Recently, the first stores legally able to sell recreational marijuana opened in Colorado. Amendment 64 legalized the use of recreational marijuana in Colorado. This was a contention issue then, and it still is. There are a number of questions that need to be answered. How can this state law and a conflicting federal law be reconciled, if at all? What affect will this have on the society? Will this increase the rates of usage? Will this lead to more fatalities from accidents resulting from driving under the influence? Is this a good thing?
Some of these can only be answered with time. What I be sure of is one thing: the answer for the last question is NO. Legal marijuana use is dangerous because it does indeed have effects that compromise the user's health and cognitive ability.
Many people will cite the lack of evidence about the harmful effects. This isn't to say that it doesn't exist. Cancer Research UK admits that some studies are inconclusive about whether smoking cannabis causes cancer, although we know that there are at least 50 of the same carcinogens that are in tobacco, but they also explain that it is difficult to study cannabis. This is because many smokers mix it with tobacco, which we more or less know causes lung cancer, and because it is still illegal in many countries and users are reluctant to take part in the research. Check out their fact sheet about cannabis here: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/cancer-questions/does-smoking-cannabis-cause-cancer#evidence
But the cancer risk is not what is so dangerous about marijuana. It is the fact that it is a psychoactive drug that can alter the the state of consciousness of the user that should remain the primary argument against it. The psychoactive effects of marijuana include euphoria, which is what users generally are seeking, but a general altered state of consciousness and impairment also accompany the high. It can also have psychedelic or hallucinogenic properties.
One of the main arguments for the legalization of marijuana is that it is similar to alcoholic drinks, and the effect is more or less the same, in terms of impairment. Well, even if that is the case, there is no easy way to test if it was used yesterday or last month. The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, is converted to a similar, but different, compound after the smoke is inhaled, and the effect lasts longer than measurable levels of THC in the blood. As a result, it is difficult to quickly, and accurately, test the levels of THC in the blood, unlike alcohol, which can be tested with relative accuracy in the field with a breathalyzer. Because it is fat-soluble, THC and similar compounds will remain in the body for too long to determine when it was used.
The duration of the effects are also of concern. Similar to alcohol, how long it affects you depends on a variety of factors. When smoked, effects of marijuana last around two to three hours usually. One study showed that the effects of smoking one marijuana cigarette lasted around 3.5 hours. Acute effects were strong, but residual effects the following morning were minimal. One cigarette induced clear impairment in individuals that lasted up to 3.5 hours, compared to one drink which has almost no effect on many drinkers, including myself. Regular use, however, can induce paranoia and anxiety, and one review of currently available literature suggests that marijuana dependence is a real disorder that requires real treatment, and that it can indeed cause serious harm.
Because of the nature of the effects of marijuana, the difficulty in testing and determining when it was used, and the duration period of a single marijuana cigarette, I do believe that it is not in the best interests of states or people to legalize its use. My own bias and beliefs also lead me to make this decision. The information we have is often anecdotal because we haven't been able to really study it the way we have other drugs. But the way the people of Colorado voted for Amendment 64 shows that this is an issue that many agree with me on. It passed with only 55% approval. No doubt this will come up for a vote again in a few years. By then, the people of Colorado will hopefully have answered the important questions that legalizing marijuana presents. And hopefully, enough people will decide that it isn't a good thing, and that there will be data to support this.
Some places I got information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_drug_testing
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonly-abused-drugs/commonly-abused-drugs-chart
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/cancer-questions/does-smoking-cannabis-cause-cancer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Amendment_64
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