Our immune system protects the body from many diseases, when marijuana is
smoked it impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs, causing someone with a
disease more susceptible to other illnesses or diseases. Continued us of
marijuana can lead to abnormal function of the lungs or airways. Scientists have
found signs of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke. Marijuana
and tobacco both cause many of the same breathing problems, both of them are
addictive. While not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user
begins to seek out and take the drug frequently they're known to be dependent on
the drug. “In 1995, 165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported
marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, showing they needed help to stop
using”(Middleton A5). A withdrawal syndrome occurs, consisting of anxiety,
depression, sleep and appetite disturbances, irritability, tremors, diaphoresis,
nausea, muscle convulsions, and restlessness. Some serious users of marijuana
show signs of dependence because when they don not use the drug, they develop
withdrawal symptoms.
Some users experiencing marijuana withdrawal had symptoms, such as
restlessness, loss of appetite, trouble with sleeping, weight loss, and shaky
hands. According to one study, marijuana use by teenagers who have prior serious
antisocial problems can quickly lead to dependence on the drug. That study also
found that, for troubled teenagers using tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana,
progression from their first use of marijuana to regular use was about as rapid
as their progression to regular tobacco use, and more rapid than the progression
to regular us of alcohol. (Maginnis 7-74 ) Researchers are not certain whether a
newborn baby’s health problems are caused by marijuana will continue as the
child grows. Preliminary research shows that children born to mothers who used
marijuana regularly during pregnancy may have trouble concentrating. Doctors
advise pregnant women not to use any drugs because they might harm the growing
fetus. Some scientific studies have found that babies born to marijuana users
were shorter, weighed less, and had smaller head sizes than those born to
mothers who did not use the drug. When a nursing mother uses marijuana, some of
the THC is passed to the baby in her breast milk. This is a matter for concern,
since the THC in the mother’s milk is much more concentrated than that in the
mother’s blood. This along with the other information on how marijuana is
harmful gives us another reason for not legalizing it. Marijuana should not be
legalize for the safety of Americans and their health. Marijuana destroys the
minds of many users. All parts of the body especially the immune system are
damaged from marijuana. Marijuana can cause many of the same illnesses
cigarettes cause. So in conclusion I believe that for the well being of the
American people marijuana should stay illegal to ensure the safety of our
future.
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