Cousijn, J., Wiers, R. W., Ridderinkhof, K. R., van., B. W., Veltman, D. J., & Goudriaan, A. E. (February 01, 2012). Grey matter alterations associated with cannabis use: Results of a VBM study in heavy cannabis users and healthy controls. Neuroimage, 59, 4, 3845-3851.
The authors of the article focus their discussion on drug dependence with reference to cannabis use. Their research was focused on brain morphology resulting from the present and lifetime severity of the use and dependence on cannabis among the heavy users. The authors pointed out that within heavy users of cannabis, the volume of grey and white matter in the brain was correlated with the measure of both use and dependence. The authors established that the volume of regional grey matter in the anterior cerebellum was larger in heavy cannabis users while there was a negative correlation between grey matter volume in amygdale and hippocampus and the use or dependence on cannabis. No correlations were recorded between cannabis use or dependence and the volume of white matter in the brain. Consequently, the findings of the study showed that the link between heavy use of cannabis affected the structure of the brain. This article was instrumental in providing more literature related to alteration of cortical structures due to drug use.
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Grossman, M., Kaestner, R., & Markowitz, S. (2002). Get high and get stupid: The effect of alcohol and marijuana use on teen sexual behavior (No. w9216). National Bureau of Economic Research.
This report was focused on discussing the negative or harmful effects associated with the use of marijuana. Specifically, the authors discuss the use of marijuana and its effects on sexual behaviors among teenagers. The authors acknowledge previous researches that have depicted the existence of a strong correlation between engagement in sexual behaviors and substance use among teenagers. As a result, the authors point out the common notion that teens engage in uncontrolled sexual activities because of substance use. However, in this report, the authors posit that the previous research failed to offer sufficient evidence for a causal association between sexual behavior and substance use among teens. On this basis, the authors designed their study to enable the estimation of the respective causal effects. Consequently, the results of their study showed that there is no causal relationship between substance use and engagement in sexual behavior among teenagers, even though the same possibly cannot be overlooked. This article was instrumental in offering differing views in regards to the perceived negative use of marijuana and sexual behaviors among teens.
Blake, D., & Finlaw, J. (2014). Marijuana legalization in Colorado: Learned lessons. Harv. L. & Pol'y Rev. , 8 , 359.
The authors of this article discuss in detail the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, and the lessons learnt because of respective laws and policies. According to the authors, Amendment 64 was passed in Colorado, allowing personal use of marijuana for adults aged 21 years and above. Upon the passage of the amendment, the authors posit that adult residents of Colorado had the freedom of possessing, using, purchasing, transporting only up to a maximum of one ounce of marijuana and growing up to six plants of marijuana in their homes. With respect to this research paper, this article offers relevant points on the benefits the government enjoyed with regards to the passing of Amendment 64. For instance, it mandated the scheme regulated by the government through which persons with a debilitating medical condition could be issues with a government identification card allowing the person to possess and use marijuana. As a result, the purchase of marijuana by users benefited the vendors, who made profits, and the government also enjoyed the revenues from the same.
Livingston, M. D., Barnett, T. E., Delcher, C., &Wagenaar, A. C. (2017).Recreational cannabis legalization and opioid-related deaths in Colorado, 2000–2015. American journal of public health , 107 (11), 1827-1829.
In this article, the authors focus their discussion on the benefits of legalization of recreational use of cannabis. The research done by this group of researchers was to investigate the correlation between the legalization of recreational cannabis use in Colorado and its associated with deaths linked to opioid use among the residents of Colorado. The authors employed the use of an interrupted time-series design (2000-2015) for comparison of changes in level and slope of deaths linked to opioid use every month before and after the legalization of cannabis use for recreational activities. Consequently, results indicated a decrease in the resultant opioid-related deaths after the legalization of sell and use of cannabis for recreational activities. The information revealed in this article was crucial to this research paper since it added information on direct benefits associated with the use of marijuana.
Monte, A. A., Zane, R. D., & Heard, K. J. (2015).The implications of marijuana legalization in Colorado. Jama , 313 (3), 241-242.
In this article, Monte and team focus their discussion on the implications of allowing the sale and use of marijuana in Colorado. The authors discuss both the expected and unexpected effects resulting from the legalization of the use of marijuana in Colorado. The discussion on unexpected effects was significant to this research paper. The authors pointed out the issues related to the aggressive use of marijuana and its related effects. Monte and the team point out the major concern, which are the effects seen on children where increased numbers of children become evaluated at the ED for unintentional ingestion of marijuana years after the legalization of medical use of marijuana.
Subbaraman, M. S., & Kerr, W. C. (2017). Support for marijuana legalization in the US state of Washington has continued to increase through 2016. Drug and alcohol dependence , 175 , 205-209.
The authors of this article provide a handful of information in regarding the increased support for the legalization of marijuana use in Washington since the year 2016. The authors point out that the support for legalization of marijuana for recreational use has continued to increase not only in the US, but also across the globe. The authors designed their study to explore the trends regarding the support of marijuana cultivation for personal use. Data was obtained from a geographically representative sample of the population in Washington. The results of the study indicated that there was a significant increase with respect the support of legalization of marijuana for personal use. This article was instrumental in providing relevant information to this research paper by highlighting the current trends in respect to the legalization of marijuana.
