All Americans have their own ideas about legalizing marijuana, but they need to make sure they have done thorough research using the past experiences that the American people have already experienced in use of this drug; they also need to carefully examine what the actual results of smoking marijuana are, before making a final decision on whether or not to legalize marijuana for medical purposes or for any other reason. They say that marijuana is a useful medicine, that it makes you calm and feel good or even that it is not as dangerous or harmful as alcohol and other drugs, these are some of the reasons why they want to legalize marijuana. But what they don't tell you are the negative consequences of smoking marijuana, such as the negative effects on the physical and mental health of the human body. This essay will discuss the negative effects that marijuana can cause and why this drug should remain illegal in the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First and foremost, Americans should know what marijuana really is before even considering its legalization. Marijuana, also known as weed or weed, comes from an Indian hemp called Cannabis sativa. The actual drug is found mostly in the flower of the plant and much less in the seeds, leaves, or stems of the plant. Cannabis is used in three different forms: marijuana, hashish and hash oil. Marijuana is made from dried flowers and leaves, this product is the least potent of all cannabis products and is usually smoked or made into edible products such as cookies or brownies. Hashish is obtained from the resin of the cannabis plant, this is dried and pressed into small pellets and then smoked. And the most potent of all hash oils, which is a thick oil obtained from hashish. Marijuana contains many ingredients, however, the main active ingredient that gives the "high" is called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol commonly known as THC, this creates mind-altering effects that make a person feel a certain type of pleasure and pleasure . the person feels good and forgets their problems while smoking it, that's why marijuana is classified as a drug. The plant is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes also called “joints” or in special water pipes also called “bongs”. To date, marijuana is one of the most abused drugs, if not the most abused, in the United States and around the world. Those who support its legalization, for medical or general use, fail to recognize that the greatest costs arise from the use of marijuana itself. Marijuana is now legal in some US states such as Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and others. After the legalization of marijuana in these states there have been many negative consequences. For example in the state of Colorado, after voters approved Amendment 64 on Election Day in 2012 in the state. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, which published an editorial called the policy's "embarrassing cautionary tale" and spoke of "increased homelessness, self-doubt, a doubling of fatal traffic crashes involving pot-intoxicated drivers and an increase in drug violations" . in Colorado schools.” Legalizing marijuana could cause society to abuse this drug and lead people to situations such as driving under the influence of marijuana, causing car accidents that end with people injured or dead. If people had legal access to marijuana it would likely increase its use. Supporters of legalizationof marijuana they use to say that the sale of this drug can contribute to the country's finances, however this point would be contrasted with the side effects that this legalization will bring to the public health and safety of the country. The use of this drug presents many health problems due to its ingredients such as THC (which we talked about earlier). This component acts on specific brain receptors, causing possible changes in mood, depression, suicidal thoughts, memory problems and disruption of normal learning abilities. In reference to this, here is an example where a person suffered from the consumption of this drug. The story of Levy Thamba, a college student who was under the influence of marijuana and soon had a panic attack that caused him to jump to his death from a Denver hotel balcony, these types of situations can occur when someone consumes marijuana with high levels of THD which is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, reaching the brain within minutes. In this and many other cases the use of marijuana has not proven to be as effective as it would have been for people. According to a recent study from Northwestern University found that “marijuana users have abnormal brains and poor memory and that chronic marijuana abuse can lead to brain changes similar to schizophrenia. The study also reported that the younger the person starts using marijuana, the worse the effects become.” Many people start smoking marijuana from a young age, this affects their memory, thinking, learning functions and also affects the way the brain builds connections between areas necessary for these functions. Smoking this drug when young can have effects on the brain, as the brain is not well developed until the age of 25. According to data from the National Institution of Drug Abuse (NIDA), “marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug among teens. About one in three high school students smokes pot." Students who smoke marijuana may perform lower academically than their nonsmoking peers, and students who smoke the drug regularly may also be significantly less likely than students who don't smoke to finish high school or earning a college degree. So, in saying that, marijuana use can also affect productivity in life, making the user less able to do or finish things wide range of physical health effects. Smoking the drug can affect a human's breathing problems as it can irritate the lungs, these problems include daily coughing and phlegm and a higher risk of lung infections. It can also increase the heart rate as after smoking marijuana causes your heart rate to increase for up to 3 hours after smoking, which can lead to a heart attack. Now, she may also have problems with the baby's development during and after pregnancy. A study conducted by the National Institution of Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that approximately “20% of pregnant women aged 24 or younger tested positive for marijuana.” The effects of a drug like marijuana can be harsh on a pregnant woman and the fetus because when a pregnant woman uses this drug, it can affect some developing parts of the fetus's brain as well as when a baby is exposed to marijuana in the maternal womb. they may have a greater risk of problems with attention, memory, and problem solving than unexposed children. Even after pregnancy, a baby can still be affected because if a woman smokes the drug, the amount of THC can be excreted in the girls' breast milk.breastfeeding mothers, this could affect the development of the baby's brain. This states another reason why marijuana should be illegal because not only can it affect someone's health but it can also affect an innocent life due to people's desire to smoke weed. Marijuana advocates would like people to believe that the drug is biological and harmless, in other words, that marijuana use does not cause any addiction problems. Unfortunately, this is not the case as marijuana can lead people to a substance use disorder which is a medical illness where people cannot stop using the drug even though it is causing health and social problems in their life . Many people who have been using marijuana for a long time and try to stop using it end up experiencing symptoms such as grumpiness, insomnia, decreased appetite, anxiety, or cravings for the drug, which makes it difficult for them to quit. To date, there are no reports of youth or adults having overdosed from this drug, however many people have reported symptoms such as paranoia, anxiety, and in some rare cases, an extreme psychotic reaction that may include delusions and hallucinations. , all of these side effects can land a person in the emergency room. Therefore it could be said that the use of marijuana can create addiction at a certain point in its use, causing people to crave this drug more and more every day, leading them to a crisis from which it is difficult to escape. To date there are no medications to treat a marijuana use disorder, however, there are practices that can help people stop using marijuana, for example by going to therapy or also called rehabilitation, where the goal is to provide people with the ability avoid using the drug in certain situations. Going to therapy can help people who have a disorder to use this drug because it can provide problem-solving and lifestyle management skills so that people can learn how to build an enjoyable life where they don't think they have need to use marijuana. The legalization of marijuana can not only affect people but can also impact the environment, this is because growing plants need many resources such as water and space to grow the product and as the recreational and medical use of marijuana becomes increasingly legalized and widespread throughout the world. The United States does the same with the scale of its production. Agriculture to provide for millions of people requires a lot of land and space to grow crops, this can contribute to the deforestation of trees to make more room for agriculture, as well as the destruction of wildlife habitats. Legalizing marijuana can also lead to a lack of resources because when it comes to mass cultivation such as where water is one of the primary resources for the growth of a plant, this would push farmers to use a large amount of water to achieve their goals. According to a CNBC article, since the legalization of marijuana in California “marijuana is being grown in the hidden corners of California, in remote, undeveloped watersheds that are also home to sensitive animals such as endangered salmon, rainbow trout and owl northern spotted. Marijuana growers often tap directly into streams and get water exactly when the fish need it.” Legal sales and demand for marijuana in legalized states are increasing habitat destruction and wasting tons of water just because people want to get high or want to use this drug for medical purposes when there can be160971.