...The Truth about Marijuana Addiction Pamela D. McKoy Liberty University Online Abstract The commonness of abuse and addiction of marijuana has progressively grown among adults and youth worldwide. The use of marijuana is so mainstream that it has taken on a legit aura to the point that it is condoned and in many areas even legal. There have been numerous legal and social clashes over the legalization and medical use of marijuana. This paper will exam the prevalence, problems, and treatment of marijuana abuse and addiction. Also this paper will give the physical, mental and social effects that are endured from the use of marijuana. Keywords: marijuana, addiction, prevalence, treatment The Truth about Marijuana Addiction Marijuana, is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States, it comes the Cannabis sativa plant where the leaves and flowers tops are processed into the street form of the drug. Marijuana’s condensed form is known as hashish. The central psychoactive elements in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), it also contains over 400 other elements (Doweiko, 2015). Marijuana came to the United States with the 1920’s wave of Mexican immigrants and soon found a following in the underground jazz community. The federal government passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 gaining control of the drug. It was then listed as a Schedule 1 drug in 1970 (Volkow N. M., 2014). Now in 2015 there is strong support for legalizing marijuana, in fact many of the candidates...
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...History of marijuana Early Marijuana Use Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it was described in a Chinese medical reference traditionally considered to date from 2737 B.C. Its use spread from China to India and then to N Africa and reached Europe at least as early as A.D. 500. Marijuana Plants / Cannabis The first direct reference to a cannabis product as a psychoactive agent dates from 2737 BC, in the writings of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. The focus was on its powers as a medication for rheumatism, gout, malaria, and oddly enough, absent-mindedness. Mention was made of the intoxicating properties, but the medicinal value was considered more important. In India though it was clearly used recreationally. The Muslims too used it recreationally for alcohol consumption was banned by the Koran. It was the Muslims who introduced hashish, whose popularity spread quickly throughout 12th century Persia (Iran) and North Africa. Marijuana in America In 1545 the Spanish brought marijunana to the New World. The English introduced it in Jamestown in 1611 where it became a major commercial crop alongside tobacco and was grown as a source of fiber. By 1890, hemp had been replaced by cotton as a major cash crop in southern states. Some patent medicines during this era contained marijuana, but it was a small percentage compared to the number containing opium or cocaine. It was in the 1920’s that marijuana began to catch on...
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...in an online article that marijuana is not an addictive drug. By doing a systematic process and analyzing the argument presented, it is easy to see how the use of logic and the knowledge of fallacies, bias, and opinions can help anyone spot a bad or weak argument. First Claim: The article from Wiki Answers first states that one must first know what the definition of "addicted" and "habitual" is. It claims that "addiction" is not the same a "habituating" are not the same. The author describes the definition of addiction as a gross physiological change in the way the body works and habituating is merely a crave. The article acknowledges that neurological and neuro-chemical changes can happen however they are minor and are not always substance related. Counter-argument: The author of the article is attempting to downplay the effects that long-term use of marijuana has on the human body. Although research of long-term effects on the brain are inconsistent, it has proven that long-term use can lead to addiction as defined by the writer of this article. NIDA reports that long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms as in any addiction, which contradicts the claim that marijuana use is simply a habit, possessing no physical effects on the body. Second Claim: The article also claims Delta-1-tetrahydrocannibinol is such a very low dosage that the user needs to get large-scale physiological changes to become a true addiction. Further claims are that...
