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Secondly, marijuana is one of three gateway drugs. A gateway drug is a type of drug that leads people to try harder and more addictive drugs. The three gateway drugs are cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana. The most common drug that these gateway drugs lead to is cocaine. Usually marijuana is the last gateway drug people use because if they can do marijuana without any major issues they believe that it is possible for them to continue on to harder drugs. Without even realizing it they end up having addiction problems that spiral out of control. But if you go back, it all started with the use of marijuana. Children who are as young as twelve use at least one of the three gateway drugs and by the time they are 17 years old they are 266 times more
In today's society people use drugs to escape from reality and issues that may be present in their lives. They think that the use of drugs will help them achieve happiness which leads to addiction. This addiction allows for others to take advantage of the person while they’re under the influence. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley uses soma to show a similar idea through the theme of pursuit of happiness through drugs. The purpose that soma serves in the novel is that it is illustrated as being the “perfect drug” with no negative effects. The characters in the novel start using it as an escape for unhappiness or dissatisfaction and the happiness that is reached with the drug eventually becomes a trap and it has an addiction effect which leads
It was the late 19th century when a lot of conflict for families from the Industrial Revolution and illegal drugs had easy access to anyone in the United Sates. These illegal drugs like morphine, cocaine, and alcohol were available through manufacture, delivery, and selling. It was proved that the over use of alcohol and violence in families’ homes were linked together around the 1850’s and that women and children were being abused by the father and husband from the letters and journals that were wrote. These were times when women were stay at home mothers and it was the man’s responsibility to be the provider for the wife and children. Because of the abuse in the household it led up to the temperance movement. The purpose
Another argument you commonly hear from prohibitionists is that it is a “gateway drug”, meaning that using marijuana is the cause of and leads to harder and more harmful drugs. While this sounds like it makes sense in theory, it simply is not true. In fact, most cannabis users do not go on to use harder substances and while most hard drug users started with marijuana, it is more likely that those individuals are just more prone to drug use and started with easier more readily available substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis. The only sound arguments from prohibitionists is that “Prenatal or adolescent exposure can lead to altered brain development, including changes in the connections between the neurons, or circuits, in certain brain regions. Youthful exposure can lead to earlier onset and more severe psychoses, including schizophrenia, for that part of the population with a genetic predisposition to certain mental illnesses.” (Bruce Barcott and Michael Scherer, The Great Pot Experiment, 2015) and while those are good arguments, nothing is really certain about marijuana and it will continue to be uncertain until restrictions on research is loosened up and people can actually confirm these things and see if there is any way to avoid these
In a culture with such diverse commonalities, the differentials that set precedent come from social norms. These norms set the template for what acceptable behavior is. Being known as having a melting pot of a population we can expect that the norms are influenced through religion, values, ideas, and self views. Deviant behaviors occur when these social norms are disrupted and acts are seen to go against what we have always thought as wrong or weird. Deviance is a broad term that encompasses the idea that we know what is right from what our neighbor does. For example, trends of fashion change quite rapidly. If you don’t believe me watch shows on television that reminisce about the 70’s 80’s and so on. Today we look at what was worn in the previous decades and find it hard to imagine people dressing like this now. However, in the days that style was popular it was seen as the way to dress. Norms change to fit what the popular trend is now. Deviance likewise counters with what is unpopular. There are far more serious deviant acts than dressing from the wrong decade; they are also heavily tied to the law. Laws are more inflexible than behaviors of changing times. They are intact from the idea that if caught participating in such acts you could face serious punishment and rightfully so. Let’s take a look at one form of deviance that persisted in our culture for many years.
Experiments throughout the years have proven that when people smoke marijuana they are more likely to start using other hard drugs like heroin or cocaine. In an article on drugabuse.gov, they explain results of one of the experiments they did on rodents. “Early exposure to cannabinoids in adolescent rodents decreases the reactivity of brain dopamine reward centers later in adulthood. To the extent that these findings generalize to humans, this could help explain early marijuana initiates’ increased vulnerability for drug abuse and addiction to other substances of abuse later in life that ahs ben reported by most epidemiological studies.” (“Is marijuana a gateway drug?” 1). This article discusses the idea that THC has an ability to lead the brain to achieve enhanced responses to other drugs. In other words, when you smoke marijuana you get a high, but that high also leaves you wanting more. After you feel like you want more and try new drugs, your brain has been enhanced to get a more intense high off the harder stuff so people start using harder drugs. These harder drugs can include anything from cocaine to heroin to ecstasy. All of these are life threating and have had multiple overdoses/deaths across the United States. This is one of the main reasons to keep marijuana illegal. We don’t need all the teenagers in the United States to be trying heroin or
I’m a heroin addict now, and I’ve just finished my eighth treatment for drug addiction.” Marijuana is truly not a gateway drug. “Most people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, "harder" substances” (Levine). The government disagrees that marijuana is a gateway drug; they do not see any correlation between marijuana and hardcore drugs. Marijuana can be risky but just like anything else it must be taken with precaution. It is just like alcohol, one must know their limits, and they must know when to quit and how to handle themselves
Marijuana is a harmful drug and should not be legalized. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug used in the United States. It is a plant that grows from the ground however, it contains many harmful toxins. There are many pros and cons for the legalization of marijuana although there are more cons than there are pros; one being that children are the ones who abuse marijuana the most. Surprisingly, against other beliefs, marijuana smoking actually does impair the user’s ability to drive a lot like the effects of alcohol and it is more addictive than alcohol. Based on this information, many have concluded that marijuana should not be legalized for recreational use.
