Social and cultural concerns of marijuana

Social effects
Studies conducted by the School of Public Health at the Indiana University regarding social
consequences faced by individuals using cannabis showed that users felt uncomfortable in social
situations such as at work, increased forgetful nature, paranoia, peer disapproval and poor judgement.
It also showed that marijuana usage also caused rifts between families and frineds and made the user
very much prone to legal problems. These negative effects ultimately led to poor performances at both
school and work for the users.
Apart from these negative effects, marijuana poses a hidden threat as well: it helps as a gateway drug
for its cinsumers. With the regular use of marijuana, a user might not feel the same euphoria that
he/she had felt initially. This may prompt them to use another drug that gives them the euphoria that
they expect to get and this eventually causes the gateway drug effect to take over the user.
References
https://iprc.indiana.edu/training/courses/marijuana/a_03_04_01.html

Cultural effects
Among young adults, cannabis risk perceptions and norms, community drug use levels, parental
disapproval, and peer influences have been associated with adolescents’ intentions and attitudes
towards cannabis use. However, these factors may differ across racial and ethnic groups. For instance,
an epidemiological study of US adolescents from different racial/ethic groups showed that Black,
Hispanic, Native-American, and mixed-race adolescents were more likely than White adolescents to
use marijuana. In another study conducted among adolescents from multiple racial/ethnic groups,
Asian-American adolescents showed the lowest rates of past-year and lifetime cannabis use. This
finding may have been explained by lower access of adolescents to the cannabis market and higher
cannabis risk perception, as well as the highest disapproval from their parents and peers. So if
cannabis is made legal federally, there will be a spike in these rates and it will negatively affect the
adolescents of every culture.
Reference
 Lee MH, Kim-Godwin YS, Hur H. Race/ethnicity differences in risk and protective factors
for marijuana use among US adolescents. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):1–
0. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-02.

 Mariani AC, Williams AR. Perceived risk of harm from monthly cannabis use among US
adolescents: National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2017. Prev Med Rep. 2021;23:101436

 Shmulewitz D, Brown Q, Rahim-Juwel R, Martins SS, Wall MM, Mauro PM, et al.
US trends in past-year marijuana use and perceived risk of regular use, 2002–2013, by
race/ethnicity. Drug Alcohol Depend.
2017;171:e190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.08.520.