marijuana is being decriminalized, or even made legal.

但這真的是個好主意嗎？ 在網路論戰中，有害的一面經常被淡化

But is this really a good idea?

所以讓我們來檢視三個反對大麻合法化的主要論點

In the online debate,

Kurzgesagt 三個大麻不應合法化的理由

the harmful sides are often downplayed.

論點一

So let's look at the three most powerful arguments

在過去數十年間，大麻被改造成效果更強的物質

against legalizing marijuana.

現在的大麻效果已經強大到 成為一種可能導致精神疾病的藥物

[Intro - Kurzgesagt]

大麻中主要的有效成分是 THC

Argument number 1:

而強力的證據指出，在不論其他風險因素的情況下

In the last few decades,

THC 與精神疾病有所關聯

Marijuana has been engineered to become much more potent.

大麻也含有一種名為 CBD 的物質 可能抵銷 THC 的作用

Today, marijuana is so potent,

CBD 甚至被用在治療精神疾病和焦慮症的實驗中

that it's actually a strong drug that may cause psychosis.

但由於 CBD 不會讓你嗨，過去數十年間 種植者逐漸減少大麻中的 CBD 含量

The main active ingredient of marijuana is THC,

並同時提高 THC 的含量

and there's strong evidence that THC is related to psychosis

樣本檢測顯示，大麻的 THC 含量從 90 年代的 4% 提升至 2014 年的 12%

regardless of other risk factors.

改變 THC 和 CBD 的含量比例 從 1995 年的 1:14 到 2014 年的 1:80

Marijuana also contains a substance called CBD,

雖然這些檢測的準確性尚不明確

that seems to counteract its effect.

但近期的研究整體顯示，使用越多越強的大麻 會導致罹患精神疾病的機率上升

It's even being tested as a treatment against psychosis and anxiety.

但一般大眾罹患精神疾病的風險究竟有多高？

But because it doesn't make you high,

一項英國的研究發現

growers have gradually decreased the amount of CBD

雖然大麻的使用量在 1996 年至 2005 年間顯著上升

in marijuana over the last few decades,

但精神分裂症患者的人數仍維持穩定

while increasing THC levels.

在原本就是罹患精神疾病的高風險族群中 因大麻而造成精神疾病的機率最高

Sample testing showed that THC levels have risen from around 4% in the 1990s

據我們目前所知，更有可能的是，大麻只是加速了 精神疾病的症狀發展，而不是造成症狀的原因

to nearly 12% in 2014,

因此反對的理由是：如果越少人有管道接觸大麻 因大麻而造成精神疾病的風險就會降低

shifting the ratio of THC to CBD from 1:14 in 1995

但實際上你也可以說，正是因為大麻是非法物質

to about 1:80 in 2014.

反而造成更多的人罹患精神疾病

It's unclear how precise those tests were, however.

00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:32,720 全面禁止會讓違法藥物變得更加強效，因為你能以 更小的體積運輸更多的產品，並有更高的獲利

Overall, recent findings suggest that the more marijuana you consume,

這正是在美國禁酒令期間發生的事 烈酒成為最常見的東西

and the stronger it is,

而現在的大麻也正經歷一樣的事情

the higher your risk of developing psychosis.

想像在一個世界中 烈酒是唯一的酒精飲料

But how high is the risk of psychosis for the general population?

你只能在完全不喝酒，和喝到比自己想要的更醉中選擇

A study from Britain found that

這正是今日許多大麻使用者面臨的情況

while marijuana use has risen significantly between 1996 and 2005,

人們並未在禁酒令期間內停止喝酒 數據也顯示法律並無法讓人們停止使用大麻

the number of schizophrenia cases –

我們無法讓大麻消失，但我們可以讓它變得更安全

a type of psychosis – remain stable.

如果大麻合法，消費者會有更多的選擇 而管理機關可以制定 CBD 含量的限制

The risk of marijuana induced psychosis

就像大多數的人下班後不會想喝掉一整瓶伏特加 他們會很開心抽一口有如下班後啤酒般的大麻

remains the highest for people

論點二：大麻是一種入門毒品，一旦合法化 會有更多人開始濫用更危險的藥物

who already have a high risk of psychosis to begin with.

一項 2015 年的研究發現

For them, it seems more likely that

終生大麻使用者中，45% 的人曾經在 某個時間點使用其他非法藥物

marijuana speeds up the development of their condition,

大麻合法化後可能會加強這種風潮，讓更多年輕人 在試過合法的大麻後，可能最後會嘗試更強烈的藥物

rather than causing it, as far as we know right now.

但其實真正的入門藥物更早就出現了－香菸

So the reasoning goes,

一線研究顯示，在 15 歲以前開始吸菸的青少年

if fewer people have access to marijuana,

使用非法藥物的機率要比不吸菸者高出 80%

the lower the risk of marijuana induce psychosis.

