Medical Marijuana
From chronic pain to anorexia there may be a type of wonder medicine that can be of assistance. This medicine, however, is looked upon in many different ways in the United States. The drug, only have been studied a few times, lacks an extensive amount of research. Marijuana, a debatable prescriptive but most importantly illicit drug, may have the potential to become a widespread legal and acceptable medicine in the near future.
History and THC
Marijuana has been around for a long time. It did not rise to popularity in the United States until the mid to late 1900’s. It especially became even more popular with the hippie movement of the 1970’s. The Rastafarians brought it with them from Jamaica over to the U.S. The Rastafarians used marijuana for religious rites and named it the “wisdom weed” because it gave them the power of spiritual wisdom. The government began to see marijuana use as a problem. However, prohibition of marijuana was not tried at first because it was initially thought to be unconstitutional (Boss, 2010, p. 278). The war on drugs was started soon after and marijuana was said to be a harmful drug when it was grouped with the harder illicit drugs because of the chemicals found in it. Delta 9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main ingredient in marijuana cited for its dangerous abilities. THC creates a psychoactive euphoric effect that the government vies as a possible threat to public safety. It mainly affects the central nervous system which then triggers the potentially good or bad psychological side effects (“Med. Marijuana and the mind”, 2010). Even though marijuana could be dangerous and is still legal in the U.S. it remains the third most frequently used drug in America behind alcohol an...
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...viously further studies are needed and until those studies have taken place, I would personally advise the general public to steer clear of marijuana for their own safety.
Works Cited
Boss, J. A. (2010) Analyzing Moral Issues. NewYork: McGraw-Hill.
Herdt, T. (2010, February 18) “Study shows marijuana effective at relieving pain.” Ventura
County Star (CA), Retrieved from Newspaper Source database.
Mckinley, J. (2010, April 23) “Strategizing legalization’s pros and cons.” The New York Times,
Retrieved from Newspaper Source database.
“Medical Marijuana.” (2010) Retireved from http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/-
medical/index.cfm
“Medical Marijuana.” (2009) Retrived from http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/
“Medical marijuana and the mind.” (2010, April) Harvard Mental Health Letter, [PDF], 26 (10),
1-3. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Marijuana is a relatively harmless drug that governments around the world have made illegal. If legalized, marijuana can be beneficial to society in a number of ways: whether it be for medical, economic, or public safety reasons. Marijuana has been proven to treat several life debilitating, and even life threatening diseases. Although it is not a cure, marijuana can ease the pain and suffering of a dying person. Another benefit of legalization is the financial gains that governments will accomplish through the taxation of marijuana. This is a realistic claim if marijuana sales are compared to that of cigarettes; governments make billions each year from cigarette taxes (Caputo and Ostrom 484). Every year law enforcement spends countless man-hours trying to apprehend marijuana dealers and growers. This time would be better utilized in dealing with more serious crimes. This essay will display some main reasons why marijuana is a substance with beneficial uses and applications. First, marijuana can be used as a treatment for the effects of diseases such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and other terminal diseases. A study carried out in California clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of marijuana as a treatment for cancer: “Over 74 percent of the cancer patients treated in the program have reported that marijuana is more effective in relieving their nausea and vomiting than any other drug they have tried.”(Zeese 1990). Chemotherapy for cancer patients often produces nausea and vomiting. Marijuana has been proven to relieve these symptoms and there have been no known side effects recorded (Ad Hoc Group of Experts part 4).
middle of paper ... ... Cannabis has been used throughout the ages in many societies around the world to treat many conditions; an ancient Chinese emperor prescribed it to cure conditions such as gout and malaria, soon its healing properties were heard around the world and the use of cannabis as a medicine spread like wildfire to many other regions (Earleywine, p. 168). In fact, marijuana was legal in the United States until 1942 when, against the medical community's recommendation, it was removed from the list of acceptable medications. Today there are numerous studies being conducted on the effects of medical marijuana and scientists have proven its effects on treating many symptoms.
Cannabis Sativa, or marijuana, has been around for centuries. This flowering plant has been grown in many locations across the world. Marijuana comes from flowering top of the Cannabis Sativa plant which contains the chemical Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC causes mind-altering states which relaxes the user. After the Mexican Revolution the United States stated seeing an increase of Mexicans immigrating into the United States. These new immigrants brought along with their culture and native language. In the Mexican culture marijuana was used as a medicine and a relaxant. The media then began to play on the fears that the public had about the new immigrants by spreading false claims about the “disruptive Mexicans” with their crazy behavior due
Marijuana in America became a popular ingredient in many medicinal products and was openly sold in pharmacies in the late nineteenth century (“Busted-America’s War on Marijuana Timeline”). The National Institute of Drug Abuse defines marijuana as, “The dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds” (“DrugFacts: Marijuana”). It was not until the Food and Drug act of 19...
