Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) to the above

question as you would in a face-to-face class by stating why

you agree as pertaining to the discussion and by probing

questions. Your response posts need to be at least 200

words each. Please be sure to validate your opinions and

ideas.

(Discussion 2 Ronda)

There are positive and negative consequences of legalizing marijuana. A positive of legalizing marijuana is that it can be used by individuals to treat specific ailments, such as neuropathic pain. A negative is that individuals who have such ailments and other disorders that may be treated by marijuana are more susceptible to substance abuse disorders (Lusk et al., 2015). The risk of additional individuals becoming dependent on marijuana could possibly create a challenge for counselors and other human service professionals to work through. Another positive of legalizing marijuana use is the increase in disabled workers productivity; more individuals can work for longer hours if their chronic pain is being treated responsibly. A negative would be the effect of marijuana intoxication including disorientation, impaired judgement, sedation, slowed fine motor skills, and the effects all of these can have on a person’s ability to learn, make decisions, and driving skills (Wilkinson et al., 2015).

The use of marijuana is a concern of human service providers because they work with clients who may be using or considering the benefits of using marijuana for its medical benefits. It is essential that human service providers, such as vocational rehabilitation counselors, be proactive in thinking of and preparing for potential consequences that may be related to increased marijuana use (Lusk et al., 2015). Human service providers should know the history of how marijuana has been used in pharmacological situations, they should know all the pros and cons of using marijuana, and they should be willing to discuss the issues that surround the use of marijuana before clients commit to a treatment plan involving it.

References

Lusk, S. L., Paul, T. M., & Wilson, R. (2015). The potential impact of the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana on the vocational rehabilitation process. Why the buzz? Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 46(2), 3-12. doi:10.1891/0047-2220.46.2.3

Wilkinson, S. T., Yarnell, S., Radhakrishnan, R., Ball, S. A., & D'Souza, D. C. (2015). Marijuana legalization: Impact on physicians and public health. Annual Review of Medicine, 67(1), 453-466. doi:10.1146/annurev-med-050214-013454

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) to the above

question as you would in a face-to-face class by stating why

you agree as pertaining to the discussion and by probing

questions. Your response posts need to be at least 200

words each. Please be sure to validate your opinions and

ideas.

(Discussion 2 Raymond)

For this discussion I chose Marijuana which many people consider it to be the gateway drug which is the starting point for many users to start using harder drugs like cocaine, heroin, and meth. There are many states in America that have legalized the use of Marijuana for medical purposes and there are consequences when using said drug, along with the use of said drug there are positive and negative implications with the use of said drug.

For instance Washington, California and Colorado became the first states to legalize Marijuana and according to "Zambiasi & Stillman {2020}, between 2010-2013, Colorado migration rate increased substantially once Marijuana was legalized. When a person has underlying medical issues such as, arthritis, epilepsy, or leprosy the positive effects has reduced youth suicides, traffic accidents as well as crime and has raised additional revenue for states that have legalize said drug {Marijuana}, but as always there are two-sides and the negative aspect we look at edibles, smoking and concentrates have become an issue as well as conflict between state and federal legislation on Marijuana laws {Ghosh et al, 2016, pg. 21}.

Now human services providers have to deal with their client when the client is under the influence of said drug and in many cases this hinders the human service provider because many states do not allow a person to receive certain services if they are under the influence of drugs being that drugs will cause a person to be incoherent, anxieties as well as panic reactions according to {Hall, 1998, p. 1612}. The legalization of Marijuana also presents other issues where a client have to take a drug test for eligibility of certain services that are offered by the state and federal government and if the client drug test is positive then services can be denied.

References

Ghosh, T., Van Dyke, M., Maffey, A., Whitley, E., Gillim-Ross, L., 7 Wolk, l. {2016}. The Public Health Framework of Legalized Marijuana in Colorado. American Journal of Public Health, 106{1}, 21 https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302875Links to an external site.

Hall, W., & Solowij, N. {1998}. Adverse effects of cannabis. The Lancet, n9140.

Zambiasi, D., & Stillman, S. {2020}. The Pot Rush; Is Legalized Marijuana a Positive Local Amenity? Economic Inquiry, 58{2}, 667-679. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1111/ecin.12832