MARIJUANA TAKES UNNECESSARY HITS

I have a growing dislike for the phrase "drugs and alcohol." This term
strengthens the notion that the two are separate entities.

However, there is little difference between the two substances.
According to hypno linguistics (www.hypnolinguistics.com), they both
are substances that alter the mind. As a teenager, I was taught
frequently about sex in school.

Why shouldn't drugs and alcohol be treated the same
way?

As our generation has aged, we have been conditioned to buy into the
dangers of drugs.

Upon first reference to drugs, marijuana was the first thing to come
to mind. I was taught to look at marijuana in this negative light.

But when hearing the word "alcohol," not as many negative connotations
come to mind. I feel that this is a common perception among our
generation. Marijuana has been demonized, but alcohol also has many
health threatening side effects yet it is still viewed in a much more
positive light.

Alcohol is known to have some health benefits with moderate
consumption, but the negative consequences may outweigh the good.
According to the publication Scientific American Mind, alcohol
destroys brain cells as well as lives with irresponsible usage.

Alcohol poisoning is far too common, and one of the most severe
consequences of drinking.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
20,000 annual American deaths are due to alcohol poisoning.

According to the Mayo Clinic's Web site (www.mayoclinic.com), alcohol
can lead to cancer of the liver, esophagus, larynx, pharynx and mouth.

In addition, there is a risk of sudden death with people who have
cardiovascular disease.

Many other problems with alcohol include stroke, brain atrophy
(shrinkage), cirrhosis of the liver, miscarriage and impaired brain
functioning which can effect a person's ability to drive.

On the other hand, marijuana has been viewed in the past as a menacing
drug by a majority of politicians, but what do the facts indicate?

I feel, most of the side effects of marijuana are only mild compared
to alcohol and the benefits greatly outweigh them. No one has ever
died from an overdose of marijuana, according to Mason Tvert, the
campaign director for Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation. Some
benefits from this drug include the relief it offers ill patients such
as: Increasing appetite in AIDS patients and providing therapy for
glaucoma.

These illnesses give a person great discomfort and pain that marijuana
helps relieve.

One beneficiary of (openly admitting) using marijuana is a well-known
talk show host, Montel Williams. He was diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis in 1999. Williams uses marijuana to relieve pain in his knee
and foot after trying other drugs such as Oxycontin.

Williams clarifies that not all users live up to the negative image
associated with marijuana.

Many are functioning adults that have a family and work nine-to-five
jobs. As Williams has clarified on his talk show: "I want you to meet
someone who's not a drug dealer, not a dope addict, just somebody
who's trying to get up every morning and go to work." In Montel
Williams view, the drug should be legalized.

As with many other prescribed medications, marijuana does have some
mild side effects, such as memory loss and impaired thinking.

According to Dr. Donald Tashkin, a pulmonologist and University of
California professor of medicine, the slowing down of brain cells is a
direct result of a fatty substance coating the brain cell. This is
like having overweight brain cells that work slower, but if use of the
drug is terminated then the cells "work out" or lose the excess fat
that coats them. The smoking of marijuana causes other problems.

These problems include throat and lung cancer, as well as other
respiratory problems.

In high school, I was told that marijuana could lead to the use of
harder drugs because a majority of users say marijuana is a "gateway"
drug. This is quite a bit of an overgeneralization. By stating this,
one may also say that since a majority of terrorists are Muslim, a
Muslim has a better chance of being a terrorist.

It's statements like these that lead to creating more of a problem
than there really is.

The money spent throwing dealers and users in jail, could be better
spent on our public schools and health care facilities. With society's
stigma on the use of marijuana, it is very difficult to get anyone to
see the positive effects marijuana can have. Everyone is entitled to
the truth, not just what their parents and society has embedded into
their brain.

Before making an assumption about marijuana, get informed.