Clearing the smoke of pot benefits
September, 2017
Sean Vanderaa
Sean Vanderaa
One in four high school students has used marijuana in the past month according to a 2013 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I’ve used marijuana recreationally for about a year, mainly as a way to relax and hangout, and sometimes to help me sleep. I don’t do it excessively, but sometimes it’s nice to just have some fun,” said Alex Johnson*, a junior. Although marijuana is often used as a recreational drug among high school students, it is also used as a way for some to treat their health problems or relieve stress. “I have chronic pain in all of my joints, my back’s in bad shape, and I have a lot of friends who smoke. I had wanted to try it because I heard a lot about the medical benefits of marijuana. Since then I haven’t found anything that eases the pain as well as it does,” said Kara Lipton*, a junior. According to the Harvard Health Publications, marijuana relieves arthritis discomfort in its users, and in many cases is the better alternative to more addictive substances such as opioids, which are used for primarily for pain relief. “I’ve been on opioids twice and both times they have had no effect on my pain,” said Lipton. At Carlmont, a large factor on whether or not one smokes marijuana is their social group. “If it hadn’t been for my peers using marijuana, I probably wouldn’t have begun smoking because they introduced me to and often are the ones that supply it,” said sophomore Mary Austin*. But among all, smokers and non-smokers, one concern regarding the use of marijuana was consistent. “For minors I don’t think it is a good idea to use it heavily because it can stunt your brain development,” said Lipton. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, using marijuana as a teen can impair brain development and lead to memory, thinking, and learning functions. “I think that there probably is a correlation between extended use of marijuana as a minor and a decreasing set of skills that one needs for academic success,” said Carlmont history teacher Jayson Waller. These health risks are one of the main factors that deter people from smoking marijuana as a student or teen. “I understand that using marijuana as a minor can stunt the development of my brain and that is the main reason why I try not to do it a lot,” said Lipton. The fact that smoking can hurt the development of one’s brain is also one of the reasons why people are opposed to others smoking. “When I see my peers smoking marijuana it makes me think that their priorities aren’t right,” said Seema Wadhwa, a junior. Marijuana use among teens causes other health and mental problems as well. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, while under the influence of marijuana the user will experience slower reaction times and worse coordination. This combined with driving creates a dangerous situation, being a large factor in the 2,000 plus deaths of teens each year in car accidents according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “With regards to any drug whether it be alcohol, marijuana, or pain killers, my primary concern is safety, especially the safety of my 2 year old son who might be hurt by someone that is being careless. I do not want to see an increase in injuries caused by impaired drivers,” said Waller. Additional complications associated with smoking marijuana before the age of 21 include breathing problems, becoming addicted to marijuana, and a general decrease in learning ability according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Despite all of this, some still think that smoking is fine for them. “There definitely is a great health risk when smoking, especially for minors, but to get any hugely negative side effects one would need to use it more frequently than I do, so I don’t think it personally affects me,” said Mason Harvey*, a junior. As well, this January, sales on marijuana are expected to launch, but may bring more problems with it claims the New York Times. The main problem concerning the legal sale of marijuana is the cost, as black market prices would be lower than the cost from a dispensary, creating another problem for pro-marijuana arguments. Marijuana has health benefits but can also create lots of problems for underage teens. It is important that one understands the possible consequences of their actions. View on Issuu |