Marijuana Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug around the world. “Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa” (National Institute on Drug Abuse) It is mostly used in kids under the age of 21 and is increasing in popularity amongst the middle and high school students according to the yearly surveys taken. “However, the number of young people who believe marijuana use is risky is decreasing” (National Institute on Drug Abuse). This drug is dangerous if not used properly, it’s dangerous due to the fact that it is used and abused for recreational use. The part of the world that actually need medical marijuana is low and thus needs to be set as a permanent illegal drug across …show more content…
the globe. First “the primary effects of taking marijuana are rapid heartbeat, disorientation, lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. Some users may suffer from things such as anxiety or panic attacks.” (Drug Free World) The issue is not just there according to some scientific studies, because the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, stays in the body for as much as weeks or longer. To continue, the harmful effects of marijuana are continuous, the drug can affect more than you’re your physical health. “The smoke in marijuana contains more cancer causing substances than tobacco smoke.” (Drug Free World) The issue with cannabis doesn’t just stop there, a single joint could cause much more damage to the lungs than 7 regular cigars that are smoked one after another. “Long-term cannabis smokers may often suffer from bronchitis and inflammation of the respiratory tract” (Drug Free World) This drug is so horrible that it can cause brain abnormalities, and psychosis leading people to a mental hospital. Furthermore, in the United States “the interest in psychoactive properties increased in the mid-nineteenth century. Marijuana was available at local pharmacies.” (Marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) By the end of the century psychologists in the United States studied the drug through personal use. This Drug was only limited to the upper class because most Americans did not know anything about marijuana or its effect on people. “In the twentieth century the U.S. drug of choice was only opium, morphine, cocaine, and alcohol.” (Marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) These were only popular amongst the United States due to the fact that it was only seen as a narcotic drug which was never seen as being an addictive drug. Moreover, marijuana was primarily used by Mexican immigrants in the western United States who had been welcomed for the inexpensive labor they supplied. Later they were blamed for the loss of jobs in agricultural business. “Due to this, every western state passed laws to make cannabis illegal.” (Marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) “Its criminalization was supported by alleged links between marijuana use and laziness, mental illness, and violence, all of which were based on the use in the minority populations who tended to use this marijuana.” (Marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) Trend in marijuana use have continued at high levels. Statistics for twelfth graders who have used marijuana reach the highs of 60 percent by the late 1970s and increasing in the 1990s. In addition, Marijuana is a mild intoxicant, with aspects of both a stimulant and a tranquilizer. When people first smoke this intoxicant, the side effects began within a matter of minutes and can last for a couple of hours. The maximum high begins within the first hour but really depend on the amount taken. “The positive short- term experiential effect include feelings of light-hearted and increase sensory sensitivity and appreciation. Other things include greater awareness, creativity and a sense of humor.” (Marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) Negative effects would include issues with concentration, a short term memory, and poor motor performance skills. Those are just primary negative effects, the list continues with feeling anxious, tense, socially awkward and paranoid. When people take higher doses, new people may get disorientation and panic which is why first timers are the reason for most of the emergency room visits associated with cannabis use. As an illustration, the Longer-term effects are more interesting. Many people have reported that the insights remained significant and even life changing when smoking marijuana. “The long term negative effects include a motivational syndrome and an increase tendency to use more dangerous drugs. A lot of the physical effects include dilated blood vessels and increased heart rate, lung damage and brain damage or even a depressed immune system.” (Marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) The long term effects of heavy use of marijuana is highly varied and really depends on the user. The studies show that a lethal dose of marijuana would be roughly five thousand times a normal dose. “No one has died from this drug yet, no deaths have been documented.” (Marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) Even more, “marijuana, yes it’s still an experimental drug but it still has its upsides when it comes to the use of it. It can be smoked but you can also extract the oils from it and use it as a medical treatment for illness such as tumors or cancer. Injecting this extracted oil would be a safer and effective way to treat cancer. This method was used back in the 2700 BCE by China and India to treat pain such as seizures, muscle spasms, poor appetite, nausea, insomnia, asthma, depression, and menstrual cramps. In the late 2000 BCE Egyptians would actually use this marijuana to treat sore eyes. Greeks would also use natural marijuana oils for flatulence. Believe it or not in late 200 CE these extracted oils would be used by the Chinese as an anesthetic in the twelfth-century. The oils would be used to treat snakebites, anthrax, dysentery, and malaria. In the fifteenth-century India would use this stuff to treat congestions.” (Medical marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) “Continuing on to the eighteenth century, Marijuana was used to treat sexually transmitted diseases in the United States.
