...Note to Professor: A lot of my citations say “Prohibition, 2002” and appear to come from the same source over and over again. This is incorrect; this source uses over 50 other sources, the majority of which I was not able to visit. So, I simply put down that they came from the NORML website. The endnotes are on that website if you would like to look. Meghan Wyandt Marijuana: Decriminalization for Medical Use Outline 1. Introduction a. "Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use." -President Jimmy Carter: Message to Congress, August 2, 1977 i. Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since 1937. 2. Paragraph one: Present the Problem b. What is the problem? ii. Legal prescription drugs do not always offer relief to patients dealing with serious illnesses. Natural Cannabis has been proven in many clinical studies to offer relief from nausea, tremors, and chronic pain in sufferers. However, the Federal government completely prohibits the use of marijuana in the United States, for sale or for personal use, including medicinal relief. c. What caused it? iii. The criminalization of marijuana came about after its recognition as an intoxicant in the 1920s and 1930s. During this time, exaggerated accounts of violent crimes allegedly committed...
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...Ronda Smalley PHI-105 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving April 22, 2012 Marti Abitheira Legalizing Marijuana: Recognizing Its Medicinal Value . Marijuana should be made legal as an accepted medical treatment for many conditions including, but not limited to, glaucoma, pain control, and appetite stimulation. Some stumbling blocks to legalization have been public sentiment, public opinion, and government opposition. It is possible that these can be overcome with education and time, especially if the medical community will recognize marijuana as a valid treatment option. Marijuana has been used over the centuries for many things. The Dutch used hemp rope to build their ships and used hemp sails to propel them back in their ‘Golden Age’ (Kold, Sjoerd, 2012) Jazz musicians in the early part of the 20th century smoked it during their breaks to enhance their musical skills. Reefer Madness, an exploitative film made in the 1930s, depicted marijuana as a horrible menace that would turn fine, upstanding young people into crazed murderers (Hoerl, Meade, and Franklin. 1938). The Dupont company lobbied heavily to have marijuana outlawed so it could own the rope market with its nylon version of the much more durable hemp rope. The US and Mexican governments have an unholy marriage in the illegal drug trade which has gotten to the point where too much is at stake for both to really change anything. In all the maelstrom of marketing...
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...Leigh Ann Holt English 102 Professor Leland May 1, 2013 Barrett, D. (2009, Feb. 7) Change in U.S. Medical Marijuana policy likely The Times West Virginian Retrieved 4, 29, 2013 From, http//:timeswv.com/headline news/x681698441/change-in-us-medical-marijuana-policy-1 Of a hoping change in U.S. medical marijuana policy likely, (The Times West Virginian, 2009), the White House and Drug Enforcement Administration wont say for sure, but there could be some changes made. In 2009 it was said that, “ Experts believe the Obama Administration will change the strategy and possibly the law on medical marijuana.”(A.P. Blood, M. 2009). “The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the Federal Government, he expects them to review their policy with that in mind”. Said White House spokesman Nick Shapiro (Barrett, D. 2009). So far thirteen states have laws permitting the use of medical marijuana: California for instance, is unique for the presence of dispensaries, and businesses that sell marijuana. Even though; dispensaries are illegal under federal law. It may be the law, “ but contradicts the medical marijuana position of the new president”. (Barrett, D. 2009). Over time the Obama...
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...How effective is the use of medical marijuana? Can the treatments benefits outweigh the risks? In recent years the debate over the use of medical marihuana increased rapidly. Whereas a patient suffering from chronic pain in California can easily get a doctor’s prescription for medical cannabis, the German patient suffering from the very same symptoms would not be allowed to treat his ache with marijuana, which is the most common name for the hemp plant, or Cannabis sativa. Cannabis can be classified as one of the oldest drugs known to humanity. Its history dates back until the Neolithic times in China about 6,000 years ago. From there, the plant spread to India and the Middle East where it widely served as an analgesic, anticonvulsant, antispasmodic, antiemetic and hypnotic (Hall &Degenhardt, 2003). Moreover the hemp was reported to be a successful appetite stimulant as well as effective in treating a number of disorders, including tetanus, neuralgia, asthma and migraine as well as in alcohol and opium addiction and in the treatment of mental illnesses (McKim& Hancock, 2013). Not recognized at first as a substance producing intoxicating effects, marijuana’s use spread soon all over Europe and the U.S. in the 19th century, where it was used for medical purposes. The plants medical benefits were substituted in the early 20th century by pharmaceutical opiates, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and sedatives like chloral hydrates and the barbiturates, which could be given...
