...Medical marijuana refers to the use of cannabis to treat disease or improve symptoms. It also refers to using the whole unprocessed marijuana plants or its basic extracts to also treat a disease or systems. Medically prescribed marijuana has a beneficial effect on patients who suffer from diseases. It treats the disease symptoms while alleviating the unfortunate side affects. As a result of improving a patient’s quality of life and help to promote a positive response to treatment. The following several sources are supported by factual details in which subsidize the thesis: websites by health.harvard.edu, Drugabuse.gov, Livescience.com,drugpolicy.org, raysahelian.com,norml.org,mayoclinc.com ,Wikipedia.org. A. ` With Medical marijuana being new in the drug industry, legalizing thee drug has been a problem but it helps out ways the pros for the drug. For example, the movement to legalize marijuana for medical use in the U.S. has renewed discussion about how this drug affects the brain, and whether it might be useful in treating psychiatric disorders. With that research has been done to expose that medical marijuana can be used for psychiatric disorders and as a replacement to many remedies for diseases. In the comprehensive 1999 review, for example, the Institute of Medicine(IOM) concluded that marijuana may be modestly effective for pain relief, appetite simulation for people with AIDS wasting syndrome, and control of chemotherapy- related nausea and vomiting. Although, there...
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...Medical Marijuana If a substance can make someone who is ill feel better, why keep it from him or her? On the surface this sounds right. People who advocate making marijuana legal for medical purposes take this approach. What could it hurt? A closer look reveals that marijuana should not be legalized for medical use, because young people are given mixed signals about drugs, other drugs can be used that are easier to regulate, and there are more harmful side effects. Marijuana is one of the most abused drugs in America today. It is estimated that close to four million Americans regularly use marijuana. It is often one of the first illegal drugs that young people experiment with (Gassett2). Legalization for medical purposes would send a mixed signal to our youth. Young people are taught at a very early age about the harmful effects and the abusive potential of marijuana. If at the same time, they are told that marijuana is medically benevolent, the result could be confusion. Andrea Barthwell, former deputy Director of the office of National Drug Policy said this in 2004, “Children entering drug abuse treatment routinely report that they heard ‘pot is medicine’ and, therefore, believed to be good for them.” (19). At a time when recreational drug use is at an all time high, it would not be wise to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. The war on drugs begins with young people. If they are confused about whether or not a drug like marijuana is harmful, the battle...
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...Medicalization of Marijuana The Stigma of a Miracle Drug March 25, 2014 Synopsis The following media review is based on a two part documentary which focuses on the healing qualities of medical marijuana in the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome along with a number of other illnesses. I researched the benefits of medical marijuana, specifically the medicalization of the plant and its derivatives. This includes the extraction and ingestion of cannabis oil in its pure form for the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome, a form of chronic epilepsy often found in children. This paper focuses on the history of the use of cannabis for its healing properties and provides a brief overview of the documentary which is the basis of the paper, detailing the importance of the medicalization of the cannabis plant for use in treating a number of ailments, including but not limited to the treatment of Dravet’s Syndrome and Autism in children. It was not until I watched the documentary which was recently aired on CNN entitled “Weed, Cannabis Madness” and its sequel “Weed 2” that I became interested in the healing qualities that this plant possesses and more specifically, its ability to treat children who are suffering from a condition called Dravet’s Syndrome. Dravet’s Syndrome is a form of chronic epilepsy which causes children to seize violently for upwards of 50 seizures per day. There is no cure for this disease, and for many children the drugs prescribed by their physicians such as...
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...Why Marijuana Should Remain Illegal Published: February 26, 1994 * Sign In to E-Mail * Print To the Editor: I read with concern "Legalizing Marijuana Would Allow Regulation of Its Potency" (letter, Feb. 13). According to the writer, marijuana with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC (the chemical that causes the psychoactive effects on the abuser), is not a new phenomenon, and this high potency should not be used as a reason to keep marijuana illegal. Marijuana is not the same drug it was 20 years ago. Special fertilizers, plant hormones and steroids, carbon dioxide and advanced indoor horticulture techniques are used by the informed grower to "push" the plant to produce the highest grade, most potent variety of marijuana, sinsemilla. Because of its potency, domestic marijuana is the most highly prized cannabis product in the world. In 1970, the average THC content of a marijuana plant was 1.5 percent. The THC content of today's sinsemilla variety ranges from 8 percent to 20 percent. Today's marijuana is a drug that is significantly more potent than it was during the Woodstock era. The writer then states that "if the Government really believes that stronger varieties of marijuana are less desirable, then it has one more reason to support legalization. If cultivation of marijuana were legal, growers would not be pressed to produce the strongest possible product, and health authorities would be able to regulate its production and strength." This logic doesn't...