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...Should marijuana be legalized? Many Americans have this question roaming through their heads. Marijuana is an illegal drug in the U.S. and many other countries; it comes from dried flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. It has been available since the 1960s, but is 20 times more potent than before. Many youngsters believe that marijuana should be illegalized. However, they fail to know its many long term side effects. In the long run marijuana usage has a very high effect on the person’s body. Also, it’s known for a fact that marijuana has a high rate for addiction. Some people also believe that marijuana is accepted as medical use; however this is not true. In my eyes, marijuana is illegal for extremely powerful reasons, and it should stay that way. Marijuana usage had a bad effect on one’s body. When people use marijuana they may not know what is happening inside of them. But however, there is a strong negative effect to the whole body. For one thing Marijuana increases heart rate by 20–100 percent shortly after smoking. In one study, it was estimated that those who use marijuana have a four point eight fold increase of a heart attack in just one hour after smoking the drug. Not only does this drug affect the heart, but it also greatly affects the lungs of a person. Many studies have showed that marijuana smoke carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. They also show deregulated growth of epithelial cells in a person’s lung tissue. When people smoke marijuana they don’t...
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...UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION The word “addiction” may conjure up an image of a sluggish heroin junkie or an erratic crack head. It could also bring to mind a chain smoker or a staggering drunk. Once reserved to describe the state of clinical dependence on a substance as a result of extended abuse, the concept of addiction is widening and includes activities that seem less obviously harmful at the surface. Addiction may not always be as visible as track marks or as noticeably threatening as a drunk-driving accident. The concept of addiction isn’t just abstract to the layperson. It’s been controversial within the mental health community as well. The most widely-used reference in the medical mental health community, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), is due to be published by the American Psychological Association in its fifth revision in April 2013. Its purpose is to create a common language between practitioners so that diagnoses will be consistent from one clinician to the next (DSM-5 Development). In the book, the word “addiction” was forgone in favor of either “substance dependence” or “substance abuse,” in a very narrow decision. Charles O’Brien, a member of the committee that worked on the revision between DSM-III and DSM-IV, stated that the difference was a single vote. In an editorial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, O’Brien urged the committee responsible for the changes being made in the fifth revision not to make...
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...Abstract Substance abuse during pregnancy can cause many medical problems for the baby after birth. Tobacco, alcohol, and many other forms of illegal substances can cause medical concerns both during pregnancy and after birth to a baby exposed during pregnancy. Low birth weight, heart defects and premature birth are some of the common effects of substance abuse during pregnancy. The Effects of Substance Abuse on Unborn Babies In today's society, people are talking about babies being born addicted to drugs, and how a mother could harm her unborn child. Substance abuse during pregnancy can have devastating and lasting effects on unborn babies. Drug addiction is a very serious condition that requires more research. We are still learning the effects of substance abuse. Doctors and nurses should not judge these women, but should instead give them the best prenatal care that can be provided. We need to see what harm and side effects substance abuse has on the mother and baby so that we can be able to better understand how to treat the both of them during pregnancy and after birth. Tobacco is sometimes called the lessor of all evils, but “there are over four thousand chemicals” (Johnson, 2012), including nicotine and carbon monoxide. These are the two most dangerous chemicals. Smoking during pregnancy affects the mother and baby’s health before, during, and after the baby is born. The nicotine (the addictive substance in tobacco), carbon monoxide, and numerous other poisons...
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...Should Marijuana be Legalized By: Susan Cooper Starting in the 1600’s the hemp plant was grow as a trade good. It was used for rope and fabric though out the 18th and 19th centuries. In the mid 1800’s they started using part of the plant to make cannabis and use it for medical use. With this new drug on the market the department of agriculture wanted to place regulations on it. After all the testing they did on the drug they considered it to be poison. In the early 1900’s states had to label it as such and show all ingredients in it. A few states started to require prescriptions for the sale of the drug. In 1938 the Federal Pure Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act of 1938 was passed. This law set strict standards for prescription, non-prescription drugs and also food. This made the drug cannabis or marijuana a dangerous and illegal drug. This is still the law we have in affect as of today. Lately a lot of people are up in arms about the law and some believe it should be changed. Some believe that there are more benefits to marijuana if it was legal. The Cons: People believe marijuana should remain and always be illegal. Just like any drug marijuana is addictive according to Dr. Drew Pinsky. He said “It would be malpractice to say that cannabis isn't addictive. Anybody who's experienced it, actually been addicted to it, knows how profound that addiction is. The difficult thing about marijuana addiction is some people, even though they're addicted can do fine with it for many...