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...When talked about, marijuana has a bad reputation for judgment. Such examples are ‘hippies’, ‘drug lords’, and ‘stoners’. What does not come to a person’s mind is the positive effects medical marijuana can have on the people who need it most. Marijuana is not only used to obtain a high for teenagers, but for any patient with medical issues that can be ingested to fit the patient’s need. Such issues that can be helped from cannabis include helping patient’s symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, various symptoms for cancer patients, and palliative care for the end of life process. Marijuana can be ingested in a variety of ways. The most common form is smoking it in the form of a cigarette and inhaling it through a glass pipe. Other ways to ingest marijuana can be in the form of capsules to be taken with other medications and even suppositories. A patient can also take medical cannabis by eating the drug in forms of butter, flour, and milk concoctions. When a patient begins to lose their memory, the first diagnosis that comes to mind is Alzheimer’s disease. As the disease progresses, patients may need coaxed to eat and can even forget how to feed themselves. Many medications can be prescribed to help try to improve the patient’s memory and lessen their forgetfulness, but medical cannabis has been proven to help the patients in difference ways. The drug dronabinol is a derivative of marijuana and was proven to enhance the patient’s appetite and lessen mood swings. It can...
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...Pharmaceuticals, a British phytochemical company, developed several types of tinctures of cannabis to address the needs of multiple sclerosis patients for relief from muscle spasms and pain (Bearman, D. 2011). In 2000, the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) was established at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine. Studies from CMCR have shown that low-grade cannabis was capable of reducing daily pain by 34%. The findings were comparable to oral synthetic drugs used for chronic neuropathic pain. In the mid-1980’s, during the “AIDS Crisis”, the United States government encouraged the development and approval of a cannabis based synthetic drug called delta-9-THC, which is marketed under the trade name Marinol. Marinol has been effective in treating nausea in cancer patients and as an appetite stimulant for AIDS patients. Under a generic label, it has been used to treat pain, ADD, and other conditions. It is, so far, the only cannabis based FDA approved pharmaceutical on the market today. In the 1970’s and 1980’s studies were conducted in California, Georgia, New Mexico, New York, and Tennessee that showed cannabis was effective in the treatment of mental health issues such as...
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...The history of marijuana and medical benefits Dona Rudd COM/172 March 20, 2012 Russell Murphy The history of marijuana and medical benefits Although possessing marijuana is a federal offense pending, some states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, generating revenue for the states. There are 16 states’ and Washington DC, in which marijuana is being, used for medicinal purposes and not break any laws. Eighteen states’ are pending Legislation to legalize medical marijuana. There are documents stating that the Chinese used marijuana for paper, the process consisted of hemp around 2000 BC. According to Guither, P. Drug Warrant (2006), “America’s first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Virginia in 1619. It was a law “ordering” all of the farmers to grow Indian hempseed. There were several other “must grow” laws over the next 200 years. A person could be jailed for not growing hemp during times of shortage in Virginia between 1763 and 1767, and during most of that time, hemp was legal tender a person could even pay their taxes with hemp and try that today. Hemp was such a critical crop for a number of purposes including essential war requirements and rope, excreta. That the government went out of its way to encourage growth” Guither, P. ( 2006) (para 6). The history of marijuana Marijuana has many different names, Hemp, Ma, and Marihuana are just a few of the names in which marijuana is called. Marijuana and hemp...
