Verified Document

Drug Abuse Has Reached An Essay

Over the years, marijuana abuse has continued to be regarded as being damaging to the well-being of our society and, in most countries, it is illegal to possess marijuana. In spite of being generally rejected by the public, marijuana also has numerous supporters. Its supporters usually claim that the plant is not dangerous for its consumers and that it actually shouldn't be called a drug. For several decades, the drug has been considered to be harmless and not to have any long-term consequences.

However, recent studies have proved otherwise, that the drug is very damaging to its consumer. After having consumed the drug for longer periods of time, its users have been reported to experience memory problems.

Those that militate for the legalization of marijuana believe that the drug has been made illegal because of the massive propaganda from the early 20th century. (Scienceblog)

Apparently, one of the most disastrous effects that marijuana has on its users it the fact that they are more inclined to turn to other, more dangerous drugs that could be deadly. People that smoke marijuana have far more chances of entering an environment where drugs of a higher risk are dealt with. Young people are being corrupted by either friends or drug dealers to smoke marijuana. They are generally more vulnerable to drugs because they cannot tell the difference between drugs of a lower level of risk and drugs of a higher one.

Marijuana is perceived by many, mostly older adolescents as no more harmful than alcohol or tobacco and far less risky to use occasionally than crack or heroin." (Thomas W. Clark 1997) However, according to Clark, adults have been alarmed bytha fact that the number of teenagers that become marijuana users in the present has experienced a disturbing growth. (Clark)

Marijuana is not always regarded as being dangerous for humans, with the...

The recreational use of the plant however has proved to be dangerous for the human body. (Clark)
Anti-propaganda of large proportions has taken place during the 20th century in order to demonstrate the effects of marijuana use. The media became full with anti-propaganda movies, articles, and books. Some of them have been exaggerated as marijuana users had been shown as becoming criminals after consuming the plant.

According to James P. Gray, the tactics used in order to designate marijuana as being a dangerous drug had worked. The people from several states had been impressed by the media and marijuana swiftly became criminalized. (Gray 2001)

The movie "Reefer Madness" came out in 1936 and it quickly became popular among the people of those days. The plot showed how people that smoked marijuana performed abnormal activities as they had been driven by some devilish-like force. As the movie ends, all of the characters that have been involved in the selling or consuming of marijuana have their lives ruined.

The film's audiences found themselves horrified by the damaging effects that marijuana can have on perfectly normal people. "Reefer Madness" made people obsessed with the thought that practically anyone can be drawn into groups where marijuana is consumed.

Drugs are being smuggled over borders through several means, but one of the most common methods used by smugglers is by air, with the help of commercial airlines. Smugglers can be spotted by special trained agents before climbing aboard a plane. Those that smuggle drugs are usually distressed and want to hasten things as they go.

Works Cited

Gonsalves, Sean. (2000, May 23). Drug War Advocates Are Immune to Facts. Cape Cod Times.

James P. Gray. Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and what We Can Do about it. Temple University Press: 2001.

Thomas W. Clark, "Keep Marijuana Illegal - for Teens," the Humanist May-June 1997, Questia, 1 Mar. 2009 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002233523.

2001). "DRUG POLICY and the CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM." Retrieved February 28, 2009, from the Sentencing Project Web site: http://www.sentencingproject.org/Admin/Documents/publications/dp_drugpolicy_cjsystem.pdf

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Gonsalves, Sean. (2000, May 23). Drug War Advocates Are Immune to Facts. Cape Cod Times.

James P. Gray. Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and what We Can Do about it. Temple University Press: 2001.

Thomas W. Clark, "Keep Marijuana Illegal - for Teens," the Humanist May-June 1997, Questia, 1 Mar. 2009 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002233523.

2001). "DRUG POLICY and the CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM." Retrieved February 28, 2009, from the Sentencing Project Web site: http://www.sentencingproject.org/Admin/Documents/publications/dp_drugpolicy_cjsystem.pdf
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Drug Abuse the Findings of National Center
Words: 1258 Length: 4 Document Type: Article Review

Drug Abuse The findings of National Center at Columbia University on Addiction and Substance Abuse are that the entire American children population resides with an adult or parent who uses illegal drugs or is involved in heavy consumption of alcohol. When one of the family members is involved in drug abuse, their families always tend to be ruined and might even have harsh consequences on members of the household, particularly children. Family

Drug Abuse Drug and Substance Abuse Is
Words: 2124 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Drug Abuse Drug and substance abuse is one of the most serious dilemmas in the world today. One aspect of the issue is the growing number of teenage drug users and the increasing incidents of prescription drug abuse. According to the statistics of the National Institute on Drug Abuse prescription drugs misuse is far greater than the abuse of narcotics. Among teenagers alone, accepted cases of drug use increased from 27

Drug Abuse Is a Menace in the
Words: 969 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Drug abuse is a menace in the modern world. The action of over using drugs or inappropriate application of substance wipes both old and young generations within the society. Drug abuse involves excessive use of substances such as alcohol, cigarette, heroine, and cocaine among other drugs. Excessive consumption of these drugs leads to addiction. This refers to the state in which an individual is in constant need of the substance.

Drug Abuse Prevention or Treatment
Words: 2253 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

(Fletcher; Inciardi; Tims, 1993) This may be the reason that there is today a new concept in the treatment of drug abuse, and this is the creation of 'Mobile Health Services'. In Maryland, for example, this mobile clinic has successfully treated about 30,000 to 40,000 drug abusers, about 25,000 abusers of cocaine, and more than 70,000 users of alcohol. If this idea of serving the community by the deployment of

Drug Abuse in Nursing
Words: 2975 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

Drug Abuse in Nursing Nurses and other medical professionals are tasked with taking care of their patients, of healing the body and saving lives. It is the job of these healthcare workers to literally stay death and make the individual well again. They are life givers and life savers. Every day, nurses and doctors have to go to work knowing that they will witness some sort of despair and trauma. A

Drug Abuse Estimates on the
Words: 894 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Also a widely accepted point-of-view is that people use drugs to relieve stress, but a review of the empirical evidence indicates that such tension reduction models have not always been supported (e.g., see Marlatt & Witkiewitz, 2008) and at least many instead use drugs for the euphoric feelings they produce. How can society or the government change this tendency? Or can it? If we look at history the answer to

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now