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...Why Marijuana should not be made legalized * Introduction * Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with nearly 17 million Americans age 12 and older reporting past‐month use, and 374,000 people entering an emergency room annually with a primary marijuana problem. * Proposals such as legalization that would promote marijuana use are inconsistent with this public health and safety approach. * This is in contradiction with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and any economic argument that applies to the legalization of marijuana applies most other illicit drugs. * Tax incentives argument * Alcohol Tax Incentives to Cost incentives * The debate over how much tax money recreational marijuana laws could produce is playing an outsize role in the campaigns for and against legalization — and both sides concede they're not really sure what would happen. * The argument is for: * it could prove a windfall for cash-strapped states with new taxes on pot and reduced criminal justice costs. * The report shows that marijuana legalization -- replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate...
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...Addiction is a bad habit which leads to considerable negative side effects that are social, psychological and physical nature which causes the user to be dependent on the drugs rather than depending on themselves and their mental faculties. It involves the users having cravings and compulsive behaviours which indicates that they do not just want or need the commodity but crave it and the deprivation of this commodity causes a significant amount of withdrawal symptoms which affects the user physically, psychologically and socially. The rational addiction theory developed by Becker and Murphy states that the addict is in fact a rational economic man who is able to make choices that maximize his utility and self interest. However once a person becomes addicted he or she is no longer thinking on his natural sense but his reason has been influenced by the drugs which makes him irrational. The consumer theory in economics states that a consumer would make decisions based on what would give them the most utility or satisfaction. Like all economic theory this is based on the fact that of course this individual is rational however due to the cravings and compulsions experienced from the drugs the individual is not rationally evaluating his cost- benefits analysis but is only thinking of the satisfaction he would get at the moment even though the long term repercussion is much more disadvantageous. The legalisation of drugs has been an issue all over the world with America having...
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...What good could the legalization of marijuana possibly do? This is a question that has been brought to the minds of almost every person across this great country. Recently, the state of Colorado has legalized marijuana for personal use. In addition, businesses have opened to sell marijuana to the general public, with some startlingly beneficial effects to Colorado's economy. Do we really know all the facts about marijuana though, from all the media and gossip that we have heard about the elusive and very much illegal drug in most of America, how can we be sure that we are getting the best and most accurate information? The consideration to legalize marijuana nationwide should be based from facts and through studies alone. A common misconception about marijuana is that it is only used recreationally. That being said, marijuana has been used for numerous years for so many different reasons, it's almost staggering. "The ancient Greeks used cannabis as a remedy to treat inflammation, earache, and edema" (Hanrahan, Frey & Davidson, 2011). In today's age, it is commonly known that many individuals are issued cards to legally carry and use medical marijuana for problems such as chronic back pain. While the Greeks might not have known the use for marijuana as a pain reducer, they were able to see its use for medical properties. Other cultures were also able to observe marijuana's other uses such as its ability to be used as parchment. "By the year 100 B. C. the Chinese were...
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...of marijuana is a big topic everywhere in the United States, many people believe it should be legalized in all fifty states. Marijuana has many health benefits such as using it to treat medical conditions, using it for tax revenue, and reduce the amount of crime. Everyone in the United States has a different opinion on whether it should be legalized or not. Some people may agree to the legalization for medical reasons or to help the economy. Others may oppose the legalization because of the risk of addiction or the thought of secondhand smoke. Many people may agree that marijuana could change the medical world for the better. Marijuana can be used to treat many different health concerns such as slowing down cancer, and epileptic...
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...Marijuana has always been a vital part of our world's culture, with evidence dating back to as early as ancient Egypt and ancient Greece, and in the 19th century ( “History and Debate”). It has been used as a pain reliever, and now it's used as a vice drug, but it’s time for it to go back to its initial use, a beneficial use. Marijuana has been genetically modified for medicinal use, it can help people with disease no pharmaceutical drug can. It can change millions of lives in our country, by letting people actually live their life instead of constantly taking pills that aren’t nearly as effective. Medicinal Marijuana has more benefits than detriments and should be legalized. POINT (OKON) In the United States there are only twenty-four states that have legalized medicinal marijuana, and in these states there are approximately 1,137,069 patients depending on marijuana to help them on a daily basis. (...
