How does the use of medical marijuana as a recreational drug negatively impact adults living in

the United States?

By Javier Davila

The use of medical marijuana negatively impacts adults in the United States in many
ways such as psychologically, physically and socially. Much of the controversy nowadays about
the legalization of drugs and prescription drug abuse revolves around marijuana. The reason
being for these outcomes are because marijuana, medical or not, has been proven to relieve signs
of stress and bring a certain type of high that relaxes the body. Although marijuana can help out
people who are in need of it, it is often used as a recreational drug which can leave people with a
lower IQ, sluggish or even affect their reproduction system. A drug can be most commonly
referred to as a substance that enters the bloodstream of a body and causes changes within the
person. We usually take different types of drugs and most of them are usually concerned with
assimilating our bodies to fit the nature of our environment due to the lack of a substance in your
body. Marijuana is considered a drug, which is why it is an open argument.
Let us take the study performed by Carleton University in Canada. Carleton University is
a reputable school in Canada which is moderately difficult to get in. The Department of
Physcology within the university performed a study on how marijuana affects the IQ of a person.
IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient; which basically measures the intelligence of a person or how
efficiently one is with acquiring knowledge. The study compared and investigate the IQ of the
same person 9-12 years before the adult was 17-21 years of age and smoking marijuana. Each
subject had a different amount of joints being regulated to them per week: one group had at least
5 joints, another less than 5, former users, and another group that at most smoke one joint.
The study showed that there was a correlation between the amount of joints one smoke
per week but only for the smokers who smoked more than 5 joints per week. The results showed
that the IQ level of heavy smokers dropped 4.1 points on average. CNN also cited a survey that
polled Americans asking how many actually smoke marijuana/pot. About of Americans are
smoking pot and of those 13%, the average says that they smoked 6 blunts/joints a week.
Ultimately, about of the US is lowering their intelligence. Imagine a nation that would not
deliberately lower their IQ just to get high.
To continue, students from high schools were also shown to have a notable effect when
smoking marijuana in high doses. A study performed by Dr. Nora D. Volkow and published in
The New England Journal of Medicine showed had taken upon an investigation that analyzed
how marijuana consumption affected the students. The students reported absence of recollection
when studying a subject or learning a new material. Even after THC has been cleared from the
subjects mind, the act of smoking regularly poses a risk factor for the subjects health. Another
study done by Dr. Tetsuji Yamada, who was represented by the NBER Working paper series,
depicted the effect that marijuana and other drugs during the senior year for their subjects high
school career. Out of the whole senior class, 5.6 percent were reported to be at risk of their
academic failure. They were also noted to have been heavy smokers of marijuana.
Due to the relaxation of muscles and the tension that marijuana is known to release, much
of the population is relying on it to de-stress them. This is not necessarily a bad judgement and
execution from the population of US citizens to take it upon them and smoke for those reasons.
Again, smoking marijuana is can also be released for patients who have trouble performing a
function or patients with notable anxiety.
 On the other hand, drug abuse has gotten out of hand these past couple of years due to the
consumption of drugs that were not prescribed to them, the dealing of drugs or the muling of
them. Unfortunately, we are in a society where great interest forms around conforming your body
and every emotion to fit the suitable needs that one desires. As stated before, the amount of the
population in the United States has doubled. This epidemic seems to be increasing while the
education system in the United States seems to be declining. In 2015, the US was ranked 7th of
the best performing education systems. Now it is ranked 20th. For example in Colorado, colleges
has reported teachers getting frustrated at their students for underachieving due to the exposition
to THC or marijuana. Teachers have reported in saying that they have seen students come in with
bloodshot eyes and slouching and they believe that cannabis is the reason why they
underperform.
Also, many students in high school and college are seen as night owls due to the lack of
sleep that they get. If an important project is coming up and sleep is something that one has to
sacrifice, they will do it just to get a grade. Unfortunately sleep is a necessity. It allows for the
body to get some rest and refresh for the next day to come. Fortunately, Sara C. Mednick has
asked the question if marijuana can affect the amount of sleep someone like a high school
student gets on average. The results were pretty significant showing that 38% of students that
smoke marijuana are shown to have lack of sleep.
Aside from cannabis having notable impacts on adults in college and high school
institutions, it can also affect the development of a prenatal child. Mother have been asked to
conduct a study or were taken as subjects that already were smoking and were investigated
throughout the duration of their pregnancy. 1226 mothers were investigated while 27 percent
were smoking marijuana. An average of 79 grams was the difference between babies who had
mothers that were clean from mothers that smoked marijuana. As seen by these results produced
by The New England Journal of Medicine, prenatal infants are affected in their stages of
development by the THC intake of their mothers bodies.
What many people do not realize is that smoking affects everyone within a 10 foot radius
from the smoker. Even if someone is just chilling with their friends that are getting high and
someone decides not to smoke, 2nd hand smoking still affects the their body if they are within a
10 foot radius. This kind of actions can affect many non-smokers and can cause a change in their
attitude, actions or intellect.

1094
1.

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Yamada, T., Kendix, M., & Yamada, T. (n.d.). The Impact of Alcohol Consumption and Marijuana
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