Category: Cannabis/Medical Marijuana

Marijuana is a double edge sword. While having some benefits to the health industry, it can have detrimental health effects on long term user. Many developed countries such as Canada, Austria and the United States has increasingly adopting and legalize marijuana for medical use. Many people abuse marijuana benefits and become addictive. Young people from age 18-25 are more likely to abuse marijuana. These young adults could certainly try marijuana due to peer pressure or just want to try new things. They tend to care about the short-term benefit but neglecting the catastrophic effect on health in the long term. Once addicted, it’s almost impossible to get off. Long term abuse of Marijuana has devastated effect on the nervous system, causing hallucinations, paranoia, lack of self-control and various mental disorders. It’s very difficult to restore long time users’ sanity to pre-marijuana usage state.

The United Nations Children’s Fund study indicate that about twenty eight percent of teenagers aged from 11 to 15 have used marijuana at least once in the previous year. Netherlands, easy-going countries with marijuana only has seventeen percent usage. The United States has twenty three percent usage. Canadian Center for Drug Abuse reported that up to ten percent of seniors in high school and up to five percent of all teenagers’ smokes marijuana daily. In the United States, California alone spend 2.7 times more money in prisons than on higher education. Each year, about 750K Americans were arrested for possession of marijuana. Each juvenile detainee costs the government at least $216K per year. California has legalized marijuana for medical purposes to reduce the illegal traffic of marijuana traffic in black market. It also provides more monetary supports to help lower income kids to go to school. According to Jeffrey A. Micron, a Harvard economist, Legalized Marijuana can generate about $8.7 billion in tax revenue which is enough to send all low-income kids to a high-quality preschool.

Marijuana interacts with the user brain which in turn affects the mind and the behavior of its users. It can temporarily alter the users feeling and thought. The effect can be both positive and negative. It gives the users the good feeling but can causes hallucination and loss of self-control. Marijuana users can be extremely dangerous in such state as they will not recognize anyone, even their loves one. They can cause bodily harm or murder others without remorse (at least while under marijuana influence). In teenagers, long term usage can lead to lower IQ resulted in poor results in school. About sixty percent of marijuana teenage users cannot finish high school or drop out of college. They also have anxiety paranoia and depression. It can also have negative effects on existing mental illness. When addicted, marijuana users feel lack of energy, lack of motivation and loss of interest in their daily activities. It also impacts its user’s memory and concentration for life. Alcohol drastically increase the effect of marijuana. These lead to higher risks of being delusional that can lead to violent behavior. The users will become impatient and belligerent to everyone close to them. Those who use marijuana with alcohol are 2.7 times more likely to engage in violent crime.

Marijuana addiction is highly treatable. However, the long-term effect on the user health and mental capacities are irreversible. Short term usage is beneficial in certain condition. People who abuses marijuana in long term must live with a mental handicap for the rest of their lives.

Marijuana is a plant that when ingested has psychoactive and physical effects on the body. In recent years, many people have become aware of the medicinal benefits of marijuana such as pain relief, nausea reduction, appetite stimulation, and many others. It has been used for thousands of years by humans for its medicinal benefits, with records showing its use for numbing purposes in Asia around 2800 BC. Many states in America have legalized marijuana as a prescribable medication. Some states have laws which are more strict than others, while some do not allow marijuana at all. There are many side effects and negative characteristics which have prevented some states from legalizing marijuana such as increased risk for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, psychological effects, and its rate of dependency (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). Marijuana could potentially change the lives of many Americans; however, there is reason to be cautious.

One of the more well-known effects of marijuana is its ability to ease pain amongst it’s users. Research studying those who suffer from neuropathic pain shows that patients may experience relief from their chronic suffering through the use of marijuana (Bosworth, 2016). The body has naturally occurring receptors which bind the components of marijuana in order to block out painful stimuli from the body, “Peripheral nerves that detect pain sensations contain abundant receptors for cannabinoids, and cannabinoids appear to block peripheral nerve pain in experimental animals”. These receptors are responsible for pain reduction without marijuana use, so this form of pain reduction is relatively natural compared to other forms of pain control. Cancer related pain is an example of a symptom that can be reduced drastically through medicinal marijuana use. Research studying the effects of marijuana cigarettes used regularly by chronic cancer pain suffers indicated that the use of medical marijuana provided “significant pain relief” compared to the subjects who used a placebo. Neuropathic pain related to diseases such as diabetes and AIDs can also be relieved through the use of medicinal marijuana. Another study was conducted with sufferers of neuropathic pain as subjects. The research found that the subjects treated with medicinal marijuana’s pain scores fell drastically while those in the control group reported increased pain scores over time. An additional study focusing specifically on AIDs patients who experience neuropathy found that marijuana was effective after extended use and especially after a single, first-time dose. The average participant in the study experienced a 72% reduction in their chronic pain. Unfortunately, marijuana is not found to be effective at acute pain, such as after surgery circumstances, unlike many other medications such as opiates. Its inability to ease acute traumatic pain raises the question of just how valuable or helpful marijuana is relative to the other pain relieving medications currently available.

