To toke or not to toke?
That seems to be the question these days among many young adults.
The marijuana debate is not a new issue, but with the help of the Marijuana Party of Canada and the media’s sensationalization of the drug, the debate is far from being wrapped up.
According to a Canadian addiction survey, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 said their reason for using illicit drugs was primarily out of curiosity, to experience the effects.
They acknowledged that the sheer desire to get high and the influence from family and friends using drugs were lesser factors in their decision to use marijuana — also known as cannabis.
The circulation of marijuana-related myths might also make it increasingly difficult for youths to distinguish fact from fiction when deciding whether or not to try pot.
MEDICAL REGULATIONS
While it is currently illegal to possess, produce or sell recreational cannabis, the federal government has made one significant exception: medicinal marijuana.
In July 2001, the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations were put in place by Health Canada to outline how and when medicinal marijuana could be distributed and possessed.
The regulations indicate that those who need marijuana for medicinal purposes must first apply to receive legal permission from Health Canada.
Medicinal marijuana is used to treat severe pain as well as provide end-of-life care.
Patients suffering pain from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and disease, cancer, HIV infection and severe arthritis are among those eligible for medicinal marijuana.
MARIJUANA REGULATION
Caleb Chepesiuk, staff member of Carleton’s chapter of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP), said marijuana should be legalized because prohibition does not and will not work.
Currently the government spends too much money in its attempt to prohibit pot use, he said. As a result, pot sold under the table is unregulated, and is much easier for youth to find. He said unregulated pot can be dangerous because users have no idea if it was safely grown and fertilized.
“A sensible marijuana policy is one that will feature regulated and responsible sale, but also recognizes that marijuana can be grown cheaply and safely in someone’s own home,” he said.
“Pot being sold in stores would have to pass health and safety tests, like other consumable products.”
Myth 1: Marijuana never killed anyone. How dangerous can it possibly be?
While there are other drugs out there that are more addictive and dangerous, pot is far from being harmless, according to Dr. Amy Porath-Waller, of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
“Marijuana use has serious effects on cognition,” Porath-Waller said. “That is to say, it can impair attention and alter memory and reaction time.”
Porath-Waller also said marijuana changes self-perception, which could make some people feel more confident, though in reality they may be acting erratically.
However, Caleb Chepesiuk of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy said studies have also shown that people who smoked pot did better in driving tests and had less workplace accidents.
“What I do know is that marijuana is one of the safest substances people can use, especially compared to alcohol or tobacco,” he said.
Users should also note that apart from its higher levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannibol (THC), marijuana smoke has been found to contain similar chemicals to tobacco smoke, said Const. Jean-Paul Vincelette of the Ottawa Police Service.
Research indicates a possible greater risk in using marijuana than tobacco, as inhaling marijuana without filters can cause it to stay in the body longer. A joint also contains 10 times the amount of tar of a regular cigarette. Excessive use of marijuana — which is considered as three joints per week — can have long-term health effects.
“With excessive use, THC doesn’t disappear and instead accumulates in the body,” Vincelette said. “White blood cells containing THC are more lethargic and don’t fight as hard to fight off diseases within the body.”
“THC levels can also cause brain cells to slow down and not work properly,” he said.
Myth 2: Marijuana is a natural plant, so it must be safe and healthy to smoke.
Although this argument seems logical, many don’t consider that the plant smoked in their parents’ generation is not the same as the one smoked today. Cannabis now contains more chemicals and higher levels of THC than it did in the ’60s, according to Vincelette. Forty years ago, THC levels in marijuana were under two per cent. Today they can be as high as 20 per cent.
While the plant itself may be organic, there is an added risk of ingesting toxins with the pesticides used to cultivate it, according to Porath-Waller.
“There can be additional negative effects to the body from the pesticides used to grow the plant, which many people may not realize when they go to use the drug,” she said.
Myth 3: Everyone is doing it.
Remember back in high school when it was commonly believed that everyone was having sex? Marijuana use runs along the same lines.
Although many people use marijuana, there are even more who don’t.
A recent survey conducted by Health Canada reported about one-third of people between the ages of 15 and 24 said they used marijuana at least once in 2008.
This means more young people were abstaining from it than using it.
Generally, the study indicated that the older the participants were, the less they smoked.
Legal or Not? Students weigh in
Sylvie Campbell: “I’m for marijuana and against it at the same time. However, I think it should be legalized. Too many people are being charged for smoking a plant. I mean, how stupid is that? I think it should be legalized especially for the people who need it for medicinal reasons. Other than that, it should simply be legalized for to take away the problem of doing something illegal. Maybe then it wouldn’t seem like such a novelty.”
Meghan Cossman: “I am against the legalization of marijuana. As easy as it is to get marijuana anywhere these days, legalizing it would just cause serious issues. Being high is just as bad as being drunk. It makes you see things super delayed and messed up. Could you imagine people driving like that? Legalizing it won’t make people use it less, guaranteed – it didn’t work for booze, and it won’t work for weed. Canada would be a sloppy, sloppy place.”