Since the 2016 debate, one of the choices in MA for voting were to legalize marijuana. Lots of people said yes, well I am still in the middle. What I mean is that in my opinion, it was a bad decision, even though it helps for some sicknesses. Let’s not talk about that right now, you and I are here to talk about the bad things of Marijuana. Let’s start with what marijuana is, if you don’t know what it is: Drug Abuse states that: “Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. Extracts can also be made from the cannabis plant” (source 1). So now that you and I know what it is, without further ado, let's get this essay started!

The first reason why I think that Marijuana is bad is because even though it is  “Usually dried, crushed, and smoked in pipes or hand-rolled cigarettes, marijuana also can be consumed in food or drink.” (Source 2) It could be used in many things, such as: “cookies, brownies, or candies. It can also be brewed into tea which is a new way of smoking or eating different forms of resins” (Source 1). This means it is edible, and could be in any of our foods that we eat without us knowing it. Scary i know, heck you even might be eating some weed somehow right this minute.

Another reason is that it is abused too much. By abused I mean used too much. “Users may experience both physical and psychological effects. Physical effects range from red eyes and dry mouth to an increased heart rate and loss of coordination. Some effects—including relief from pain and nausea, increased appetite, and reduced muscle spasms” (source 2). This is another reason why marijuana is bad is that it has horrible side effects to it when you smoke it.

“But Narrator, Narrator! Why is it bad even though it helps with aids and such?” you may ask. And here’s my answer, sure it is good for medical illnesses, but if it is used too much, it has so many side effects that could kill you!!!! (If you smoke over 240 blunts that is).

The second reason why Marijuana is bad is because of it’s side effects. The side effects that are short term are from this website drugfreeworld which are: “Short-term memory problems, Severe anxiety, including fear that one is being watched or followed (paranoia), Very strange behavior, seeing, hearing or smelling things that aren’t there, not being able to tell imagination from reality (psychosis), Panic, Hallucinations, Loss of sense of personal identity, Lowered reaction time, Increased heart rate (risk of heart attack), Increased risk of stroke, Problems with coordination (impairing safe driving or playing sports), Sexual problems (for males), Up to seven times more likely to contract sexually transmitted infections than non-users (for females).”. This shows that marijuana is bad because it can mess with your brain, causing short-term memory problems, to not knowing what is real and what isn’t reality (psychosis). Also the long term side effects from the same website, which are: “ Decline in IQ (up to 8 points if prolonged use started in adolescent age),  Poor school performance and higher chance of dropping out, Impaired thinking and ability to learn and perform complex tasks, Lower life satisfaction,  Addiction (about 9% of adults and 17% of people who started smoking as teens), Potential development of opiate abuse, Relationship problems, intimate partner violence, Antisocial behavior including stealing money or lying, Financial difficulties, Increased welfare dependence, Greater chances of being unemployed or not getting good jobs”. On a more personal note, I had a biological father that was in the army, after a war, he went onto a life of drugs, so my mother eventually divorced him. He abused drugs like weed, and once he needed money for drugs, so he took 15 dollars from my piggy bank and left me a note. That was in the past, and even though I am still concerned for my Biological father, we have not seen him in years. So please take it from me, whatever you do, don’t ever use drugs, it will ruin your life.

Thirdly, marijuana is bad because it’s getting in hands of the youth, and teens. NIDA, or the National Institute on Drug Abuse for teens, states that: “Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States by teens as well as adults. Recent public discussions about medical marijuana and the public debate over the drug’s legal status is leading to a reduced perception of harm among young people. In addition, some teens believe marijuana cannot be harmful because it is “natural.”. This is a reason why marijuana is bad because it can get in the hands of anyone not careful enough to know what they are doing. The second way that it is getting into teens and youths I found was represented by a chart I found.

This graph shows that about 10% of 8th graders in the time span of (hold up… *pulls out phone calculator*) 20 years, and it goes down more in 2016, because it was legalized, but that doesn’t stop the 12th graders from doing marijuana, so this shows that Marijuana is bad because it got decreased in 2016 for 8th graders, but an increase in 12th graders.

Finally, Gale resources state that: “Researchers studying the societal effects of legalized marijuana have begun to notice several trends in the years since the first states decriminalized the drug. A 2014 report in the Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice found that 6 percent of medical marijuana users were suffering from serious illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, or Alzheimer’s disease. The vast majority—91 percent—were prescribed the drug for chronic pain, for which a number of other prescription drugs were available. In 2016, the New England Journal of Medicine reported the number of marijuana-related emergency room visits have increased in Colorado since the drug was legalized in 2012. The study found that from 2013 to 2014, marijuana-related emergency room visits increased by more than 40 percent for Colorado residents and doubled among out-of-state residents. Marijuana-related incidents of driving under the influence also rose during the period.” (source 2). This is proof that Marijuana is used too much and weed affects social behavior.

In conclusion, this is why I think Marijuana is bad, and remember don’t do drugs, ok, or you’ll lose everything you ever loved, like your family, just please, from the bottom of my heart, please don’t do drugs! Take It from me, I had a dad that did drugs, and now he lives somewhere in Missouri, so I never see him. If you want to use drugs, do them you don’t have to listen to me, but if you lose everything, like your wife, children, job, family, heck even friends, just don’t come crying to me.