“禁”或“放”，仍將是個問題

Although many doctors agree that to temporarily use marijuana to relieve certain symptoms is totally safe， the safety of recreational marijuana has not been fully approved. Others raised questions about the future of marijuana: \"Most of the new regulations about medicinal or recreational marijuana have failed to show the potential risks.\" Therefore， to prohibit or to untie is still a problem.

盡管很多醫生認為，將大麻用于暫時性緩解某些疾病的癥狀是足夠安全的，但消遣用大麻的安全性還沒有得到很好的研究；也另有人對于大麻的未來管控提出了疑問:“大部分關于醫用或消遣用大麻的新法規都未能說明其潛在風險。”可見，大麻的松綁之路依然存在著巨大的挑戰和持續的爭議。“禁”或“放”仍將是個問題。

“Using marijuana will not be more dangerous than drinking and smoking”

“吸食大麻不會比吸煙喝酒更危險”

According to a survey made by the Pew Research Center in 2013， 52% of Americans think it is reasonable to own small amounts of marijuana. This is the first time that more than half of the people are against marijuana prohibition in a national survey. A nationwide survey before a referendum in Colorado also showed that 48% of Americans had tried marijuana， and about 6.5% of senior high school students admitted they smoked every day. Therefore， it’s not surprising for Colorado to carry referendum before the U.S. presidential election in November 2012， deciding to legalize marijuana. However， people who are under 21 are not allowed to use marijuana in the state. Activists want the rest of America’s states to pass similar laws as soon as possible. Behind the requirement for prohibition are clamors of supporters.

Still more supporters argue that scientific studies have shown that marijuana has high medicinal values， particularly for mental illness. And its level of addiction is no higher than that of tobacco and alcohol. Alan Greenspan， retired professor from Harvard Medical School， said in his book: Evidence shows that smoking marijuana can relieve nausea caused by chemical agents， prevent blindness caused by glaucoma， and improve the appetite of AIDS patients. It can also be used as an antiepileptic drug with functions such as relieving asthma and migraines， mitigating chronic pain， reducing muscle spasm with scleroma and treating cerebral palsy and paraplegia， etc.

據美國皮爾研究中心2013年的一項調查發現，52%的美國人支持擁有小劑量的大麻。這是第一次在全國調查中顯示超過半數的人反對大麻禁令。而在科羅拉多全民公投之前的一項全美范圍的調查也顯示，48%的美國人稱曾嘗試吸食大麻，約6.5%的高年級高中生承認每天吸食。因此，2012年11月美國總統大選之際，科羅拉多州率先通過公投，決定將消遣用大麻合法化也就并不令人驚奇了。不過，這兩個州僅限年滿21周歲者限量使用大麻。激進分子則希望美國其他地區也能盡快通過類似法令。而要求通過禁令的背后是支持者的呼聲。

更多的支持者認為，科學研究顯示大麻有著很高的藥用價值，尤其是對精神疾病，其上癮程度也并不比煙草和酒精強多少。美國哈佛醫學院退休的格林斯潘教授就在其所著的書中稱：有證據表明吸食大麻可以減輕由化學藥劑產生的反胃現象、預防由青光眼引起的失明、能促進艾滋病患者的食欲、可以作為抗癲癇的藥物、能緩解哮喘和偏頭疼、減輕慢性疼痛、減少伴隨多硬結的肌肉痙攣，還可以治療腦癱和下身麻痹等等。

An American drug regulatory official once said: \"Every year， there are people dying from alcohol and tobacco， but no one has died from smoking marijuana. Marijuana has no side effects， nor damage to the liver， kidney， brain， or chromosome (fetal). Even long-term usage will not cause permanent damage to the body.\"

Due to the significant effect of drugs， the legal process of medical marijuana is relatively smooth in the United States. And in 1996， California became the first state to grant legality to medical marijuana， and the number has now increased to 18.

一位美國藥品管制官員曾說:“每年都有人死于煙酒，但卻沒有人死于吸食大麻。大麻沒有危險的副作用，不會損害肝、腎、大腦或染色體（胎兒），即使長期大量使用也不會對身體造成永久性的損害。”

由于顯著的藥物效果，醫用大麻在美國的合法過程相對順利，于是在1996年，加利福尼亞州成為美國首個允許醫用大麻的州，目前已經增加到18個州。

“Americans should be allowed to use marijuana， which a personal freedom.”

“美國人應該被準許吸食大麻，這是個人的自由。”

Medical marijuana gains more and more recognition， but the legalization of recreational marijuana still faces the challenge of public opinions. Anyhow， many Americans， from White House officials to ordinary folks， have once used marijuana. And marijuana may， like cigarette， be regarded as a personal hobby or leisure.

Proponents have said in public to the media that Americans should be allowed to use marijuana， which is personal freedom. In a society where beer， whiskey， wine and tobacco are all legal， it is unreasonable to prohibit this recreational drug. Some supporters have argued that complicated reasons cause marijuana to have been prohibited almost everywhere， but if one day marijuana is legalized， it will make people rethink the inertial idea about the so-called \" drugs\".