As we go to the nineteenth century of the United States, Marijuana soaked in alcohol was used to improve appetite, mental disorders, and sexual interest. The British would actually use Cannabis oil to treat facial tics and rabies. In the 70s this experimental drug was used around the globe to treat glaucoma but it was only for a couple of hours before eye pressure increased due to glaucoma, it was a temporary reliever. Many other medical and therapeutically uses of marijuana now include adrenal and airway diseases, adult attention deficit disorder, nausea associated with AIDS, anorexia, anxiety, arthritis, bulimia, and cancer. Those are just a sample of the many medical uses of marijuana and the treatment of patients. People with AIDS or cancer often lose a lot of weight through a process called wasting. This is where marijuana comes into play because it is used as a stimulant for appetite and will be prescribed by doctors in order for that person to gain weight. The only issue with this is that the THC in marijuana may stimulate appetite but it is not lean tissue fat that is gained it is fat that is increased which may lead to an unhealthy lifestyle later in after a month’s worth of use.” (Medical marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of
Health) Overall, “the correct dose of marijuana is very difficult to get right because it varies from strain to strain. Besides smoking marijuana there are plenty of other ways this drug can be taken. A couple ways to take this drug would be vaporizers, which reduce harmful chemicals entering the lungs, nasal sprays, rectal suppositories, and through ingestion. These effects or the “high” feeling can take up to 2 hours to take pace but can last up to eight hours.” (Medical marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) To add to this, cannabis has been illegal in the United States since 1937 throughout 2014, due to the fact that both Colorado and Washington have legalized for recreational use. Legalization is slowly working its way throughout the rest of the United States for medical use. Legalizing marijuana requires lots of tax and paper work, and is not proven to be used as a medical substance. Which is some of the reason it is hard to legalize. (Medical marijuana, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health) Overall, it is hard to figure out whether Cannabis should really be legalized throughout the United State just because there is a lot of ups and downs to using the drug. With all these side effect, is it really worth making this drug legal for medical or recreational use? This drug as stated is very dangerous if not handled properly with the user, it’s dangerous due to the fact that it is used and abused for recreational use. The part of the world that actually needs medical marijuana is very low. Those “medical users” wouldn’t even know how to use the drug properly and could kill themselves if they get the wrong dose or use it improperly. This drug thus needs to be set as a permanent illegal drug across the globe until further testing is done. There must be further facts given for in order to use this drug safely.
The Physiological Effects of Marijuana Marijuana derives from the dried leaves and flower of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa; for thousands of years, physicians regarded marijuana as a useful pharmaceutical agent that could be used to treat a number of different disorders. In the 19th century, physicians in the United States and Europe used marijuana as an analgesic, as a treatment for migraine headaches, and as an anticonvulsant (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1993, 1995). In 1938, a physician used marijuana (hashish) to completely control the terror and excitement of a patient who had contracted rabies (Elliot, 1992, p. 600).
Medical marijuana is referred to parts of herb cannabis that is used as a form of medicine or herbal therapy. These parts contain the compounds that produce the mild altering effect that recreational users seek when smoking or ingesting the plant. Researches have shown that it is able to provide chronic pain relief. Marijuana has been used as a folk or traditional remedy for a variety of health conditions for many of years. Medical marijuana is a management tool that can reduce patient’s pain and improve quality of life, without the same serious side effects associated with use of pharmaceutical pain relievers.