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...Chris Rakel Instructor McCray English 105 December 2, 2010 Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana has had a very long and tried history in the world. The earliest known uses of marijuana go back as far as four thousand years ago. The plant has always been smoked; certain cultures use everything associated with the plant to produce certain products. The seeds can be used as a healthy substitute for certain foods; they are packed with protein and essential fatty acids. The stalk from hemp can be used in the creation over twenty thousand different products, including much cheaper oil and paper. Popular mechanics coined marijuana as the “New Billion Dollar Crop” back in 1938, and a couple of years after that it was used in the efforts against Hitler. But marijuana in American history has had a short timeframe, first banned in 1937 and then allowed again but only to be banned after WWII. Marijuana has been a tax issue for the American for the past hundred years; prohibition has done the exact opposite of what it set out to do. America should have known prohibition wouldn’t work, it didn’t work against alcohol, and instead it led to the creation of organized crime and production of more alcohol than ever before. There were more speakeasies or bars open during the days of prohibition, then there are currently open in America today, and our population is nearly triple of what it was back then. Why prohibition of marijuana has lasted this long is unknown by most people, other...
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...Brenda Joseph Ms. Lewis ENC 1101 23 October 2013 Why Marijuana is an ideal medical drug? Marijuana has many nicknames for instance, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, chronic, and pot. Marijuana is from “the cannabis indicia plant or cannabis sativa plant.”( Nordqvist) Society categorized marijuana is as a gateway drug, or an abusive drug. On the contrary, marijuana is beneficial in the medical terms more than just a drug to “feel good”. Considering that marijuana is an illegal drug in most states, it is less harmful to the other illegal drugs such as cocaine, meth, and ecstasy. Studies have shown that “marijuana has been used medically for over five thousand years, with the earliest accounts dating back to China in the third millennium, B.C.” (Pfeifer 23). Even during the era of the thirteen colonies, Thomas Jefferson grew marijuana or hemp to make rope or local consumption. Marijuana has been in this world for many centuries so for the United States to declare it an illegal drug is wrong. Marijuana has the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short. THC has the painkilling effects like morphine but without the addictive trait. Marijuana is known to stimulate appetite or “munchies” which can aid people whom have poor eating habits. The media even portrays marijuana as a way to relax and relief stress, angry and anxiety. This generation heavily influences the use of marijuana. Marijuana is consumed in many ways such as smoking, inhaling...
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...The views today on Marijuana are not the same as the views in the 70’s.Due to the approval of 27 states, medical studies, and cost of consequences on those convicted from use of the most common illicit drug in the world, the United States of America has began to rethink its stance on the matter. The question of this country seems to be the underlying argument about Marijuana in this country is: should Marijuana continue to be prohibited to citizens based on its health effects, medicinal values, and costs to the country? This argument seems to be a great topic in the U.S. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug, not only in the United States, but the world, and because of this the laws connected with this drug hold great influence. It is because of this and the immergence of new evidence, that the justification behind prohibition of this drug is being rethought scientifically, socially, and economically. Twenty seven states have approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes, but the users can be prosecuted, and placed into prison according to federal law. I cannot began to understand this, but currently, 830,000 people a year are in trouble with the law in regards to Marijuana (Business Insider, 2012) and numbers seem to be on an uphill trend . The money tax payers are paying for the war on marijuana places a dent in our society. This money could be used for many other things such as education, care for elderly, and funding for U.S. soldiers. Marijuana comes...
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... Someone can’t even take a Tylenol or Aspirin without there being serious side effects to the liver and other organs in the body. Medical marijuana is not lethal, prescription and even non-prescription pills, powders, liquids, and injections are. (Medical Marijuana Project, 2012). A CBS news editorial by Dr. Mitch Earleywine mentions that medical marijuana can be marked cheaper to use than certain prescription drugs. This is especially relevant to patients in chronic pain who do not have medical insurance and need to pay out of pocket to see a doctor for a basic pain killer prescription. While THC, an active ingredient of marijuana, is available and viewed as legal, the FDA approved prescription drug Marinol, medical marijuana is substantially cheaper than Marinol. (Medical Marijuana Mall USA, 2013). A number of prescription drugs are available and have the same benefits as marijuana. For instance, an active...
