Marcus, Ruth. “Ruth Marcus: The perils of legalized pot” washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post, 02 Jan. 2014, Web. 15 Jul. 2015.
Ruth Marcus is an American journalist and editorial writer for The Post, specializing in American politics and domestic policy. She studied at Yale University where she wrote for the college newspaper. Later she wrote for the National Law Journal,before attending Harvard Law School. Marcus uses this article to not argue about how marijuana is the worst legal substance but her main concern about teenagers obtaining marijuana. She discusses how easily it is for teenagers to gain illegal substance disorders.
Marcus starts by addressing other basic reasons about why it is not a good idea to legalize marijuana but does not go into detail. She uses a conclusion of the American Medical Association about how cannabis is commonly involved in drugged driving with drivers being under the age 21. Marcus states, “…our kids will not be better off with another legal mind-altering substance.” In other words, Marcus believes that legal marijuana should not be something teenagers have their hands on.
According to Marcus, a 2012 study of more than 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to age 38 found that cannabis use was associated with neuropsychological decline broadly across domains of functioning. Proving as she herself writes that,” the decrease in IQ was linked only to those with adolescent marijuana use, not those who started in adulthood.” She then reflects on how even though those who “started as teens, stopping didn’t fully restore functioning.” Particularly aiming for the effects of marijuana on an adolescent brain.
As a mother herself, Marcus claims “minors will use it.” Referring the legalization of marijuana would be “more widely available” for the youth. Her bias is clear when she mentions about a majority of Americans supporting legalization the previous year and disagrees when she writes, “If this doesn’t make you nervous, you are smoking something. Maybe even legally.”
This article gives an input of teenagers which was interesting because marijuana is mostly used in that age group. It is contended that the danger of legalized marijuana will greatly effect the adolescent in a negative way. This controversy will remain ” a trend that reveals itself in the course of the year obvious and inexorable.”
I support the legalization more for the medicinal propose than recreational use. However, I think if it is legalized for recreational use there should be rules set in place, the way tobacco and alcohol do, yet the appropriate age limit may be a whole new argument altogether. I found this post very helpful.
If teenagers already use marijuana and can easily obtain it even though it’s illegal, isn’t just legalizing it going to be the same result? Although, I did not know there was a decrease of IQ in teenagers who smoke it. The IQ dropping is still a two-sided debate though, but good read!
This RS highlights my point, I am against the legalization of marijuana , and just as stated in your RS if marijuana was to become legalized for people 21 years old and over that does not mean people 21 and over will be the only ones getting ahold of marijuana, but also the minors. Just like alcohol many teenagers get ahold of beer and wine, most through family members. Marcus Ruth also adds that the use of marijuana decreases IQ in teenagers , so that gives me more reason to be against the exposion of marijuana in teenagers.
This viewpoint is similar to the viewpoint I hold about marijuana legalization. I believe the if the point of marijuana legalization becomes a reality, the possibility of adolescents obtaining the drug is very high and the message conveyed may be taken into context that it is ‘okay’, in which it is not. This article further states the consequences of engaging the drug at an early age, in which I think adds a better claim to her view.
I support the legalization for both medical and recreational even though that the study showed there was an IQ drop, I also saw a study that showed when the patient was not high he scored a lower score than when he took the SAT while under the use of marijuana. So basically both sides have evidence that marijuana is helpful and harmful.