Marijuana has had a negative appearance towards the public and government, but that all seems to be changing. Medical marijuana has started to have a huge impact on the United States and the world. It is a borderline substance that some people frown upon, but it has boosted the economy and has helped thousands of people across the United States overcome illnesses. But most people relate medical marijuana to recreational marijuana, which is still illegal in some states. Although many individuals find medical marijuana illegal, and unnecessary, it is a natural herb used to help symptoms caused by chronic illnesses. Over three million Americans use medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is the most widely used drug used to treat chronic illnesses. The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue here in America. Although, there are healthcare professionals that do believe that the use of medical marijuana can be very beneficial for certain patients. Just as there are benefits associated with the use of medical marijuana there are also negative effects associated with it.
...o 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 wild fire to many other regions (Earleywine, p. 168). In fact marijuana was legal in the United States till 1942 when against the medical communities 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. According to Dale H. Gieringer in his book Medical Marijuana Handbook he states, Marijuana is proven to be effective as an anti-nauseant and an appetite stimulant for people going through chemotherapy and as an analgesic for patients suffering from chronic pain (Gieringer, p. 39).
Marijuana is the cause of much commotion and debate, as the question of legalization becomes more of an issue. Drugs are a major influential force in countries all over the world today. Legalization is an option that has not had a chance, but really should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of drug use, legalization would benefit for the following reasons: 1)reduction of money spent on law enforcement 2)increase in the countries revenue 3)lessen crime 4)useful in treating certain medical conditions. Many feel today we are losing the war on drugs.
Medically, marijuana has proven to be a productive drug. Studies show marijuana has helped dealing with “pain, muscle spasms, seizure disorders and nausea from cancer chemotherapy.” (Weir) Scientist believes these benefits come from a chemical compound in marijuana called cannabidiol. This chemical is not the active chemical that gives marijuana users the mind-altering effects. With the unce...
For thousands of years human beings have attempted to find ways to get passed the struggles of their lives. With the pain of the world stopping people from enjoying simple pleasures, sometimes there is a need for help. Marijuana brings millions of people relief from the pain they feel on a day-to-day basis. This completely natural plant which helped so many people has puzzled the leaders of our nation for a long time. The THC in marijuana causes its users to experience a mild-huluciginic or high. The effect that marijuana has on a person has prevented the product from being legalized. Many other details about the plant, like the speculation of it being a gateway drug, have put another blockage on its legalization. Even though there are speculations about the plant, the benefit that it brings to the table most definitely out way its disadvantages. Marijuana can also alleviate several symptoms associated with cancer and Aids treatments and disorders. While Marijuana is effective as a medicine, it is also extremely lucrative. The economic benefits that Marijuana brings to the table are endless. Upon marijuana’s legalization, the economy would experience an immediate influx. Legalization of Marijuana would also drastically reduce crime in our cities and form a more productive society through its positive uses. The benefits that marijuana brings medically and economically are considerable enough to legalize its use medically or recreational.
In America, marijuana is the most used drug after alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is used by millions of Americans, despite the harsh laws illegalizing the drug. Some states, such as Washington and Colorado have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Efforts to legalize the drug in other states have been unsuccessful such as Proposition 19 in California, which failed in 2010 despite uptight campaigns. Billions of dollars are spent at the state, local, and federal level to fight the use of marijuana. Millions are arrested for marijuana offenses and sentenced for extended periods. Marijuana has negative effects on the human health and high potential for addiction. Legalizing marijuana will eliminate the black market, which is responsible for the increase in violence, crime, and corruption. Resources used for mass incarceration in the war on drug can be redirected to rehabilitation to decrease drug abuse and addiction.
