Numerous studies have evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of Medical Marijuana. In this paper, we will examine the history and beginnings of this drug and how it has affected society. Many laws and policies have been created to restrict the use of this drug, but the goal of this paper is to show it can also positively affect ill patients. Cannabis, the proper name of this hemp plant, contains cannabinoids like THC. Cannabis has had many positive physiological and psychological effects on the body. This drug also helps in curing and aiding headaches/migraines and decreases the possibility of seizures. It has played a major role in helping individuals with certain disorders such as Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cannabis has also shown to slow down tumor growth in the lungs, breasts, and brain considerably. It is a non-lethal way of providing medication for various illnesses, “ Because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brainstem areas controlling respiration, lethal overdoes from Cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur”. (Association for Cancer Research .2013).
How did it come to be seen as a problem? (use the details from the second literature review here!)
Fibers of Medical Cannabis can be traced as far back as 4000 BCE. In 2737 while under the ruling of Emperor Shen-Nung consumption of marijuana was recommended for ailments such as female problems, malaria, gout, rheumatism, and absentmindedness. The practice for this drug extended from china to India and then to North Africa. In India this drug was thought as a divine substance that gave elongated life and visions of god. This drug had many uses such as a relief for dandruff, leprosy, sexually transmitted ...
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...n mental and physical health. It outweighs the benefits and clarifies that according to the opinion of these writers that the negative data is higher than the benefits. Covering the legalization of cannabis and the legal prohibitions against it, including its history. This article broke down the different ways medical cannabinoids are used such as: Smoking, pill form, Nabilone (synthetic cannabinoid), Sativex (liquid extract from cannabis plant) and Dronabinol (synthetic THC).
Physical adverse effects were indicated from smoking cannabinoids such as respiratory problems, liver damage, an increase in mortality of HIV positive patients, and damage to heart rate. Mental health effects were indicated as mental slowness, tiredness, euphoria, relaxation, and impaired focus. Meta-analyses supported the thought of increased risk of developing Schizophrenia.
Marijuana is a relatively harmless drug that governments around the world have made illegal. If legalized, marijuana can be beneficial to society in a number of ways: whether it be for medical, economic, or public safety reasons. Marijuana has been proven to treat several life debilitating, and even life threatening diseases. Although it is not a cure, marijuana can ease the pain and suffering of a dying person. Another benefit of legalization is the financial gains that governments will accomplish through the taxation of marijuana. This is a realistic claim if marijuana sales are compared to that of cigarettes; governments make billions each year from cigarette taxes (Caputo and Ostrom 484). Every year law enforcement spends countless man-hours trying to apprehend marijuana dealers and growers. This time would be better utilized in dealing with more serious crimes. This essay will display some main reasons why marijuana is a substance with beneficial uses and applications. First, marijuana can be used as a treatment for the effects of diseases such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and other terminal diseases. A study carried out in California clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of marijuana as a treatment for cancer: “Over 74 percent of the cancer patients treated in the program have reported that marijuana is more effective in relieving their nausea and vomiting than any other drug they have tried.”(Zeese 1990). Chemotherapy for cancer patients often produces nausea and vomiting. Marijuana has been proven to relieve these symptoms and there have been no known side effects recorded (Ad Hoc Group of Experts part 4).
Thesis: Despite its legal status cannabis and CBD has been recognized as being beneficial in many ways. After all, cannabis and CBD has been medically beneficial when treating pain, seizures, and cancer.
Although this is typically seen with recreational marijuana. Although some effects of patient’s using marijuana, can be that they lose motivation to participate in activities, and they may become tired, because the effects can cause your body to slow down. Marijuana mainly affects the neurons in the brain and the pathways, and when a patient uses marijuana they are inhibiting the normal brain development and the normal function. Effects of medical marijuana will be decreased because it is less potent than recreational marijuana, but may still affect the person. Some short term effects can be impaired memory, inability to problem-solve, and altered sense of time. Long term effects can be learning dysfunction from abnormal brain development, especially in teenagers. Studies have shown that although tobacco is usually the drug that leads to lung complications and problems, patients who smoke medical marijuana can also have lung issues because the drug is irritating to the alveoli. (Morrow,
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 ...
