Paper Example on Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Use

Introduction

Recreational marijuana refers to the pot that is used for entertainment purposes as opposed to medical marijuana. Most youth today smoke weed in clubs' schools, and other social events as a way of enjoying themselves. There are some negative impacts of recreational marijuana on the health of individuals, social life, and also on education.

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Legalizing marijuana will lead to increased mental health issues in the people that use the drug. Marijuana has a drug substance called cannabis, which leads to depression, anxiety, and other problem related to mental health.

Teenagers

Teenagers use marijuana at a higher percentage compared to adults. When marijuana is legalized, many teens will abuse because there will be no laws to govern the use of marijuana in the country. Teenagers are prone to drug abuse because of peer pressure. Therefore the legalization of marijuana will give them, freedom to abuse the drug, affecting their education, social life, and behavioural changes in them. The percentage of teenagers abusing marijuana us higher in the age range of 12 to 17 years than the expected average. It is reported that 16% of teenagers in Colorado and 18% in Alaska used marijuana in the past years.

Road Accidents

There are frequent cases of road accidents across the country reported every day. Most of the accidents include over speeding, tires bursting, impaired vision due to snow, and the driver might have slept due to exhaustion. Drug abuses also have been related to road accidents because they damaged the drivers' judgment on the road, thus making them lose control of the vehicle. Marijuana-related accidents in Colorado State rose to 62% after marijuana was legalized.

Addiction

Marijuana use leads to addiction, just like any other substance abuse. The frequency of using marijuana will make the body of the individual to get addicted to it. The individual operating it will not function normally without taking marijuana. Addiction case affects the social life of a person, drains them financially because they will keep on looking for funds to buy the drug for them to act naturally. When marijuana is legalized, many people will be addicted because it will make readily available with no government restriction on its use. The addicted person will suffer from depression, anxiety issues, nausea, and also stomach pains. It is reported that the percentage of marijuana daily use has increased to 68% in the past eight years in the US.

Organizes Crimes

Black market traders provide products at lower prices than the government-regulated process. The individuals are likely to buy or purchase a product with low prices and save some money to buy other products or pay bills. Therefore, legalizing marijuana will lead to the growth of black markets because the drugs are the main commodity sold in the black markets. The cartels will undercut the prices, reaching a broader market. Also, there will be an increase in organized related crimes. For example, the Attorney General's Office in Colorado State reported that the legalization of marijuana has helped increase Mexican drug cartels business, which has led to organized crimes, including human trafficking.

Conclusion

In conclusion, marijuana legalization causes many adverse effects more than positive results. Therefore, the government should develop policies that govern the use of marijuana before legalizing to help minimize the risks associated with daily use.

References

Brooke, P. (n.d.). The legalization of marijuana and the negative impact. Retrieved from https://whitesandstreatment.com/addiction-articles/legalization-marijuana-negative-impact/

Social implications and effects of marijuana. (2012, September 28). Retrieved from https://luxury.rehabs.com/marijuana-rehab/social-impact-and-effects-of-marijuana/

Wyrick, R. (n.d.). Adverse effects of legal marijuana rising, law enforcement task force study finds. Retrieved from https://www.vaildaily.com/news/negative-effects-of-legal-marijuana-rising-law-enforcement-task-force-study-finds/