Medical Marijuana Marijuana is a very hot topic and also brings a lot of controversy among the topics in the U.S today. Many believe it has medicinal benefits and should be made legal when necessary. Many believe it has a really high risk of abuse. Amongst those arguments, some of the ingredients in medical marijuana have presented a greater argument for possible legalization through their use of research and evidence of beneficial use. Those against medical marijuana have given many reasons for why it should not be legalized.
Cannabis is a natural plant that has been made illegal by the United States, and has been a controversial topic ever since the 1920’s. Marijuana is a substance that has been used hundreds of years ago as an herbal medicine and also can be used for textile products from hemp, which is from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Because of marijuana being categorized as a schedule one substance, it has no medical value and cannot be researched in the United States. Marijuana is said to be a gateway drug and is very unhealthy for adolescents with premature brains. The marijuana prohibition should finally come to a close because there are many benefits from cannabis and it is less harmful than both alcohol and tobacco.
There has always been controversy about marijuana and the affects it has on health and the issue of legalization. Some people believe it is very destructive to one’s health, and yet others feel the complete opposite about it. Is Marijuana truly harmful to one’s health? “Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug”, written by George Bierson, was published in the Massachusetts News. In this article, Bierson determines that marijuana is harmful in many ways. He seems to think that it damages the brain, the reproductive system, and also contributes to the halt of production in the immune system. Bierson also tries to persuade the reader that marijuana is a “gateway drug” that leads to larger drugs in the future. However, by conducting research of my own, I have come to the conclusion that Bierson’s article simply lacks truth.
marijuana has negative effects but its is also used for the great of good;which side is better is up to you to decide In this essay i will be informing you on marijuana the good and the bad some things might came as a surprise so buckle up and enjoy the information. Acorrding to www.deamuseum.org Marijuana was founded by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. It spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545 marijuana speaded to the western hemisphere where spaniards (where the name marijuana turned up) imported it to chile for the use of fiber. In North America they grow marijuana on many plantations in the form of hemp for clothing, paper, and rope. The history of marijuana has come so far and the use of it has changed throughout time. Hemp and marijuana comes from the
Marijuana is a cannabis drug that may be used for medical purposes. It was used to soothe malaria and constipation in many Asian countries including India and China (Ashton). It has the capability to relieve the pain of a serious sickness like malaria as well as a common every day stomach sickness like constipation. Marijuana has also been used therapeutically for the common disease asthma (Ashton). It “exert[s] a bronchodilator action on the small airways” therefore allowing a person to breathe better (Ashton). Marijuana has not only been used for amusement but it has been a treatment for many illnesses therefore; we need to consider all the characteristics of marijuana before making a decision to legalize it for medical purposes.
Marijuana is a version of the cannabis plant that is consumed for recreational purposes and medical purposes in a variety of ways marijuana is the third most used recreational drug in the United States behind only alcohol and tobacco. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year (www.Norml.org). While marijuana is used throughout the country for recreational purposes it has also been used for many years for medical purposes. Research has shown that marijuana is a valuable aid in the treatment of many different medical applications. Marijuana has been known to be used for pain relief, nausea, spasticity, glaucoma and other disorders. It can also aid in the treatment of patients that are HIV positive and also cancer patients. Marijuana can be used to help any disorder...
People have been fighting for the legalization of marijuana for a long time. Many people use this drug and find absolutely nothing wrong with it. Others find it disgusting and are opposed to the legalization of it. The earliest use of marijuana was documented in 7000 B.C. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and many others used it for medical purposes. Marijuana was first used in the United States during the 1800’s and was banned in 1937 without any reason given by the government except that “it was for our own good” (Block, “Why Marijuana Became Illegal”). Marijuana should be legal everywhere in the world because, although it is highly addictive, marijuana is not as harmful as tobacco and alcohol, having a regulated market for it would reduce the sale and use of it amongst people under the age of eighteen, and the government can save and make money off of it.