An additional medicinal benefit provided by marijuana and its components is that it prevents nausea while increasing appetite. This can be extremely beneficial to those suffering from AIDs, cancer, or other diseases that may cause these symptoms. Cancer patients who had taken medicinal marijuana cigarettes were observed and studied in order to assess their level of nausea and appetite following treatment, “none of the patients experienced nausea or vomiting and more than half reported that their appetite increased”. Not only could medicinal marijuana reduce pain in AIDs and cancer patients, but it can also improve their health and quality of life by increasing appetite and reducing nausea. While marijuana does prevent nausea, there are other medications, such as marinol, available that provide the same effect but do not risk put patients at risk of addiction like marijuana (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). Other medications would not have the same psychological side effects associated with marijuana such as disorientation. Marijuana can relieve nausea and increase appetite, but there are negative side effects unlike many other medications.

A few specific diseases or conditions are known to have their symptoms relieved through the use of medicinal marijuana. Many people suffering from post traumatic stress disorder use marijuana in order to ease their symptoms, “Data from 4 small studies suggested that cannabinoid use was associated with global improvements in PTSD symptoms” (Betthauser, Pilz & Vollmer, 2015). Marijuana use releases neurotransmitters in the brain which alters the way people think and feel while under the influence of marijuana, which can explain many of the benefits patients with PTSD may experience. Medicinal marijuana can also lower the amount of suffering experienced by those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In mice experiencing a multiple sclerosis-like disease, use of medicinal marijuana and its components was found to “reduce tremor and spasticity”. The same effect has been found in human sufferers of multiple sclerosis, “in a recent survey of more than 100 regular marijuana users with multiple sclerosis, nearly every participant reported that marijuana helped relieve spasticity and limb pain”.

While there are many medicinal benefits to marijuana, there are many detrimental side effects. Marijuana is known to cause disorientation. Patients studied who had used marijuana for pain relieving purposes were noted to appear “dreamy and immobile; their thoughts were disorganized and they described feelings of unreality” and was found to have similar side effects as codeine. The relationship between anxiety and marijuana is largely unknown. Many people use marijuana as a means to ease their anxiety, while some people experience elevated levels of anxiety after consumption. There have been studies conducted that found an increased prevalence in anxiety in marijuana users; however, it is unknown whether this correlation exists due to the fact people with anxiety seek marijuana in order to help their symptoms or if it occurs because marijuana causes anxiety. In addition to its psychological effects, marijuana can have many negative effects on one’s physical health. Usage of inhalant marijuana may “harm lung tissues and cause scarring and damage to small blood vessels.. a greater risk of bronchitis, cough, and phlegm production” (Center of Disease Control, 2018). There are also many known cardiovascular risks associated with marijuana consumption, “Marijuana use has also been associated with vascular conditions that increase the risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, and transient ischemic attacks”.

Many people see marijuana as an alternative to opiates. Opioids are powerful painkillers that can be prescribed in the form of pills such as hydrocodone. Marijuana is seen as a safer, less addictive, alternative to opiods; however, marijuana can also be addictive to the people who use it, “Recent data suggest that 30 percent of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). Many people experience “irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort” upon secession of marijuana consumption (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). Therefore, marijuana is not a non-addictive alternative to opiods and may create a risk for dependency when prescribed. Marijuana has not been known to cause cases of overdose, whereas with opiods, “There has been near epidemic increases in deaths related to prescription opioids”. Amongst states that have legalized medical marijuana, studies have found lowered cases of fatal opioid overdoses, lowered prescription rate of opioids, and a lowered level of “high-risk opioid use”. While marijuana is less deadly than opioids, it is still an addictive substance. Being less dangerous than opioids does not mean marijuana is the ideal painkiller or pharmaceutical solution.

Overall, there needs to be more research put into marijuana and its benefits. It may serve as a valuable pharmaceutical resource due to its unique pain relieving, nausea reducing, and appetite stimulating abilities. However, there is cause for concern when introducing it to the public as a medication. Many people may react poorly to the psycho-active effects of the drug, and it has similar effects to worrisome drugs such as codeine that are already legalized. It also can cause adverse physical effects. Therefore, marijuana should be used in replacement of opioids for chronic pain and symptom relief, but should be prescribed or used cautiously and with its side effects in mind.

Before writing this paper, I was in full support of medical marijuana, and after writing it, I am still in support of medical marijuana. However, there were many things I did not consider before doing the research. For example, I did not think about the adverse cardiovascular effects and how this could be completely detrimental to a patient with previous medical conditions affecting their circulatory system. I had previously been under the impression that there was no increased risk of becoming addicted to marijuana, but I learned that users are highly likely to become addicted. While I learned a lot of information that opposes marijuana legalization, I learned much more about its benefits. As I started my research, I had trouble narrowing down what health benefits I would include and which ones I would have to leave out. My view on medical marijuana has been strengthened by writing this paper. Not only have I learned more of the benefits of medical marijuana, but my opinion became more validated and informed through learning the downfalls as well.

