Retired
...ages ten through thirteen, fourteen through seventeen, and eighteen thorough twenty two. It also compares the use of marijuana between Black Americans and Hispanics.
ADOLESCENTS AND MARIJUANA USE
The illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, possession and improper use of controlled substances such as marijuana have a detrimental effect on the health and general welfare of the American People. That is why the Federal Drug Policy act was established, which prohibits the use of illegal drugs such as marijuana. The use of illicit drugs is considered a crime, and it is also not accepted by most of society. America's drug policies are strictly oriented towards zero tolerance.
A 2005 survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that drugs are commonly used and readily available to the nation's youth. More than forty-eight percent of high school seniors have reportedly tried illicit drugs mainly marijuana. The use of drugs among the young is mostly experimental yet parents remain concerned that their children's drug use could get out of hand.
Marijuana is used for the intoxication or "high" that it gives most users. For most adolescents, marijuana is not difficult to obtain. Besides alcohol, the first drug most adolescents abuse is marijuana, simply because it is the most accessible and the least scary choice for a novice susceptible to drug addiction. Also, many adolescents think marijuana is not as harmful as other illicit drugs; however marijuana has both short-term and long term health effects.
The short-term effects of marijuana use include memory problems, loss of coordination, anxiety attacks, and increased heart rate. Possible long-term effects of marijuana use include respiratory problems, a weakened immune system, cognitive deficits, chronic psychological problems and some frequent users of marijuana may develop...
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