Marijuana is one of the oldest cultivated plants (Nahas 8). Since it became illegal in 1967, there have been questions of whether or not it is good for purposes, such as medicine, other than being a leisure drug. Debates between pro and con groups for the use of marijuana in the medical profession, have been heated and in recent months, referendums have been pasted in a least three states to make it accessible for medical treatment. Personally, I feel that marijuana has the potential to be a significant help with certain aliments, however, more research needs to be done to maximize its potential.
Throughout history people have used marijuana for its dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds to relieve pain, stress, and other medical issues from one’s life. Within the recent years it has become one of the most debated issues in the United States. In the 1930s, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) claimed that marijuana was a “gateway” drug and was a powerful, addicting substance. During the sixties marijuana became a symbol for rebellion against authority so it became very popular by college students and “hippies”. So in 1982, Drug Enforcement Administration increased pressure on drug farms and houses which decreased the use of marijuana. In the past twenty years marijuana has become a
Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While marijuana has a small amount of negligible effects to its users, the herbal drug more importantly has remarkable health benefits, and legalizing one of the oldest and most commonly known drugs would redirect America’s future with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.
The legalization of marijuana has been a highly debated topic for many of years. Since the first president to the most recent, our nation’s leaders have consumed the plant known as weed. With such influential figures openly using this drug why is it so frowned upon? Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, a menace to society, and mentally harmful to its consumers. For some people weed brings a sense of anxiety, dizziness, or unsettling feeling.
The debate on Medical marijuana has been a controversial subject mainly because people have an abundance of opinions and very little scientific research to back up either side of the debate. The most important question here is “will medical marijuana be used for medical purposes or will it be used inappropriately?”
Marijuana has been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it’s been in use (Guither, 2014). Going back to 1619, the Virginia Assembly passed legislation requiring every farmer to grow hemp. Hemp was allowed to be exchanged as legal tender in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland (Block, 2014). It was actually a crime in some states to refuse to grow hemp in the 1700's. In the late 19th century, marijuana was a popular ingredient in many medicinal products and was sold openly in public pharmacies (PBS, 2014). However, in the early 1900’s things changed, a prejudice and fear began to develop around marijuana because it was being used and associated with Mexican immigrants. In the 1930’s, the massive unemployment rates increased public resentment and disgust of Mexican immigrants, which escalated public and governmental concern (PBS, 2014). In 1930 a new federal law enforcement agency, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) was created. Harry J. Anslinger was appointed the first commissioner of the FBN in 1930 (...
It was 1920 when smoking began to catch on in the United States. Its recreational use was restricted to jazz musicians and people in show business. “Reefer songs” became the rage of the jazz world. Marijuana clubs, called tea pads, appeared in every major city across the country. Authorities tolerated these establishments because it was not illegal or considered a social threat. In the early 1930’s marijuana became stereotyped as a violent drug, and by 1936 was illegal in all states. Marijuana research was at a stand still and the thought of it being a violent drug faded and the idea that it was a gateway drug emerged in the late 1940’s early 1950’s. In the 1960’s marijuana became very popular among the young college crowd. This was looked at as a challenge to authority and the government.
Marijuana as a medicine? Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. 2001. The 'Secondary' of the 'Se Ravage, Barbara. The “Marijuana Update.”
Marijuana has been hailed as a prescription for many ills and physicians once used it to stimulate appetite, relieve chronic pain, and treat asthma and migraines. But is marijuana really a medical miracle? If so, do its clinical benefits outweigh its drawbacks? Should we legalize marijuana? Is medical marijuana really worth the risks? These are the issues one needs to think about before making the decision to legalize marijuana.
Yep, I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now, but if you haven’t, I’m talking about Cannabis. You know; marijuana, Mary Jane, weed, pot, and ganja. Whatever you prefer to call it, it is a huge topic of the decade. We as Americans have taken a huge interest in the plant and whether or not it is medicinal. There is scientific evidence of marijuana being medicinal. The only dilemma with medicinal marijuana is that it’s not always the most effective and usually the effects only last for a short period of time. We see this in many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. We also see that marijuana is helpful towards