For some, the legalization of Cannabis has been a long awaited event. When the Federal Cannabis Act came into effect on October 17 2018, Canada became the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to formally legalize the consumption and distribution of Cannabis. Many were overjoyed, while others stood to argue the negative effects that marijuana has on the body and brain.

Upon extensive research, I’ve come to realize that I also stand with those individuals. To be fair, yes Marijuana can be prescribed to treat patients who suffer from physical symptoms due to illnesses such as loss of appetite and pain. “How does Marijuana increase my appetite” one might ask. Well, we have THC to thank for that. THC, also known as tetrahydrocannabinol, elicits the marijuana high, which imitates substances called endocannabinoids, that the human body naturally produces. Endocannabinoids are what control the production of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters enable communication between the brain and the central nervous system. Endocannabinoids are responsible for relaxing our muscles, reducing inflammation, and regulating our appetite. So essentially, THC is a great copycat. But here lies the problem. The effects that come into play from Endocannabinoids, are sabotaged with the use of Marijuana, and the communication between the brain and the Central Nervous System, are disrupted. This results in memory-loss, the inability to cope with emotions and coordination problems.

The number one side effect most commonly associated with Marijuana smokers, is the loss of memory. Cannabis is responsible for temporarily prohibiting the brain from creating new memories and learning new things. The hippocampus is responsible for this type of memory loss. Large concentrations of cannabinoid receptors exist in the hippocampus, and as a result, the THC interferes with the memory when it binds with those receptors.

Other common side effects are coordination and impairment. The cerebellum controls coordination. The basal ganglia controls muscle movements, and both of these are affected by THC. Research shows that the effects Marijuana has on a young, undeveloped mind, are much greater than those on a developed adult mind. A recent New Zealand study showed that those who smoked heavily in their teens, lost an average of 8 IQ points between the ages of 13 and 38. Even by quitting when they became adults, the mental abilities sadly did not fully return. Individuals who started smoking as adults, with developed brains, didn’t show prominent IQ declines. Another study showed that teens who smoked a substantial amount of marijuana had “abnormally shaped” hippocampal regions by the time they reached 20 years of age.

Of course the long term effects of Marijuana come down to many factors. How it is being used, how often it is being used, and the age of the individual. In my experience, people become addicted to the feeling they inhabit from Marijuana because THC releases dopamine, and who doesn’t respond well to pleasure? The main challenge here, is to find other factors in your life that give you pleasure, and a sense of euphoria that doesn’t affect your brain and body in a negative way long term. This requires a lot of self-work, and soul searching, and we can understand why most turn to a vice, such as Marijuana. It can be scary and a challenge to dig deep within yourself and do the work needed, instead of burying the hatchet and not dealing with one’s issues. But if you value you mind and body, I implore you to do the work, and live a healthy life, with memories that haven’t been forgotten.

Marijuana refers to the leaves, seeds, flowers and stems of the cannabis plant. Marijuana contains the mind-altering chemical THC, which causes either a mind or body high or both. Marijuana has been used for centuries, however, the United States criminalized it during a time in our history that was filled with discrimination towards colored minorities from both the Caucasian race and the government, which at the time was solely white, and so therefore a form of medicine had been taken away from the public. Knowing the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental and physical health and understanding tolerance towards marijuana should allow for an educated response to whether marijuana should be legal or illegal in the United States.

Marijuana has been used in civilizations since the third millennium BC, and possibly even further back in history. Marijuana has been used for multiple purposes since these ancient civilizations as they relied heavily on their agriculture to survive on a daily basis. Most ancient civilizations didn’t grow marijuana for the purpose to get high but rather as an herbal medicine. This trend of using marijuana as a form of medicine likely started in Asia at around 500 BC. The marijuana plant evolved in Central Asia but eventually evolved to other civilizations around the world as the hemp fiber of the plant was used to make things such as clothing, paper, and rope, and its seeds were used to make or to consume as food. Evidence has told us that some of these civilizations may have grown different varieties of the plant to be able to produce a higher level of THC to benefit from marijuana’s mind-altering effects for use in religious ceremonies or healing practice. The idea of using marijuana as medicine in more recent civilizations began in the 1830’s when Sir William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, an Irish doctor studying in India, through research found out that “cannabis extracts helped to lessen stomach pains and vomiting in people who were suffering from cholera.” Ultimately, by the late 1800’s cannabis began to be sold in pharmacies and doctors’ offices in both Europe and the United States to help treat stomach pains and other pains.

