how marijuana negatively affects the mental and physical health of an individual
Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs in the world, with the youths consisting of the most active users. There has been numerous debate about the legalization of weed with most people arguing based on the curative effects of the drugs. There has been a shift to the traditional laws prohibiting leisure user of marijuana in the United States with several states legalizing the drug for recreational use. However, there still valid reasons why the drug has been prohibited in many countries. In this paper, we are going to analyze how marijuana negatively affects the mental and physical health of an individual.
Mental health cases are on the rise, and this has been attributed to the abuse of illegal drugs such as marijuana. Notably, the youth have suffered the most casualties in the horrific adverse effects of this illicit drug. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2019), “adolescents who used marijuana regularly were significantly less likely than their non-using peers to finish high school or obtain a degree” (54). This statement authenticates the danger of allowing the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Case in point, the author says marijuana’s adverse effects on attention, memory and learning can last for several numbers of days or even weeks.
The marijuana use also causes numerous physical health effects to the individual users. The physical wellbeing of many hashish users is affected due to impaired judgment which is responsible for many motor vehicle accidents. Volkow, Compton, & Weiss claim that “Both immediate exposure and long term exposure to marijuana impair driving ability” (35). According to the authors, many fatal accidents can be attributed to the abuse of hashish which has caused serious physical health-related problems to the victims. It is essential to point out that the use of marijuana can be fatal in case of dealing with heavy machinery.
The adverse negative effects of marijuana on mental and physical health warrants it to be considered a dangerous drug in society. The adverse effects can be long-term which can affect the children brain development, thus affecting of next generation. Therefore, before the legalization of marijuana, the government should take a keen interest in its adverse effects.