Medicinal Marijuana
Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General, once spoke about the legalization of marijuana for medical use in a press conference. "It's criminal to keep this medicine from patients," she said (Silverman, 1995, pg. 2). She received criticism not only from many citizens of the United States, but also strong criticism from the President who appointed her. The legalization of marijuana for medical use has always been a sharply debated subject, and many of the debaters are uneducated about the effects of using this illegal drug for therapeutic use. Many studies have been done and the results are clear. As a medical drug, marijuana should be available to patients who do not adequately respond to currently available therapies.
Marijuana is commonly called by its scientific name, Cannabis or its chemical name THC, tetrahydrocannibinol (tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol). Its chemical formula is C21 H30 O2. It has a molecular weight of 314.47 and its boiling point is 200 (Erowid website, 2000).
The first recorded use of marijuana was in 2727 BC, and it was used as a medicine in Chinese pharmacopoeia (Silverman, 1995, pg.1). In 1870, Giovanni Polli, the father of laboratory medicine in Italy, had much to say about this pain-relieving drug. "It is obvious that hashish (marijuana), which we tried, can always be called on for help as the most benign and sure sedative when there is no hope of a definite cure" (Kassirer, 1997, pg.1185). In fact, marijuana was legal until 1937 when Cannabis, the scientific name for marijuana, was withdrawn from the United States public and made federally illegal with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act against the advice of the medical community (Silverm...
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Legalization of Marijuana has quickly become a controversial issue in America. In the United States, legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is spreading to the state level. For example, in November 1996, the people of California and Arizona voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons. As a result of Proposition 215 in California, patients now smoke marijuana provided their physician recommends its usage. A prescription is not required, and marijuana continues to be illegal to prescribe. The Clinton administration responded that it “would not recognize these decisions, and would prosecute physicians who recommend or provide marijuana to their patients.” Although California and Arizona are the only two states to have already passed laws regulating marijuana usage, twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have laws and resolutions regarding marijuana usage. These laws and resolutions range from establishing therapeutic research programs, to allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana, to asking the federal government to lift the ban. Despite the states’ desires to have marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes, the US National Institutes of Health examined all existing clinical evidence about smoked marijuana and concluded that, “There is no scientifically sound evidence that smoked marijuana is medically superior to currently available therapies.”
This essay will focus on two main points that will support the argument that more Tasers should not be given to more officers. First off, there has not been enough research completed to deem Tasers as a safe alternative weapon that officers can use to gain compliance of violent individuals that they may deal with on a day-to-day basis. Before more Tasers are given to officers, there needs to be more research done outlining the possible risks that CEWs pose to the human body, and any short or long term affects that may arise due to the use of CEWs on individuals. Secondly, the issuing of Tasers to more officers is not a good idea because just like anything else, Tasers can lead to an overreliance on the part of police officers to resort to the use of Tasers on individuals who do not comply with them. This along with the absence of clear and strict guidelines that stipulate when officers are to use their Tasers on non-compliant individuals will lead to abuse. Many police officers may decide to bypass the use of verbal commands, empty-handed strikes, and other tools at their disposal such as the ASP baton, when dealing with a violent individual...
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Legalization of marijuana in the United States has received much attention and controversy in recent months. The federal government outlaws the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, despite proven research studies that have discovered the plant’s potential to treat the lives of many Americans affected by disease and chronic pain. Medicinal use of the marijuana plant dates back to 2700 B.C. in China. Emperor Shen Nung discovered its’ healing properties and recommended marijuana for a variety of ailments (Mack and Joy 14). Today, bias views and laws plague the advancement of marijuana in present day medicine.
Marijuana is one of the oldest cultivated plants (Nahas 8). Since it became illegal in 1967, there have been questions of whether or not it is good for purposes, such as medicine, other than being a leisure drug. Debates between pro and con groups for the use of marijuana in the medical profession, have been heated and in recent months, referendums have been pasted in a least three states to make it accessible for medical treatment. Personally, I feel that marijuana has the potential to be a significant help with certain aliments, however, more research needs to be done to maximize its potential.
Throughout history people have used marijuana for its dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds to relieve pain, stress, and other medical issues from one’s life. Within the recent years it has become one of the most debated issues in the United States. In the 1930s, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) claimed that marijuana was a “gateway” drug and was a powerful, addicting substance. During the sixties marijuana became a symbol for rebellion against authority so it became very popular by college students and “hippies”. So in 1982, Drug Enforcement Administration increased pressure on drug farms and houses which decreased the use of marijuana. In the past twenty years marijuana has become a
The history of marijuana in North America is integral in understanding the reasons it is now illegal and how to...
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There has been a lot of controversy regarding the use of police departments using tasers. Many people think that tasers are less lethal and safer for police to use on everyone but, throughout this essay there will be many reasons as to why tasers are unsafe and pose a threat to someone on the receiving end. Tasers have been involved with many deaths and other injuries. The main topic that will be discussed in this essay is how sometimes shooting is a taser and just stunning the person is not all that happens. There are much more to stun guns than just 5 seconds of paralysis.
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Bulimia nervosa is a slightly less serious version of anorexia, but can lead to some of the same horrible results. Bulimia involves an intense concern about weight (which is generally inaccurate) combined with frequent cycles of binge eating followed by purging, through self-induced vomiting, unwarranted use of laxatives, or excessive exercising. Most bulimics are of normal body weight, but they are preoccupied with their weight, feel extreme shame about their abnormal behavior, and often experience significant depression. The occurrence of bulimia has increased in many Western countries over the past few decades. Numbers are difficult to establish due to the shame of reporting incidences to health care providers (Bee and Boyd, 2001).
Millions of people are suffering needlessly because of the prohibition against using medical marijuana, Rosenthal and Kubby assert. They conclude that marijuana should be decriminalized. ”(Rosenthal, Kubby) Today, I am going to help you understand the real benefits of marijuana. By the time that we are through, you will be agreeing with me and will want to be a part of the effort needed by citizens to legalize such a beneficial drug.
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