In Canada, an attempt to legalize marijuana is taking place. Some members of their Senate believe that a Canadian citizen should have the right to choose if he or she desires to privately use the currently illegal substance. Because of the harsh effects marijuana can have on the mind and body, there is no appropriate reason for its legalization. Many will fight for the legalization of marijuana because they feel that it is not a truly harmful substance. However, they are wrong. Marijuana can cause multiple defects to the body and the mind that can result in life-threatening or life-altering medical conditions.

Marijuana has multiple negative effects on the brain. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Web site, (www.nida.nih.gov) the short-term side effects include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and loss of coordination. More importantly, the long-term side effects can result in depression, anxiety and other severe mood disorders.

The short-term side effects are merely temporary. They can make times difficult when one has recently consumed marijuana, however, they rarely become permanent effects.

The long-term effects are much more serious. Mental conditions such as depression and anxiety can be quite difficult to cope with. There are medications such as Zoloft, Prozac and the quick-hitter Xanex, but their effects are disputed. The potential for life-altering mental effects of marijuana is one of the key reasons that marijuana should be illegal.

Beyond the mental effects of marijuana, there are multiple physical side effects that we should consider.

According to www.nida.nih.gov, marijuana affects blood pressure and heart rate, and reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. It can also lead to heart disease. Marijuana also causes respiratory infections and can lead to cancers of the lungs, throat, neck and mouth.

Many of these physical effects of marijuana are life-threatening and are very difficult to treat, such as the cancers. The fact that regular usage of marijuana can reduce a life by 10 or 20 years is a concern. Even though one cannot die from overdosing on marijuana as with cocaine, enough marijuana can end a life.

In conclusion, marijuana has many negative side effects that can cause many disorders and even death. The threat of serious mental disorders is a key reason why marijuana should stay illegal. Any substance that can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental disorders should be regarded as a threat and kept illegal.

If the drug can ultimately lead to mental insanity in some rare cases of abusing the substance, then the substance has no reason to be legal for everyone’s recreational usage.

The more serious threat is the physical side effects, although a lot of different things cause cancer – foods, the sun and cigarettes – marijuana causes many physical ailments that are especially life-threatening.

Marijuana should be kept illegal because the more difficult it is to find, the less it is available to be abused.