Ever thought about how bad the LEGAL things you ingest, or put on your body are? Or you may just not be aware, but things like the processed foods, drinks, and tobacco that you consume on a daily basis contain ingredients that are harmful. For instance synthetic trans fats that are in a lot of snacks, and packaged foods, has been linked to Heart Disease, Cancer, decreased functioning of your immune system. Then there is cigarettes, in which we all know is very harmful to our bodies, because it causes cancer, weakens the heart, also causes premature aging, just to name a few. So let me ask why are these substances legal and Marijuana is not? What they all say it's addictive, and impairs your brain. But if you look at the pros and the cons, you will see that the pros out way the cons tremendously.
We all know that a lot of the medicine in the United States side effects can be worse than the actual issue that you had the medicine prescribed for. Marijuana on the other hand doesn't have any harmful effects, it helps to deal with a lot of medical issues people have, that are caused by diseases such as Lupus, HIV,or even migraines. THC helps to relieve the minor aches that some feel in their body, or it causes "vascular changes in the covering of the brain that helps to relieve those migraines". Teenagers and even adults who suffer from depression can seek healing with Marijuana, for there are strands that can help with increasing your appetite, or completely brighten your spirits. There are so many ways it can help people today, but yet it is marked as something dangerous, unlike the other legal substances whom been proven to lead to those illnesses that Marijuana helps. Isn't that something!
Sources:http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/10-reasons-smoking-is-bad-for-you/
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000141
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/30/worst-food-ingredients.aspx
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000218
Today, tens of thousands of people gathered around the nation to enjoy a leafy green plant that is still illegal in many parts of the United States. Many believe the laws on this substance should change, and that not decriminalizing it would be one dopey idea. Schira Spears is one of these people and in her commentary, she compares the harmful effects of several items we consume daily to the seemly harmless use of marijuana. In honor of 4/20, I have considered her argument and found the evidence to be highly interesting.
ReplyDeleteSpears begins by asking us to consider the both toxic and legal things we ingest regularly. She specifically makes note of the synthetic trans fat in many of the snacks and packaged foods we enjoy, as well as the harmful and often lethal side effects of smoking cigarettes. She then poses the philosophical question that weed-to-know. Why are these substances are deemed fit for consumption while others are not?
Spears makes a bold statement: “Marijuana on the other hand, doesn't have any harmful effects.” This is debatable. While smoking weed won’t likely have the same effect on you as alcohol or other mind-altering substances, it is still just that… a mind-altering substance. It is well known that hallucinations, increased appetite, and decreased coordination are all effects of this drug. However, studies have also shown that marijuana can increase your heart rate by 20 to 100 percent shortly after ingesting the drug, and this effect could last for hours. While an increased risk in lung cancer has not been linked to marijuana smoking, it can cause similar respiratory problems to tobacco smokers such as greater chance of lung infections, increased cough and mucus production, and more frequent chest illnesses. Several other studies have also found that heavy marijuana use can lower the body’s ability to fight infection, and alter men’s sperm production as well as altering a woman’s menstrual cycle (1).
But don’t blow smoke yet. Nevertheless, Spears is correct when she writes that chemicals in the drug can also have helpful effects on people suffering from illness or depression, and it is indeed used medically in some areas for this very purpose. Unlike drinking alcohol or tobacco, marijuana has the potential to be a highly useful substance, especially when compared to many other legal substances.
Spears’ point is clear. Pretty much everything we do or have is bad for us on some level, and marijuana, while deemed dangerous, ins’t nearly as bad as it seems. I have to agree with her on this. While the drug does produce some questionable effects, it is no worse than the junk we inhale every time we drive through a fast food line or the legal tobacco products that so many people are addicted to today. As Spears writes, “There are so many ways it can help people today, but yet it is marked as something dangerous, unlike the other legal substances whom been proven to lead to those illnesses that Marijuana helps.” I agree with Spears, but the true question is if we can get American lawmakers to realize the same thing. The answer… is yes we cannabis. Blaze it, America.