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...Should Marijuana be Legalized? BCOM/275 November 26, 2012 Should marijuana be legalized? Throughout the years, the topic should marijuana be legalized is often heavily debated. For many years the use of marijuana was forbidden and outlawed in the United States, but in more recent years marijuana seems to be becoming accepted. Scientist has found many useful applications for marijuana. Recently, here in the United States, many states have approved legislation for marijuana for medical purposes. Most recently, two states Colorado and Washington have passed referendums that will allow people over the age of 21 recreational use of marijuana without the penalty of a criminal offense. These two states will oversee the use of marijuana for its constituents similar to how alcohol is controlled. Whereas, the government at the state level in Colorado and Washington is in favor for the legalization and passed legislation for the legalization of marijuana, the federal government has not. This causes legal, moral, and ethical issues and begs that questions; should marijuana be legalized? Pros of Legalization One benefit of the legalization of marijuana would be the ability for state and local governments to tax the legal production and sale of it. Currently, because marijuana is illegal the sale of it is not taxed so the local, state, and federal governments do not reap any of the benefits of this “$10.5 billion dollar industry” (Miron, 2005, p.4). In a report written by Jeffrey A....
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...Medical Marijuana: More than a High Your Name COM/220 – Research Writing 8/2/2012 Instructor Name There has been much debate over the years about whether marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes. There are many arguments both for and against this issue. This paper will present facts to support the legalization of medicinal marijuana. It will also go over the arguments against the medical use of marijuana and show why these ideas are invalid. This can be a very morally based issue. Some people may ask, why is marijuana illegal when there are other substances frequently used that are so much worse for the human body? Others may say that the government made marijuana illegal for a reason. Marijuana has been legalized by state law for 16 U.S. states and DC, so why is it not legal for all 50 (Medical Marijuana ProCon, n.d.)? These are some of the things that will be addressed, along with many other questions that will be answered. By the end of this paper, it should be apparent that something should change. Marijuana should be legalized for medical use because of its advantages over other traditionally used drugs which are currently legal. The use of marijuana for its medical advantages has been recognized since before recorded history. There are written references that can be found as far back as the fifteenth century B.C. (Zeese, 1997). There were over 100 articles published in medical journals on the therapeutic use of cannabis between 1840 and 1900....
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...paper looks at patients’ testimonies, doctors concerns of medical ethics, their medical oath and the medical decisions between the physicians and patients terminally ill or at end stage of life, science and research developments and the arguments that cannabis in its natural form, needs reclassified and allowed to become an enhancement to medical treatment plans for the terminally ill. Such arguments published by agencies such as the DEA, Federal Government, clinical research and science departments, and finally the patient. The strongest argument, that is, in its natural form, cannabis is a versatile and safe therapeutic active substance with medicinal values. Holistic Help for the Terminally Ill The use of cannabis to treat illnesses is still one of the most controversial issues between the American Medical Society and the nation’s legal system. Cannabis was used for many years to help in treatments for a variety of conditions and ailments and legal in the United States for different purposes of recreational and medicinal use until 1937 when the Marijuana Tax Act established by the Federal Government came into law. A well-known physician from the American Medical Association, Dr. William C. Woodward went before the judicial system, testifying against this act, his argument said, “this act will ultimately prevent any medicinal use of the cannabis for medical treatments (Schaffer Library, pg 1. 1938),” creating the controversy...
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...Should marijuana be used as a medical option? Should marijuana be used as a medical option? Researchers suggest that marijuana’s active components are potentially effective in treating pain, nausea, and vomiting. Anti-emetics are also effective against vomiting and nausea; doctors can also prescribe painkillers to treat pain if necessary. Why should the United States need to legalize marijuana? Chronic use of marijuana can have negative effects. Prolonged use of marijuana can cause lung damage, mental health issues, impair cognitive abilities, there is a high potential for abuse and it is illegal. Medical marijuana should not be used for medical purposes because it does more harm than good. Any type of smoke, when it is inhaled into the lungs, is unhealthy. Smoke comes from burning gases and materials that travel into the air. They are poisons, toxins or irritants that cause the lungs to become inflamed. (Allina Health, 2012) This damages the airways and stops oxygen from getting into your blood which can cause respiratory failure. Inhaled smoke can also reach and damage other parts of the body like the heart, brain, liver and kidneys. In a 1988 paper, Tashkin and his colleagues report attempted to establish that marijuana smoke produces more toxic chemical release than tobacco smoke. Marijuana smoking resulted in a tar burden to the respiratory tract that was 3.5 to 4.5 times greater than that produced by tobacco smoking in the same subjects. Furthermore, smoking...