In many different places around the world, sex and drugs are a huge part of culture which is seen in the movies and TV shows that portray it. In Aldous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World, he writes about the problems and tragedies that come with a world that is so focused on sex and drugs. Readers can see the problem that drugs and sex cause through Bernard and Lenina’s relationship and also through the death of John and Linda. Huxley uses his novel to show readers the dangers of a society based on sex and drugs when Bernard almost loses his life because of it and John and Linda die because of their struggles. There are many problems that come along with drugs, “ The adverse effects of drug abuse can be thought of in three parts that together determine the overall harm in taking
Marijuana is the 3rd most commonly abused substance in the world behind alcohol and tobacco, and the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States and should be illegal. Abuse refers to the misuse, excessive use, or recurrent use of marijuana. Marijuana is a hallucinogen, which means it distorts the way the brain sees the world. Think about what the world would be like if everyone had a distorted view of everything. When marijuana is smoked, the effects are felt within minutes. Most of the time, immediate effects include an increased heart rate, decreased coordination, and an unreal state of mind that is similar to being in a dream. Therefore, using marijuana could possibly lead to making irrational decisions. Marijuana should be illegal because of the health issues, the increased crime rate, and more. Smart people that don’t want to end up in the emergency room should be aware of all the possible dangers that come with marijuana abuse.
Cannabis is a natural plant that has been made illegal by the United States, and has been a controversial topic ever since the 1920’s. Marijuana is a substance that has been used hundreds of years ago as an herbal medicine and also can be used for textile products from hemp, which is from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Because of marijuana being categorized as a schedule one substance, it has no medical value and cannot be researched in the United States. Marijuana is said to be a gateway drug and is very unhealthy for adolescents with premature brains. The marijuana prohibition should finally come to a close because there are many benefits from cannabis and it is less harmful than both alcohol and tobacco.
This theory consists of the belief that marijuana is a gateway drug. Weed could eventually lead users to dependence on more addictive drugs. “If marijuana is legalized, it could lead to more cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy”, says correctional officer Joseph G. Brown in the Department of Justice for the Drug Enforcement Administration. The U.S could end up having to spend even MORE money in law enforcement services having to deal with more overall drugs all around.
Drugs have proven to be an issue in the 21st century. Not everyone is capable of controlling addictions. It is very common to see celebrities abusing drugs under pressure or just for the pleasure of it. There is always someone going to rehab, or someone’s career falling apart due to their bad habits. The Weeknd song “I Can’t Feel My Face” and Ed Sheeran’s song “Bloodstream”, are both songs about addictions, and how they do not want to be left alone; while Tesfaye depicts his addiction as life taking, Ed Sheeran portrays his addiction as regretful. Both of the singers are addicts, but one chooses to repent and get out of the hole, while the other chooses to sit in the hole. History has proven to show us that we can overcome anything. Nothing
Marijuana is considered a gateway drug. Over half of the drug users start with marijuana and progress to the other top four illegally used drugs in America. There are many long and short term effects that come along with abusing drugs. Some effects of drugs are moderate while others have a lasting, lifetime impact. The effects are according to the drug users pattern of abuse.
I also believe that Kids who start at a young age with Marijuana can go on to bigger and more powerful drugs. These drugs can ruin many lives and destroy families. About 20% of teenagers use prescription drugs, usually found in parents cabinets so teenagers take them to get high. Most parents have no idea they are doing that, so to have drug test they can find
With the use of drugs being such a controversial issue in today’s society we felt as a group it was important to further explore this issue. As we possess a high interest in how drugs affect a number of social groups. These groups of course range from young teens to high-class older individuals who will have different reasons and different acceptable standards of behaviour.