Tobacco and alcohol are two powerful substances that have become deeply ingrained into the American way of life. While these two substances possess social and personal functions, their adverse health effects are well-established. With a consideration of the social changes of the past four years, it now seems that marijuana, also known as cannabis, is unfortunately accelerating its presence in our culture. While I personally do not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes, and while I can understand the arguments in favor of its decriminalization, what is of greater importance to me is that voters become informed and truly understand the health impacts of the drug.
In 2012, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts proposed the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes throughout the state and was met with an overwhelming response of “Yes,” with approximately 63.3 percent of responders voting in favor of the measure. Now, in 2016, the Commonwealth will propose to the public the legalization of recreational marijuana. Regrettably, the latest polling, as of the first week of October, by the Western New England University Polling Institute indicates that 55 percent of those polled were in favor of the measure, as opposed to 39 percent against the measure. Though the social and economic arguments in favor of the legalization of recreational marijuana have some merit, the growing scientific insights into the very clear negative health effects of marijuana say otherwise. Furthermore, its proximate inhibiting effects to human tasks should generate substantial, if not overwhelming, caution against its legalization both in the state and nationwide.
Decades of medical research have clarified the properties of marijuana and its adverse health effects to non-prescribed users, and we need not comprehensively describe those effects here. Marijuana is produced from the desiccated leaves of the Cannabis sativa plant. The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as a psychoactive agent. When smoked in a joint, users can experience short-term problems with balance and coordination, increased heart rate and appetite, problems with learning and memory, hallucinations, anxiety, panic attacks and psychosis. Long-term effects can include mental health problems, chronic coughing, frequent respiratory infections. When combined with other substances such as alcohol, symptoms include increased heart rate, blood pressure and a further slowing of mental processing and reaction time. These adverse health effects are neither theoretical nor alarmist; in the United States, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. Extensive research indicates that regular marijuana users, especially those who start at a young age, are more likely to try more dangerous drugs, thereby classifying marijuana as a potential gateway drug. Essentially, I invite you to visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Drug Abuse to fully realize the adverse effects of recreational marijuana for yourself.
How these data affect and are affected by the voting in Massachusetts is a fair question. As it stands, the proposed measure would permit persons over the age of 21 years to possess 1 ounce of marijuana outside their residences and to possess up to 10 ounces of marijuana inside their residences, as well as grow up to six marijuana plants in their residences. While I understand and partially support the economic and social arguments in favor of decriminalization, this support does not negate the very real adverse health effects of marijuana. Personally, I think it to be best if the resulting vote in November were “No,” and the issue was deferred until more fundamental social issues were addressed. The essential question is whether economic and social justifications can outweigh the considerable concern arising from the adverse health effects of substances such as marijuana. The essential question is how we come to prioritize the benefits and drawbacks of a substance as potent as marijuana.