As the most misunderstood illegal drug in our society, marijuana effects users and non-users alike in more ways than one. Whether through overcrowding of jails to billions of dollars in government spending to keep drugs out of society, marijuana affects society as a whole. Marijuana is an anomalously concealed drug because of its classification as a narcotic, impact on history throughout mankind, and the sensations presented to the user.
Marijuana is defined as a psychoactive drug made from the leaves of the cannabis plant (Addiction Studies for Professional Journalists 1). The growth of the marijuana plant starts with a round seed no bigger than a pebble. Once planted about two inches below rich soil, the plant requires a warm, moist climate and lots of sunlight. Following two to three weeks of intense sunlight and irrigation, a small green stem and leaves will begin to poke out of the ground. These long, narrow, jagged edged leaflets are easily recognizable. …
