When it comes to weed, I don’t have a very positive stance. Personally, I do stand on the side of legalization and turn a blind eye to those who use it, but it’s something that I personally do not want to have any part of because of the risks and the lack of reliable information surrounding it.
People claim it’s all natural, that it’s not addictive, that it has a plethora of healing properties — and a lot of these I do believe if it is used in a medicinal way — but I see danger in recreational.
I think what we forget to see is that this is still a very illegal drug. Is it unfairly illegal? Probably. I don’t believe that having a gram on your person should ruin your life, but I also believe that you really shouldn’t dabble in such risky things to begin with.
We don’t know the long-term effects of smoking weed on the lungs. Sure, it’s better than smoking cigarettes or vaping, but it doesn’t mean that marijuana isn’t just as harmful to our bodies. Though the drug itself may not be addictive, personalities are.
People with addictive personalities are at the most risk when it comes to the use of marijuana. Though the drug is known to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety, among other disorders and THC does not pose the same dangers as nicotine, those with thi kind of personality can become easily addicted to the action. Smoking is a behavior, whether or not it contains an addictive substance.
I’m not saying that they can’t become just as easily addicted to other behaviors, such as gambling, pornography or overeating, but smoking can be just as detrimental to those who let it consume their lives, willingly or unwillingly.
Our lives are now more public than ever. Our bad habits are on display for the whole world to see on a daily basis, and I see smoking as one of those. For my life, and the life I want to forge, I see far too much danger in marijuana.
I see judgement and negative connotations on the person I am and as a professional, and that’s not a risk I’m willing to take.
Marijuana is just too risky to be legal
January 22, 2016
Story continues below advertisement
More to Discover
MeddedK8 • Jan 23, 2016 at 2:48 am
As someone who profiles herself as someone who “can be found binge gaming,” you should know all too well that people with the mental disorder of addictive personality will just as easily substitute one focus for another. Trying to use that to reattach the addiction specter to the argument is a strawman.
Here’s an argument you should be familiar with – video games encourage violence, cruelty, misogyny, addiction, child abuse… didn’t those Columbine guys play video games and they killed how many? And people in China are always being found dead of heart attacks after marathon gaming sessions. There’s even parents who kill their own kids because of them – we’ve had at least 2 such cases in my state in the past 2 years alone.
Plus, they’re a waste of time and money. They make you lazy and sitting that long is proven to be bad for your health and staring at computer screens messes up your vision. Then there’s the carpel tunnel and potential for arthritis down the road for all that repetitive buttonmashing.
It’s clear we must make video games illegal. The potential for something bad to occur exists, therefor the US Government cannot allow you to maintain your personal freedoms to make the decision for yourself.
Why is this not the case? Why is it not the case for tobacco and alcohol? Guns? Sugar? Caffeine? Rock climbing, football, wearing tight pants?
Forbidding things does not address the issue that you have and even the Volstead Act {AKA Alcohol Prohibition which failed miserably as well, instead paving the way for organized crime} didn’t criminalize the consumption of alcohol or inhibit the use of it for scientific research. Your fight should be for better and more widespread mental health care and destigmatization, not scapegoating a plant and stereotyping people because you don’t like the idea of other people inhaling burning things.
Bean • Jan 22, 2016 at 12:32 pm
I think the issue you’re talking about here exists primarily because of the fact it IS illegal. Negative connotations exist because of the fact there are laws that bar it, and naturally we look down upon things that are against the law. Think back to the 20’s when prohibition was in effect, we had much of the same thing happening then, now: not many people take it seriously, those who do look down upon those who don’t, and above all it doesn’t solve anything. With nearly half of the countries population admitting to smoking marijuana (this study didn’t didn’t ask about frequency), and with studies proving that the risks behind marijuana are only half of that with alcohol (including what it does to you once consumed), I think it’s time to put that view behind us. Is there such feud over those who have a beer or two at a get together, or those who drink to sickness? As someone who doesn’t even smoke, I feel as if the only problem with marijuana IS that it’s illegal, and granted, at the moment it is too risky to take part in, that simply shouldn’t be the case.