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...legalization of Marijuana has been one of the most recent and controversial debates within the Canadian judicial system. When The Liberals won the election back in October, 2015 as majority government, Justin Trudeau made a promise that the Liberals will legalize the use of marijuana. The issue that the Liberal Party has been trying to overcome is finding the right way to strictly regulate the use of marijuana while considering all factors faced in today’s society such as accessibility to minors, impaired driving, and selling it illegally outside the regulated licensed institutions. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate the possibility of it containing harmful additives. Currently, there is a possibility that some marijuana is being laced with other harmful substances such as crystal- meth or heroin that the dealer does not inform the user of. The legalization of marijuana would eliminate the laced marijuana and provide a safer environment for users. Marijuana contains a psychoactive ingredient called THC, which is the short form for delta-9 tetrehydrocannabinol. Medical marijuana contains THC, it is known to be therapeutic for ill patients and has been scientifically proven to reduce nausea and vomiting during cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, as well as increasing appetite in HIV patients, and a therapeutic drug for patients suffering from chronic pain or muscle spasms (Medveczky, 2004). According to Statistics Canada the estimated amount of marijuana users in Canada...
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...fix. To satisfy their habit, teens have been known to borrow tens of thousands of dollars from loan sharks, sell drugs, and even steal money from parents, boyfriends or girlfriends."(Howey : 1999) At fourteen, an eighth-grader from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida became hooked on gambling. It all started with one bet on a jai alai match. Within a few years he was cutting class and spending 2500 dollars a week on jai alai. He even began stealing money from his parents and the theme park where he worked. By sixteen, Michael G. was an addict.(Nesbit : 1998) Compulsive gambling is an issue that is affecting millions of teenagers nationwide. The thrill of winning money and the attention gained from doing so is enough to cause an addiction. And since gambling is illegal for people under the age of eighteen, it seems more alluring to those who are not of legal age to play. Teens seem to think that gambling is harmless fun, but they have no idea of the problems that can come from it. "As more teens are being drawn into the culture of chance, gambling is influencing American society in deep and unexpected ways."(Morgan : 1996) In teens, at least five percent are problem gamblers and at least nine percent are at risk of having problems.(Franey : 2005) Time Magazine stated that one eight of the country's problem gamblers were teenagers.(Henry : 2003) Yale University concluded that teenagers who gamble are three times more likely to become addicted to gambling then adults...
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...Legalizing Marijuana Thomas Hendricks SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Instructor: Wendell Johnson 11/18/13 Introduction The legalization of Marijuana has long been a debate and will no doubt continue. While it has its supporters it also has opposition against legalizing it. This paper will look at the argument for legalization and the argument against legalizing it. It will also look at Marijuana use for medical purposes and how that too affects the arguments on both sides. There has been a long debate to legalize marijuana for many years. It now appears that many Americans are favoring legalizing Marijuana and this may have gotten a boost from accepted medical use in some states. Many states allow the use of medical marijuana for cancer patients, multiple sclerosis patients and as Dr. Sanjay Gupta who worked on a documentary called “Weed” for CNN stated the case for medical use of marijuana when he answered a viewer question on his change in opinion of medical use marijuana “Take neuropathy, a severe nerve pain that's often treated with narcotic pain relievers. Yet marijuana has proven to be effective, with few side effects. Every 19 minutes, someone in the United States dies from a prescription drug overdose, usually narcotics. I couldn't find one documented fatality from a marijuana overdose. Marijuana can also ease nausea from chemotherapy treatments, tremors, and epilepsy. Still, I'm very concerned about young people using pot recreationally;...
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