Marijuana is an "iffy" drug. It has its many bad side affects but at the same time it has its good affects to which the government is picking up on. Millions of people use the drug even though it is illegal. It has some long-term effects but they are not yet distinguishable from the effects of smoking tobacco. It is just now starting to be legalized for medical purposes since its ban in 1938.
             Marijuana was used back when the Indians were in control and it is still being used today though it is currently illegal. Nearly sixty-nine million people above the age of twelve in the United States have smoked weed at least once in their lives. It is relatively easy to get you hands on and when you're in your teens, everyone does it so peer pressure cause's non-smokers to start. Most teens assume that it's not bad for them like other drugs for example: ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin. The thing about marijuana is that is also called the "Gateway Drug", in that it leads to other drugs that are potentially worse for you. Most people say that after smoking marijuana for some time that the high gets boring so people go out and try to find some other drugs that have a more intense high. This is extremely dangerous in that you can't overdose on marijuana, it has never killed anyone directly, but you can overdose on drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and heroin and it's easy to die from.
             Marijuana does have its effects though. It has many short-term effects such as memory, learning ability, distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks. Marijuana doesn't really impair you though. How many people have committed a crime and the reason was because they were high? The drug also calms you down and you feel mellow. When you're high you usually don't speed either, you usually go under the speed limit because ...