Cannabis, otherwise known as Marijuana or rather the addiction to it, is not a novel topic. This is a controversial issue that has been discussed for years and years now, and here’s why:

All Americans have opinions about the legalization of marijuana, but before deciding whether or not to do so for medical or other purposes, they should make sure they have done extensive research using past experiences that Americans have had with this drug. They should also carefully consider the actual effects of marijuana use. They claim that marijuana is a beneficial medicine that helps you relax and feel good, or that it is less harmful or dangerous than alcohol and other narcotics.

Many US states, including Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and many others, have legalized marijuana in recent years. Numerous negative effects have resulted from the legalization of marijuana in several states. Following the passage of Amendment 64 by voters in Colorado on Election Day 2012, there was a spike in homelessness, a challenge, a doubling of fatal car accidents involving marijuana-impaired drivers, and a rise in drug offenses in Colorado schools.

Depending on the person's history with the drug, research has shown that marijuana's detrimental effects on attention, memory, and learning can persist for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana daily may be operating at a lower intellectual level most or all of the time. There is strong evidence that students who use marijuana perform worse academically than their non-smoking peers. For instance, an analysis of 48 pertinent studies revealed that marijuana usage was linked to lower educational attainment, which lowers the likelihood of graduating. Teenagers who regularly used marijuana were found to have much lower chances of graduating from high school or earning a degree than their non-using counterparts, according to a new research that included information from three sizable studies conducted in Australia and New Zealand, and just recently, in 2021, 30.5% of 12th graders reported cannabis use, along with 17.3% of 10th graders and 7.1% of 8th graders.

It is unclear if marijuana use is directly responsible for these connections, which calls for more investigation. However, people report a perceived link between their marijuana use and poor results on a number of life satisfaction and accomplishment measures. It is plausible that other characteristics independently predispose people to both marijuana use and various negative life outcomes, such as school dropout.

Marijuana supporters want people to think that the drug is natural and safe, or, to put it another way, that using marijuana does not really lead to any addiction issues at all. That is regrettably not the case. Marijuana use can cause substance use disorders, making it challenging to stop using it. In addition to that, studies have found direct connections between marijuana usage and unfavorable employment outcomes, like an elevated chance of accidents or injuries. According to one study of postal workers, those who tested positive for marijuana use on a pre-employment urine drug test experienced 55% more workplace mishaps, 85% more injuries, and 75% more absenteeism than those who tested negative.

Now, since the legalization of marijuana in the country, the growth of sales is predicted to reach over 33 billion dollars after its massive spike in the year 2021, and it is only expected to grow more rapidly this year. Every day, new cannabis-related businesses start up. Large firms devote hundreds of dollars to millions of dollars to boost their sales through extensive advertising. Of course, they would target the younger generations and encourage even more people to become drug addicts in order to maintain their business. This only puts us in danger, and it is nothing but detrimental to our society's future. 

So, before you start using, ask yourself, is it really worth it? If you think it can help you medically, please, I beg you, consult your doctors first. 

References:

https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-school-work-social-life

https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/addiction.html

https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/marijuana/