I'm writing in response to my colleague, Jane Kim. My first very serious issue with her writing is that she makes all sorts of assertions about the effects of marijuana without citing any sources. Considering that some of these assertions, e.g. the carcinogenic nature of marijuana, are controversial, I think it's important to provide evidence. She said that marijuana contains "50-70% more cancer causing substances than tobacco smoke". Although I couldn't find this exact statistic, the American Lung Association says that inhaling any type of smoke, including marijuana, contributes to risk of lung cancer. However, marijuana, if legalized, can be ingested rather than smoked. She said that marijuana has adverse affects on minors. I found a concurring article that asserts that marijuana usage lowers students grades and IQ. However, I think many factors could contribute to this: for example, frequent marijuana users would, simply, be smoking marijuana instead of doing homework, which could contribute to both statistics. I don't mean to imply that these statistics should be completely disregarded, just that they are not as black-and-white as Kim suggested.
She also said that Amsterdam is famous for legalizing pot, though it banned it's use in schools, which means that marijuana is harmful to the city. Frankly, I don't see the logic here. In the US public intoxication is illegal and people are not allowed to smoke or drink on school property. She also said that legalized marijuana would lead to "dealers standing on every corner", which is completely absurd considering legal marijuana would be bought from pharmacies, not from street vendors.
To be clear: I have never taken any form of marijuana or other drug, and nobody I know, friend or family, regularly smokes or ingests marijuana. However, I do support it's legalization because it will help regulate it's consumption and make it safer and more secure for it's users. As my colleague said, 44% of high school students were found to know a student who sold drugs at their school, so acquiring the drug is not a huge obstacle at present, and doing so leads to unnecessary risk for users.
Articles referenced here:
Legalizing Marijuana by Jane Kim
Marijuana and Lung Health by the American Lung Association
Marijuana May Hurt The Developing Teen Brain by Patti Neighmond
