The Truth About Marijuana And Its Myths

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, and contains the active chemical tetrahydrocannabinol. It comes from the cannabis plant, a leafy annual, which grows in many of the world's tropic and temperate regions. From an international standpoint, the recreational use of cannabis dates back many centuries. It was only in considerably recent times, that the use marijuana, in the United States, became prevalent. Around the year 1914, the southwestern states experienced a significant Mexican migration. These foreigners came across the border in search of economic stability, and with them they brought marijuana. As the use of this slightly intoxicating substance increased, so did legislation banning it altogether. In the early 1970s, President Nixon appointed a group of scientists with the task of studying cannabis and its effects on individual health. After completing the study, the group of professionals reported that marijuana was no more harmful than smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol. Based on their results, the scientists recommended decriminalizing recreational marijuana use. Essentially, this meant that users could be fined, but not imprisoned. Nixon ignored the recommendation; instead he declared a total war on all dangerous drugs. At this point, an anti-drug hysteria, particularly surrounding marijuana, swept across the nation. Today, many myths concerning the use of cannabis are still present in American society. A major misconception idealizes cannabis as "the gateway drug," while other claims identify it as highly addictive. Many people believe "getting high" or achieving a euphoric state causes permanent brain damage. One of the most common fictional beliefs recognizes cannabis as having no therapeutic value. If these myths are put to rest, then Americans would see that there is no reason marijuana should remain illegal, and they may try to get laws passed in favor it.

Marijuana's famous reference as "the gateway drug" is very common, especially in high school classrooms. Everyone is discouraged from getting high, because they may want experiment with "harder" or more dangerous illegal substances. By looking at drug use statistics in a country where marijuana is legal, one would see that the gateway myth is simply untrue. In Holland, for example, the abuse of cocaine and heroin substantially decreased, after the Dutch legalized cannabis in the 1970s. In 1997, the National Household Survey reported 1.9 percent of Americans used cocaine in the past month, while only 0.6 percent of the Dutch population used cocaine over the same time period. Cocaine is easily obtainable in both countries. If marijuana is truly the gateway to using hard drugs, then Holland's cocaine usage should be much higher than the United States'. Cannabis is neither a gateway drug, nor an exceedingly addictive substance.

Many illegal drugs are incredibly addictive; marijuana is not one of them. Based on statistics from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, less than one percent of people who consume marijuana do so daily basis. An even smaller population develops dependence for it. There are no withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting. Anti-drug activists stress the number of users who seek treatment for marijuana abuse. The numbers are exaggerated, because people who test positive in their workplace are frequently ordered to seek treatment, to avoid termination. These drug tests detect only small amounts of THC, so they offer no value in identifying patterns of indulgence. Cannabis is not dangerously addictive, and scientists have yet to prove recreational use causes brain damage.

In 1977, the American Medical Association published two studies; both concentrated on the brain's reaction to heavy marijuana use. Doctors involved in the studies found no evidence of any brain damage. The origin of the brain damage rumor is associated with an experiment conducted on two monkeys. The animals were forced to inhale large amounts of THC, up to two-hundred times the average dose for humans. While the results failed to display brain damage, the monkeys' hippocampus experienced structural changes. The results are considered invalid, because the experimenting scientist

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