Go Green or Not?

Here is a link to an article based on the connection of Psychology and Marjiuana.  This is strictly based off of medical purposes in states that allow you to obtain a medical marijuana license, but it is directed at all marijuana consumers.


I found this is a rather fitting article considering I know a large population of the student body has consumed or currently consumes marijuana in some type of form (edibles, smoking, tinctures, etc.).


To summarize the article, the connection is made that our brain's own marijuana transmitter system is necessary for us to feel hungry, to experience happiness and also to maintain the brain normal processes. A drug, rimonabant, was tested by neuroscientists that interacted with the same part of  feeding center in the brain as marijuana did.  The drug was used in hopes to inhibit the "munchies," or sense of hunger.  The drug worked almost too well controlling hunger but, had major affects on mood and caused depression and thoughts of suicide.


From this psychologists can conclude that the there truly is a connection between marijuana and the psychology of our body.  At least one puff a day could alter your attitude and relieve depression.  It is funny to think that many of my peers are using an illegal drug, but it is actually benefiting their brain and mood.


Is this just another reason why marijuana should be or will be legal one day?  Food for thought...


But the true question is why is this relevant to sociology? Our culture is forever altering and this is a strong issue many people fight against.  Our society has the perception that people who smoke or use marijuana are lazy and have no direction in their life.  This may or may not be right, but the problem herein lies deeper than marijuana issues.  


The truth is that Americans are more prone to trying and experimenting with any type of illegal drug.  The two main experimental drugs are marijuana and cocaine.  Our society (USA) has the overpowering influence of media, and the use of drugs among celebrities is just adding fuel to the curious flame American's possess. 


"Researchers found that 42% of people surveyed in the U.S. had tried marijuana at least once, and 16% had tried cocaine. About 20% of residents surveyed in the Netherlands, by contrast, reported having tried pot; in Asian countries, such as Japan and China, marijuana use was virtually "non-existent," the study found. New Zealand was the only other country to claim roughly the same percentage of pot smokers as the U.S., but no other nation came close to the proportion of Americans who reported trying cocaine."


My question is if marijuana was legal would it make our society less likely to feed off of the rebellious actions of celebrities and higher power people? And if drugs such as cocaine or marijuana were legalized how would that effect our culture and tendencies compared to other countries?


I was shocked to see that a country such as Netherlands that allows consumption of weed in designated places had a lower rate of users or experimenters that the USA where it is a federal crime for possessing and/or use of marijuana.  This raises so many questions in my head but I am not sure how to perceive my friends or people using illegal drugs.  Our society has put stereotypes on drug users, but how might the perception change if marijuana is legal one day? That is the question...