Is Marijuana usage a danger

• 02
• Sep

We now have two states that have legalized marijuana. I often hear that what is the harm; it’s a victimless crime so it might as well be legal and be taxed.   Ask the families of those who have been victimized by those using marijuana or other illicit drugs and you will find out that it is not a victimless crime. But for a moment let’s pretend that there are no victims of those who use or are addicted to marijuana. Have you ever considered the impact on the user and how it can affect their life?

Let’s start with the easy part, how does it impact the person and their ability to support themselves and others?  According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, (The science of addiction) they found that those who smoked marijuana daily have a significant reduction in intellectual capacity compared to those who don’t use marijuana.  A meta-analysis of 48 relevant studies—one of the most thorough performed to date—found cannabis use to be associated consistently with reduced educational attainment (e.g., grades and chances of graduating).  Despite similar education and income backgrounds, significant differences were found in educational attainment: fewer of the heavy users of cannabis completed college, and more had yearly household incomes of less than $30,000.

In addition, several studies have linked workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover. For example, a study among postal workers found that employees who tested positive for marijuana on a pre-employment urine drug test had 55 percent more industrial accidents, 85 percent more injuries, and a 75-percent increase in absenteeism compared with those who tested negative for marijuana use. Since the legalization of marijuana in the state of Colorado they have had a significant increase in the homeless population.  This according to an article published in the Denver Post in July of this year. According to one source,

“The number of those who go to Father Woody’s normally rises by about 50 people per month during the summer, Paterson said. This year, she said, “we have gotten 923 new homeless over the last three months,” more than 300 a month.”  All of the other shelters interviewed showed similar increase in homelessness.

Now many people believe that marijuana is not a gateway drug. If it is not a gateway drug why has marijuana itself continue to become stronger and in some case 20 times more potent than it was 30 years ago.  The answer is simple we build up a tolerance over time and need more on more or higher doses to achieve the same effect or high we once received.  Therefore, whatever you are using marijuana to escape from requires more frequency of use or higher doses to mask the feeling you are escaping from. When the “high” fades, the problem, unwanted condition or situation returns more intensely than before. The user may then turn to stronger drugs since marijuana no longer “works.”

In case that wasn’t enough here is the evidence compiled from a number of studies. The vast majority of cocaine users (99.9%) began by first using a “gateway drug” like marijuana, cigarettes or alcohol. Of course, not everyone who smokes marijuana and hashish goes on to use harder drugs. Some never do. Others quit using marijuana altogether. But some do turn to harder drugs. One study found that youth (12 to 17 years old) who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than kids who do not use pot, and that 60% of the kids who smoke pot before the age of 15 move on to cocaine.

So what is the motivation of States to move from illegal to legal drug use?  One of the stated reasons is to reduce the prison population and not throwing people in jail for minor drug offense, but is this going to have the desired affect?  I have to wonder if this will reduce the number of arrest but increase the number of people using and ultimately addicted to drugs?  Once they are addicted they need to pay for their drugs and this usually leads to crime to pay for their addiction.  Those crimes will land them in jail with much high sentence that a minor drug offence. Many people think legalizing marijuana is in the public interest.  However, when you look at the facts it is the opposite.  Maybe it is just another source of tax revenue, but even that has backfired… The black-market moved in and pounced on the opportunity.

Here is an excerpt from the newspapers in Colorado.“Voters legalized retail marijuana (pot for everyone, not just medical patients) in 2012. And they were told the state would pull in $33.5 million from two new taxes in the first six months of 2014. It turns out, the projections were way off. Here’s why.  Pot smokers are still buying on the black market: The state thought more people would migrate out of the black market. But only 60% of people who want pot in Colorado this year will buy it through legal channels, according to an estimate from the Marijuana Policy Group.”

“One big reason: Legal pot costs a lot more than illegal pot — mostly because of taxes and fees.  Legal retail marijuana is taxed more than 27%, so it’s easily cheaper on the black market”.  Then how do you explain this statement from the Governor of Colorado? “Gov. John Hickenlooper announced his proposed spending plan Wednesday, 50 days after the first bud of non-medical marijuana was sold on Jan. 1. The plan calls for more than $100 million to be spent over the next year and a half on youth marijuana use prevention, substance abuse treatment, public health, regulatory oversight and law enforcement”. 

I will leave you with this video clip so you can hear and see the effects of drugs use on our youths.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P08mdUsjjRk&feature=youtu.be