According to a Pew survey published one year ago, 91% of Americans think that medical marijuana should be legal, and 62% agree that marijuana in general should be legal. Opposition to making marijuana legal, at 52% in 2010, fell to 32% by November of 2019. In other words, American’s enthusiasm for embracing marijuana is on the rise.
In all, 15 states plus Washington DC have now made marijuana legal for recreational purposes for adults over the age of 21, and 33 states have made marijuana legal for medical purposes.
Not a Gateway, but Not Desirable Either
For most people, marijuana is not a gateway drug to harder drugs, and it is not as lethal over the long-term as tobacco or alcohol. Nevertheless, habitual users suffer many problems.
Long-term use of marijuana has been found to impact the quality of life of some users, who suffer from poor judgment, relationship problems, low ambition, economic difficulties, and the hazy feeling that “everything is just fine.” Among young people, prolonged heavy marijuana use can result in a permanently diminished IQ.
Short-term marijuana use can result in coordination problems, hallucinations, sexual dysfunction in men, and even paranoia. Such effects generally wear off in a matter of hours, but who wants a populace with such symptoms? Worse, marijuana use can impair driving, which means it is not a harmless drug since driving potentially imperils passengers, other motorists, and pedestrians.
[Interesting Read]
See Also:
(1) Smoking or vaping cannabis could cause strokes, heart attacks
(2) Modern Marijuana Is Often Laced With Heavy Metals and Fungus
(3) Tests show bootleg marijuana vapes tainted with hydrogen cyanide
