Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 Source: Oklahoma Daily, The (OK Edu) Copyright: 2003 Oklahoma Daily Contact: http://www.oudaily.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1371 Author: Luke Barrett DAMAGING TO HEALTH AND SOCIETY A Case Against Marijuana "Johnny, will ya' pick up some milk, eggs, bread and...get some pot while you're out!" Sounds odd, but the way the culture is moving, this could very well be true in the next few years. Nowadays, irresponsible use of alcohol and tobacco are issues that plague America. Why do we need one more drug that has similar detrimental effects? We don't. We do not need to compound the problems that alcohol and tobacco cause with the consequences associated with marijuana use simply to justify legalizing it. Short-term memory impairment, slowness of learning, decreased sperm count, impaired immune response, and serious lung problems follow long term use of pot according to the surgeon general. What's worse is that more severe developmental problems are found in adolescents from ages 12 to high school seniors. The surgeon general points to what's called "amotivational syndrome" which is noted by energy loss, diminished school performance, harmed parental relationships and other behavioral disruptions in adolescents. And get this, from the Centers for Disease Control, 22.4 percent of high school seniors have smoked pot in the past month and so have 7 percent of 12-17 year olds. So, say we do legalize pot for ages 21 and over like alcohol. We would still have all these problems with youth where the detrimental long-term effects are much more severe than that of adults. Nevertheless, the effects marijuana has on adults are bad enough to keep it illegal and out of more people's hands. Just because we have two legal drugs that have negative effects (alcohol and tobacco) does not mean we need to add a third into the mix. However, it does mean we need to control it at its source and get parents involved with their children. As it is now, taxpayers pay some or all of alcohol and tobacco addicts liver and lung transplants. What will we be paying for with a society full of potheads? And before you say pot isn't addictive, the evidence shows otherwise. According to a Reuters news report, more than two-thirds of teens being referred for drug treatment complained of withdrawal symptoms when they stopped using marijuana. And in a study by the University of Colorado, 80 percent of boys and 60 percent of girls age 13-19 were clinically dependent on marijuana. As with drunk drivers and second hand smoking, it's not just detrimental for those using the drugs, it's tragic for all those affected by his or her actions. The National Institute of Justice said that 66 percent of young adult males who were arrested for serious crimes in 1996 tested positive for recent marijuana use. And frequent marijuana users aged 12-17 were four times more likely to physically attack another than those who did not use pot. So, the bunk about pot making you more relaxed or less violent is definitely questionable. All in all, I don't think there is any good reason to legalize pot for general consumption. Its just one more drug that will surely be abused and cause more harm than good. Besides, it's not wise nor responsible to put yourself in a position where you can't think rationally. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom