Marijuana as a Social Drug

Marijuana, or cannabis sativa, has been linked with human culture for more than 4,000 years. In fact, the first written account of use of marijuana occurred in Chinese literature around 2700 B.C. (Smith 3).

Marijuana has many names--it has been called hemp, hashish, dagga, bhang, loco week, grass, and a myriad of other terms. It was formally named cannabis sativa in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, the famous botanist and developer of the modern system of taxonomy and biological classification. Marijuana, even according to Linnaeus, is one of nature's most hardy species of plants. It can thrive on little moisture, and in soils that are depleted or sandy. It is as vigorous as many common weeds, and flourishes in nearly every possible climatic and geographic region (Abel ix).

The principle ingredient of marijuana which causes it to give the user a feeling of euphoria and well being is the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC. The THC is found principally in the resin of the plants, and in hot climates it serves to protect the plant from dehydration. Thus, marijuana grown in hot and dry climates has a greater concentration of THC than marijuana grown in other areas (Abel x).

In the United States, the marijuana problem flouris

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marijuana became as popular as alcohol in many circles, and by the 1980s became the drug of choice in a wide variety of social and demographic stratums. Economically, marijuana use has been linked to crime. One of the earliest views was that marijuana actually caused criminal behavior, however, most social psychologists have now dismissed that hypothesis. Instead, although it is difficult to establish a direct cause and effect relationship, it is likely that marijuana use among certain segments of the population engenders criminal activity. To this end, the economic costs to society are threefold. First, marijuana use may lead to addition in certain people. This means that they may not be as productive in the workforce as possible, and may lose a considerable number of man hours from illness resulting from overuse of marijuana. Second, addicts often lose their inhibitions and commit petty crimes so that they can get more drugs. This criminality, while not directly related to marijuana, costs property, time, and goods and services. Third, the system of prosecuting and enforcing the legal aspects of controlling marijuana are expensive for both the government and the taxpayer. Considerable time and effort must be spent wi
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Approximate Word count = 1751
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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