By Alvia Cherrington
What excites you about your research?
I have been contemplating on what angle to approach the subject
of marijuana. However, as I have been
researching this drug I have come to
realize that I may have bitten into something
much bigger than I had anticipated. There are so many controversies
surrounding this drug, and though I do not condone using marijuana for pleasure, I am
still in support of legalizing its recreational usage in Illinois (which is a paradox
in itself).
What problems or road blocks are you encountering?
Because of its controversy, I am finding it difficult to
come up with an argument that will not be biased. There are research that
supports its medicinal use, but because of the fear of addiction, the medical
profession does not seems to want to take a firm stand or seem to be in one
accord. I also find that there is a stigma being generated against those who
use marijuana. To me, this is hypocritical since cigarettes and alcohol are
being used for recreation too. My research has uncovered that cigarettes and
alcohol are even more addictive. In
addition, there has been proof that alcohol intoxication was less when used
in conjunction with marijuana. There are also inferences where suicide rates
have gone down for states where marijuana is legalized.
Marijuana has been termed "the gateway drug." However, could it
be that certain personality types are more prone to addiction? As I
continue to ponder about this drug, I am inclined to argue about legalizing the
recreational use (with parameters and consequences). Legalizing recreational
marijuana will require extensive re-education of the public in order to remove the stigma of marijuana usage as a crime.