Internet, which abounds with sites promoting the wonders of marijuana, offering kits for beating drug tests, and in some cases, advertising pot for sale. Also, many US states have pending or current legislation that allows medical use of marijuana, a few states have extended approval to include recreational use. Movies, magazines, and other media commonly show glamorous images and gratuitous use of marijuana, trivializing the risks and ignoring any negative consequences. At the same time, special interest groups proclaim that smoked marijuana is not only harmless, but it’s also actually good medicine. The booklet describes the dangers of marijuana and why it is important for society to send a clear, consistent, and credible message to young people about the seriousness of the threat. Marijuana can also be treated as educational because of the biology in it when taken to the laboratory for experiments. Likewise, the short-term effects of marijuana consumption include memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, and anxiety. In addition, students who use marijuana may find it hard to learn, thus jeopardizing their ability to realize their potential (Green and Ritter, 2000).

Scientific Research of the Effects of Marijuana

Many global states have pending or current legislation that allows the recreational use of marijuana. As such, there is an increased need to conduct evidence-based research on the effects of marijuana use, public perception, and public Policy experience in laboratory sciences, communication science, and surveillance combined with specific expertise in marijuana-related research which allows us to execute a variety of recreation of studies. For example, there is an expert in biological sample testing to, identify and know type marijuana products and related materials and determine levels of active physical ingredients. We also examine the physical-related characteristics and consequences of various types of usage. Active members in the society have extensive experience in capturing data from policy stakeholders and hard-to-reach populations, such as marijuana users, growers, and recreational centers. Also, these members have experience in evaluating public physical interventions to determine the effectiveness and design good recreational facilities for body physical improvements (NSDUH, 2002).

Medical Benefits of Marijuana

The medical benefits of marijuana (cannabis) are supposed to be given consideration. There is voluminous scientific research on the subject that verifies its efficacy when applied to a variety of medical conditions, and plenty of first-hand evidence that it works for those who use it for their own health problems. While this first-hand testimony that comes from real patients is usually the type of evidence that scientific purists disparage as "anecdotal," it is, in my opinion, the type of real-life experiential information that we should trust at least as much as the abstract statistical analyses of scientific studies. The medicinal use of marijuana is well known to be of benefit in the treatment of nausea and other side effects from chemotherapy. It also helps improve the diminished appetite that patients undergoing cancer treatment can experience (NSDUH, 2002). It lowers intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients, decreases spasticity and other neurologic symptoms in multiple sclerosis, and there is evidence that it is useful in a variety of additional medical conditions.

Conclusion

The importance of this research is to assist young people to decide on what should be good for their health among other elements of life. The clutter of messages about marijuana in popular culture creates an atmosphere of confusion and sends kids mixed signals about the drug. But what should be clear is that no responsible person thinks young people should use marijuana. Parents can help keep their children away from marijuana by letting them know its dangers, and by monitoring their activities, and staying involved in their lives (Green et al., 20000). For more information and useful tips about talking to kids about marijuana, visit www.theantidrug.com. Both of these Web sites are supported by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Schools and communities can also play an important role by providing activities that keep young people interested and involved in healthy, drug-free programs. If you want to help dispel misperceptions and spread the truth about marijuana to help children grow up drug-free, you can: Educate yourself about the dangers of marijuana and keep up with scientific research into its harmful effects (Green et al., 20000).

Reference

Bovasso, G.B, (2001). Cannabis abuse as a risk factor for depressive symptoms. American

Journal of Psychiatry. 158:20332037.Green, B.E, and Ritter, C, (2000). Marijuana use and depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 41(1):4049

National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2002. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003.Prisoners in 2002. Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2003, NCJ 200248.