Respond to the following post below.

Respond to the following post:

From our reading, drug use is a significant discussion and a common concern in society, which chapter two focuses explicitly on the different drugs and their effects. One drug further mentioned is marijuana, a schedule one substance that cannot be used safely, has great potential for abuse, and has no established medical usage (Belenko & Spohn, 2014).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services summarizes the current criteria for scheduling controlled substances and making final decisions on where drugs are classified (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Marijuana remains an illegal drug because some people who use and abuse drugs mentioned they first started by using marijuana and alcohol, which progressed into their drug involvement. The question concerning marijuana being a gateway drug is tough to answer because, as a previous marijuana user, I can see two different perspectives.

A gateway drug classifies as a substance that enhances the use of multiple other illicit substances and furthers the process of continuous drug involvement. An explanation for marijuana becoming a gateway drug in society’s eyes includes the perspective of sociocultural factors being present: peer influences might socialize users into another drug use (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Cannabis is the most widely used drug, although its status as a schedule one substance is viewed as an enhancer of more illicit drug use. I believe that marijuana can heighten their likelihood of moving on to more severe drugs for specific individuals.

And for some people, using marijuana is a stress reliever that consists of smoking an effective dose or desired effect with that amount of the drug (Belenko & Spohn, 2014).

Every person is different and desires a specific amount of wants or needs to attain to each body. As society moves forward, the legalization of drugs becomes more apparent and requires the attention of everyone to become aware of these effects. Marijuana can be a gateway drug for someone with a lack of self-regulation but could support someone else with medical needs.

Yes, marijuana can be dangerous as with any other substance taken without precaution, and if the individual has additional medical attention, that might not be apparent. A drug is harmful in general if the person using it intends to cause harm in any way or makes it a priority in their life.

A further example can be seen from Belenko (2014), who shares that chronic and acute effects of drugs vary depending on several individuals and environmental conditions (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). This statement shows that it can be dangerous for a person to use marijuana; however, a person’s drug actions and effects can be conditioned by height, weight, or even health status and social setting.

Marijuana is a drug that should still be considered a focus of law enforcement but not as critical as other harmful drugs. Certain states have already passed legal, medical marijuana dispensaries, with the supervision of surveillance and security cameras to ensure preventive measures.

Law enforcement should still focus on making sure people do not drive under the influence of marijuana compared to alcohol and enforce specific regulations relating to the dosage a person might acquire.

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