Marijuana, Clearing Away the Smoke

Although surrounded by considerable controversy, the arguments against both medicinal and recreational marijuana use in the United States are beginning to fail.  Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States. However, it is unique in that it is simultaneously an illegally used recreational substance in some states while also a legally prescribed medicinal substance in others. Marijuana has been scientifically proven to provide medical benefits for a multitude of both acute and chronic disease. It is prescribed to treat muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders, nausea from chemotherapy, increase appetite for HIV and nerve disorders, and new medicinal benefits are continually being discovered. In addition to medical treatment it is also used as a casual recreational drug that poses little to no health risk in healthy adults. So why then is medical marijuana still illegal in 26 out of 50 states, and recreational use illegal in 46 out of 50? If marijuana were medicinally and recreationally legal throughout the US it would not only increase accessibility to patients who seek it for treatment, but also decrease the tax burden in relation to the current criminalization of marijuana users. This tax burden could not only be decreased, but reversed with the legalization and taxation of the vital and growing marijuana industry.
So how does it work? In a nutshell the two main compounds of interest are cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (try saying that five times fast) or THC. Cannabidiol is the non-psychoactive component and the main focus in regards to medicinal marijuana.  Although cannabidiol is non-psychoactive, it does contribute to feelings of calm and relaxation. Cannabidiol contains an abundance of anti-inflammatory, anti-psychotic, and analgesic (pain relieving) properties. To this day these rock star properties are being used to treat a variety of disease, to name a few examples; schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety, slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma, inflammatory bowel diseases, and arthritis discomfort. But wait there’s more! New medicinal properties are constantly on the rise. Taken directly from the American Cancer Society; “ scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells growing in laboratory dishes. Some animal studies also suggest certain cannabinoids may slow growth and reduce spread of some forms of cancer.”  It’s really quite disappointing that in a country as advanced and progressive as the United States we are still restricting access to a natural and effective drug based on sociopolitical reasons rather than logic and scientific evidence.
That brings us to our next compound of interest mostly associated with the recreational use of marijuana, THC. Once THC reaches the brain it goes to work by targeting the brain’s neurons (brain cells). To further elaborate, these neurons have long, dangling processes that don’t actually touch the other brain cells. The gap between these brain cells is called a synapse, and these cells transmit messages across this gap with neurotransmitters of which you’ve probably heard of a few such as; dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine. Although these neurotransmitters are made in the body, a variety of drugs both legal and illegal can mimic them to achieve certain effects. This is where THC comes in. Unlike alcohol which contains molecules nothing like what’s found in our body, THC mimics a natural neurotransmitter called anandamide which normally pairs with dopamine to turn on and off different chemical pathways as needed. Anandamide’s normal job in the brain is to give neurons a brief moment of pause after firing which allows your brain to normally function in a calm and controlled manner. When mimicking anandamide and binding to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, THC prevents actual anandamide from performing this job.  The result is constant excitement of the effected neurons causing your thoughts, imagination and perceptions to ultimately amplify themselves.
 The most common and direct form for ingesting THC is smoking the dried cannabis plant. This allows for an almost instantaneous effect with the ability to gage and increase dosage as desired. However, for those recreational users who don’t prefer the harshness of inhalation, pure THC can also be extracted from the plant into an oil which is then used to create a variety of edible products that will also achieve a high. One thing to note in regards to marijuana edibles is that it takes much longer to achieve their effect due to the slow onset of having to pass through the digestive system. Because of this delayed onset, users will often overestimate the dose and although colossal amounts of THC won’t kill you, it could result in a much more intense high than the user intends. Like any drug however, use of THC doesn’t come without some short term side effects of which include; fragmentary thoughts, impaired memory, dizziness, eye redness, dry mouth, and increased appetite.
Well, that all sounds great, but marijuana is a dangerous drug! My grandma said smoking the Devil’s lettuce can kill you and in grade school I learned it’s just a gateway to more hardcore drug use! Sound familiar? None of it is true of course, in fact most current arguments against the use of marijuana are false so let’s examine three of the most popular arguments confronted by Dr. John P. Morgan, professor of pharmacology, City of New York University medical school.