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...| Marijuana should be legalized | | Chioke s. Woodley | | 03/512 | Marijuana a preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria. A strong-smelling plant from whose dried leaves a number of euphoria and hallucinogenic drugs are prepared. The most commonly used illicit drug; considered a soft drug, it consists of the dried leaves of the hemp plant; smoked or chewed for euphoric effect. Unfortunately, however, the financial costs of marijuana legalization would never outweigh its benefits. People may not realize it, but the United States spends billions of tax payers dollars fighting the so called “drug war” when there are so many more important issues at hand. I mean, let the people who want to smoke marijuana smoke marijuana peacefully, how is it bothering you? If the fact that you are not earning any tax dollars off illegal sales is bothersome, then just legalize it and tax it. Since 0.5 grams of marijuana is sold on the streets for about $8.60 and its production price is only $1.70 – that means that the legal selling price could be much lower than the street selling price, giving people incentive to purchase legally. A research company estimates that the industry is worth roughly $10 billion a year. Increase in marijuana prevalence resulting from legalization would probably increase the already high costs of marijuana use in society. Accidents would increase, health-care costs would...
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...The opinion of Marijuana during the 70’s was much more definitive than it is today. Approval of Marijuana by 27 states, new medical studies, and its consequences on those convicted from use of the most common illicit drug in the world, is forcing the United States of America to rethink its stance on the matter. In general, the underlying argument about Marijuana in this country is: should Marijuana continue to be prohibited to citizens based on its health effects, medicinal values, and costs to the country? The reasons why this argument is so important are great. As previously stated, Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world, and with millions of people using it regularly and almost 100 million that have ever used it in this country, the laws behind this drug hold great influence. It is because of this and the immergence of new evidence, that the justification behind prohibition of this drug is being rethought scientifically, socially, and economically. The use of Marijuana as both medicine and a recreational drug is being thoroughly questioned in the US. 27 states have Marijuana approved in some form, many of those for medical purposes however those users can still, and do get placed into prison by federal law. Currently, 830,00 people a year are in trouble with the law in regards to Marijuana and numbers seem to be on an uphill trend . Furthermore, the US invests 30 billion a year into the drug war, half of which is dedicated to Marijuana. Many are questioning...
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...HOW CAN I TELL IF CAN A PERSON BECOME MY CHILD HAS BEEN ADDICTED USING MARIJUANA? TO MARIJUANA? HOW LONG DOES MARIJUANA STAY IN THE USER’S BODY? CAN MARIJUANA AFFECT MY CHILD'S GRADES? WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA? MARIJUANA: FACTS PARENTS NEED TO KNOW Revised WHAT ABOUT EFFECTS ON M AR IJUANA? PREGNANCY? HOW IS MARIJUANA USED? LOSE THEIR MOTIVATION? HOW CAN I PREVENT MY CHILD FROM GETTING INVOLVED WITH WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA USE? WHAT DOES MARIJUANA DO TO THE BRAIN? CAN MARIJUANA BE USED AS MEDICINE? ARE THERE TREATMENTS TO HELP MARIJUANA USERS? REACTION? HOW MANY PEOPLE SMOKE MARIJUANA? CAN A USER HAVE A BAD OF OTHER DRUGS? LEAD TO THE USE DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT DRIVING? DO MARIJUANA USERS WHAT ARE THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA USE? HOW DOES MARIJUANA National Institute on Drug Abuse I National Institutes of Health II A Letter to Parents We at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are pleased to offer these two short booklets for parents and children to review the scientific facts about marijuana: (1) Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know and (2) Marijuana: Facts for Teens. Although it is best to talk about drugs when children are young—since that is when drug use often begins—it is never too late to start the conversation. Marijuana remains the most abused illegal substance among youth. By the time they graduate high school, about 46 percent of U.S. teens will have tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime...
