Investigation of Marijuana
Marijuana is the dried buds and leaves of the Cannabis sativa
plant. This plant contains more than 400 chemicals, including
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant's main psychoactive
chemical. THC is known to affect our brain's short-term memory.
Additionally, marijuana affects motor coordination, increases your
heart rate and raises levels of anxiety. Studies also show that
marijuana contains cancer-causing chemicals typically associated with
cigarettes. Although banned by the U.S. federal government in 1937,
there were 11 million current users of the drug in 1999, according to
the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, "current"
meaning that they had used the drug within 30 days of the survey. In
this article you will learn about marijuana, why this drug is so
popular and what effects it has on your mind and body.
[IMAGE]The Plant Cultivation of the Cannabis sativa plant dates back
thousands of years. The first written account of cannabis cultivation
is found in Chinese records dating from 28 B.C., according to the book
"Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from
Alcohol to Ecstasy." However, the book's authors point out that the
plant was likely cultivated long before then. They recount the
discovery of a nearly 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy containing traces
of THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana. It could be that
cannabis was used as some type of medicinal herb during this time.
Cannabis sativa is perhaps the most recognizable plant in the world.
Pictures of the ubiquitous green cannabis leaf show up in the news
media, textbooks and drug...
... middle of paper ...
...rst tried marijuana at
age 13 or younger.
Buying, selling, using or growing marijuana is illegal in every part
of the United States. Penalties vary from place to place, but usually
consist of jail time, a fine or both. In some states, you can be
arrested for just being in a place where you know drug activity is
taking place. The severity of the penalty varies on several factors:
* Quantity - Penalties vary based on the amount of marijuana found
in the person's possession.
* Selling - Penalties are more severe for those intending to sell.
* Growing - Penalties are also more severe for those cultivating
cannabis.
* Location - A person arrested for selling marijuana near a school
will often face harsher penalties.
Source:
http://shop.grasscity.com/shop/grasscity/marijuana.html
Gibbons V. Ogden, Heart of Atlanta, the Daniel Ball, and Solid Waste V. Army Corps of Engineers are all cases that have one thing common, Commerce; but, how do any of these cases relate to the legalization of marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington? There are a variety of different types of commerce, but the two main types that I have studied are interstate commerce and intrastate commerce. Interstate commerce is essentially the trade between goods across state borders, and intrastate is quite similar to interstate state commerce, but the buying and selling happens within state borders. Although these cases may not have anything to do with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and
Marijuana is a drug that is harmful to a person¡¯s health. It has been found to have adverse impacts on one¡¯s mental processes such as memory, attention, judgement, and problem- solving (Butcher, Mineka, Hooley, 2004, p.415). Also, marijuana can interfere with a person¡¯s ability to think rationally and logically. Thus, the lapse in judgement caused by the drug use can lead to risky sexual behaviours and this may result in increasing sexually transmitted disease such as AIDS. Moreover, the long-term use of marijuana may cause chronic breathing problems and cancer ...
According to Grinspoon (2005) marijuana, may have been a crop farmed as many as 10,000 years ago. The first evidence discovered that attests to the use of medicinal cannabis dates back to the Chinese Emperor, Chen Nung, who lived five-thousand years ago when this plant was recommended for malaria, constipation, and rheumatic pains, as well as, the inability to concentrate and pains in relation to the female body (Grinspoon, 2005; Guterman 2000). Even Queen Victoria had a physician recommend that she use marijuana as medicine for ailments such as “insomnia, migraines, menstrual cramps, and muscle spasms” (Guterman, 2000, p. A21). Evidence of the power of marijuana as a medicine can be found in almost any culture on Earth. For example, some tribes in Africa use marijuana to treat snake bites and to reduced the intense pain of child-birth and in India, cannabis is used to “quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep, cure dysentery, stimulate appetite, improve digestion, relieve headaches, and cure venereal disease” (Grinspoon, 2005, p. 1). Marijuana has been proven as a powerful medicine by people of many ethnic backgrounds and countries over the entire world, time and time again.
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 1906 that marijuana was required to be labeled as an over the counter herbal remedy (“Regulatory Information”).... ... middle of paper ... ...
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).
Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the current lifestyles. This pattern is also true in American history. The use of marijuana has adapted to the social climate of the time. Marijuana, whose scientific name is cannibis sativa, was mentioned in historical manuscripts as early as 2700 B. C. in China. (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1995). The cultivation of the marijuana plant began as far back as the Jamestown settlers, around 1611, who used hemp produced from the marijuana plant's fibers to make rope and canvas. It was also used in making clothing because of it's durability. These uses fit in with the social climate of the time, because the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes. During the prohibition, marijuana was widely used because of the scarcity of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed after just thirteen years while the prohibition against marijuana lasted for more than seventy five years.
Jazz musicians, labor workers, and river boatmen were quickly taking to its euphoric effects (Gettman, 1995). Smoking marijuana also became more popular during Prohibition when more people began cultivation of the plant and importing it into the U.S. to replace alcohol (Doweiko, 2002). In 1942, marijuana was removed from the United States Pharacopoeia and the Federal Government began to criminalize non-medicinal marijuana possession and use (Carter et al., 2003). Marijuana became extremely popular in the 1960's and, today, is considered the most widely used illicit drug in the world, Canada, and the United States (Gettman, 1995). Pharmacology and Chemistry of Marijuana Cannabis is known to contain over 400 chemicals in which about 70 are classified as plant cannabinoids.
The main psychoactive component of marijuana is (9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Other prominent cannabinoids include cannabidiol, cannabinol, and (9-tetrahydrocannabinic acid. Together, these compounds contribute to various behavioral and cognitive changes, which can slightly differ based on the route of preparation and administration (Farthing 1992). THC is found in the sticky resin of the cannabis plant, with the highest concentration in the flowering tops (buds) of the female plant. Marijuana is a preparation of the leaves, stems, and buds, while hash is a concentration of the resin. Smoking and oral ingestion are the most common ways of administration and can produce slightly distinct effects due to the different filtering methods of the digestive tract and lungs.
Marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes for over the 3,000 years and has been met with much resistance in the recent decade (Bearman 12). In the early part of the century, marijuana, also known as cannabis, was a part of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) for about 90 years, but drug companies began to drop marijuana from medications when the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act was passed (4-6). Medical marijuana can be used in two ways; it can be smoked in a cigarette form or taken in a capsule. Marijuana’s most potent ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can be taken as a pill, but is “easily
The Effects of Marijuana Marijuana is a mood altering or psychoactive drug that has many nicknames, such as pot, weed, ganja, sensi, herb, and. others. The. It is an ancient drug that dates back to hundreds of years to the Asia. Many cultures have used it during meditation, religious.
The effects of marijuana are minimal. The high has a feeling of euphoria, peacefulness and well-being. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active chemical in marijuana. It’s estimated that a person would have to ingest a dose 20,000 to 40,000 times the average dose before death would occur. In the early 1990’s sophisticated research on marijuana began. The scientists discovered THC stimulates special receptors in the brain. Researchers have now isolated a natural substance that appears to produce the same effects as THC in the brain. Recently the medical uses of marijuana are being more and more accepted, and many marijuana smokers wonder how it can be harmful if it helps/treats patients.
Marijuana also known as weed is a preparation of leafy material from the Cannabis plant that is smoked. There are different types of Cannabis from the sativa to the indica. A high grade of Marijuana is called sinsemilla. The main psychoactive agent is the delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol also known as THC. When the cannabinoid particles are smoked, THC is absorbed very fast into the blood and distrusted first to the brain and then emptied into the rest of the body. Within thirty minutes of absorption much has left the brain. Within five to ten minutes the peak mood- altering and cardiovascular effects will occur together.
Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). . Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve fatigue. It has been used as an intoxicant in various parts of the world for centuries and in the United States, for the most part the 20th century. Marijuana was first described in print in a Chinese book of
Marijuana is an extremely popular drug, not only in America, but in every other country in the world as well. However, there are many people who do not know exactly what it is or where it comes from. Marijuana is a blend of flowers, seeds, leaves, and stems from the Indian hemp planted called Cannabis. This plant contains a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes the “high” feeling that users experience when smoking it (“Marijuana: Effects, Medical Uses & Legalization”). The THC in marijuana is analogous to the nicotine in tobacco, but it is not as harmful. They both have many similarities, but they also have significant differences.
However, a number of people question why it is considered illegal, being it is a naturally growing plant or weed as some see it. With America’s war on drugs being highly focused on the increased use of marijuana, there is not much time for officers to focus on crimes of greater importance. Crimes related to illegal marijuana use are becoming more problematic due to drug deals that go bad, occasionally ending with murder. It has been estimated that one marijuana-related arrest is made every 42 seconds.