When marijuana can be acquired legally for patients with medical conditions there can be a variety of benefits if certain conditions apply: If the prescription options to relieve the patients symptoms carry more risks than marijuana; if the marijuana offers Phoenix Marijuana Dispensary   more therapeutic benefits compared to the pharmaceutical drugs and if the gains from marijuana sales are channelled into constructive enterprises which will benefit society all together.

However, legalising marijuana for recreational use is a whole different concept and one that has many people worried. The parties that are lobbying to legalise marijuana claim that legalisation will supposedly take the manufacturing and sale of marijuana out of the hands of drug addicts, drug cartels along with other clandestine factions and into the domain of regulated manufacturers and retailers. Apparently, this can permit the taxes from sales to be directed into the public health and education systems, which may be far better compared to the current situation where only drug dealers benefit financially.

But there are several downsides to legalising marijuana for recreational purposes. One of many issues is that legalisation sends out a message to impressionable adolescents that marijuana is perfectly acceptable. The other issue is that it will become far easier for minors to get marijuana even though it will supposedly only be accessible to those over 21 yo. Exactly like alcohol, teens can always find older siblings or friends to get cannabis for them but with that said, it's already fairly easy for young people to get marijuana, be it legally acquired or not.

So What's Wrong With Marijuana?

Besides the statistics indicating that marijuana is really a gateway drug for heavier drugs, marijuana itself can be quite damaging to both physical and mental health. Physically it causes fatigue and increases the risk of heart disease and cancer, particularly lung cancer (whether it's smoked) and cancer of the lymphatic system and also oral tumours and other types of cancer. Studies have shown that smoking marijuana is a lot more carcinogenic than nicotine and most people are well alert to the cancer risk from smoking cigarettes. Neurologically, marijuana is a well-known trigger for mental illnesses such as bipolar and schizophrenia and the damage it can cause to a developing brain can be catastrophic.

In normal brain development, significant changes occur in brain structure and function through the adolescent years and healthy brain function and growth has to be supported via a nutritious diet, adequate sleep along with other favourable lifestyle factors. So think about the outcome if the developing brain doesn't receive the ideal requirements for normal growth and instead is subjected to neurologically-toxic substances such as marijuana (or other drugs).

Research carried out at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the US showed that adolescents who use cannabis regularly have abnormal changes to their brain structure and the younger the person is if they begin using marijuana, the higher the brain abnormality. Some of the brain damage that has been identified includes changes to the working memory - even 2 yrs after stopping the drug.

Furthermore, other research shows that addiction develops very quickly, particularly in teenagers, and often results in the young person losing their motivation to activate in learning; no more visualising and working towards their dream career and no longer caring about their health. The long-term risks of marijuana use are well-known such as cancer; mental health conditions and other risk factors - often leading to regular users becoming walking zombies that are mainly focussed on their drug use and little else. Teenagers which are addicted to cannabis are also more prone to experience feelings of anger or discontent whenever they haven't had the drug for a while and therefore are at high risk to become anti-social and losing their friends.

The reason that addiction happens so quickly nowadays in comparison to years gone by is because the drug is so stronger. So, nowadays, teenagers that begin smoking marijuana at parties may soon begin to smoke every week and before they know it, they're seeking it daily. Many addicted teenagers are smoking marijuana several times a day just to feel 'normal'. This sort of use has a dramatic effect on their developing brain; their heart and lungs; their ability to learn and on their finances - they either have to steal to cover their addiction or they find themselves going to work just to pay for their habit.