Recreational Use of Marijuana

The purpose of this research is to examine the merits of maintaining legal sanctions against the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana. The nature of Cannabis will be discussed along with its potential health effects. Finally, the social costs of criminalizing marijuana use will be documented. It is the contention of this study that the conservative backlash against marijuana has enjoyed only limited success because the social costs of outlawing the drug far outweigh any potential dangers from recreational use. Not only should marijuana be decriminalized, but there may even be social benefits in legalizing and licensing the sale and consumption of marijuana.

The term marijuana is derived from the Mexican word "maraguanquo," signifying an inebriant plant. It is the popular name for a plant, Cannabis sativa, and a common name for a drug prepared by drying the

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ted in the year 1894, nearly a century ago (Graham, 1976, p. 144). Of course, research on the drug had been conducted periodically as early as 1750. The results have been inconsistent because the methodologies have been inconsistent. But none of these studies have been accepted by the scientific community as demonstrating ill-health effects from marijuana anywhere near as serious as those posed by alcohol or tobacco. Modern research on the health effects of marijuana generally is reaching similar conclusions. The most widely accepted physiological effects of marijuana are stimulation of the appetite, an effect on psychomotor performance, minimizing memory recall ability, and an increased pulse rate with a slight increase in blood pressure (Maykut, 1984, p. 4-5). Some studies suggest other health effects, such as respiratory depression, fluctuations in blood sugar levels, and a lowering of the body's immune system. These are all important health effects. However, it is important to place these in perspective. There is no clear and irrefutable case of death from overdose of Cannabis or THC (Graham, 1976, p. 277). Given several thousand years of use and several hundred years of study, this is a point that should not b
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Approximate Word count = 1743
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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