Continuous use of a certain drug results in the need to consume higher doses in order to achieve the same effect and by negative and painfully felt effects of sudden withdrawal of the drug. "The drug not only acts as a reinforcer, but sets the stage for the development of the motivation to obtain the drug." (Timmons & Hamilton). When this motivation develops, it becomes "...the major focus of a person's life to the exclusion of other activities"... and begins "...to harm the individual or others physically, mentally, or socially..."(Engs). This stage of drug abuse is known as addiction. Addicts become obsessed of the object, seeking it they get engaged in harmful behavior, which draws them away from family, friends, and studying. Substance abuse compromises psychological and social development and corrupts the processes of formation of a strong self-identity, emotional and intellectual growth, pursuing a career, and development of positive interpersonal relationships. (Center for Substance...).
The danger of developing addiction in the case of alcohol consumption is well-known and does not need to be discussed here. The question of marijuana is more complex, as it raised an ongoing discussion (Leshner; Alcohol vs. Marijuana; Say it Straight...; Cuda). The researchers reported that the negative effects of physical withdrawal from the use of marijuana (loss of appetite, sleep problems, weight loss, and shaky hands (Say it Straight...) are felt much less painfully than those characteristic for most other drugs, including alcohol. However, as others argue, these symptoms do not fully determine the phenomenon of addiction, they rather accompany it. The psychological aspects are far more important. Alan I. Leshner, Director of the US National Institute of Drug Abuse and one of the leading specialists in this area noted: "Physical dependence is not that important because, first, even the florid withdrawal symptoms of heroin and alcohol addiction can be managed with appropriate medications. Therefore, physical withdrawal symptoms should not be at the core of our concerns about these substances... What does matter tremendously is whether or not a drug causes what we now know to be the essence of addiction: uncontrollable, compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences." (Leshner).
Marijuana is known to create a very strong psychological dependence (Marijuana Facts). Consequently, this drug can be responsible for developing addiction like any other drug. This assumption is supported by empirical evidence: "...every year more than 100,000 people, most of them adolescents, seek treatment for their inability to control their marijuana use. They suffer from compulsive, uncontrollable marijuana craving, seeking and use." (Leshner). If so, the marijuana addiction hardly can be regarded better comparing to addiction caused by, for instance, alcohol. Both are the same phenomenon and the social problems rising from it are similar in both cases, and in both cases some people avoid developing the addiction, while others cannot. Proponents of marijuana point to the fact that alcohol is responsible for much higher level of mortality incidents and various forms of destructive behavior, especially immediately after intoxication. This is supported by statistics: "Alcohol kills 6 ½ times the number of people killed by cocaine, heroin, and every other illegal drug combined." (Myths about...) Alcohol is responsible for nearly half of traffic incidents with lethal consequences (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment). Moreover, when alcohol is consumed, there exists a real risk of overdose and death resulting from it. Marijuana does not have an overdose effect--in order to get it one needs to smoke 40,000 times (Alcohol vs. Marijuana). These addictions usually start out as a personal problem, but evidently end up hurting the public in one way or another. It also lies on the fact that alcohol is socially excepted by the general public, but marijuana is not accepted.
Is Marijuana really safer in these issues? The specialists insist that this conclusion would not be correct (Cuda, Leshner). Marijuana affects people differently from alcohol, and the consequences of its use often are found in another field, but it does not mean that they cannot be disastrous for someone's life. "Marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills." (Marijuana). Consequently, constant marijuana consumers are less likely to graduate from high school and obtain a better-paid job. Moreover, being employed, they often break the rules--leave work without permission, dream at working place, manage personal matters during the working time (Gruber, Pope, Hudson), and, therefore, loose work frequently. Thus, consuming marijuana contributes to the social problems of unemployment and poverty--the same as alcohol consuming. Marijuana use has been associated with depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances (Brook et al; Green & Ritter; Brook, Cohen, Brook). These effects, which are also experienced by alcohol, have very great danger to ruin someone's life.
Conclusion:
Comparison of social problems resulting from alcohol and marijuana abuse shows that they are very similar in both cases. Both alcohol and marijuana can result in developing addiction, which leads to dissolution of social ties. Effects of marijuana intoxication are less dangerous than those of alcohol intoxication at the first glance, but in long-term perspective they also can ruin life of an individual and it also includes the social aspect of courts, jails, rehabilitation, and endangerment of self and of others. When one speaks of "science", I look at the fact that sociology, psychology, and the medical profession go hand in hand. This study of science includes the study of DNA, because the crime rates of murder and suicide are high from the addicts themselves. This reports includes most other countries also.
Works Cited
Brook JS, et al. The effect of early marijuana use on later anxiety and depressive symptoms. NYS Psychologist. January 2001. pp. 35-39.
Green BE & Ritter C. Marijuana use and depression. J Health Soc Behav 41(1). 2000. pp.40-49
Brook J.S., Cohen P, Brook D.W. Longitudinal study of co-occurring psychiatric disorders and substance use. J Acad Child and Adolescent Psych. Vol. 37. 1998. pp.322-330
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Treatment of Adolescents With Substance Abuse Problems.
Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 32. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 99-3283.
Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999
Cuda, Heidi. Marijuana vs. Alcohol: Is Marijuana a Safer Drug than Alcohol? University of http://www.uistudenthealth.com/question/default.asp?asgid=4&agid=1&id=146
Gruber, AJ, Pope H.G., Hudson H.I. Yurgelun-Todd D: Attributes of long-term heavy cannabis users: A case control study. Psychological Medicine. vol.33. 2003. pp.1415-1422
Leshner, Alan I. The Essence of Drug Addiction. NIDA - National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute of Health, 2001. Online at http://www.drugabuse.gov/Published_Articles/Essence.html
Marijuana Facts. HEALTHMOON. Online at http://www.geocities.com/healthmoon/smoking-marijuana/facts.htm
Marijuana. NIDA InfoFacts, 2004. Online at http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/marijuana.html
Myths About Alcohol For Teens. MADD. Online at http://www.madd.org/under21/0,1056,1157,00.html
Say it Straight! Marijuana Myth vs. Fact. State of Washington Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, 2004. Online at http://www.ltgov.wa.gov/Publications/2004%20Marijuana%20Brochure.pdf Timmons, Robin C. & Hamilton, Leonard. Drugs, Brains and Behavior. 1990. Online at http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/0.000000e+00lwh/drugs/
