...Research Background The legalization of cannabis is always a controversial subject due to the harms and the benefits of cannabis. Although cannabis is a drug, society does not deny that it is useful in the medical field. In Sznitman and Bretteville-Jensen’s (2015) research, with the belief of cannabis benefits the medical field, individuals hold strong and positive attitude at supporting the legalization of cannabis. Besides, Troutt and Didonato (2015) found, patients reported that cannabis treatment is more effective. Moreover, those patients suggested that cannabis helps not only in physical condition but also mental condition such as insomnia, anxiety and depression. As a support evidence, Greer, Grob and Halberstadt (2014) found that reduction of PTSD symptom is associated with the use of cannabis. However, the harmful of cannabis as a drug cannot be ignored. Martinez, Roth, Johnson and Jones (2015) showed students who use cannabis are robustly related to lower GPAs, even when the other factors such as identity development and growth, and the...
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...would have an abundance of positive effects for not only the U.S. but for the world as well. Cannabis is not a deadly plant. However some choose to argue that the crime rate would rise as of a result of the legalization of marijuana. However legalization of cannabis would lessen the prison population, allow marijuana to be table and create billions of dollars that would be used in the United States and other countries. Marijuana legalization would allow cannabis to become it’s own industry. Marijuana legalization would reduce the impact of gangs in the streets. Cannabis would be become more effective and better for ones health because the Government would be in control of regulation. The Alaskan Association of Chiefs of Police Inc. posted an article against the legalization of marijuana stating numerous preconceived cons against the cannabis plant. The statement in the article I didn’t agree with was “After medicinal marijuana became easy to get in Colorado, seizures of smuggled marijuana quadrupled in roughly 4 years as legal marijuana was diverted to other markets. No comparable studies have been found addressing this problem in Alaska, but if legalization in this state results in a similar increase in diversion trafficking, more than 75% of Alaskan police feel they will not have sufficient local resources to combat the potential impact in their community (AACOP, 2011).” The reliability, credibility, and validity of the data being used by this author seem to be legit. However...
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...at some point in their lives, that is more than 3.8% of the planet’s population. Sadly, marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug. There are many things that come along with smoking marijuana, such as risks, and physical effects, as well as mental effects, and none of them are very pleasant sounding. Marijuana is a combination of shredded leaves, stems, and flower buds of the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana can be...
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...Evaluate the practical and theoretical issues involved in using statistics in studying society? Official statistics are quantitative data gathered by the government or other official bodies. Some examples of official statistics would include statistics on marriage, divorce, employment and divorce. There are many practical and theoretical issues as well as lots of advantages when using statistics in your research. These advantages and disadvantages can affect the result of a piece of research. One practical issue with using statistics would be that the government collects statistics for its own purpose and not for the benefit of the sociologists, so the part of society in which they are studying may not have any statistics, so therefore they could have theories about a certain topic, but no evidence to back it up. For example, Durkheim in his study of suicide found that there were no statistics specifically on the religion of suicide victims, presumably because the state had no use for the information. This makes it harder for the sociologist as the research is now harder to find out and therefore this may cause the sociologist to finish the study without key details to that piece of research. One theoretical advantage of using statistics to study society would be official statistics are generally seen as a reliable source of data. They are compiled in a standardised way by trained staff, following set procedures. When you are studying society, your statistics have to...
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...I have been looking at trend and patterns of health and illness of different social groups. Some factors that could affect this are gender, social, geographical location, ethnicity and age. I have used several statistical sources to find out if social class does affect health and illness. The world health organisation states “a state of complete health physical, metal and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Social class is an informal ranicing of people, based on their income, occupation, education, dwelling and other factors. This may be referred to as a socio – conic backgrounds. Morality (death) and morbidity (sickness) vary greatly among different social class. Social class factors that cause inequalities are income, occupation, education and environment. Cultural or behavioural This explanation looked at the behaviour and lifestyle choices of people in the lower social classes. It appeared lower social class smoked more, drank more alcohol, take less exercise and eat more junk food. Poor lifestyle choices were linked to a range of chronic – illnesses, heart disease, cancer, diabetics and bronchitis. Personally I think that the message people have about alcohol, smoking and drugs is that they do it to look cool in front of their friends or that they have been peered pressured into it especially with alcohol. Only 65 per cent of people actually drink alcohol and smoke to be more socially with friends. the people who drink 60 per cent of...
