Marijuana first became legalized in the early 20th century, with major legal limitations following shortly after. After marijuana became legalized, 29 states outlawed it. Later, in 1937, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which ultimately criminalized the use of cannabis products nationally. Since then, some states have left marijuana legalized, legal with a medical marijuana card, or simply illegal.
As many use marijuana to help calm anxiety, users don’t completely understand the full effects it has on your mental health. According to a University of Washington research study by doctor Susan Stoner, “There are individual differences in responses to marijuana that are affected by a variety of factors, though tolerance develops over a short period of time with regular use.” Small doses and regular use of marijuana build up a high tolerance which can cause overconsumption. As it appears to help benefit mental health disorders such as anxiety, schizophrenia and depression, there are other alternatives then using a psychoactive drug to fulfill our needs such as prescribed anxiety medications. Marijuana affects our endorphins- our brain’s natural opioids- when disrupting these opioids and replacing it with marijuana, cannabis affects our sensory experiences. These cause fatigue, poor concentration, and a lack of memory while increasing an user’s hunger and appetite levels throughout the day. This is caused by cannabinoids entering your hypothalamus which controls your body temperature, thirst, and hunger. Marijuana use creates a slower reaction time and can cause ‘out of the ordinary’ emotional responses. All of these factors have a large impact associating marijuana with poor mental health.
As far as marijuana affecting mental health, it also puts your immune and respiratory systems in critical condition as you age. Smoking marijuana is extremely harmful to lung health. The carcinogens, toxins in cannabis, are released into a user’s lungs which can cause lung cancer. Users are also more prone to intense colds that could result in bronchitis. When marijuana smoke floats in your lungs, it causes blockages in air pathways that are essential for you to breathe. Smokers also have a higher risk of viral infections due to a weaker immune system.
Marijuana use can cause ‘out of this world’ experiences. Since marijuana is a hallucigen, it affects a user’s serotonin levels or endocannabinoid systems, leading to distorted reality which can cause ‘near death experiences,’ or dramatic mood shifts. Which is why you shouldn’t drive while intoxicated. Marijuana sometimes is related to LSD, a dangerous hallucinogen which distorts reality. However, this process with marijuana is much slower.
Aside from these main points, there are a variety of reasons why marijuana should not be legalized. It leads to decreased mental health, damage to respiratory and immune systems, and causes distorted reality with regular use.
