Phi105 Final Essay
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Grand Canyon University *
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105-0502
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Philosophy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by ConstableMoose4034
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Marijuana Should be Illegal
College of Education, Grand Canyon University
PHI-105 21
st
Century Skills Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Professor Larson
02/26/2023
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Marijuana Should be Illegal
Recreational marijuana has been on the rise in the United States since the early 1900s.
(National Academy of Sciences, 2017) It is the most illicit drug in America.
Eighty-nine and a half percent of marijuana use is for recreational use. Medical marijuana has some advantages; however, only ten and a half percent of its actual users use it for its medicinal purpose (National Academy of Sciences, 2017)
Recreational marijuana has more negative effects and should not be
legal as it can cause a decrease in brain cells, persons to be more impulsive, and lower a person's cognitive functions and developments. Marijuana causes Reduction in Brain Cells
The first reason why marijuana should be illegal is because it causes individuals to be more impulsive and careless with themselves and the things that they do due to the loss and or damage in brain cells.
Today’s youth have a lot more dangerous consequences with their developments due to the carcinogens all around them. They also have a hard time controlling their impulsiveness as it is, because their parents are not as strict and caring as they were back in the day. Researchers suggest that earlier marijuana use onset (MUO), is on average users beginning on or before 16 years old, (Lisdahl, M. 2013)
Chronic Marijuana use during developmental times in teenagers is tied to weak neurocognitive deficiencies.
As the addiction progresses with their age the control of their impulsiveness becomes out of hand.
Even though the studies and research are there a lot of these “recreational” user still seem to think marijuana is
not an addicting drug they refuse to come to terms with it. Cause Individuals to be Impulsive
The second reason why marijuana should be illegal is it causes a reduction in brain cells with increased impulsiveness. In 1942 cannabis was scored under schedule I substance. It was
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classified as having no currently accepted medical use, a lack of accepted safety, a high potential for abuse, and are considered a danger due to 'potentially severe psychological or physical dependence. (Sagar, K. 2018) Youth ages 12 and older undergo neurodevelopmental changes due to their brain still developing. Evidence over the years show that for chronic marijuana users this young and their developing brain become more vulnerable than an adult brain that’s already done developing. Marijuana users have a tendency to get an overstimulated brain and it makes them have breakdowns and or have severe memory loss. Marijuana use is typically associated with altered patterns of brain activation across multiple brain regions. (Sagar, K. 2018)
No matter what age uses recreational marijuana the brain always gets affected and becomes damaged. Unfortunately, it takes a greater toll on the brain the younger a person is.
Decreases Cognitive Functions
The third reason why marijuana should not be legal is because it decreases a person's cognitive functions. Marijuana utilization has shown to have different deficits in human developments like memory, bodily functions, and attention span. (Sagar, K. 2015) Decreased performance was exhibited in chronic users within young teens, it affected their response and decision-making skills when taking tests or solving any critical thinking questions. Chronic use in teens made marijuana more addicting to them than it was for adults that started smoking later in life. However, the adults were still affected with similar cognitive issues, but they were more on the short-term side unlike someone that still had a brain that was developing like teens and or young adults. Due to all types of studies performed all of them seemed to come back resulting with some type of severe cognitive dysfunction and or deterioration of the brain.
Conclusion
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In conclusion marijuana or pot has such a negative impact in today’s society and it should
remain illegal. It lowers the cognitive function, reduces brain cells to its users, and causes its users to be impulsive for no reason at all. The evidence is backed up by research many scientists have performed. When will it be enough for us to see the damage, its doing to our youth and their cognitive developments. The impairments it brings to today’s society should not be ignored.
As most users in the United States use marijuana for recreational use, getting informed about the effects could help change people's perceptions and make them think twice about using marijuana.
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References
Lisdahl Krista M. (2013). Dare to Delay?: The Impacts of Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use Onset on Cognition, Brain Struture and Function. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 4. https://doiorg.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00053
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Committee on the Health Effects of Marijuana. (2017). Cannabis: Prevalence of use, regulation, and current ... - NCBI bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425763/
Dahlgren, M. K., Racine, M. T, Gönenç, A., Sagar, K. A., Dreman, M. W., & Gruber, S. A. (2015). The impact of initiation: Early onset marijuana smokers demonstrate altered Stroop performance and brain activation. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 16, 84–92. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2015.03.003
Gruber, S. A. & Sagar, K. A. (2018). Marijuana matters: reviewing the impact of marijuana on cognition, brain structure and function, & exploring policy implications and barriers to research. International Review of Psychiatry, 30(3), 251–267. https://doi-
org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/09540261.2018.1460334