Cannabis, also know as marijuana has been a major topic in the United States for quite some time due to its medicinal and recreational use. There have been numerous studies to show the positive effect of medical marijuana but the negative stigmata still exists no matter how positive the outcomes are. In the United States there has been a battle between the federal government and states to legalize marijuana. Some states have created their own policies to bring the benefits to those that are sick and some states have made policies for recreational use to bring income into the state. Whether its for medical or recreational there are many factors that have to be taken into consideration before a general conclusion can be made. As early as 2737 B.C. marijuana had been used as medicine and some used it for religious purposes. Emperor Shen Neng of China was prescribing marijuana as treatment for various diseases and disorders. With increased popularity the use of marijuana for medical uses spread like wildfire throughout Asia, the Middle East and the coast of Africa (Stack,2009). In the 1840s a French doctor, Jacques-Joseph Moreau did research and found that marijuana could inhibit headaches, aid in sleep and increase appetite. With increased use and research by 1914 the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act was implemented to tax persons that imported and produced opium and cocoa leaves. Although not directly related this becomes a representation to a later drug regulation basis for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. This act allowed doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes but in order for them to do so they had to pay an annual tax along with registering with the federal government. During the 1970s, with the increased use of ... ... middle of paper ... ...Wadsworth. Pew, R. (2014, 04 02). America's new drug policy landscape. Retrieved from http://www.people- press.org/2014/04/02/americas-new-drug-policy-landscape/ ProCon.org. Founding Fathers on Religion in Government. ProCon.org. Retrieved February 22,2008, from http://undergod.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=70 ProCon.org. (2012, January 11). Does the Regular Smoking of Marijuana Cause Lung Cancer or in Any Way Permanently Injure the Lungs? Retrieved from http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000234 Seamon, M. J., Fass, J. A., Maniscalco-Feichtl, M., & Abu-Shraie, N. A. (2007). Medical marijuana and the developing role of the pharmacist. American journal of health-system pharmacy, 64(10). Stack , P. (2009, 10 21). A brief history of medical marijuana. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1931247,00.html
William Brooke O’Shaughnessy was introduced to Cannabis indica, “Indian hemp”, on his travels to Calcutta, India, he decided to share it with the Western world and suggested it to be used as a muscle relaxant and analgesia (2015). In 1840’s London, soon after, Dr. Clendinng became one of the first Western physicians to use cannabis as a treatment for migraines (Baron 2015). Not long afterwards, more doctors and physicians began to do the same. This soon leads to legislators developing the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which put a heavy tax on those who associated themselves with the product (2015). This act eventually started the push for the banning of cannabis, which brought research to a halt. Eventually, researchers could start experimenting and testing cannabis again later down the
The history of marijuana in North America is integral in understanding the reasons it is now illegal and how to...
Zeese, Kevin and William Ruzzamenti. “Should marijuana be legalized for medical uses?” Health Nov./Dec. 1993 Vol.7 Issue 7 page 23. http://ehostvgw8.epnet.com/delivery.asp?…3F&startHitNu m=1&rlStartHit=1&delType=FT.
In the first few centuries of medicinal cannabis use (between 1600 and 1900) the drug was increasingly being used in a vast array of areas. This era may be considered the time of greatest usage of the substance (Grinspoon, 2005). During these years, marijuana was prescribed for many conditions including depression, skin inflammation, relief for coughing, urinary incontinence (or the involuntary release of urine), rabies, rheumatism, epilepsy, tetanus, painful nerve issues, convulsions, asthma, postpartum psychosis, gonorrhea, chronic b...
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...
“Chapter 2: The History of Marijuana.” Marijuana: Mind-Altering Weed (2008): 18-31. Book Collection: Nonfiction. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Wilson, Clare “The Case for Marijuana by Prescription." Marijuana (Contemporary Issues Companion). Tardiff, Joseph, ed. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2008. 63-70. Print
Marijuana’s use in the medical field is very valuable and dates back centuries. Marijuana usage dates back to 2737 B.C. in ancient China. The Chinese transcribed its medicinal values during this time and it rapidly spread to India, North Africa, and eventually Europe. As detailed by the emperor Shen Nung, cannabis had healing “powers” that alleviated symptoms of “rheumatism, gout, and malaria” (Narconon n. pag.). In India, the substance has been known to “quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep, and cure venereal disease” (Grinspoon, Lester, Bakalar, James 3). Physicians from centuries ago seem to underst...
Marijuana was first introduced by the Chinese back in the B.C (before Christ) time period where it existed as a substance that carried ability to achieve a euphoria or a “high” as we refer to it today. In the early 4200s B.C. marijuana was better known for its medicinal value where it was being used to treat rheumatism, gout and malaria (Narcocon International ). Of course, society at the time was aware of the other effects marijuana had however at the time, they primarily focused on the medication capacity marijuana contained. Fast forwarding to 2015 where the medical use of marijuana is the biggest controversial topic, society views marijuana more of a harmful substance than a solution to nearly all of
Smith, Dave. "‘Medical’ Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization." . N.p., 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
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.
American Cancer Society. "Cigarette Smoking." American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, 17 Jan. 2013. Web.
Against Marijuana Legalization Should Marijuana Be Legalized? In society today, many people look for a feeling of freedom. Many people go on vacation and spend money. The most common escape for people is drugs. Our American society is facing a tremendous drug problem.
In the perspective of America's war on drugs, marijuana is one of the biggest enemies. And since alcohol and tobacco, two life threatening substances, are legal it is a relevant question to ask why marijuana is illegal. The taxpayers of America can partly answer this question when they fill out their tax forms and when they hear the hash rhetoric used against marijuana by the government. The fact that marijuana is illegal is sufficiently caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the drug war. In other words, the government cannot turn back now.
Shohov, T. (2003). Medical use of marijuana: Policy, regulatory, and legal issues. New York: Nova Science Publishers.