The topic of marijuana has come to debate on the floor of Congress in the past. It is not until the state of Colorado legalized marijuana that the media has been paying more attention to it, which has sparked what is known as the “Marijuana-Rights Movement.”
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana has many effects, but few that are detrimental to your health. However, a study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the one effect that a person has to be most concerned about is that if they smoke the plant in large quantities before the age of 14, they could attain a lower IQ.
Other effects are minimal; if a person smokes marijuana, he or she could experience an increase in their appetite, laughter, heightened sensory perception, and an altered perception of time. Also, it has been found to be psychologically habit forming but not chemically addictive.
An example of the positive effects that marijuana can have on a person can be found in the story of a little girl named Charlotte whose story was told by CNN. When she was only three months old, she began having seizures that would last two to four hours.
After Charlotte lost her ability to walk, talk, and eat at the age of three, her parents Matt and Paige began going to doctors and researching treatments. Matt came across a video that explained how a boy’s seizures were treated by cannabis.
So desperate to save their young daughter’s life, Matt and Paige decided to try the medical marijuana. Instead of having Charlotte smoke the plant, they paid to have the oil extracted, so they would not risk any chance of her IQ being lowered from the smoke at such a young age.
Once Charlotte began the medical marijuana, her life had turned around. She began to walk, talk, and eat again. Instead of having about 300 seizures a week, Charlotte only has two or three a month.
The oil that was extracted to save her life is now called Charlotte’s Web. Many people have started taking Charlotte’s Web for their epilepsy and cancer and has proven to show great results in terms of treatment.
Not only has marijuana proven to show great results in health, but also it has effects on the criminal justice system. Once Colorado legalized marijuana, there was no longer a need for certain arrests that would have previously wasted time, resources and money of taxpayers.
Additionally, the legalization of marijuana would generate tax revenue and could potentially reduce budget deficits. To continue, by having the state regulate marijuana, people in the black market will no longer have a business in marijuana, because it will be easier to acquire at a store.
Legalize the recreational use of marijuana in federal law. I am saying this as a young adult who has never once tried marijuana and never plans on it, because I have always spoken out against drugs.