...Medicalization of Marijuana The Stigma of a Miracle Drug March 25, 2014 Synopsis The following media review is based on a two part documentary which focuses on the healing qualities of medical marijuana in the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome along with a number of other illnesses. I researched the benefits of medical marijuana, specifically the medicalization of the plant and its derivatives. This includes the extraction and ingestion of cannabis oil in its pure form for the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome, a form of chronic epilepsy often found in children. This paper focuses on the history of the use of cannabis for its healing properties and provides a brief overview of the documentary which is the basis of the paper, detailing the importance of the medicalization of the cannabis plant for use in treating a number of ailments, including but not limited to the treatment of Dravet’s Syndrome and Autism in children. It was not until I watched the documentary which was recently aired on CNN entitled “Weed, Cannabis Madness” and its sequel “Weed 2” that I became interested in the healing qualities that this plant possesses and more specifically, its ability to treat children who are suffering from a condition called Dravet’s Syndrome. Dravet’s Syndrome is a form of chronic epilepsy which causes children to seize violently for upwards of 50 seizures per day. There is no cure for this disease, and for many children the drugs prescribed by their physicians such as anti-seizure...
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...Cannabis, is the world’s most famous illicit drug. Many of young adults today use cannabis for recreational purposes. Culturally, cannabis has influenced a majority of the youth to become a part of a taboo. Socially, cannabis has its impact; individuals suffer from peer pressure from their friends. The use of marijuana is less harmful than other, legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco. However, marijuana is the most widely used in the world; it remains illegal almost everywhere in the world. Since the past decade, there has been a large number of movements for the decriminalization, or the legalization of marijuana. Politicians, on the other hand, often refuse to take a stand on the issue. Also, in the rare instances when a politician does attempt to address the problems with prohibitionist attitudes towards marijuana, they face harsh opinion from their peers, which is a result of their fear of losing the support from their board. Cannabis is not just a drug cannabis also brings technological, health and economic benefits to the world. When people hear the word hemp or marijuana they believe in the medical aspects but it also has a vast amount of usefulness for example; hemp is able to produce plastic and medicine it is said that one acre of hemp is to produce more oxygen than twenty-five acres of forest. One important use of cannabis is the use as bio fuel with the plant’s ability to grow in infertile soils also reduces the need to grow it on primary croplands, which can then...
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...Marijuana: More than a High Your Name COM/220 – Research Writing 8/2/2012 Instructor Name There has been much debate over the years about whether marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes. There are many arguments both for and against this issue. This paper will present facts to support the legalization of medicinal marijuana. It will also go over the arguments against the medical use of marijuana and show why these ideas are invalid. This can be a very morally based issue. Some people may ask, why is marijuana illegal when there are other substances frequently used that are so much worse for the human body? Others may say that the government made marijuana illegal for a reason. Marijuana has been legalized by state law for 16 U.S. states and DC, so why is it not legal for all 50 (Medical Marijuana ProCon, n.d.)? These are some of the things that will be addressed, along with many other questions that will be answered. By the end of this paper, it should be apparent that something should change. Marijuana should be legalized for medical use because of its advantages over other traditionally used drugs which are currently legal. The use of marijuana for its medical advantages has been recognized since before recorded history. There are written references that can be found as far back as the fifteenth century B.C. (Zeese, 1997). There were over 100 articles published in medical journals on the therapeutic use of cannabis between 1840 and 1900. Based on historical...
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...Marijuana Made Legal Legalize a plant? Most people think of marijuana as a vegetable and as a gift from mother nature or God. Marijuana comes from drying the leaves and flowers of hemp plants called Cannabis which grows in the wild in warm, humid areas. It is easily produced by people indoors as well. Marijuana does not contain any chemicals. Marijuana is known by many names such as pot, weed, dope, MJ or Mary Jane, grass, reefer, roach, smoke, skunk, and ganja. Marijuana was made illegal in 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act, which banned the use and sale of it, due to statements that the effects of marijuana made men of color violent against others and try to solicit sex from white women. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was overruled with the Controlled Substance Act in the 1970’s where marijuana was ranked a Schedule I substance based on recommendations from President Nixon (Burnet & Reiman, 2014). In 1996, California legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Marijuana should be legalized because it can be beneficial for medical conditions, legalization could reduce teenage access, and legalization would boost our economy. When marijuana is used as medicine; it can help many medical conditions. “The limited research available, because of legal restrictions, has supported indications including symptoms of cancer and cancer-related treatment, neurologic disorders (such as MS, glaucoma, and chronic/severe pain), and inflammatory conditions” (Horowitz, 2014). Marijuana...
