Why Marijuana should be illegal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Marijuana should be illegal - Essay Example Many studies have consistently demonstrated a correlation between risky sexual behavior and marijuana use by the same students. Marijuana users are more inclined to take risks than do students that do not use it and other drugs. This may be an obvious statement but a propensity to take risks with their health combined with a loss of inhibitions while on drugs and the need of all teenagers to be accepted by their peers leads to an increased level of sexual activity. This problematic scenario also increases the likelihood of students having sex at an earlier age, having multiple sexual partners and decreases the chances that they will use contraception than those that do not use drugs. â€Å"Teens who have used marijuana are four times more likely to have been pregnant or to have gotten someone pregnant than teens who have never smoked pot† (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 1997). Ironically, schools are havens for marijuana available for the asking. Parents and teachers seem oblivious and are evidently powerless to control this disturbing situation. No one can deny that using marijuana can cause adverse effects to the user of any age but the effects to the teenager are especially damaging. Teenagers are in a much more vulnerable situation than are adults as they are still developing in every aspect of life. Unfortunately, it remains this group that has the most access to drugs as schools have become prolific drug outlets. The vast majority of 10th graders in the U.S., for example, claim they can easily purchase marijuana (78 per cent). Teenagers quickly learn that they can readily obtain marijuana in addition to other more exotic drugs to a somewhat lesser extent. Marijuana use often leads to other drugs. Drug abuse is costly to teenagers in many physical, mental and emotional ways. (Ault, 2001). Teenagers experience more emotional fluctuations