For many years since human existence and civilization, the use of drugs has been a very popular

strongly growing habit amongst people all over the world. These drugs have come in different forms, but
all have something in common, which is stimulating the brain to perform particular functions which a
person may not be able to perform either voluntarily or involuntarily. These drugs are also referred to as
psychoactive drugs or stimulants in order to distinguish between them and the other medical drugs for
illnesses though stimulants have usually been used to treat several psychiatric conditions or disorders.
Alcohol which has also been considered as a drug or stimulant is the most popular and widely used of all
the stimulants and has been used by people since time memorial which indicates that drug use or use of
stimulants is a very old ritual or habit amongst different groups of people all over the world. Different
drugs have their different effects on people and sometimes the same drug can have different effects on
different people. Drugs affect the most critical part of the human body, the brain, which means they
affect consciousness, the ability of judgment, voluntary actions, involuntary actions and balance. Drugs
were all initially produced to serve the purpose of treatment of different conditions of the body, but
have frequently been abused in society arousing a lot of concern from the health sector, medical sector
and creating controversy on the legal usage of psychoactive drugs in different fields.

Drugs which alter consciousness, change mood and state of mind have become very popular
amongst society not for health or medical purpose, but for the wrong purpose, recreation. Alcohol ,
nicotine, marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine create a temporary feeling of relaxation and euphoria in their
users. Many people around the world have made these drugs part of their social lives in occasions and
places such as parties, nightclubs, bars, pubs and the like. These drugs all have different ways in which
they affect the brain and also different levels of the damage they cause in the health of a persons body
in such a way that some of them are addictive, and some are more addictive than others, meaning that
the body quickly adjusts or adapts to them and becomes dependent on their effects to function
normally.

In the United States today, the legal system is facing most concerns from the two most popular
psychoactive drugs which are alcohol and marijuana. For a long time there has been a controversial
debate on the current minimum drinking age. There have been advocates for the lowering of the
minimum drinking age to eighteen; these were especially college students and student leaders.
(www.petitiononline.com) From a petition for College Students and all who wish to lower the legal
drinking age , the anonymous composer of this petition argues that a United States Citizen is allowed to
vote when they are 18 years of age,18 year old males are forced to join the Selective Service for possible
drafting and this means that 18-year old males can go to war and a citizen is also inclined to jury duty
and concludes saying that if an 18-year old citizen is to be given these responsibilities, why is the legal
drinking age 21? This is the question that has sparked controversy amongst citizens of the United States
and between the citizens and the government. I think the writer of this petition has set up very good,
convincing and well prepared argument but not enough for me to side with him on this issue. On the
otherhand there are many people who agree with the minimum drinking age of 21. They say that
lowering the drinking age to eighteen has saved many lives especially concerning traffic safety. Alcohol
may become an uncontrollable problem for teenagers in school and cause poor performance or even
drop outs. It has also been said that there are more chances of a teenager becoming alcoholic than an
adult or in otherwords younger people are more likely to become alcoholics in future if they use alcohol
at that age.From an article ,Lowering the drinking age to 18, by Jeralyn, she says that a Vermont
legislator has introduced a bill to lower the states drinking age to eighteen and his reason for this is that
we are driving drinking underground. The legislator goes on to say that if eighteen year olds can do
things like go to war, sign contracts and get married, why cant they drink alcohol. I think the legislator
logically has set up a good argument, but this still doesnt convince me particularly to side with the idea
of lowering the drinking age. The use of alcohol is a very old ritual dating from long probably before
biblical times amongst the human society and it is here to stay. I think the decision to use alcohol is a
very important decision in ones life and one needs enough time to think about it.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal psychoactive drug for recreational purposes in the
United States. From the Fox News website in the health section, is the story of the first marijuana caf in
the United States in Portland Oregon. The use of marijuana to bring about a state of euphoria in the
mind has existed for many years such as the use of the common drugs like alcohol. So far marijuana has
created a bad image for itself in society because it has been one of the main commodities in drug cartels
all over the world which are usually dangerous groups. Many people especially parents have thought of
marijuana to have the same effects as drugs like cocaine and heroin which are also common amongst
drug dealers and cartels. The effects of marijuana unlike other drugs have been uncertain because it is
said that as it exhibits properties of hallucinogens, it also exhibits some properties of stimulants and
depressants in some people. This is the image marijuana is portraying amongst many people and
therefore making the decision to legalize it in our society difficult and controversial. Growing,
possessing, distributing and smoking marijuana are still illegal under U.S. federal law, which makes no
distinction between medical and recreational use. It is also originally known as Cannabis probably
derived from the name of the plant from which the drug is extracted, the Cannabis plant which is also
sometimes referred to as hemp. There are different ways in which cannabis is prepared from this plant.
Marijuana is in the class of drugs known as hallucinogens whose name is easily related to the word
hallucinations, which is one of marijuanas effects on the brain. From the many different sources I have
tried to learn about Marijuana, many say that there are no truths about the effects of marijuana.