In the early 1900’s the Mexicans that had immigrated to the United States following the Mexican Revolution had introduced to American culture the use of marijuana for recreational reasons. During the Great Depression there was resentment towards Mexican immigrants and the public began to create a fear towards the “evil weed.” Therefore, 29 states had outlawed cannabis by 1931 during the Prohibition era. During the 1970’s, the United States was fighting a “war on drugs” and with the passing of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 by President Richard Nixon the Marijuana Tax Act was repealed and listed marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug; drugs on this list include heroin, LSD, and ecstasy which have no medical use as well as have a high potential for abuse. Former aides for President Nixon suggested that the war on drugs, specifically marijuana, had been racially motivated even revealing oval office tapes that highlighted his contempt for the counterculture movement which included racial minorities. To furthermore convince the public that marijuana use had negative effects on people the Shafer Commission was created to investigate the ills of marijuana. The Shafer Commission issued a report entitled “Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding,” which concluded that marijuana was not as dangerous as it had been perceived to be. For nearly a century institutional effort by the US government to convince the public that marijuana was an anathema for our society, in any form and under any circumstances, and these efforts has been successful.

Marijuana’s high affects human functions in a variety of ways, some of these functions are impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving as well as causing distorted perceptions. Marijuana may also affect heart and respiratory functions, with one study concluding that marijuana users have an increase in the risk of having a heart attack in the first hour after consuming marijuana. Research has shown that among chronic heavy users of marijuana, the effects on somebodies’ memory may be affected for at least 7 days after they have stopped using marijuana. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that low levels of marijuana use produced no detrimental effect in lung function among study participants. In an Addiction journal article published by Madeline Meier, a researcher from Duke University, in 2018, reported that “short-term cannabis use in adolescence does not appear to cause a decline in IQ or impair executive functions, even when cannabis use reaches the level of dependence.” Research has proven that there are no significant long-term deficits in memory or attention when it comes to aspects of cognitive functioning.

If you are against the legalization of marijuana, is it because of a personal belief or because of scientific research? Marijuana has been around since our first civilizations up until when it was criminalized toward a time of discrimination toward minorities in our country. Marijuana has become a part of more than 18 million American lives as research bas shown that marijuana is not hurtful to a person’s health. Today, marijuana is still illegal in the United States mainly due to moral reasons and because of the continued concern over the long-term effects, however, going against federal regulation, nine states have legalized marijuana within their borders. Because of this, the voters need to develop an educated response to whether marijuana should be legal throughout the U.S.

Marijuana has become a hot topic in the United States over the last few years. Many have praised marijuana as a wonder drug that could benefit many Americans with a variety of ailments, while others see it as a gateway to using harder illicit drugs. One of the main topics, as it relates to marijuana, is its ability to serve as a treatment for certain diseases. As a supporter of medicinal marijuana use, I will attempt to write this essay from a conflicting view.

The first con that I would like to address is one that many who oppose the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes which is that there is no concrete scientific evidence that marijuana use has any medical benefit. What’s helpful about this view is that if proven correct, it could completely topple the national debate of legalization. If I believed this view, I think it would be difficult to be open to other perspectives. In an environment absent of any scientific support, this point of view would have to be true.

Next, I would like to explore the con that smoking marijuana has the same harmful effects as smoking cigarettes which is another commonly used con. I find this con interesting because it uses an argument that compares marijuana to a substance that is legal in all 50 states. If I believed this view it might be a deterrent to supporting marijuana for medicinal use, but it couldn’t be my main reason for opposing it since cigarettes are legal. Depending on the method of inhalation this point of view could very well be true.

Last, I’ll explore another commonly stated con that marijuana use can lead to addiction. I find this con interesting because several substances are legal that could lead to addiction such as soda, alcohol, pills etc. If I believed this point of view, it would be a strong reason for me to lean towards being against marijuana for medicinal purposes. With all the addiction epidemics going on across the country, we don’t need to add to the problem. For someone who is already an addict and/or has an addictive personality this con could be true.

In conclusion, the marijuana debate within our country rages on and may continue for years to come. Until there is a broader understanding of marijuana within the scientific community, we will continue to hear the opposing views on both sides. Some will continue to be against its use based on the issue I have laid out (and more). While others, like me, will demand more definitive proof of the harm that marijuana can cause before flipping point of views.

There is no denying that there are many debates globally about marijuana. By now, you should already have some knowledge about this common plant that people are always talking about. There is arguably no industry that is growing at a faster and more consistent pace than legal marijuana in the U.S. In the Marijuana Business Daily’s latest report, ‘Marijuana Business Factbook 2017,’ predicts legal sales growth in the U.S. of 30% this year, 45% in 2018, and 300% as a whole between 2016 and 2021 to about a $17 billion market. Right now, marijuana remains categorized as Schedule I at the federal level, meaning it has no recognized medical benefits and is illegal, just like LSD and heroin. But, the belief of having no recognized medical benefits is not true. In fact, I can tell you some reasons why marijuana should be legal.

First, medical data suggests that marijuana can help improve the patient’s quality of life. It would be difficult to deny that marijuana hasn’t demonstrated positive benefits in university run and Food and Drug Administration approved clinical studies. For example, a study published in the American Public Health Association just this past week found that since Colorado has legalized recreational cannabis, the percentage of opioid-related deaths has declined by 6.5%. That stopped a 14-year streak of an increasing number of opioid-related deaths in the state. The study suggests that cannabis may be an alternative to pain-fighting opioids, and a much safer one. Epidiolex, an oral cannabinoid based drug, significantly lead to reduction in seizure frequency for two rare types of childhood epilepsy, which are known as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Legalizing cannabis could mean game changing medical discoveries for certain illness, and better access for patients.