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...Harrison, a well-known actor stating, "He would pick up the tab for Colorado's first hemp crop if state legislators approve the crop." He also stated that you could smoke a pound of it and not get high. (Rice)" In addition 4.6 million members of the American Farm Bureau Federation support Hemp 100 percent. Hemp could be the most abundant natural resource, it can replace 80% of our fossil fuels, and be used for many major medicinal purposes (Kriho). It is essential that we stop the use of all fossil fuels, and deforestation to save Mother Earth. This can be accomplished with the cannabis plant hemp seizing pollution and provide the world with more than enough of its energy needs. According to Jack Herer, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, we're not only the founders of our country, but also the first growers of cannabis in America. In addition, Benjamin Franklin started the first paper mill, which made it possible to make their own books. Growing this crop was not uncommon at this day and time. In the census of 1850, 8,327 crops were established and each measured at least 2000 acres each, this commodity was found in the South. Its uses varied from rope to...
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...Industrialized Hemp: A Revolutionary Idea PHL 354 Dr. Ozar Decmeber 16, 2010 Abstract: This paper will focus on the potential benefits that legalizing and producing (or “large-scale production of”) industrialized hemp could have on the environment and possibly the economy of the world. I shall argue that the United States should set a precedent and legalize industrialized hemp in order to hopefully spur on similar actions by other countries and world powers across the globe. I will begin by explaining a few of the beneficial uses of industrialized hemp in order to strengthen the case that will be presented in the latter part of the paper. Although the production of hemp has typically been looked down upon, it could in fact be the very thing we need to solve the ecological problems we currently face. I believe that allowing for the growth and sale of industrialized hemp could revolutionize the world and could ultimately save the environment and benefit all of the environmentally unfriendly industries across the world. I will examine the use of hemp to create textiles, renewable fuels, biodegradable plastics, paper, health foods, medicine, etcetera. The legalization of hemp cannot move forward unless we are willing to reexamine and reformulate our societal values. The modern system of agriculture has caused more problems than it has solved over the past few decades. Thus, I will be examining the legalization of hemp in the context of a postmechanistic concept...
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...legal to become a component to help improve the life of patients. Although millions of dollars are used for the drug war for marijuana, one drug that has positive effects can change the American economy by producing marijuana. What is marijuana? Also known as Cannabis, marijuana is known for a drug and a medicine. The major chemical in the herbal medicine is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). This chemical compound is the reason for some beneficial factors in medical. Some pros in making it legal would include stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AID patients, also patients with glaucoma. The medicine can be taken by vaporizing, smoking, drinking, eating and capsules. The best part of the drug is that there has been no lethal effect. No one has died from the consumption of marijuana. The THC in a person cannot be tested, such as a breathalyzer. The drug is grown naturally and it is coming through the soil, natural plants should not be illegal to have, especially a one that does much more. Growing cannabis would not only help the health system and lower drug wars cost, there would be more hemp, which is made from no THC. Hemp is a low strain of cannabis, which has no THC but hemp can be used in many ways such as paper, food, fuel, and construction. In one documentary that I have seen, hemp was being used to build houses and the workers said that it was about 20 times stronger than a regular house made of wood. If you think about that, the house can probably stand some strong weather...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Brian S. Clear HU2740 28 August 2013 Marijuana dates back many years, and has been used throughout different cultures in various ways. Over the last few years however Marijuana has been used to fit our lifestyles and social environment in many ways. In our society today many people around the world smoke Marijuana for different reasons like medical purposes, with that being said I think Marijuana should be legalized permanently as it has many beneficial uses, including easing pain, it would help the United States get further out of debt. Legalizing Marijuana would also create jobs for many people lowering the unemployment rate in the United States. Marijuana whose scientific name is Cannabis Sativa has been mentioned in manuscripts dating back to 2700 B.C. in China. The Jamestown settlers recorded that they had first planted the crop in 1611, as they used the hemp from the plant’s fibers to make rope and canvas. Marijuana also known as ‘weed’ was used to make clothing, as the plant was very durable. During that time Marijuana was used more for survival far more than any other purpose. Marijuana came into play with the scarcity of alcohol during the prohibition era. The use of the drug rose from there, and became a large problem in the Unites States. The United States is one of those countries that can immensely benefit from the legalization of Marijuana use. In the United States, Marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance...