The risks of cannabis use include dry mouth, hunger, high moods, and sleepiness. These possible side effects don’t affect everyone, and they’re not severe or life threatening. Cannabis doesn’t present the same risks as opioids since the section of the brain that controls the respiratory function doesn’t have cannabinoid receptors. In fact, many studies show cannabis is less harmful than tobacco and alcohol. Since there’s no risk of overdose, there’s no mortality issue when it comes to medical
The article discussed several potential health benefits to medical cannabis. For example, medical marijuana can be used to test glaucoma by slowing the progression of the disease and preventing blindness. It can help control epileptic seizures and decrease the symptoms of a severe seizure disorder known as Dravet’s Syndrome. The chemical CBD may help prevent cancer from spreading. In addition, it may decrease anxiety, ease the pain from multiple sclerosis, and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Medical marijuana may lessen the side effects from treating some illnesses such as hepatitis C. It has also been used to alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and promote
Wingerchuk, Dean. "Cannabis for Medical Purposes: Cultivating Science, Weeding Out the Fiction." The Lancet 364.9431 (2004): 315-16. Print.
First of all, some people feel smoking marijuana can get hyper, which providing them the emotion of happiness, and helping them to see the world from a different perspective. However, marijuana will cause a lot of healthy problems to human’s body. Marijuana has many physical effects on human such as rapid heart rate, red eyes and dry mouth. Because the chemical THC will enter into the body when people are smoking it, THC will enter through the bloodstream to the brain. The chemical affects them to feel ecstasy and unreality; therefore, THC will make them feel more confused if people smoke marijuana for a long time. According to, “ Treat marijuana abuse like a health problem” (McMillan, 2007, July 17), it shows using marijuana can cause more serious health issues on human’s body such as bronchitis, emphysema, and cancer. In addition, using marijuana has also been linked to lung damage and affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. For example, if marijuana ...
History of Marijuana Marijuana has been used both recreationally and medicinally for centuries. There are numerous accounts of its medicinal qualities in multiple historical artifacts. Its use dates back to 2737 B.C. when the Chinese emperor, Shen Nung, used it for medicinal purposes including malaria, gout, poor memory, rheumatism, and analgesia (Carter et. al., 2003). Eastern Indian documents, in the Atharvaveda, dating back to 2000 B.C. also refer to its medicinal use.
Some believe marijuana is bad for your mental health and can be addictive. John Hawkins author of 5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal, made good points about it affecting our mental health. Hawkins referenced a study done by Northwestern University; the study shows that frequent users of marijuana have a different brain structure than individuals, who don’t use it. Habitual use can lead to poor memory retention and may cause changes in the brain that can resemble schizophrenia. The report also shows that the younger a person starts smoking marijuana the worse the affects can be (Hawkins). According to Sabrina Richards author of Is Cannabis Really That Bad? Studies have indicated that individuals who are under the influence of marijuana show a greater chance of partaking in risky behavior. The effects of long-term use may cause extreme anxiety, panic attacks, and some believe it can even cause schizophrenia.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse marijuana causes the user to feel euphoric by acting on the brain’s reward system. The euphoria is caused by the release of dopamine it to the user system. Other effects can include heightened sensory perception (e.g., brighter colors), laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite. Marijuana also inhibits the formation of new memories and causes coordination and balance to be degraded. These reactions are caused by binding the receptors in the cerebellum and base ganglia. The effect is similar to the impairments that are normally associated with consuming alcohol. Habitual users can also develop acute psychosis, a fundamental derangement of the mind (as in schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality especially as evidenced by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech and behavior (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The IQ level of a marijuana users also decreases over time according to a Duke University study conducted by clinical psychologist Madeline Meier “people who bega...
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.
There are many other uses for medical cannabis including treating symptoms of IBS, Chron’s disease and other gastrointestinal disorders, pain relief from cancer and multiple sclerosis, the prevention of Alzheimer’s and helping individuals suffering from ADD, seizures or Tourette’s. Unfortunately, the federal government fails to see the many benefits of cannabis and clear proof shown in the countless peer-reviewed studies done through the years and instead maintains its classification as one of the most dangerous drugs with no acceptable medical benefits. More and more states are taking steps to regain their rightful authority from an over-reaching federal government, and taking the necessary steps to offer relief to many patients suffering from a wide array of maladies.
Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Humans have used drugs of one sort or another for thousands of years. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 BC in China.
4. Some short-term effects of marijuana include distorted perception, increased heart rate, and a loss of motor coordination.