Answer:
No, it really shouldn't.
Explanation:
It's safe to say that marijuana is a trend; but also very questionable; and the environment is changing fast.
But NPs (Nurse Practitioners) have had a specific relationship with the issue of marijuana legalization.
Sure, it has good therapeutic benefits and effects, but it has also been documented that it is potentially abused and used for recreational use.
It's a drug after all, and drugs come with benefits, but risks as well.
It also has very harmful health effects.
Marijuana is composed of hundreds of chemical substances, many of which have not been investigated.
The main psycho-altering pharmacologic ingredient, known as Delta-9-tetradydrocannabinol (THC), is thought to act directly on cannabanoid receptors, while interacting with multiple others, including opioid, benzodiazepine, GABAergic and dopaminergic receptors.
The psychodynamic effects on perception, cognition, and memory, may range from a feeling of euphoria and relaxation to difficulty concentrating, impaired thinking, and altered problem-solving.
Heavy users may experience panic attacks, hallucinations, and depression.
Some imaging studies have documented a smaller brain volume in chronic users.
Marijuana also poses as a risk to a "half-life", a much shorter life span,
Pregnant women who ingest or inhale marijuana jeopardize the development of their fetus’s brain, with their children at risk for poor learning and attention deficits.
The widespread availability of marijuana in high schools exposes adolescents to the deleterious cognitive effects of THC at a time when their brains are still developing.
The use of marijuana in adolescence may lead to dependence and addiction in young adulthood, particularly in genetically predisposed individuals.
Until the impact of ingesting or inhaling a drug on one’s physical and emotional health is known, it is premature to consider legalization. While legalization should be opposed, decriminalization of the possession and use of marijuana must be enacted. We need to educate individuals about the harmful health effects of marijuana, not jail or criminalize them.