Second, it’s a potentially new source of revenue and jobs. Legalizing marijuana could be a boom for the economy. According to a report from New Frontier Data, the cannabis industry will have created an estimated 300,000 jobs by the year 2020. Based on employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that is more jobs than what would have been created by the manufacturing sector, utility sector, or even the government sector. Legalizing marijuana also opens up a new source of income for the states, and perhaps even the federal government. For example, in Colorado, nearly $200 million in tax revenue was collected in 2016 on over $1.3 billion in legal sales. When they have California’s recreational pot industry running, it might end up generating more than a billion annually in tax revenue.

Restricting marijuana does not make sense. If alcohol and cigarettes are legal, then why shouldn’t marijuana? According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), alcohol overdose alone caused about 25,000 deaths in 2013 and nearly 16,000 deaths from liver disease. Alcohol­ related crimes also caused 2.2 million arrests in 2012. Cigarettes are also just as bad. They are causing nearly 500,000 deaths in the United States per year with medical bills approaching 140 billion dollars per year.

The final reason why marijuna should be legalized is because the majority of the public favors legalization. Surveys all over the world have consistently shown that a majority of the public wants marijuana to be legal. Gallup’s October 2016 survey and CBS News’ April 2017 survey found 60% and 61%, respectively, support legal marijuana throughout the United States. A separate survey from Quinnipiac University in April 2019 showed that an overwhelming 94% supported the legalization of marijuana, and 6% who opposed the idea. Congress are supposed to represent the will of the people. Therefore, if lawmakers fail to make changes to the marijuana debate that favors the majority of the people, these elected officials could run the risk of being voted out of office. Although, yes, the topic of marijuana is not strong enough yet for voters to not vote for a candidate, but as the support for marijuana increases (now increasing at a very high rate), it also becomes increasingly more likely.

Although marijuana has benefits in life, I understand that there are also downsides to it. A growing myth among the public is that marijuana is not an addictive substance but data shows that most people who use marijuana become addicted. Users who need treatment for marijuana addiction average 10 years of daily use. A withdrawal syndrome could show symptoms of anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, depression, and changes in appetite.

Marijuana is not as bad as some people who are against it might say. In fact, everything in the world have pros and cons to it and the studies/research about marijuana, proved to have many pros. So the big question that is going around the world now is “Should Marijuana Be Legal?” What is your answer to that?

INTRODUCTION

It is said that Marijuana is a very harmful plant that can put people’s lives in peril when used and it will be a problem that we will encounter in our society if ever it will be legalized. However, it has also numerous positive outcomes. Based on its economic value and medical benefits and purposes, it is a very helpful plant.

Since then, the issue of the legalization of Marijuana is always on the center stage. This drug is more topical, it is for the reason that people are debating whether to legalize it or not. Many reports said that Marijuana is helpful in an individual’s health. It can help cure some diseases and some people claim that it is a great stress reliever. But other people said that it has numerous negative outcomes in someone’s behavior, safety, and health but Marijuana has not caused any death yet. There’s no single report that one person died due to Marijuana overdose. Alcohol and tobacco which is both legal here in our country are the two primary causes of death. Even though Marijuana has a positive effect in our society, but still our government didn’t approve despite all the efforts of the citizens, it is due to some unfavorable outcomes of this drug.

BODY

Cannabis also known as Marijuana is a cultivated commercially or grows wild in warm and tropical areas all over the world. This plant, material to make Marijuana, has appeared for a long time, and other countries used this cannabis seed as one of their food sources. USA’s government has defined that Marijuana is the mixture of gray or green cannabis leaves, flowers, which had been dried; after terminologies are Mary and Jane which was originated in Mexico. The chance of users be addicted to Marijuana is the lowest, with only a little percentage became addicted to it. Marijuana is constantly creating temptations for individuals. The problem of Marijuana used is increasing and this is the most used illegal drug in the world. Friends of users and users are constantly surrounded by this drug but don’t have any idea of its harmful effects.

Almost all people think that cancer is a condition of uncontrolled cell, the division is the unsecured disease. Normally when cells are old, mutated or endured, the process of programmed death cell will set off to prevent these cells from dividing. Scientists now have found that Marijuana can help people who are suffering from cancer. Marijuana is indeed beneficial. Another relevant is to glaucoma, an eye disease which reduces people’s side version that even leads to blindness. Therefore patients have to use Marijuana seven times a day.