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...Marijuana, subject that has been around since most were even born, yet still controversial to this very second. There are very passionate parties on both ends, some for it, and some against it. There are also positives and negatives to each. In a day and age where numbers are everything, it is “the” thing. This is a disclaimer: I am not writing about the legalization of weed. In fact, I am addressing the economic argument of if marijuana is the productive economic stimulus the United States has been looking for. Marijuana as of right now is an illegal banned substance in most states, yet without many documented negatives, is left out and unable to bring most state revenue departments hundreds of millions of dollars per year, further helping this country and keeping it out of another economic recession. In this argumentative piece, I am going to address if marijuana is actual an economic benefit in the states that do allow it, or if it is just a myth. Now we must first address the elephant in the room. There is a certain stigma with Marijuana. It has been said by many that the legalization of marijuana is not in hopes of revenue and economic gains, but instead our troubled generations excuse to legalize a substance that as of now is still widely illegal. It is important to note the now cultural norm marijuana’s widely gained. On the Expanded Academic ASAP Gale, Ventrell Marvin goes into depth on Colorado’s land mark experiment of Marijuana. The author of the scholarly source...
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...Marijuana Prohibition Marijuana prohibition in America has become a much heated debate over the past decade or so which has launched countless campaigns both for and against legalizing the plant for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, excessive propaganda has been used to distort the facts and prevent education on the matter. It may surprise you to know that 100 years ago this was not even an issue. Most people in America simply assume that marijuana was criminalized due to the result of scientific research which determined that it fell into the category of a dangerous drug. This is completely false and the history of marijuana’s criminalization is filled with fear and corrupt legislation. The laws that were created as a result were made for the wrong reasons using false evidence. Despite what the opposition says, legalizing marijuana is beneficial to everyone for several reasons: it is a healthier alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, it will free the court system and jails from unnecessary time and expenses, and it will create a substantial source of revenue for the country. For nearly a century, health care personnel and government officials have stressed the potentially dangerous side effects of marijuana usage. Currently marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. (NIDA, 2010) Marijuana is the dried flowers that come from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which...
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...Morgan Gadley 16 September 2014 English 1102 Zhang Marijuana, The Game Changer In Medicine and Society Is marijuana as corrupt as society makes it out to be? Growing up, everyone is told that, “Drugs are bad for you,” time and time again. Now as a kid you don’t really appreciate the reasoning behind it, but you listen to your authority figure heedlessly. I remember being told this my entire life and even to this very day. But as I got older I realized that people would still use the drugs even though it’s unlawful. I could never comprehend why someone would go against the law and endanger their life just to use drugs? But as I got older I began to realize that these people truly didn’t do any harm to the public or to themselves by smoking marijuana. Many doctors and health specialist are advocates for consumers to smoke marijuana just because of its health benefits. Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America other than alcohol and tobacco, but marijuana is the only one that can benefit you the most out of the three. Alcohol and tobacco are drugs that many people have died from and harms the body as time goes by. Other medication that doctors prescribe to their patients is painkillers, and they can really kill you. According to McKnight et al. (2014), “There were 14,800 deaths from opiate overdose in 2008, according to the Center for Disease Control, and none from marijuana” (p. 4). Pain is the anxiety of disease, the symptom that reveals that...
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...Legalizing Marijuana, New Social Stigma: The new wave of Acceptance C. LaMour Romine Pittsburg State University Definition of Problem to be studied: This research is a secondary research analysis of the theoretical perspective of the marijuana movement - pertaining to the politic standpoint of marijuana verses cigarettes and scientific medical analysis of marijuana verses cigarettes. This research is meant to explore the multifaceted aspect of marijuana, cigarette trends, and the correlation between their recent waves of popularity. We will explore the historical facts of past tobacco trends to the present marijuana movement including widely held attitudes and beliefs about both substances. The thesis of this research will be to explore the differences between marijuana and cigarettes and social stigmas. Including the shift in popularity between tobacco and marijuana the MJ activist group known as NORML supporting the legalization of cannabis, while anti tobacco organizations have increased to ban cigarette smoke in public places. This research will conceptualize the meanings behind the negative stigmas associated with drugs legal and illegal influence. The problem is a double standard between the political views of marijuana and cigarettes. The political perspectives seem to be focused on public stigmas about the substance(s) rather than deciding drug laws based on medical science. Marijuana and tobacco have a shared...
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