Lucas began his high school career as a successful student, having perfect grades, and was in several athletic groups. Lucas continued his success until his sophomore year when, unfortunately, his friend William introduced him to marijuana. Lucas’s grades quickly began to fall and he began to leave all of his athletic groups. After graduating high school, Lucas had a significantly worse education outcome, lower career achievement, and lower life satisfaction than if he had not tried marijuana. Eventually, at the age of 23, Lucas hung himself, stating that marijuana ruined his life. To protect people like Lucas, marijuana should not be legalized and should continue to be illegal at the federal level. Marijuana has an extensive history, along with little known public knowledge, tragic health effects, and a general lack of research.

The earliest exposure to cannabis for humans can be traced back around 12,000 years ago in Central Asia, making its way through developing civilizations like the Roman Empire, China, and Africa. It was often used for medicinal or leisure purposes throughout most of these civilizations. A journal from The National Center for Biotechnology Information, by Marc-Antoine Crocq, MD last updated on September 22, 2020, explains how cannabis was used in primal ayurvedic medicine to improve appetite and sleep, relax muscles, produce a feeling of euphoria, reduce pain, nausea, and anxiety. Cannabis eventually made its way to Western medicine, where cannabis could be known to be used in any scenario with painful illnesses. Be as it may, physicians of the 19th and 20th centuries were still wary of the chance of overdose, which was possible if not careful. Further, cannabis was believed to cause an increased risk factor for schizophrenia. Eventually, marijuana was restricted significantly in the US, in 1937 as the Marihuana Tax Act was passed, effectively removing cannabis from the American pharmacopeia. Thereafter, in 1961, the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs put cannabis under the strictest enforcement along with heroin, therefore, ending the first Golden Age of Cannabis. The 1960s dawned a new age, where debate grew heavy and many argued cannabis regulation should be relaxed or even legalized. This came from Western societies mainly supported by the Western Hippies. Still, this period did not last into the 1970s. A research guide titled “Survey of Marijuana Law in the United States: History of Marijuana Regulation in the United States” last updated on September 8, 2020, by the University of Georgia, School of Law, details that in 1976 a parent movement began against marijuana that was influential to the 1980s War on Drugs, which brought upon a policy that instituted life sentences, to continual drug offenders. Public view on marijuana shifted yet again in 1996 when California passed a proposition to allow the sale and medical use of marijuana for patients with painful illnesses, like AIDS and cancer. Later on, though it was shown that cannabis research was very meager as demonstrated in “The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids—The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research” which came out in 2017. As demonstrated by this new research, many found numerous holes in the research beforehand. Thus, signifying a need for more public knowledge.
What is marijuana? An article by NIDA. "Cannabis (Marijuana) DrugFacts." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 24 Dec. 2019, asserts marijuana, “Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical THC and other similar compounds. Extracts can also be made from the cannabis plant.” Marijuana and Cannabis are two different things, cannabis refers to any product that comes from the plant Cannabis sativa. Yet, marijuana refers to parts or products of the plant Cannabis sativa that contain high amounts of THC(tetrahydrocannabinol - the product that causes the “high”). Cannabis sativa contains more than 550 chemical compounds, 100 of which have been identified as phytocannabinoids, as well as (THC) and (CBD) among them. Cannabidiol(CBD) is a product found in marijuana and does not cause a “high”. In 2018, US congress introduced The Agriculture Improvement Act, effectively removing hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, causing CBD to be legal in most states. Consequently, research on CBD is limited and scientists still have much to learn about it. CBD is not recommended for recreational use and should only be used for rare seizure disorders. Furthermore, the CDC has stated that there are many unknowns about CBD. Also saying, it is very unclear how CBD affects a person long-term or from smoking it. Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is a major psychoactive compound of Cannabis sativa that causes the “high.” This brings us to the major problems related to marijuana.

Marijuana has several health risks and other problems related to its use of it.
Most often marijuana is consumed in three different ways; for example, joints (like cigarettes), cigars, bongs, vapes, and infused in different types of food. On the official website of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, last updated on February 27, 2023, calculates that marijuana has tragic effects on people when it states that “Approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted. When they start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to 1 in 6.” Marijuana also has adverse short and long-term effects. On the official website of Duke University an article labeled “ADOLESCENT POT USE LEAVES LASTING MENTAL DEFICITS” last updated on August 27, 2012, recorded that ‘Among a long-range study cohort of more than 1,000 New Zealanders, individuals who started using cannabis in adolescence and used it for years afterward showed an average decline in IQ of 8 points when their age 13 and age 38 IQ tests were compared. Quitting pot did not appear to reverse the loss either, said lead researcher Madeline Meier, a post-doctoral researcher at Duke University. The results appear online Aug. 27 in PNAS.” Furthermore, stating that marijuana is particularly harmful to adolescents. Additionally, marijuana also affects athletic performance, causing a loss of good timing and coordination. Furthermore, marijuana also affects people while driving causing sometimes lethal events: lane weaving, slower reaction time, and difficulty reacting to signals and signs on the road. Further, marijuana affects a baby’s health if used during pregnancy. Next, I want to mention an important factor of marijuana research so far.

It is hard to find information on marijuana, even more so for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This goes to show there is limited research on marijuana and cannabis. To even think about legalizing marijuana there needs to be more lab research done. An article by the Association of American Medical Colleges, last revised on November 24, 2019, by Cindy Kiel, JD who established UC Davis Cannabis and Hemp Research Center, analyzes that “In the past decade, the legalization and marketing of marijuana for medical purposes have far outpaced the available science. If providers are going to counsel patients … we need more and better evidence of the effects of cannabis on health.” She also states that the government would help solve this problem by allowing more research to be done. Marijuana still stands as a Schedule One drug and is highly addictive with little to no known health benefits. Cindy makes a great point that research on marijuana needs to be advanced so that we can understand its health effects better.

Marijuana is a problematic drug that has ruined thousands of people’s lives and even deaths. Marijuana’s history has been an interesting one, one filled with questions and problems. It has also been an unsure one with the limited amount of information to the general public. Marijuana also has some horrific and mind-altering effects that cause it to be a big problem for teenagers and younger adults. There is more legalization and sales of marijuana than there is research, which is bad practice for anything. Marijuana should not be legalized as of currently; it's a double-edged sword. To prevent situations like Lucas’s, we should further research marijuana and make a final, benevolent decision.