Marijuana the new Tobacco?

The subject of marijuana is one that is very touchy but, that is much so dependent on who you are talking with. Within the past few years, the drug has been approved for medical use all over the United States including: majority of the Northeast, Hawaii, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico and Arizona (just to name a few). Marijuana has also been approved for recreational use in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Utah. Even though it has been legalized in these states, it is still a federal crime to smoke, possess, or sell marijuana. The reason why I am choosing to write about this now is because of the “Does smoking cause lung cancer?” lecture that we had a few weeks back. I’ve been thinking about the similarities between that and the current situation we are at with marijuana. Will science be able to reduce the uncertainty of marijuana? Enough that the Federal Government will decriminalize the drug?


Marijuana’s scientific name is cannabis sativa which means “hemp plant”. The ingredient in this plant that creates the “high” is delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol which is also known as “THC”, according to my professor’s lecture about marijuana. According to the Federal Government, marijuana is a classified 1 drug. Other drugs that are in this category include heroin, LSD and ecstasy. According to my professor’s lecture about Marijuana, around 20 million people a year use marijuana, medical and recreational, in the United States. On April 17th, 2016, Pennsylvania hoped on the bandwagon and signed the medical marijuana bill to make it into a law.

According to this article, Wayne Hall investigated the health effect’s on adolescents from smoking marijuana between the years of 1993 – 2013. In summary, the regular use of marijuana increased the chances of dropping out of high school and becoming more dumb than your peers. Marijuana is known as being a “gateway” drug meaning it can possibly transition you to using harder more psychedelic drugs, such as Acid or Shrooms. Hall also mentioned some potential risks involved with marijuana including heart problems; however, there have been no reported cases of overdosing. Those that believe marijuana should not be legalized tend to stick to the facts. That it decreases productivity, increases concerns about workplace safety and that there has been a spike in positive drug tests in the workplace.

However, there are also some who believe marijuana should be legalized. Those who have “medical cards” are usually sick or have health issues. The usage of marijuana has lead to helping control seizures, decreased anxiety, and eases pain in those with physical ailments. According to this website , only 6% of studies on marijuana investigate it’s medicinal properties. A huge advance of legalizing marijuana is the ability to tax it. The tax revenue made from marijuana is so high in Colorado that residents sometimes receive a $10 check in the mail. The legalization of recreational usage is under much scrutiny because smoking too much marijuana can leave long lasting effects on an individual, as I mentioned earlier.


There are arguments for both sides. Smoking, eating, or watching too much of anything is not good for your health. In the end, I believe that in the next few years there will be a change in legislation, if it is decriminalizing it or enforcing new, more harsh regulations. Currently, there are just not enough studies or data for scientists to provide a definite argument (pro or con) for marijuana. Time is a huge factor. In the tobacco era, smoking cigarettes was considered healthy and beneficial at the time. It took twenty years for the public to believe scientists that smoking causes lung cancer which decreases life expectancy. I am very curious to see if the opposite will happen–since it is currently considered a benefit for health (if used in moderation). More longitudinal studies will need to be conducted to see if there is a positive or negative correlation between marijuana usage and health.


I know so many people have written about this but, I wanted to take another angle. Hopefully, I did! Thanks for reading!!



Professor’s Lecture: Matthew Bakowicz, RPTM 460: Political and Legal Aspects of Recreation Services. “Marijuana Lecture”. October 13th, 2016. No online lecture link available.

5 thoughts on “Marijuana the new Tobacco?

  1. Raegan S Pechar

    I completely agree with your stance: timing is everything. I’m not for nor against legalizing it, I feel as though it is going to take years to see how the effects play out on humans. Though, with the current studies and evidence, I would probably lean more towards legalizing it rather than not. I believe there are a lot of benefits from it, especially in the medical field, and so I completely support medical marijuana cards. Though, I wouldn’t be against legalization, I do believe that in many ways it is a gateway drug. I’ve watched many people from HS become more and more daring with their drug use, which once started merely pot. Though there are a ton of hypotheses, I think it will be a while before we determine some hard evidence, like the tobacco industry.

  2. Sean Kyle Reilly

    Hey Olivia!

    Marijuana is one of those ‘hot-button topics’ that everyone seems to be buzzing about nowadays, so do not worry about writing about it – every input is helpful and informative!

    One thing to keep in mind is that, just like with tobacco, marijuana contains similar, or even increased, levels of tar and carcinogens that are found in tobacco. While it can be consumed in a number of different ways, the typical user of the substance tends to take deeper inhales and breaths while smoking marijuana as opposed to cigarettes, leading to more exposure to these nasty substances. More info can be found from the American Lung Association here:

    The only ‘upside’, as some may try to argue, is that there is little scientific evidence currently supporting the evidence that marijuana, when smoked, does not cause or contribute to lung cancer. However, if it makes others feel better, or helps to ease the pain of others with more serious and less treatable diseases, the benefits may actually outweigh the risks under some circumstances. Either way, it will be interesting, like you said, to see where the future takes us!

  3. Tyler Olson

    One of the reasons I am still on the fence as to the merits of marijuana is the possibility that it can lower IQ in users. One study I found ( pointed out that it can lower IQ about eight points in people who smoke it their whole lives, starting as teenagers. The study, however, could not rule out confounding variables like socioeconomic class and education as playing a role in the IQ drop. So, the jury is still out on at least this harmful effect of marijuana.

  4. Robert McCarthy

    I believe that the reason marijuana is growing in popularity among younger people is not just because it’s a “healthier” alternative to tobacco, but I do think that’s a part of it. The social stigma around smoking weed has been on much of a steady decline over the years, people are finding it more and more socially acceptable to use marijuana in growing social circles. The stereotype of the “stoned loser” has been fading away and marijuana is used more and more by those who have successful careers and academic lives. In part this could be do to its comparison to tobacco, although tobacco users aren’t going to switch over to weed to smoke during their restaurant shifts as the high is too strong for many to function under. As more and more studies come out over the years as to how detrimental pot is for you this could shape how socially acceptable it is for people to partake in smoking marijuana.

  5. Michael Gerard Shevlin

    While I’m still on the fence about the topic, I’ve done a lot of research on it. I know many people with medical marijuana cards who stand by their opinion that marijuana has more benefits than disadvantages. At the same time, I know doctors who strongly advise against the use of the drug as they know that several disadvantages have been discovered. In this article ,
    the writer seems to believe that nearly all “benefits” of marijuana aren’t supported by solid evidence. While there is still no proof that marijuana has no benefits, this is definitely something to look at.

Leave a Reply