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...To Legalize or Not to Legalize Medical Marijuana Elizabeth Connell ENG/102 Research Writing To Legalize or Not to Legalize Medical Marijuana Even though marijuana is a drug, legalized marijuana for medicinal use will help patients through various medical issues. Marijuana has been proven to ease the side effects of chemotherapy, helps patients with severe migraine, and glaucoma patients. Many people are on the fence over the legalization of medical marijuana. There are several reasons to legalize marijuana for medical use, let me tell you about one of the reasons. Six-year-old Charlotte is a little girl who suffered from an untreatable form of epilepsy. By the time she was two years old, her parents had tried all medications to cure her some of which almost killed her. She suffered nearly fifty seizures a night. Her parents managed to get her a medical marijuana card in Colorado. Her parents reported her seizures stopped after her first dose of cannabis oil. Charlotte came out of her catatonic state and met her parents for the first time. CNN featured Charlotte and documented her story. Some parents have turned to medical marijuana to treat their children of the incapacitating epilepsy. Doctors are attributing the drug with reducing seizure activity and bringing alleviation to epileptics. According to an article written by K. Pickert (2014), an innovative clinical trial is about to commence. This clinical trial may finally afford some science to support their assertions...
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...she was having 300 a week, despite being on seven different medications. Medical marijuana has calmed her brain, limiting her seizures to 2 to 3 times per month.” (Gupta) As you can see, marijuana clearly makes a big difference in some peoples lives. Specifically, those who are epileptics. Imagine if medical marijuana was not available to this patient. She would still suffer multiple seizures a day with no end in sight. Countless other cases similar to Charlottes have been observed over the years on the quest for legalization. Legalizing marijuana so we can reap the medical benefits makes sense. The research is there to back up claims of medicinal value and facts show states are agreeing. “Eighteen states have already made medical marijuana legal and 10 others are currently considering legislation to legalize medical marijuana, according to the National Cannabis Industry Association.” (Fairchild) If states are already connecting the dots on the benefits of medical marijuana, then you would think they could see the benefits in legalizing recreational marijuana as...
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...in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death.” - DEA Administrative Law, Judge Francis L. Young. The National Center for Health statistics reported that drugs caused 37, 485 deaths in 2009; followed closely by alcohol related deaths totaling 23, 199. When research was done to identify the drugs and alcohol used in these fatal events, Cannabis (Marijuana) caused zero deaths. So why is a drug that is grown so naturally and causes zero deaths at the center of so much controversy? Marijuana has been used for medical purposes and is a popular subject in the economic and political debate arenas. “Cannabis sativa is an annual plant that grows wild in warm and tropical climates throughout the world and is cultivated commercially. The leaves and buds of the plant have been used in herbal remedies for centuries. Scientists have identified 66 biologically active components, called cannabinoids, in marijuana. The most potent of these is thought to be the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, although other active substances are being studied. The medical use of marijuana is limited because different strains of the plant contain different amounts of various compounds, which makes effects hard to predict ("Find support & treatment ," 12).” Medical researchers have isolated substances from the plant (cannabinoids) that can be used in precise doses alone and in combinations with other medicines to achieve more predictable...