Marijuana is considered as one of the addictive substance in the world that can lead to many bad effects on the user’s health. One of the consequences of this drug is the mental aspect. The result shows that there are changes in terms of how humans deal in the environment upon the excessive use of marijuana. The abnormal factory of the brain usually affects how people socialized and look around them. Even some famous people due to peer pressure and the ideas of its medical benefits suddenly ruin the substantial evidence to demonstrate that marijuana is very harmful to user’s health, especially to their brain and social life. Blocking memory formation, increasing the risk of depression and psychological disorders are the main consequences of too much expose and use of this drug

First, it is not a dangerous drug. Yes, it can also affect the physical and mental health, but if used well, it can also be beneficial to the user. Well, alcohol and cigarettes are more harmful. Second, of course, Marijuana can be used for medical purposes. It is believed that it can help a person who has struggles in eating and sleeping. This drug can also be a great help in an individual who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, it is said to prevent memory loss and proven that it prevents brain inflammation which is the cause of the said disease. Third, Marijuana not just benefit the body of the user, it can also grow an economy of one country. Its legalization can have a huge amount of profit, which our country badly needs in these economic times. Finally, it is environment-friendly and is easy to grow. This drug provides the fiber that can be used to make paper products and it can help reduce to chop down trees in the forest.

However, there are also reasons not to legalize this drug. Even though it can help the economy, it can also ruin the society. People would become Marijuana dependent instead of a group of smart, hardworking and positive minded people.

CONCLUSION

After collecting some information from social media, this drug should still be illegal but researching the correct data about Marijuana gave us an understanding that this kind of drug serves as the temporary cure for those people who are suffering from cancer and any diseases that this drug can help cure. It’s just wonderful how Marijuana can make a person feel better and free from sickness. Cannabis is a very helpful drug and it should be legal. Its legalization can help our country in many ways such as it can help our economy boost. Based on its outcomes, the positive outweighs its negative.

The author Perry Daniel Strausbaugh (March 21, 1886 – May 3, 1965) was an American botanist and expert in the flora of West Virginia. The standard author abbreviation Strausb is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name. After his graduation, Strausbaugh returned to Wooster College as an assistant professor of botany, becoming a full professor of botany from 1921 to 1923. In 1923, Strausbaugh accepted the position as head of the department of botany at West Virginia University. The other author which was Perry’s colleague, Earl Lemley Core (January 20, 1902 – December 8, 1984) was a botanist and botanical educator, researcher, and author as well as a local West Virginia historian. He was the founder of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Club and editor of its journal, Castanea, for thirty-five years.

There is always a discussion about marijuana, some are pro and some are cons based on their knowledge and their research. From these discussions, research and articles, shows more of the pros where marjuana is considered a painkiller and framing the issue based on the articles by analyzing them. The purpose is to legalize marijuana, because by reading two articles pros and cons and two news online where they talked about marijuana, which the pros articles and legalizing marijuana, made more sense, and were more clear about the effects, which the framing is about. One of the articles talked about marijuana as a healthy medication, the other article talked bad about marijuana, and not agreeing to make marijuana a legal or a medical. In the articles analysis, with more potential and more medical word was the pro article, that marijuana is safe, and healthy. “Marijuana could be beneficial in the treatment of a number of health conditions.” There is a lot of treatments that can be cured from the pot, and now there is a lot of ways how to take it to cure the disease or the pain.

Humans have consumed marijuana for years and the narcotic ingredients of marijuana have stimulating effects and its purported medical efficacious. Also marijuana Is beneficial and treat a lot of diseases, pain and cancers. In a lot of states marijuana is legal. Analyzing these two articles, the pros article made more sense because there is a lot of research by doctors that are making and talking big words and facts about effects, which is stimulating effects. The other article it didn’t have to much research because the only thing what they wrote was the effects while we are high but that is completely wrong because the other article wrote that there are stimulating effects. Stimulating effects make everything clear but for some other doctors, think that there is a lot of problems afterwards, having a dry mouth, memory etc. but this is not a strong explanation or conclusion, sometimes we got to think the positive effects because weed came from mother nature and logically that is a hemp plant to treat diseases and sickness. Why is alcohol legal, and alcohol is not that addictive, it just kills your body and decreases blood pressure, or maybe “they” don’t want to compare it because they know it’s wrong. “I see families that come in together and shop for pain relief, I think people are opening their eyes to the fact that this isn’t some evil drug.” Using marijuana it helps public health too, most of the people say that marijuana reveals yourself, and revealing yourself, also helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world. “Marijuana remains as the most common illicit drug in the world. After smoking two or three marijuana cigarettes, the experienced smoker often has a feeling of well-being and increased power and ability.” Getting high can help most of the people because we see a lot of stressful people or they got pain but maybe not for all because someone who got everything in life he probably doesn’t need it because someone who is good healthy maybe they shouldn’t smoke marijuana, it might leave side effects after.

Approximately half of the American public now believes marijuana should be legal. And although legalization is not a part of either major party’s political platform, there are those in the government who are grappling with the issue.