Marijuana causes brain damage. The original basis of this claim was founded on a trial of two rhesus monkeys exposed to absurd amounts of THC. Postmortem examinations of these two monkeys found changes in several brain regions namely the hippocampus which plays an important role in learning and memory. However, to achieve these results “massive doses of THC- up to 200 times to psychoactive dose in humans had to be given”. In the most recent study, rhesus monkeys were exposed to face mask inhalation of the equivalent of four to five joints per day for an entire year. When observed several months later “there was no observed alteration of hippocampal architecture, cell size, cell number, or synaptic configuration. Thus, 20 years after the first report of brain damage in two marijuana-exposed monkeys, the claim of damage to brain cells has been effectively disproven.”
Marijuana is an addictive drug. There is scarce evidence that marijuana causes physical addiction and withdrawal in human users. Symptoms of withdrawal have been artificially created in lab animals following extremely high doses. Rats dosed with THC and then given a sudden treatment of cannabinoid receptor-blockers provoked a sudden withdrawal by stripping receptors of the drug. However, “this finding has no relevance to human users who, upon ceasing use, experience a very gradual removal of THC from receptors.”
Marijuana is a “gateway” to more hardcore drug use. In fact, there is no correlational proof between marijuana use and progression to more hardcore drugs. Most marijuana users never escalate to use of other hardcore drugs. This fact is supported by data from other countries where marijuana has been recreationally legalized. “In the Netherlands, for example, although marijuana prevalence among young people increased during the past decade, cocaine use decreased - and remains considerably lower than in the United States. Whereas approximately 16% of youthful marijuana users in the U.S. have tried cocaine, the comparable figure for Dutch youth is 1.8%.  Indeed, the Dutch policy of allowing marijuana to be purchased openly in government-regulated coffee shops was designed specifically to separate young marijuana users from illegal markets where heroin and cocaine are sold.”
Still not buying it? If factual, scientific evidence isn’t enough to convince you we’ll use something that speaks to everybody, money- more specifically tax revenue using the state of Colorado as an example. In 2014 voters in Colorado authorized to state to use $66 million dollars in marijuana tax revenue towards public services. Of which $2 million went towards bullying prevention campaigns, $2 million for drop-out prevention campaigns, a whole $40 million for the construction of new schools, $2 million towards youth mentoring services, $300 thousand for future farmers of America,  and an additional $8 million which has yet to be allocated. Like it or not, the tax revenue gained from legalized marijuana could be used to improve communities and public services all across the US if every state were to legalize it.
Not only would this taxation on this new industry provide huge revenue with astounding potential, but the current tax burden associated with marijuana criminalization would be eliminated. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 12% of prisoners incarcerated for drug violations are doing time for marijuana offenses. That’s approximately 33,000 state inmates and 10,000 federal inmates. If you multiply these numbers by US Department of Justice prison expenditure data, this reveals that US taxpayers are spending more than $1 billion dollars annually to imprison marijuana offenders.
When are we as a developed nation going to stop this madness? Aside from all these facts and numbers even the principle of the issue is so extremely aggravating. The US government is restricting a valid and natural treatment from patients who need it, as well as telling we the people of this country that as grown, intelligent, consenting adults that we cannot handle the responsibility of using a harmless recreational drug. The ignorance surrounding marijuana in the US is astounding. From treating patients, to decriminalization, to reaping the potential tax rewards it’s time to change the way we think about marijuana and push the issue to our government so that marijuana is declassified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Prohibition didn’t work on alcohol in the 1920’s and it’s not working on marijuana now.
Although in the past regarded as a degenerate drug with no therapeutic value, the good news is that marijuana is back in the ring and appears to be steadily winning the fight. With medicinal legalization in 24 out of 50 states and recreational use legal in 4 out of 50, it’s hopefully only a matter of time before the remaining states come to their senses and legalize a plant that human beings have been using since before recorded history.










Works Cited:

Adams, William, Julie Samuels, and Sam Taxy. "Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)." Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5436>.
"Marijuana and Cancer." American Cancer Society, 4 Mar. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/physicalsideeffects/chemotherapyeffects/marijuana-and-cancer>.
Zimmer, Lynn, and John Morgan. "Exposing Marijuana Myths: A Review of The Scientific Evidence." © Open Society Institute/The Lindesmith Center. Web. <http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/Exposing_index_1095.html>.
"Colorado Marijuana Tax Data." Colorado Marijuana Tax Data. Web. 23 Nov. 2015. <https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/revenue/colorado-marijuana-tax-data>.
Grenoble, Ryan. "Revenue From Colorado Marijuana Tax Expected To Double In 2015." Huffington Post. 21 Sept. 2015. Web. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/colorado-marijuana-tax-revenue-2015_560053c4e4b00310edf806d3>.