Legalization of Marijuana: A Good Idea?

Marijuana, commonly referred to as 'weed', was a hot topic of debate during our previous elections as to whether or not it should be legalized. Many arguments in support of the legalization often compare the effects of this drug to the effects of alcohol on our system in that when under the influence, it is far less dangerous than alcohol; particularly when used in conjunction with operating a vehicle. However, is this drug truly less dangerous than the legalized drug alcohol? Further, is our society aware of the neurological and biological effects that this drug causes? Many discussions with the public discuss the 1960s and the 1970s when weed was extremely common, particularly during political movements. However, it is not accurate to compare the 'weed of the 60s and the 70s' to the 'weed of today,' because the potency of this drug, in particular the concentration of the active ingredient THC has substantially increased since the 1960s. In the 1960's the concentration of THC was approximately 1%; however, by 2011 this potency increased to a staggering 9.6% THC content. Even more alarming, is that in 2011 there was access to concentration levels up to 20%! Further, if you compare 1995 to 2000, we see an increase in THC related emergency room visits by 120%, and this trend is continuing! Further, many studies on human performance while under the influence of this drug have previously been on relatively low potency; however, with this tremendous increase in potency of THC in the past 50 years, it has become appropriate to perform studies at high-potency levels. Research on high-potency marijuana suggest a consistent impairment of executive functioning along with motor control and lasted up to six hours after the smoking of this drug occurred! Therefore, is the legalization of this drug, and I repeat DRUG, a good move? At the neurological level, and the only level I feel should be taken into consideration, I would have to argue against the legalization of marijuana. References: Meyer, J. S., & Quenzer, L. F. (2005). Psychopharmacology: drugs, the brain, and behavior. Sunderland, Mass.: Sinauer Associates, Publishers. Ramaekers, J. G., Kauert, G., van Ruitenbeek, P., Theunissen, E. L., Schneider, E., & Moeller, M. R. (2006). High-Potency Marijuana Impairs Executive Function and Inhibitory Motor Control. Neuropsychopharmacology, 31(10), 2296-2303.