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...Legalization Of Marijuana For Recreational Purposes Jerry Cashatt COMM/125 7/20/2014 Yolanda Orizondo - Harding Legalization Of Marijuana For Recreational Purposes Even though the social effects of abuse and addiction are in question, I believe marijuana should be legalized for recreational use because the government is spending unnecessary money to control the production and use of marijuana and legalization for recreational use could provide jobs that will improve the economy. With the proper regulation of the sale and use, marijuana could become a precious crop to the United States of America. As adults, we are all responsible for our actions. Just as we should not drink and drive, or drink and show up for our shift at work, we should also refrain from using any other mind-altering substances before or during our shift. Those who make a conscious decision to use marijuana should also be aware of the consequences. If a person chooses to use marijuana, and it is against the policy of their job to have T.H.C. (the intoxicating substance in marijuana) in their system they should lose their job. If this is preventing them from working, all government aid should be denied them. This will combat some of the social effects that legalization of marijuana may have on society. States are currently facing massive budget deficits, and the California legislature is debating AB 390 to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. California already...
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...is the history behind Marijuana? I am going to take you on a journey ten thousand years ago in ancient civilization. Marijuana also called Cannabis was used for fiber. The humans in this time period also used the hemp seed for food. It was only natural that they discovered the medical properties of the plant. Cannabis was actually used for a list of reasons such as hemorrhoids, insomnia, headaches, pain, and even childbirth. But that was some time ago. In the 1970’s scientist were able to extract the THC from the plant. Thus making a synthetic version of the plant, and calling it Marinol. Marinol was approved from the Government and the FDA to be prescribed to patients. It was used to treat anorexia in AIDS patients, nausea, and vomiting for patients who are going thru chemotherapy. But patients preferred to smoke the cannabis plant because it would work in minutes, compared to one whole for Marinol. Thompson AJ (May 2003) How is Marijuana abused? Marijuana abuse comes from recreational use of Marijuana. After a number of times you have used Marijuana your brain develops a mental...
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...Why Marijuana Illegal Ever since the beginning of time there always has been something that has created a large amount of controversy; an issue that leaves households and countries divided. Should marijuana be legalized so it can be used for medicinal purposes? Marijuana has been used by people of royalty, "Emperor Shen-Nung in China prescribes cannabis for beri-beri, constipation, 'female weakness,' gout, malaria, rheumatism and absentmindedness” (Abel, 1982) and politicians, “I smoked but did not inhale.”- Bill Clinton. In fact marijuana has been around for as long as the earth been able to produce plants. Medical Marijuana has been in the middle of world debates since it was discovered. Marijuana was once an important plant and now marijuana is considered to be one of the worst drug or plant to mankind. People have formed a negative perspective about this naturally grown plant, which is often referred as a harmful gateway drug. Although marijuana is a drug now, one-day history will repeat itself and, there will be a time in which society will take a step back and look at what this plant has to offer. Marijuana has many respectable uses. In order for an accurate opinion to be forms, this will present to you the history of marijuana, why marijuana was deemed unsafe or illegal and the medicinal purposes cannabis has to offer. After reading they will be more informed about marijuana, he or she will be able to form a moral decision based on facts and history. When they are...
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...The opinion of Marijuana during the 70’s was much more definitive than it is today. Approval of Marijuana by 27 states, new medical studies, and its consequences on those convicted from use of the most common illicit drug in the world, is forcing the United States of America to rethink its stance on the matter. In general, the underlying argument about Marijuana in this country is: should Marijuana continue to be prohibited to citizens based on its health effects, medicinal values, and costs to the country? The reasons why this argument is so important are great. As previously stated, Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world, and with millions of people using it regularly and almost 100 million that have ever used it in this country, the laws behind this drug hold great influence. It is because of this and the immergence of new evidence, that the justification behind prohibition of this drug is being rethought scientifically, socially, and economically. The use of Marijuana as both medicine and a recreational drug is being thoroughly questioned in the US. 27 states have Marijuana approved in some form, many of those for medical purposes however those users can still, and do get placed into prison by federal law. Currently, 830,00 people a year are in trouble with the law in regards to Marijuana and numbers seem to be on an uphill trend . Furthermore, the US invests 30 billion a year into the drug war, half of which is dedicated to Marijuana. Many are questioning...
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