THE ILLEGAL HERB

In Canada, an attempt to legalize marijuana is taking place. Some
members of their Senate believe that a Canadian citizen should have
the right to choose if he or she desires to privately use the
currently illegal substance. Because of the harsh effects marijuana
can have on the mind and body, there is no appropriate reason for its
legalization.

Many will fight for the legalization of marijuana because they feel
that it is not a truly harmful substance. However, they are wrong.
Marijuana can cause multiple defects to the body and the mind that
can result in life-threatening or life-altering medical conditions.

Marijuana has multiple negative effects on the brain. According to
the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Web site, (www.nida.nih.gov)
the short-term side effects include problems with memory and
learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem
solving, and loss of coordination. More importantly, the long-term
side effects can result in depression, anxiety and other severe mood disorders.

The short-term side effects are merely temporary. They can make times
difficult when one has recently consumed marijuana, however, they
rarely become permanent effects.

The long-term effects are much more serious. Mental conditions such
as depression and anxiety can be quite difficult to cope with. There
are medications such as Zoloft, Prozac and the quick-hitter Xanex,
but their effects are disputed. The potential for life-altering
mental effects of marijuana is one of the key reasons that marijuana
should be illegal.

Beyond the mental effects of marijuana, there are multiple physical
side effects that we should consider.

According to www.nida.nih.gov, marijuana affects blood pressure and
heart rate, and reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. It can
also lead to heart disease. Marijuana also causes respiratory
infections and can lead to cancers of the lungs, throat, neck and mouth.

Many of these physical effects of marijuana are life-threatening and
are very difficult to treat, such as the cancers. The fact that
regular usage of marijuana can reduce a life by 10 or 20 years is a
concern. Even though one cannot die from overdosing on marijuana as
with cocaine, enough marijuana can end a life.

In conclusion, marijuana has many negative side effects that can
cause many disorders and even death. The threat of serious mental
disorders is a key reason why marijuana should stay illegal. Any
substance that can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental
disorders should be regarded as a threat and kept illegal.

If the drug can ultimately lead to mental insanity in some rare cases
of abusing the substance, then the substance has no reason to be
legal for everyone's recreational usage.

The more serious threat is the physical side effects, although a lot
of different things cause cancer - foods, the sun and cigarettes -
marijuana causes many physical ailments that are especially life-threatening.

Marijuana should be kept illegal because the more difficult it is to
find, the less it is available to be abused.