Framing this issue and articulate it is that first people who think cons marijuana should look into the positive effects and having a lot of people trying it for the first time and giving thoughts about it, there is videos that helps some people with diseases but making a video with all them together it will be the value for that and from my thoughts and researching there are going to be positive thoughts and good answers. Solution of the issue and framing this it’s if we get good thoughts maybe other people are interested on trying and that how make people dive in, and there is not any side effects because if we get a good conclusion of the framing it might be a good frame. I don’t see any framing from both sides because the other side talks more about the momentum effects and they don’t have any information for a big conclusion of the issue. The data is strong for this framing are a lot making marijuana a safe medication and treatment drug. People listen to the news, but that is a different story because this topic is not in a political platform, and they always tell the story using a deep metaphor and using also a tone which is the key, which makes people doubt, using marijuana.

Scientific investigations have focused on the therapeutic uses of cannabinoids found in medical marijuana to treat and ease the symptoms of various health conditions, including some diseases. “THC and cannabidiol (CBD) could be beneficial in the treatment of a number of health conditions, including autoimmune diseases, cancers, pain, inflammation, seizures, and psychiatric disorders.” This shows that there is more beneficial information than actually bad for our health, but there is no conclusion yet, if it’s really legal drug or not. Marijuana is legal in the United States in more than 25 states. But from doctors there is not enough information to make it legal in the entire country.

Marijuana affects people’s health in a bad and good way but in a bad way, there is no information that there is any risk to use it, which leads to a good effects, and making people pros marijuana and there is some of these conclusions of the thesis, patients who were treated with cannabis or cannabinoids were more likely to experience a significant reduction in pain symptoms. Oral cannabinoids were associated with improved reported symptoms of adults with multiple sclerosis-related muscle spasms.

Marijuana has become one of the most discussed topics when it comes to students and their abilities to succeed in school. The reason behind it is that marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the U.S. Thus, giving these Authors the assumption that cravings of marijuana did not benefit students positively when it came to being motivated or putting effort into school. According to the article, fifty-seven students attending college at a mid-sized University in Colorado were recruited by their science and psychology classes. All the students being recruited however used marijuana in their daily lives. More than half of the participants that were being studied were female leaving the rest to be males. These students ages ranged from eighteen to twenty-five. The materials used in this experiment were text messages which were being sent out three times a day for two weeks. These messages were sent out at random times to determine the substance use of each student and how it would affect them. In these messages, they were asked to not only include the number of times this person had smoked or craved marijuana but also the minutes this person spent smoking, studying, and the amount of motivation this person had. This study resulted in the reassurance that a lack of academic success was caused by marijuana and the effect was having no academic effort as well as having little or no motivation. For example, when the student craved marijuana they spend more time smoking that they did studying.

Prior to the procedures and results, the Author made serval hypotheses and took several ideas into consideration. However, One hypothesis was that cravings and marijuana use were the reason students did not have the motivation nor have the effort to succeed in college. Although it probably isn’t the only reason students are not academically succeeding I do believe the assumptions were appropriate stating that as the student’s cravings of the substance were increased the lack of motivation increased steadily with it.

Overall, with a wide span of diversity that colleges tend to have this study did include different races and ethnicities. However, they were all categorized by their race, age, gender, school schedules, their major, and the number of years attended at the university. The most important thing overall was that the identities and the information of the students that participated were greatly protected. With only the use of the first name they were given ID numbers and as for the phone numbers they were also protected with a text messaging service that was password protected and deleted all information after this study was completed. The fact that these researchers kept all the information that was collected hidden and unreachable to everyone was very professional. One limitation that was not beneficial to this research study was that the group of people chosen was organized for a purpose. They were only studying the students who most likely used marijuana in their everyday lives and have been for a while. As if they were to study the ones who probably only use it occasionally, the results would not have been equally the same. However, one thing that was not acknowledged was that there could be people who use marijuana because it benefits them in a positive way. In this case, anything from anxiety, seizures, pain, anorexia, and even muscle spasms.

The way the method tested the research question could have been improved. If students tested positive for marijuana and met all the requirements they were eligible for participation. In participating the student would be receiving a text message that contained nine different questions for the participant to answer. This message was sent up to three times throughout the day. Each message, however, had three-time blocks, if the student were to not reply within that time block they were not reminded and would proceed to send the next message within the next few hours. In conclusion, the findings of this study truly supported that heavy marijuana users would crave marijuana often and would be affected in their academic effort and their motivation. Some alternative interpretations that would be possible for this study would be to use other elements to determine the positive or negative effect of any substance used other than just marijuana. One casual conclusion that was found inappropriate was the fact that not only was the use of marijuana an explanation to a low or different GPA compared to other students. But, also their race/ethnicity seemed to be something they factored in that would affect their GPA. Although this type of research was used to see the relativity of marijuana use, cravings, motivation, and performances. There was a suggestion called cue-reactivity to be used in the near future to better the results currently found. Using the suggested method would help the researcher visually see the learned responses of people, which are observed in individuals with addiction. These people are presented with a stimulus that then begins to rate their craving in order to determine if their cravings directly impact their behaviors.

