Cause & Effect

Cause and Effect i

Cause and Effect

The Use and Argument of Marijuana

Kiel Serling

Advanced Composition,

Professor Phillips

January 24, 2009

Cause and Effect

The Use and Argument of Marijuana

When the conversation of drug use comes up there is always a heated debate over the positives and negatives of any drug. Many drugs come have always been in this debate, but one drug that is referred to the most is Marijuana or Cannabis. Some experts say it has nothing but harmful side effects, while others say that it has medicinal purposes. There are several sides to this conversation, each giving very strong reasons behind why it's a good drug or why it's a destructive drug.

The biggest argument within the conversation of using Marijuana is that it is harmful and addictive to the user. There are documents and books from all over that discuss the effects and harm that using marijuana can be related to. The biggest risk for the user is the risk of respiratory problems, similar to that of a cigarette smoker. People who are Regular smokers of cannabis but not tobacco have more symptoms of chronic bronchitis than non-smokers (Roffman and Stephens, 2006). As the user continues to smoke throughout their lives the side effects can cause problems with the respiratory system, but it also increases their susceptibility to other infections, such as pneumonia. Although the user may only have used for a short period of time, the effects can still last just as long as a user who has used for 15-30 years. There are often other side effects of prolonged use other than respiratory.

Another issue that is often mentioned about using Marijuana is its ability to mentally impair the user. Marijuana has a long history of causing short-term memory problems, cognitive function impairment, paranoia, and even panic attacks. Prolonged use of Marijuana has shown to have adverse psychological consequences for the user, although it affects as much as 1% of adults within 1 year....