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Marijuana - The Gateway Drug

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We all know that the teenager “phase” is the hardest in life. These few years are very troubling for both the teens and the parents. Many teens know a day don’t know what happens to their body or what to eat and what not do eat. Also, teens are very curious about various “things” in life. By “things” I mean by drugs and alcohol, and sex. Teens are the most curious about drugs. The most common drug among all teens from ages 15-24 is marijuana. Many scientists and health teachers call Marijuana the “gateway” drug, meaning it leads to using other drugs other than Marijuana. Some statistics about Marijuana are that kids that 12% of ninth graders use marijuana in the past thirty days (1). 19% of tenth graders use marijuana in the last thirty days (1). Lastly, 27% of eleventh graders and 28% of 12 graders use Marijuana in the last thirty days (1). In the whole Untied States, “Marijuana is the third most popular drug and has been used by nearly one hundred million Americans” (4). In the past year, “some twenty-five million Americans have smoked Marijuana” and regularly, “14 million Americans do so despite the harsh laws against its use” (4). You might wonder where marijuana came from. “its use spread from China to India and then to North Africa and reached Europe at least as early as A.D. 500” (5). Some historical information is that the first direct reference to a cannabis product from 2737 BC in the writings of a Chinese emperor (5). Marijuana back then, “was used as a medication to medicate rheumatism, gout, malaria, and absent-mindedness” (5). It spread throughout the countries in India and spread quickly through Iran and North Africa (5). In most states the recreational use of Marijuana is illegal, but the use of medical marijuana is legal, but not under the federal government. In Colorado and Washington you can use Marijuana for recreational use. This drug is illegal because in an article by Tom He

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