2007 年的一項發現，在 12 至 17 歲吸菸的青少年 酗酒的比例高出三倍

But actually, you could argue that

濫用海洛因或可卡因等藥物的機率高出七倍 而使用大麻的比例也同樣高出七倍

precisely because marijuana is illegal,

但如果上述事實為真，那讓更多藥物合法化 怎麼能降低強烈藥物使用？

more people will end up with psychosis.

首先要知道一件重要的事，那就是 人們使用藥物不是取決於它合法與否

Prohibition makes illegal drug stronger and more potent,

如果你想購買任何藥物 你總是能夠找到願意賣你的人

because this way you can ship more product in a smaller space

真正問題是，為什麼人們會 與藥物發展出不健康的關係？

and sell it at a greater profit.

多項研究顯示，某些狀況會讓人 特別容易接觸藥物濫用和成癮

This is what happened during the prohibition of alcohol in the US,

一段難受的童年經歷、早期創傷 低社會地位、憂鬱，或是遺傳基因

where hard liquor became the norm.

他們會對於何種藥物成癮 大多時候只是機率問題

And the same is happening with marijuana now.

成癮者藉由使用藥物來逃離問題 但藥物無法解決任何問體，反而成為了新的問題

Imagine a world where liquor is the only alcohol available.

但因為人們的應對機制而懲罰他們 同樣也無法改變任何根本的原因

You have the choice of either not drinking at all,

因此有些人認為，我們需要採取一種全新的路線

or getting much drunker than you would like to.

2011 年，葡萄牙有著全歐洲最嚴重的藥物問題 因此在無計可施下，他們嘗試了一種激進的做法

This is the situation for many marijuana smokers today.

所有非法藥物的持有與使用除罪化

People didn't stop drinking during prohibition,

你不會再被逮補，取而代之的是 官方啟動了一項大型健康計畫

and the numbers show that laws don't deter people from using marijuana.

持有或使用少量藥物的人，會被轉介給支援服務機構 並獲得治療和減害的幫助

We can't make marijuana go away,

藥物使用被視為慢性疾病，而非犯罪

but we can make it safer.

結果令人驚訝，嘗試並持續使用藥物的人數

If marijuana were legal,

在 2012 年從 44% 下降到 28%

there would be more options for consumers,

使用強烈藥物、HIV 和肝炎感染 以及藥物過量的人數也下降

and regulators could, for example, insist on a high level of CBD.

讓藥物合法化可能整體上更能幫助社會 而非造成傷害

Just like most people don't drink an after-work bottle of vodka,

論點三

many people would gladly consume the after-work beer version of marijuana.

大麻會令人上癮而且是不健康的 它需要維持非法來降低傷害到最小

Argument 2: marijuana is a gateway drug.

雖然大麻的成癮性更多是來自心理而非生理 它仍然是一個真實存在的問題

If it's legalized,

在過去的十年間，大麻成癮治療的需求 上升了超過一倍

there will be a spike in the use of much more dangerous drugs.

嘗試過大麻者中，有 10% 的人成癮

A 2015 study found that

這也和高劑量的 THC 成分有關

about 45% of lifelong marijuana users

一項在 2017 年發表的研究中，對大麻的強效程度 與荷蘭大麻咖啡館進行了長達 16 年的追蹤

took some other illegal drug at some point.

THC 成分每提高 1%

Legalizing marijuana could reinforce this trend:

全國就有超過 60 個人開始接受治療

as more young people try legal marijuana,

在對健康的負面影響方面，有些研究認為 大麻的使用與血壓升高與肺部疾病有關

they might end up trying harder drugs.

而一項 2016 年的研究發現 大麻的使用與身體的健康問題無關

But it turns out that the real gateway to drug use comes much earlier:

除了可能會提高牙齦疾病的風險

cigarettes.

有些研究顯示，使用大麻會改變青少年的腦部 並且造成智商下降

One study showed that

但一項最近的研究將飲酒和抽煙納入考量後 發現其結果並不完整

teens who started smoking before the age of 15

整體來說，研究顯示在腦部發展期間 使用任何藥物都會產生不良影響

were 80% more likely to use illegal drugs than those who didn't.

但事實是，我們還不知道大麻究竟有多不健康 我們需要投入更多資源進行研究

And a 2007 study found that teenagers between 12 and 17 who smoked

但這些資源很難取得 因為大麻持續被視為非法藥物

were three times more likely to binge drink,

不過我們可以將已知的事實納入觀點

seven times more likely to have used drugs like heroin or cocaine,

（成癮可能性） 16% 的飲酒者成為了酗酒者 32% 嘗試過香煙的人最後成為了吸菸者

and were also seven times more likely to resort to marijuana.

我們能肯定酒精會引響你的腦部 毀滅你的肝臟，和導致癌症

But if that's the case,

香菸會阻塞你的氣管、摧毀你的肺部 也同樣會導致癌症

how could making more drugs legal stop the use of hard drugs?