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...and will cause horrible side effects without having to prove just about any scientific or research data at all. Basically people chose to go against marijuana without knowing what it is, how it works, or how even America can benefit from breaking apart from the 1900’s way of thinking and legalize it. As it is normally known and referred to as marijuana but its scientific name is cannabis. It comes from the cannabis sativa plant, which is native to Asia and Africa but now is being grown just about world wide. Cannabis has many forms other than its plant one that is widely used. In its most common form, marijuana consists of flowers and leaves while as hashish it is found as a type of resin liquid. There were many prominent Americans that used to grow the plant and use the cannabis as a cash crop similarly to how tobacco plants were grew for profit. George Washington used to grow cannabis as his primary cash crop on his plantations, it was a good profit for him as it had its medicinal and recreational use, but could also be used as hemp and a type of fiber to create paper, clothing, and various other materials of a fiber nature. Thomas Jefferson also used to grow this plant as his secondary cash crop to tobacco. Imagine Washington and Jefferson, regarded as some of the greatest Americans in the history of this great planet, having to be arrested for the crime of growing cannabis. This...
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...The legal status of cannabis during 1619-1915, coupled with a ban on alcohol during 1920-1933, has provoked questioning of the rationality of the current US federal legislation on both drugs, as marijuana is currently illicit whilst alcohol is not. Research has suggested that marijuana could be equally if not more beneficial than alcohol to the economy, with fewer negative externalities. This discussion has been sparked anew after the states of Colorado and Washington infringed federal legislation by instating the open legality of marijuana. The topic, in current debate, must be viewed objectively to reach a valuable conclusion, since much of the argument is highly opinionated and biased owing to the stigma attached to such substances. Marijuana is currently a Schedule I substance under federal law whereas alcohol is federally regulated through the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) alongside stringent state and county laws. Existing federal law makes alcohol legal to those over the age of 21, with high taxation placed on consumption. Hence, the substance is highly regulated, although not currently prohibited. We intend to examine the economic effects that alcohol has on the economy and compare these findings with the hypothetical benefits of legalised marijuana. Analytically considering the reasoning behind its current illegal status, we will compare the negative externalities of cannabis against those of alcohol to determine whether there is logic behind...
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...Sociology 225 Research Paper Marijuana as a Gateway Drug The gateway theory is a hypothesis which states that the use of gateway drugs (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana) lead to the use of more illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. “Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.” Marijuana is thus considered by the U.S. government to be more dangerous than cocaine and opium - both Schedule II drugs, and at the same time a gateway to these harder and more addictive drugs. The government’s position is not only paradoxical, but should be a reason for debate as to the credibility of the gateway theory. A detailed look is warranted because of the magnitude it has on affecting U.S. drug policy. According to the “Reassessing the marijuana gateway effect” article, there are three phenomena which represent the evidence for a marijuana gateway effect. The first is “the relative risk of hard drug initiation for adolescent marijuana users vs. non-users. In one U.S. study, the risk of drug progression for a marijuana user was 85 times that of a non-user” (Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse 1994). The figure makes apparent sense because as will be seen an individual...
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...Psychological Effects of Street Drugs Krystal Colosimo Mohawk Valley Community College Abstract This paper explores the psychological effects of street drugs, classified as legal, illegal and controlled substances. The legal drugs that I cover are caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. The illegal are marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. I will also discuss controlled substances, but mainly in reference to prescription pills. I discuss the short-term and long-term effects of all the drugs I cover as well as withdrawal symptoms. I will close with drug abuse treatment help and support and follow with my conclusion. Psychological Effects of Street Drugs A street drug is defined as any substance taken for nonmedical purposes. They can be legal or illegal and are comprised of amphetamines, barbiturates, opiates, psychoactive drugs and as well as natural sources. A drug is a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans. For this paper I will be discussing drugs under the three categories of being legal, illegal and controlled substances. The most common legal drugs I will discuss are caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. The more common illegal drugs that I will discuss are marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. There are numerous controlled substances as well and it is defined as a drug or chemical that is regulated by the government. For controlled substances I will only be covering prescription pills. Legal Drugs ...
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