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...The legal status of cannabis during 1619-1915, coupled with a ban on alcohol during 1920-1933, has provoked questioning of the rationality of the current US federal legislation on both drugs, as marijuana is currently illicit whilst alcohol is not. Research has suggested that marijuana could be equally if not more beneficial than alcohol to the economy, with fewer negative externalities. This discussion has been sparked anew after the states of Colorado and Washington infringed federal legislation by instating the open legality of marijuana. The topic, in current debate, must be viewed objectively to reach a valuable conclusion, since much of the argument is highly opinionated and biased owing to the stigma attached to such substances. Marijuana is currently a Schedule I substance under federal law whereas alcohol is federally regulated through the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) alongside stringent state and county laws. Existing federal law makes alcohol legal to those over the age of 21, with high taxation placed on consumption. Hence, the substance is highly regulated, although not currently prohibited. We intend to examine the economic effects that alcohol has on the economy and compare these findings with the hypothetical benefits of legalised marijuana. Analytically considering the reasoning behind its current illegal status, we will compare the negative externalities of cannabis against those of alcohol to determine whether there is logic behind...
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...n the An Introduction to the drug ratings in the Philippines Background study drug addiction and drug abuse, chronic or habitual use of any chemical substance to alter states of body or mind for other than medically warranted purposes. Traditional definitions of addiction, with their criteria of physical dependence and withdrawal (and often an underlying tenor of depravity and sin) have been modified with increased understanding; with the introduction of new drugs, such as cocaine, that are psychologically or neuropsychologically addicting; and with the realization that its stereotypical application to opiate-drug users was invalid because many of them remain occasional users with no physical dependence. Addiction is more often now defined by the continuing, compulsive nature of the drug use despite physical and/or psychological harm to the user and society and includes both licit and illicit drugs, and the term "substance abuse" is now frequently used because of the broad range of substances (including alcohol and inhalants) that can fit the addictive profile. Psychological dependence is the subjective feeling that the user needs the drug to maintain a feeling of well-being; physical dependence is characterized by tolerance (the need for increasingly larger doses in order to achieve the initial effect) and withdrawal symptoms when the user is abstinent. INTRODUCTION Illegal drug use is “almost automatically”([1]) associated with criminal behaviour. The statistical...
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...medical alternative and his reasoning to caution others not to utilize marijuana. The first argument to rebuttal is the former senator indicating that “There is no evidence that this (marijuana) is helping patients or that it really relieves pain” (Bill Frist, 01). Bill Frist validates his argument as a physician with a degree in Medicine, his participation in the Senate as Senator, and many other key positions in the government system. The level of credentials for MD Frist is of high ranking credibility. However, the article was submitted in 2009; about 4 years ago. Perhaps, at the time there was not enough collected information, or the data was omitted, or ignored. The article is also a personal opinion sent via email, which deducts reliability to the statement. Researched to rebuttal the argument in question is reported in Toke of the Town. An article by Steve Elliot from 2012, Worth Repeating: Suicide Rates Fall in Medical Marijuana States includes researched facts and statistics. Elliot’s article is based on a research conducted by Ron Marczyk, R.N., retired health education teacher. The research included the following arguments: • “Marijuana improves the "psychological well-being" of young adult males and saves lives! • Marijuana's major actions are that of an anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and anti-anger medication. • Marijuana reduces alcohol consumption in this at risk population.” (Elliot, 2012) The abstract of the research indicates the collection of “state-level...
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...In today’s modern society, businesses need to do everything that they can to ensure that they have a stable and productive workforce. One of the most common methods for producing a stable, productive workforce in recent years has been drug testing/screening. Many believe that drug testing is a valid and useful tool available to businesses to promote a workplace culture the business prefers. Others feel that drug testing is a violation of privacy and has no place at a business. Almost everyone knows of someone that has abused drugs before, during, or after work. Not many know of how drug abuse actually affects performance and safety on the job. Determining if there is a correlation between drugs and poor performance and safety will help to validate drug testing’s presence. Ever since the technology was available, drug testing at the workplace has existed in some form or another. When Reagan became President in 1986, he began to push drug testing in the workplace, schools, and those applying for free benefits as part of the escalating war on drugs. (Butler, 2007) Since then, drug testing has proliferated to the rest of society and become almost a norm. For some businesses, it has become a major hiring tool, while for others it does not exist. For those that do use drug testing, it comes on many forms. Tests range from urine based to hair based to “Drug Recognition Experts,” (Butler, 2007) and each test has its own strengths and weaknesses. The easiest and cheapest tests to...
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... * 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 hold up. Why would a marijuana abuser opt for a less potent drug when stronger varieties...
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...Subject: Caribbean Studies Territory: Jamaica Year: 2011-2012 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the CAPE Caribbean Studies Syllabus Problem Statement An investigation into the effects of substance abuse as a cultural habit on the health of students at Manchester High School within the age group 14- 20. Research Questions * What are the types of substances mainly abused? * How has substance abuse become a cultural habit? * What are the most devastating health effects of substance abuse? * What are the possible solutions to reduce the number of students who indulge in substance abuse? Rationale Substance abuse is a growing trend amongst teenagers including those at Manchester High and being within that age group, the researcher’s interest was generated to uncover how substance abuse as a cultural habit affects one’s health. The researcher’s aim is to educate the readers about these habits and highlight the reasons youths are involved thus identifying ways to solve the problems. The researcher also aims to fulfill the outlined requirements of the CAPE Caribbean Studies course. Delimitations The research is delimited to the effects of substances abuse from the perspectives of fourth to sixth form students at Manchester High School, located at 4 Perth Road, Mandeville Manchester. The sample size chosen was twenty (20) participants between the ages of 14-20 of both genders, which are essentially fourth to sixth form students...
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...state with depression, 255 sensations in, 6 stroke and, 344 stupor in, 31 manic states, 15–17 Marchiafava-Bignami syndrome, 206, 338 Marijuana Anonymous, 239 marital status, and suicide, 454 masculinity drunkenness and, 428 sense of, 395 Massachusetts Male Aging Study, 402 Massachusetts Women’s Health Study (MWHS), 442 masturbation, 396 McNaughton Rules, 558 McNaughton, Daniel, 558 m-CPP 435 , MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; ‘ecstasy’), 328 medial temporal lobe volume in Alzheimer’s disease, 359 MRI for detecting, 75 medical conditions anxiety disorders in, 170 depression treatment, 521 detection of psychiatric illness, 483 feigned illness, 530–531 mental disorders due to, 327 anxiety disorders, 333 cannabis and psychosis, 330 catatonia, 332 cognitive disorders, 334 delusions, 329 depression and Parkinson’s disease, 332 general principles, 327 hallucinations, 328 mood disorders, 330 personality disorder, 333 psychotic disorder, 328 stimulant psychosis, 329 mental disorders due to, 326–335 relationship to affective change, 270 suicide risk and, 455 medically unexplained symptoms, 523 biological mechanisms, 526 epidemiology, 523 biological mechanisms, 526 epidemiology, 523 biological mechanisms, 526 epidemiology, 523 biological mechanisms, 526 epidemiology, 523 biological mechanisms, 526 epidemiology, 523 biological mechanisms, 526 epidemiology, 523 biological mechanisms, 526 epidemiology,...
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...CHAPTER I Introduction It seems to be a "coming of age thing" when a student goes to teenage life and encounters vices such as drinking and smoking is very rampant nowadays. Such vices cannot be ignored anymore as to the more students seem to be detaching from their spare time or even they intend to cut classes just for this so called vices, they seem to be enjoying freedom too much. A student may be influenced to be involved in any of the stated variables. High School is far different from being a college student. A person will have a new life when one goes to college. New environment which one has to adapt, new set of friends which one have to treat nice, and new subjects or topics that one has to study based on what course you will get. Although drinking, smoking, and drug-use for some usually result in adverse health consequences, there are some perceived benefits or advantages of these behaviors particularly from the point of view of the adolescents and youths. Adolescents may view drinking and smoking as privileges of adults and may want to engage in them to feel grown up and to present themselves as adults to others. Some of the reasons given are: the availability of cigarettes at home, parents being model of smoking and drinking behavior and consequently parents lack the credibility as advocates for non-smoking or non-drinking.(Aroyo 2001) Smoking and drinking are two of the most important risk factors explaining early mortality, accounting for an estimated...
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...NEW RESEARCH Does ADHD Predict Substance-Use Disorders? A 10-Year Follow-up Study of Young Adults With ADHD Clancey Bateman, Timothy E. Wilens, B.A., M.D., MaryKate Martelon, M.P.H., Gagan Joshi, M.D., Ronna Fried, Ed.D., Carter Petty, M.A., Joseph Biederman, M.D. Objective: High rates of substance-use disorders (SUD) have been found in samples of adolescents and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Predictors of SUD in children with ADHD who are at risk for the development of SUDs remain understudied. The main aims of this study were to identify clinically meaningful characteristics of children that predicted the future development of SUDs and to see whether the role of these characteristics varied by sex. Method: Subjects were children and adolescents with (n 268; mean age standard deviation 10.9 3.2 years) and without (n 229; mean age 11.9 3.3 years) DSM-III-R ADHD followed prospectively and blindly over a 10-year follow-up period onto young adult years. Subjects were assessed with structured diagnostic interviews for psychopathology and SUDs. Results: Over the 10-year follow-up period, ADHD was found to be a significant predictor of any SUD (hazards ratio 1.47; 95% confidence interval 1.07–2.02; p .01) and cigarette smoking (2.38; 1.61–3.53; p .01). Within ADHD, comorbid conduct disorder (2.74; 1.66 – 4.52; p .01) and oppositional defiant disorder (2.21; 1.40 –3.51; p .01) at baseline were also found to be significant predictors of SUDs...
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...A STUDY ON DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIP <<青年濫藥與家庭關係的研究 青年濫藥與家庭關係的研究>> 青年濫藥與家庭關係的研究 THE FINAL REPORT (FINAL version) February 2011 1 PREFACE The project on the study on “DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIP” (“the Study”) is being undertaken by the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention and the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong (“the Consultant”). The research team comprises the principal investigator (PI), Professor Paul YIP, Director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention and Professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong, and eight co-investigators (Co-Is), Dr. CHEUNG Siu Lan Karen (Demographer), Dr. Sandra Tsang (Social and Family Worker), Dr. Samson Tse (Focus group expert on mental health and drug abuse), Dr. Wong Oi Ling (Family therapist, Family Institute), Prof. Karen Laidler (Sociologist, expertise on assessing drug abuse problem), Dr. Paul Wong (Clinical psychologist), Ms. Frances Law (Social Worker), and Dr. Lilian Wong (Associate Consultant, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Hospital Authority). We would like to thank Mr. Gary Ip, the research assistant of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Ms. Garlum Lau, the senior research officer 2 of the Department of Sociology, the participants and NGOs for focus groups and case studies for their kind and valuable...
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