醫用大麻正越來越多的得到認可，但對于娛樂性大麻的合法化仍將面臨各方輿論的挑戰。無論如何，此次科羅拉多州率先通過娛樂性大麻合法的一個關鍵在于，許多美國人：上至白宮官員，下至升斗小民，都有使用大麻的經驗。而大麻則可能像過去的香煙一樣，被當作一種個人的嗜好或休閑。

支持者曾公開對媒體表示，美國人應該被準許吸食大麻，這是個人的自由，在一個啤酒、威士忌、葡萄酒以及煙草都合法的社會里，沒有理由禁止大麻這樣消遣性的藥物。也有支持者認為大麻在本世紀普遍被禁，有其很復雜的多重原因，但是如果有朝一日大麻得以全面解禁，它帶來的結果將是讓人們開始擺脫對所謂“毒品”的慣性思考。

“The long-term effects of marijuana on physical health wait to be verified”

“大麻對身體健康的長期影響仍需驗證”

Proponents argue that marijuana is not as dangerous as some people have expected; whereas opponents think that is a wrong signal， which may cause serious health and social problems. Although it is relatively easy to monitor instant effect of marijuana in the laboratory， its long-term effect on body and mind is still difficult to judge. \"Existing results can be interpreted in many ways， which requires us to be on an alert.\" said Madeline Meier， a clinical psychologist at Duke University. Marijuana is a kind of recreational drug， which was banned from being used in America since 1930s， but there are still many lawbreakers. Marijuana can cause lung and respiratory cancers， and will let a person have illusions.

More seriously， marijuana is the starting point to other drugs. Consequently， the legalization of marijuana has suffered a backlash from the mainstream American society in the past. People are particularly worried about its effects on children’s physical and mental conditions and social ethos， so opponents think that we need to be careful. In the conservative southern United States， not only the legalization of recreational marijuana， but that of medical marijuana is faced with many obstacles.

支持者認為大麻并不存在人們所預想的危險，而反對者則表示，這是傳遞了錯誤信號，恐怕會帶來嚴重的健康和社會問題。盡管在實驗室監控大麻的即時效應相對容易，但其對身體和心智的長期影響就較難判斷了。“現有的結果無疑可以作多種解讀，大麻對身體健康的長期影響仍需驗證，這提醒我們需要提高警惕。”杜克大學的臨床心理學家瑪德琳·邁耶說。大麻是一種軟性毒品，美國從上個世紀三十年代起開始禁用，但一直處于屢禁不止的狀態。大麻會引發肺部及呼吸道等部位的癌變，讓人產生幻覺，還會上癮。

更嚴重的是，大麻常是通向其他毒品的起點，事實上很多癮君子都是從吸食大麻開始的。正因如此，歷史上很長的一段時間里，大麻的合法化遭到了來自美國主流社會的強烈抵制。其中，人們尤其擔憂的是它對青少年身心和社會風氣造成的影響，因此反對者們認為需謹慎行事，特別是在保守的美國南部，不僅是娛樂性大麻合法化，就是大麻醫用合法化都面臨著重重阻礙。

“The legalization of marijuana will have bad influence on teenagers and the whole society”

“大麻的解放將會對青少年和社會風氣帶來不良影響”

Experts say that one of the concerns from the legalization of marijuana is its influence among teenagers， and many young people use marijuana in many schools. A nationwide survey of American high school students shows that nearly 50% of them have touched marijuana， and the number is higher in universities. Opponents say: \"The legalization of marijuana will have bad influence on teenagers and the whole society. Therefore， the consequences are worrying.\" A rehabilitation center survey also shows that it is marijuana that sends many teenagers into the abyss of drugs.

Others believe that the legalization of marijuana will do harm to society. The legalization of marijuana in medical field gave rise to drug smuggling， trafficking and selling even on campuses， as well as violent attacks by criminal groups. The chief police officer in Los Angeles pointed out: Marijuana-caused crimes emerge all the time. Marijuana has gradually become a risk affecting social stability. Once recreational marijuana gains social popularity， it may cause more harms to society.

有專家表示，大麻的合法化帶來的擔憂之一就是其在青少年中的影響。大麻在許多學校流傳，年輕人吸大麻的比例比較高。一項在全美高中生中的調查顯示，近50%的學生接觸過大麻，在大學更為普遍。有反對者表示:“大麻的解放將會對青少年和社會風氣帶來不良影響，如此發展下去，后果實在令人堪憂。”美國戒毒中心調查也顯示，許多青少年開始接觸和吸食其他毒品就是從大麻開始的。

另有人認為，大麻合法化還會對社會造成危害。藥用大麻合法后，就有犯罪分子販賣走私，甚至在校園里販賣，犯罪集團還動輒就會暴力傷人。洛杉磯警局局長曾指出，因大麻引起的犯罪案件層出不窮。大麻逐漸成為影響社會穩定的危險因子。一旦娛樂性大麻被社會普及，對社會的不良影響更大。