Gambling and Weed are two things that a lot of people use. I am not using the word drug because it covers a broad area of different addictive substances and not everyone can afford it. Still, I guess weed is very affordable for so many people just as gambling is.
These two things are people’s go-to, with some finding them fun and some dabbling in them only for it to become a problem for them. The government usually regulates them several times, and in some countries, either one or both of them are considered offenses. Both are mostly decriminalized in some countries, states, counties, and so on.
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Some people have this notion that everyone is free to do whatever they want provided it is not affecting the next person and so not societally destructive but would we agree that the two I mentioned are not societally destructive, or other drugs not destructive societally? That question is going to be left unanswered because it will be filled with numerous biases but I believe that some drugs should be criminalized and possibly stigmatized because when they cause health problems for them, it affects their family as well. Some people will agree with me on that saying the other drugs are worse than weed and do lots of harm than weed. But if we are looking at the basis of harm and death, then alcohol is worse than weed.
Have you tried looking and Coca-Cola and weed on the same spectrum? Yes, I get it, they are both on different spectrums but they both have their negative impact especially on health when one becomes addicted to it. Addictive users who can now suffer from addictive disorders are harmed more by these things and when one looks at the extent of the harm caused to them, one would wish that both are taken off immediately.
People with a gambling addiction will keep on gambling no matter the negative effects that come with it. It is a risk and reward experience and this excites the chemicals dopamine and endorphin in the brain which are released when a risk pays off. When people win, the brain releases the chemical that makes the gambler want to gamble more. Over time, bigger bets will be required to get the same type of rush that will make them excited over time because the brain wants more to trigger its reward system and over time, the mental wiring of the person changes where the prefrontal cortex which is in charge of impulses, risk and reward weighing is wired to make decisions on a short term rewards not looking at the long-term impact.
At this point, it has become an addiction, affecting their finance, relationship, mental health, physical health, and social lives with withdrawal symptoms becoming intense if not discontinued immediately. Just as gambling does, so does marijuana and other addictive substances do, and when this happens, seeking help is very important as it is very difficult to stop them alone.
You Can Read More
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1412314111
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6223748
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.623403/full
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1411228111
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3405830
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/gambling-addiction-can-cause-psychological-physiological-health-challenges
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6855253/
https://responsiblegambling.org/for-the-public/about-gambling/the-science-behind-gambling/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3845016/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6933114/