In addition to this, this study was unsure if the craving for marijuana and use were even related. If cravings and the use of marijuana were at the least associated with each other just a little, the relativity would be very low. This study also did not include academic variables. On the other hand, The use of marijuana is overpowering the minds of students and is shown to not be beneficial to those who are trying to succeed. Students who heavily use marijuana are at risk of having problematic substance use and would benefit if they were to communicate or get treatment to help with the cravings of marijuana.

Much Debate has been conducted on Marjuana legalization, with an unusual amount of contradicting research. There is constant dispute on whether it should be legalized or not, and if legalized, how would the government make it work. All these questions are things the government takes into account everyday. There is a big divide between people’s beliefs on this matter from all perspectives: medical, political, or economical. However when looking at the benefits, there is no question that marijuana should be legal throughout the entire country, as the positive aspects of marijuana far outweigh the detriments. Comment by Khizar Bhatti:

The first argument as to why weed should be legal is because of how many other drugs are legal. Weed is one of the few least dangerous and illegal drugs. Most hard drugs like painkillers, methamphetamine, and cocaine are substances that are far more harmful to your health and potentially life-threatening. Marijuana should not be classified in the same class as the ‘hard’ narcotics. It should be in the alcohol, tobacco, and even sugar category. Marijuana is more commonly associated with these drugs than with other much harder drugs. It is also clear that alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous to an individual because they are the leading cause of death In the United States.That’s why I disagree with how the marijuana policy is far less favoured than the alcohol and tobacco policies. Its noted that even sugar can be considered more harmful in many respects. Cannabis is a drug that is much safer and more difficult than alcohol to overdose. Therefore, many are unable to grasp why cannabis is not legal and alcohol is. Interestingly enough, there have been no recorded deaths from overdose of marijuana. Like all other ‘drugs’ deemed to be in the same class as cannabis, marijuana should have equal legal policies. It is necessary to change this unfair approach.

Another strong argument for legalizing marijuana is how much money our government could save, and perhaps even earn. Cannabis takes a massive financial toll on our justice system. If the policy was changed and enforced, it could be charged and used for funding from the government. Many studies have shown that marijuana can produce very good income. Legal marijuana can not only help make money, it can also help support the justice system a great deal. according to the US Department of Justice, There are more than 750,000 people are arrested every year for cannabis possession. When you think about the danger level of cannabis, this number is insane. For something that does not directly harm anyone else, 750,000 people are arrested yearly. Sometimes, these offenders are not only charged by police but must also pay for each individual case. Another way it could aid the justice system is by opening up more jail spots. Consumers of cannabis make up a great deal of prison space that could be used for far more serious offenders. Eventually, legalizing marijuana would greatly help the justice system, and the law should be immediately changed. Comment by Khizar Bhatti:

People’s health and security should be the government’s main concern. Marijuana has many positive attributes that can help people in their daily lives. The medicine could be used by most people suffering from ailing symptoms. “Marijuana could be used to help with pain, nausea, spasticity, PTSD and much more” stated by WEB MD. it is also a great way for people to relax themselves. Most of the cannabis effects are very mild and easy to handle. When using this medication, people are not very frequently uncontrollable or in a state of risk. Marijuana is a medication that develops immunity quickly and allows people to better manage the symptoms. I don’t understand why it shouldn’t be allowed because most people can tolerate the effects and use the drug effectively. As a result, most people will tell you the signs are far more positive than negative. Marijuana use has always been questioned, but now is the time for our country to address this issue as the usage of cannabis has peaked throughout these past few years. Not considering legalization is no longer acceptable, as states within the nation have already taken matters into their own hands by making it legal: Colorado and Washington have been the first to do so this past election season. The counter argument for marijuana legalization would be studies showing that smoking ‘pot’ would affect brain chemistry and lower IQs. However smoking cigarettes or any tobacco product would also causes emphysema, and it is known that drinking alcohol affects your IQ and kills your brain cells. Comment by Khizar Bhatti:

Considering the above facts, marijuana should be legalized and the policy should be changed. There is too much good to come from this policy change not to do it. There are many people that agree with a policy change and the government needs to do the same. Clearly, marijuana can help make this country better in many ways. Health is obviously the government’s main concern, and that’s why they refuse to legalize it. Yet, as studies show, there are few health risks and several beneficial factors that cannabis could contribute. Legal marijuana could help hard drugs from spreading to the wrong people. Also, it will keep the amount of drug dealers down and the amount of legal shops up. In fact, if it were to be legalized, cannabis would do much more good than negative. The law that forbids marijuana legalization must be changed immediately.

Work Cited

1. http://www.drugpolicy.org/issues/marijuana-legalization-and-regulation Comment by Khizar Bhatti:
2. https://www.thoughtco.com/reasons-why-marijuana-should-be-legalized-721154
3. https://www.verywellhealth.com/should-cannabis-be-legalized-22315
4. https://sites.psu.edu/mikekellyrcleportfolio/marijuanalegalize/
5. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marijuana-legalization_n_4151423
6. https://marijuana.procon.org/
7. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marijuana-legalization_n_4151423
8. https://prospect.org/health/must-legalize-marijuana/
9. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine