...journal of Australia. 187, 10,55]-554. Cannabis was dssociatcd u'llh lii'creased lung density on (IT scans One cannabis joint is similar to smoking up to five cigarettes Smoking cannabis is associated with a dose-related impairment of large airways function resulting in airflow obstruction and hyperinflation. Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the world, its long-term use is known to cause chronic bronchitis and airflow obstruction., but the prevalence of macroscopic emphysema, the dose-response relationship, and the dose equivalence of cannabis with tobacco, have not previously been determined. Researchers in New Zealand recruited 319 people into four groups: cannabis only; tobacco only; combined cannabis and tobacco; and non-smokers of either. Respiratory status was assessed using high-resolution CT scanning, lung-function tests, and a respiratory and smoking questionnaire. A dose-response relationship was found between cannabis smoking and forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity ratio and specific airways conductance, and increased total lung capacity. For measures of airflow obstruction, one cannabis joint had a similar effect to between two and a half and five tobacco NURSING STANDARD cigarettes. Cannabis smoking was associated with decreased lung density on CT scans. Macroscopic emphysema was detected in 1.3, 16.3 and 18.9 per cent of subjects in the cannabis only, combined cannabis and tobacco, and tobacco only groups respectively...
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...Article Rebuttal Article Rebuttal The article is chosen is “Not so Fast! A Case Against Legalizing Marijuana” (Duncan, 2013). Through his article, Mr. Duncan is trying to convince his readers that legalizing marijuana is a detriment to the health of the potential marijuana smoking public and should not become a legalized commodity. The fallacy that Mr. Duncan falls into is that of the Red Herring/Smoke Screen. Instead of sticking to the potential health effects of marijuana, he dives into the history of cigarettes and the health effects from them. If Mr. Duncan had limited his point here to known facts of marijuana and the similarities to tobacco his point would have been better served. The second fallacy Mr. Duncan uses are Scare Tactics. Mr. Duncan chooses to state facts about the effects of marijuana on children when the concept of legalizing marijuana is geared toward adults the same as tobacco and alcohol, not children. By introducing the harmful effects of marijuana on children, he is trying to scare his readers into opposing the concept of legalization. The same health concepts apply to tobacco and alcohol, and they are legal for adults not children. Mr. Duncan should have cited the facts on marijuana addition and side affects instead of trying to scare his readers by bringing children into the discussion. Daniel K. Duncan is director of community services for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse–St. Louis Area (Duncan, 2013). This position...
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...aspect of legalizing the possession and use of this plant. Marijuana also called Cannabis sativa when used correctly provides many benefits to one’s health. It can also be used to develop the psychological being of an individual. The legalization of Marijuana will lead to a reduction in drug related crimes. Therefore, I firmly believe that Marijuana should be decriminalized worldwide. Marijuana is sometimes referred to as a medicinal plant. The leaves and buds have been used in herbal remedies and cures for years. There have been 66 biologically active components, identified by scientists called cannabinoids, in marijuana. The most powerful of these is said to be the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, even though other active elements are being studied. (American Cancer Society, 2012). Research has shown that marijuana can be used to treat the eye disease glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease associated with increased pressure fluids in the eyes resulting in damage to the optic nerve, which may lead to blindness or vision loss (National Eye Institute, 2012). The National Eye Institute supported many researches and studies in the early 1970s that proved that marijuana whether administered orally, intravenously or by smoking decreased intraocular pressure (IOP). (National Eye Institute, 2012). According to Time.com, the Journal of American Association published a study indicating that, smoking marijuana does not cause any damage or obstructs the function of the lungs. Intact...
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...comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, is the most frequently used illegal drug in the U.S. About 4% of American adults smoke pot at least once a year. Roughly 1% of adults abuse pot, and one in 300 have a pot addiction. Most people smoke the plant's dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds. But marijuana also can be mixed into food or brewed as a tea. Marijuana goes by many street names, including pot, weed, and herb. Hash, a concentrated form of the drug, is short for hashish. The rates of marijuana smoking in adults have remained stable since the 1990s. However, the rates of addiction to pot have risen significantly over that same period. And, according to recent government studies, as many as 30% of today's teenagers are smoking marijuana. Occasional marijuana use is rarely seriously harmful, but smoking pot has important medical effects. Physiological Effects of Marijuana The active ingredient in marijuana is THC. That's short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is rapidly absorbed after smoking pot. Within minutes, THC and the other substances in marijuana smoke cause short-term medical effects. Signs of using marijuana include: Rapid heart rate Increased blood pressure Increased rate of breathing Red eyes Dry mouth Increased appetite, or "the munchies" Slowed reaction time These effects are reduced after three or four hours. However, marijuana hangs around in your system for as long as a month after smoking. The lingering effects mean...
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...A defining moment in my life, a momentous event in itself, yet small enough to not really matter to the text books of society’s future. Something that had changed my life and my views on morality, and that something was when my father found out that I had been smoking pot recreationally. I will never forget walking into the front door of my two story home at the ripe old age of fifteen. I was already thinking I was in trouble for being home late, If only I had known what awaited me inside that door. I didn’t even make it two steps into the house before I seen my father, Folgers coffee can in hand, “come up stairs” my dad demanded. A little thing about this Folgers coffee can that I would like you to know. It was my secret stash. I had a quarter ounce of Blueberry Kush in it, a pipe, and some rolling papers, all of which in society’s eyes deemed me a drug addict. I followed my dad up the thin stairwell and into his room. “Sit down and let’s have a talk” he said. I sat on my dad’s bed, sinking into it, either because it’s so soft or because of the heavy weight of guilt on my shoulders, at this point it didn’t really matter. “What do you want to talk about?” I tried to maintain my innocence, act like I didn’t know what was in the coffee can. After all you are innocent until proven guilty in the court of law. He called my bluff and dumped the contents of the coffee can on his bed, paraphernalia planting itself in my father’s possession. I didn’t know how to react in the sudden...
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...WHAT IS A BONG, AND HOW DO THEY WORK? A bong, also commonly known as a Water Pipe, is a smoking device, generally used to smoke cannabis. Its most suitable for dried cannabis flower. The biggest advantage of a bong is that it has the ability to cool down and filter smoke. Water in the bongs makes it soft and smooth even when you inhale large amounts of smoke. Bongs are also newbie-friendly They help ease the first timers into smoking and make it not as harsh. They are relatively cheap way of consuming marijuana in comparison to some other ways. They are also very aesthetically pleasing. The first step in getting to know your bong being able to decipher the different parts. Water bongs are simple but sophisticated devices. They have many...
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...people, ranging from teenagers, adults, and elderlies, practice the infamous habit of smoking and drinking alcohol. Researches states that cannabis is the most consumed illegal drugs used today, while alcohol is the number one drug used and abused. Whether the vice is habitually puffing marijuana or consuming alcohol, smokers and drunkards are seen undoubtedly in every neighborhood in small towns and large cities. Although a great controversial issue for decades, the legalization of marijuana for the past recent years has soared to new heights of popularity...
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...can be noted that cannabis-related disorders are synonymous with other addictive substances. This is clear in terms of the initial craving for a “high” experienced from smoking a joint, in combination with a widely held perception that marijuana is not dangerous to the user. These views and ideas lead to experimentation of smoking marijuana, typically in the teen years. Many believe that cannabis use is not addictive and only serves as a temporary hobby that many adolescents take part in. However, recent studies have shown that cannabis withdrawal symptoms should be included in the next revision of the DSM-IV-TR due to their severity in certain cases. The DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) does not include or recognize a...
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...Psychoactive Drugs And Their Effects Abstract This paper discusses three different psychoactive drugs, one from each classification, and their general psychological and physical effects. Cocaine, a stimulant, Cannabis, a hallucinogen and Oxycodone, a depressant will be covered. Positive, neutral and adverse effects will be discussed as well as long-term use and withdrawal symptoms. Cannabis has a section regarding its medicinal use in society. Cocaine is a naturally derived central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and topical anesthetic that is extracted and refined from the Erythroxylum coca plant, which is grown primarily in the Andean region of South America. Coca leaf chewing has been around for thousands of years. The drug was first isolated in the 1850’s and had medicinal use through the late 19th century. Recreational use became a problem in the early 20th century and became illegal is the United States in 1914. The chemical name for cocaine is benzoylmethyl ecgonine; it is a bitter, white, odorless crystalline drug. Cocaine has multiple methods of ingestion; it can be insufflated, taken orally or intravenously. It can be smoked to some degree, but tends to burn rather than vaporize because of the high temperature required. Freebase cocaine vaporizes at smoking temperatures and creates a more intense high whilst using less product. Street terminology consists of coke, snow, nose candy, white, blow and soft, among others. Freebase is known as crack, rock and hard, among...
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...I. Executive Summary L.A.P.D. Police Officer Jake Hoyt, was on his first day on job as a narcotics officer who was supervised by a long-time in a job as a narcotics officer detective Alonzo Harris. At first he did not know that what happened was the opposite of his thoughts about the evaluation. So they began roaming around the City where the streets was overrun by a massive groups of drug dealers. They started to stop some teenagers who were using marijuana abusively at their young age. Jake was persuaded by Alonzo to take a hit on the marijuana they just confiscated and proceeded to their work. Upon driving they helped a woman who was about to be rape by two man. The two officers had an argument about proper enforcing of justice. They later on apprehended a drug-dealer on a wheelchair and in exchange of his freedom the man must tell the two of his other associates. After that they went off to the man’s associate’s house to conduct a search with a fake warrant. They had a gun fight but managed to escape. They went to Alonzo’s house mistress and Jake meet Alonzo’s young son. Then they had a meeting with the officials telling Alonzo to get out of the town but Alonzo insist. They give the money to the officials in order to get an arrest warrant. Afterwards, they went to the house of a former police officer who is a drug dealer and used their warrant of arrest and get lots of money from the officer’s house. And when the time they were about to cut the money and give their parts...
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...article, “Post-Traumatic Marijuana.” Marijuana is still illegal to this day, but it can be changed with all these benefits reaping the consequences. In sum, Marijuana should be legalized because of all the benefits it has; it helps with pain, PTSD, and workouts without enhancing performance. Marijuana’s main beneficial use is dealing with pain. Marijuana is a great replacement for dangerous pain pills such as opioids. In the article “The Need for Weed” Kyle Turley, two-time NFL first-team all-pro, explains how he became hooked on dangerous opioid pain medication, and that switching to medical marijuana saved his life. For...
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...those who are genetically vulnerable. This paper looks at the research on mood disorders and the use of cannabis for its treatment. It will brief on the types of mood disorders, their symptoms, and treatment and finally discuss both positive and negative effects of using marijuana as a ‘cure’ for mood disorders. WHAT ARE MOOD DISORDERS? Mood disorders, or affective disorders, are mental health problems such as all types of depression, bipolar disorder, and mania (Klasco, 2011). The disorders in this category include those where the primary symptom is a disturbance in mood; in other words, inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, which are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most likely, depression (and other mood disorders) is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center). Life events (such as unwanted changes in life) may also contribute to a depressed mood. WHAT IS MARIJUANA? Marijuana is a psychoactive drug made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant (cannabis sativa), (The Institute of Medicine, 1999). Scientists have learned a great deal about how TetraHydroCannabinol (THC) acts in the brain to produce its many effects. It has been proven that the cannabis plant contains active ingredients with therapeutic...
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... can only be conjectured…No one knows, when he places a marijuana cigarette to his lips, whether he will become a joyous reveller in a musical heaven, a mad insensate, a calm philosopher, or a murderer…” -Harry J Anslinger Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it was a spiritual and religious trigger at the time. It changed to be used in India and Persia for leisure and recreational purposes. From its stronghold in India, moved westward through Persia, Assyria and Arabia by 500 A.D. With the rising power of Islam, marijuana flourished and flourished in a popular form as hashish. Humans have used marijuana, whose botanical name is cannabis, for thousands of years. Marijuana refers to the dried flowers and subtending leaves and stems of the female cannabis plant. It was classified as an illegal drug by many countries in the 20th century. It became illegal because of misuse and overuse and this was featured and high lightened by the 6os and 70s, during the hippy movement, where the use of recreational drugs widespread, and post Vietnam War. In most of the countries and cities marijuana is still considered as a “hard drug” where in some exceptional countries like the Netherlands marijuana is legal and sold through coffee shops because it is considered to be a “soft drug”. The policy for marijuana has caused a lot of frictions between several countries such as Netherlands, France and Germany during these past years around whether or...
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...engages in smoking, drinking alcohol, or use drugs. Many of that is based on personal relationships, society, and sometimes the need to feel like a person is part of the “in crowd”. It not only affects the person that is doing the drugs but also the family and friends of the loved ones. Substance abuse is a disorder that is characterized by a pattern of continued use of medications or controlled substances. The portion of substance abuse that I chose would be marijuana or a legal name would be cannabis. Cannabis is often consumed for its psychoactive and physiological effects which can include heightened mood or euphoria, relaxation, and increase in appetite. Unwanted side-effects can sometimes include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, reddening of the eyes, and feelings of paranoia or anxiety. Contemporary uses of cannabis are as a recreational or medicinal drug, and as part of religious or spiritual rites; the earliest recorded uses date from the 3rd millennium BC. Since the early 20th century cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions with the possession, use, and sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive cannabinoids currently illegal in most countries of the world; the United Nations has said that cannabis is the most-used illicit drug in the world. In 2004, the United Nations estimated that global consumption of cannabis indicated that approximately 4% of the adult world population (162 million people) used cannabis annually...
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...Name Name of the Professor Course no Date Marijuana Medicine The term marijuana refers to the components of the hemp plant cannabis sativa after they dry .The use of the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its extract is what is called marijuana medicine. According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration, this usage is illegal. The usage of some processed extract is legalized by the federal law. These are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is compound of marijuana that increases desire for food and reduces nausea .It also act as an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory drug. The other one is Cannabichromene (CBC) which has the same function in addition of being an antiepileptic drug(Owen, Sutter, and Albertson, 4 ). Marijuana plant has been used for many years as a herbal medicine .In the ancient world marijuana plant was used to treat different ailment .In china it was used to treat menstrual disorder. In Egypt it was used as an antihelmithic drug .There is clear documentation of its use as a herb drug. The argument in the modern medicine is the balance between the benefits of marijuana and the health risk it has to the user(Owen, Sutter, and Albertson). In America, 23 states and Washington Dc has legalized the usage of smoked marijuana in variety of medical conditions. The federal is still clear, that the use of marijuana is illegal. According to the Director National Institute of Drug Abuse, the call for the legalization and the acceptance of usage of marijuana...
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