每年有 330 萬人死於酒精濫用 而香菸每年殺死超過 600 萬人

At first, it's important to acknowledge that

沒有人因為香菸和酒精是合法的 就認為它們是無害的

people don't use drugs because they're legal or not.

也沒有人認真提議要查禁菸酒 雖然兩者都極具危險性

If you want to buy any drug,

合法化是一種對兩者進行某種程度管制的方式 特別是在保護年輕人方面

you'll always find someone happy to sell.

青少年通常很難買到合法的藥物 但購買非法藥物則相對容易

The real question is why do people develop

官方的販賣者如果將藥物賣給青少年 將會被處以高額罰款且被吊銷執照

an unhealthy relationship with drugs at all?

合法化將會帶來藥頭無法濫用的獎勵作用

Studies show that certain conditions

因此讓大麻合法化不代表為其背書 而是代表對於其帶來的風險負責

make people especially vulnerable to drugs and addiction.

同樣也可能帶來更多新的研究機會，能了解 大麻實際上會帶來什麼傷害？對什麼人會有傷害？

A difficult childhood,

結論

early trauma,

大麻是一種藥物，而就像其他的藥物一樣

low social status,

它對於某一些使用的人會有負面的影響 它並不是完全無害的

depression, even genetic factors.

保護社會不被其負面影響傷害的最好方式 現在看起來就是合法化並進行管制

Which drug they get addicted to is more often than not a matter of chance.

因為我們與 FUNK 之間的合作計畫，本支影片 已提前兩週在我們的德語頻道上架

Addicts take drugs to escape their problems.

去那裡看看，並訂閱它來練習你的德語技巧

But drugs don't solve any of those problems,

如果你想支持這些花費數個月 進行研究和準備的影片創作

and instead become a new problem.

同時又能得到一大堆很酷的東西做為回報 請造訪 pattern.com/Kurzgesat

But punishing people for their unhealthy coping mechanisms

doesn't change anything about the underlying causes either.

So some argue we need to take a completely different route.

In 2001,

Portugal had one of the worst drug problems in Europe.

So it was desperate enough to try something radical:

Possession and use of all illegal drugs was decriminalized.

You would no longer be arrested;

Instead, authorities launched a major health campaign.

People who were found with a small amount

were referred to support services,

and got help with treatment and harm reduction.

Drug use was seen as a chronic disease, not a crime.

The results were stunning:

the number of people who tried drugs and kept using them

fell from 44% to 28% by 2012.

The use of hard drugs decreased,

as well as HIV & hepatitis infections and overdoses.

Making drugs legal might overall help society much more than it harms it.

Argument number 3:

Marijuana is addictive and unhealthy.

It needs to remain illegal to keep harm at a minimum.

While marijuana addiction is more psychological than physical,

it is still a real problem.

The demand for treatment for marijuana addiction

has more than doubled in the past decade alone.

In total, about 10% of people who try marijuana will become addicted.

This is also related to higher THC levels.

A study released in 2017

tracked the potency of marijuana and Dutch coffee shops

over a period of 16 years.

For every 1% increase in THC,

60 more people enter treatment nationwide.

In terms of negative health effects,

some studies linked marijuana use to increased blood pressure and lung problems,

while a 2016 study found that marijuana use was unrelated to

physical health problems, except for a higher risk of gum disease.

Some studies showed that marijuana use alters teenagers brains,

and decreases their intelligence;

but when more recent studies took drinking and smoking into account,

the results were inconclusive.

Overall, research shows that

taking any drugs while the brain is still in development is bad for you.

But the truth is, we don't know yet how unhealthy marijuana is.

We need more funding for research,

which is hard to get while marijuana remains illegal.

We can put what we know into perspective though.

16% of people who consume alcohol become alcoholics,

and 32% of people who try cigarettes become smokers.

We know for sure alcohol affects your brain,

destroys your liver and causes cancer;

while tobacco clogs your arteries,

destroys your lungs and also causes cancer.

3.3 million people die from alcohol abuse each year,

while smoking kills more than 6 million people.

Nobody is suggesting tobacco and alcohol are harmless just because they're legal.

Also, nobody is seriously proposing to prohibit them even though they are extremely dangerous.

Legality is a way to exercise some control over them,

especially when it comes to protecting young people.

It's often much harder to buy legal drugs for teenagers than to buy illegal ones.

Official sellers can get hefty fines

and lose their license if they sell to underage kids.

Legality creates incentives here that drug dealers can't exploit.

So making marijuana legal doesn't mean endorsing it.

It means taking responsibility for the risks it poses.

It could also open the floodgates to tons of new research

that shows us how harmful it really is, and to whom.

Conclusion:

Marijuana is a drug,

and just like any other drug, It has negative consequences

for a sizable portion of the people who use it.

It is not harmless.

The best way to protect society from its negative consequences

seems to be legalization and regulation.

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