Departing from the normal format, today’s show was all about the arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana. In hour 1, special guest Robert White who co-authored the book "Going To Pot: Why the rush to legalize marijuana is harming America" explained why marijuana should remain illegal.
Here are some of Robert's arguments against legalization, cited from the New England Journal of Medicine:
Short term effects of marijuana use:
1) Impacts short-term memory, making it difficult to learn or retain information
2) It impairs motor coordination, interfering with driving and increasing the risk of injuries.
3) It alters judgment.
4) In high doses, it can lead to paranoia and psychosis.
Long term effects of marijuana use:
1) The health effects impact people around you, including healthcare costs shared by society.
2) Addiction. 9 percent of overall users. 17 percent of those who begin in adolescence. 25 to 50 percent are daily users.
3) Altered brain development
4) Poor educational outcome with increased likelihood of dropping out of school.
5) Cognitive impairment, with lower IQ among those who were frequent users among adolescence.
6) Diminished life satisfaction and achievement. Determined on the basis of subjective, objective measures as compared to such ratings in the general population.
7) Symptoms of chronic bronchitis.
8) Increased risk of chronic psychosis disorders, including schizophrenia.
Glenn, who admittedly was a chronic user of marijuana earlier in life, denied having any of the long-term effects White described.
"Look, there's no question that different people can handle different drugs better," Robert admitted. " Some people can handle a lot stronger -- I don't know whether people can handle cocaine. I find that hard to imagine. But some people function and use it on a regular basis. But as a society, we also know there are an awful lot of people who are vulnerable, who will not be able to handle it."
Watch some of his arguments below:
