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Bring your child to work day comes back
Bring your child to work day comes back
The Northern Star StaffApril 29, 2024

On April 25, NVD brought back Bring Your Child to Work Day. It was a new experience for both the students and the children. With games throughout...

Lola Brown and Abdel Mehanni working at Tavern at the Iron Horse
Get to work NVD!
Lola Brown, Features Editor • April 26, 2024

Being a student is hard. There are lots of things we are responsible for. Students are involved in sports, extracurricular activities, and rigorous...

Picture of a hand smoking weed
NYC needs to retract their weed policy
Sophia Lee, Staff Writer • April 10, 2024

What comes to mind with the name “Manhattan?” Do visions of towering skyscrapers, trendy restaurants, and bougie stores come to mind? What...

NYC needs to retract their weed policy

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Photo courtesy: Freepik
Picture of a hand smoking weed

What comes to mind with the name “Manhattan?” Do visions of towering skyscrapers, trendy restaurants, and bougie stores come to mind? What about the stench of weed? Ever since New York has legalized the usage of marijuana, Manhattan has been a cesspit of the stench of unsanctioned drugs, with the smell of weed permeating every surface and space. You can’t even take a step outside without your nose being constantly bombarded with the smell of marijuana. It is an issue that must be taken with the utmost severity; without proper handling of the problem, the city of New York will be left vulnerable to the hazardous fumes left by the culpable drug, giving leeway to the risk of future health issues. The city must earnestly reconsider their decision of legalizing the usage of marijuana.
It is a well-documented fact that the action of smoking weed causes damage to the lungs, with the people around a regular marijuana smoker at the greatest risk of contracting illness, such as bronchitis, myocarditis, and psychosis. However, in the city of New York, there are numerous individuals to be seen freely smoking on the streets, blowing their fumes at nearby pedestrians. Such rampant smoking is sure to have its consequences, with citizens at great risk of contracting health issues in the future due to the toxic fumes. To expose their citizens to such hazards can only be seen as a sign of irresponsibility and neglect by the government of NYC.
In a time such as our own, where multitudes of articles are published daily about the dangers of marijuana, it cannot be denied that the city of New York has purposely ignored such warnings, and has gone through the procedure of legalizing marijuana while fully aware of its detrimental effects. While some may argue that it is a legal right for an individual to smoke freely, it must be noted that such rampant smoking would result in severe consequences, seeing as the dangers of cannabis use are widely published.
While the usage of marijuana in itself brings physical harm to the people around its user, it cannot be denied that such usage simply ruins the atmosphere surrounding it. When walking through the streets of New York, one is simply blasted with the repugnant stench of cannabis, with its skunk-like odor enfolding itself onto every little crevice it can find. It is simply unpleasant to step outside, to walk outdoors, or to even open the windows. Such a stench would likely make an impact upon the disposition of the city’s citizens, with a number likely to turn quite disagreeable due to the ever-present stench. Such a smell would likely also impact the city’s tourist industry, where potential tourists may be driven away by the stench.
While it may be argued that the citizens of NYC can choose to simply ignore the smell, it must be noted that a putrid stench has always made a significant impact, with one famous example being The Great Stink of 1858 in London, where the townspeople were literally unable to work due to the exacerbating smells from the river. While the stench in NYC is significantly milder than that of The Great Stink, it must be noted that such noxious fumes would be likely to have its own consequences further in the future.
It cannot be denied that the city of New York has a virulent problem with marijuana. With its fumes known to cause various diseases, as well as the fact that it creates an unpleasant environment, the city’s government must find a way to overturn their policy on the usage of weed. The best option would be to simply outlaw marijuana once again, seeing as its continued usage would only lead to consequences that no one would want. The government of NYC must take such a proposition with the utmost sobriety, lest the citizens be made to suffer for decades to come of the unbearable stench.

 

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About the Contributor
Sophia Lee
Sophia Lee, Staff Writer
Hi! I’m Sophia, and I’m currently a junior at NVD. I love reading historical fiction, watching comedy shows, and writing for the newspaper. I’m really excited to write and collaborate with the incredible staff here at the Northern Star!
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