Category: Cannabis/Medical Marijuana

Forty-four years ago, Peter Tosh released the song “Legalize It.” Today, both at home and abroad our law makers, lobbyist and community leaders are coming together and having serious discussion on decriminalizing or legalizing a plant that was once demonized and criminalized. Various sects of society have been clamoring for the decriminalisation of marijuana in Trinidad and Tobago. Decriminalisation refers to a reduction of legal penalties. This can be done either by changing them to civil penalties, such as fines, or by diverting drug use offenders away from a criminal conviction and into education or treatment options (Ritter, n.d). Decriminalisation should be high on the agenda of lawmakers as marijuana has the effect of reducing the overload of the Criminal Justice System, decreasing the agencies resources, transforming the floundering economy as well as alleviating the effects of various diseases.

Decriminalisation will have the effect of reducing our congested, overloaded criminal justice system in Trinidad and Tobago. The burden placed on the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), Prisons Service and the court would be lessened if decriminalisation is considered (Julien, 2019). It is no secret that the justice system is slow to dispense justice. Furthermore, it has been described as being on the edge of a precipice and in a crisis (Hassanali, 2016). As such, the decriminalisation of marijuana can be one of the keys in snatching the justice system from the abyss of crisis. It will undoubtedly reduce the number of drug related cases that come before the courts, which will in turn save the court valuable time to deal with much more serious crimes. This will lift the blanket of congestion that continues to stifle our criminal justice system.

The state can potentially save billions of dollars by decriminalising marijuana. A significant percentage of the county’s resources is allocated to prosecuting, sentencing and incarcerating marijuana users. In 2017, two thousand (2000) persons have been arrested for possession of this supposedly harmful plant. If decriminalised, immediately the state would save the cost of prosecuting the almost 2,000 people arrested for ganja possession (Waithe,2018). According to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, between $15,000 and $20,000 a month is spent to accommodate, clothe, secure and feed each prisoner (Waithe, 2018). Those prosecuted for cannabis possession, would be released and pardoned, and those serving time could have their cases reviewed. The citizens’ tax paying dollars, which would have been spent in prosecuting and accommodating prisoners can instead be funneled into our education or health system. The decriminalization of marijuana will therefore, result in a decrease in expenditure by the state.

The appeal for economic diversification in Trinidad has been deafening and has largely been ignored. What can we turn to when the oil and gas reserves diminish? It is critical that we as a nation look towards other avenues for not only generating, but sustaining economic growth. Indeed, becoming a player in the nascent medical marijuana industry can be the answer. This certainly can stimulate economic growth, which will ultimately benefit our society. The possibilities are endless as we can explore the opportunities of this industry. Jobs can be created which will reduce the unemployment rate within Trinidad. Other products such as Cannabidiol (CBD) oil can be produced, as there is huge market for it in the US. According to data compiled by Transparency Market Research, the global CBD oil market is projected to grow from USD 950 Million in 2017 to USD 2.5 billion by 2026 (Financial Buzz, 2018). Undeniably, proper regulations, research and consultation has to be done to bring this to fruition.

Evidently, the prohibition on marijuana is preventing the region from taking advantage of the economic opportunities in the cannabis industry (Caricom, 2018). In March 2018, police in Grande Riviere discovered seven fields containing seventeen thousand (17,000) fully mature marijuana trees with a street value of $17 million. The crop was burned in an eradication exercise (Surtees, 2018). Headlines such as these have become quite common within Trinidad. Instead of harvesting the economic benefits that abound from this natural plant we burn millions of dollars. These plants could have been processed, packaged and supplied to both domestic and international markets. Of course, legal red tape and regulations have to be taken into consideration to allow for this to become a reality; but if done correctly Trinidad and Tobago stand to gain in years to come. In 2018, the legal cannabis market in the US experienced 31 per cent growth surge, reaching US$8.5 billion (Waithe, 2018). Nations like the US have taken advantage of this multi-billion-dollar global industry and have reaped the benefits. Why do we as a nation, continue to straggle behind on the ladders of progression, allowing America and other countries to profit from a product it encouraged the world to prohibit since the 1930s?

The medical benefits of this marijuana cannot be underestimated. Cannabis sativa preparations have been used in medicine for ages. The plant has over seven hundred (700) compounds of which more than one hundred (100) are cannabinoids. The main cannabinoids of interest medicinally are the psychoactive compound, delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) which is non -psychoactive. These cannabinoids act on the endocannabinoid system which plays an important role in the body’s function (Robertson, 2018). Numerous diseases, such as anorexia, emesis, pain, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders (Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease), epilepsy, glaucoma, osteoporosis, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, obesity, and metabolic syndrome-related disorders are being treated or have the potential to be treated by cannabinoid related compounds (Kogan & Mechoulam, 2007). Several persons in the public national consultations shared their personal experiences on the positive impacts of marijuana on pain, asthma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, glaucoma and cerebral palsy. Many persons gave accounts that cannabis/ marijuana helped them to heal when traditional drugs did not work (Caricom, 2018). Caribbean nations such as Antigua and Bermuda and Jamaica have taken a progressive stance on marijuana by implementing or planning progressive cannabis reform in recent years and many others are in discussion to bring about the same change. It will certainly be a ludicrous to let this opportunity slip through our fingertips. The overwhelming evidence is substantial enough to determine that there is considerable value in cannabis as an important plant for medicinal purposes, therefore decriminalising marijuana can serve to help thousands of persons.

Certainly, one can see the merit in the argument that decriminalisation will serve to increase marijuana use, especially amongst our youths of tomorrow. This premise is not new neither is it factual. There is no evidence that indicates that decriminalisation of marijuana affects either the choice or frequency of use of drugs (Thies & Register, 1993). MacCoun and Reuter (1997, 2001) discuss the evidence on marijuana decriminalisation in Australia, United States and the Netherlands. They conclude there is no indication that decriminalization intensifies the use of marijuana. In fact, citizens who live under decriminalisation laws consume marijuana at rates less than or comparable to those who live in regions where the possession of marijuana remains a criminal offence (Single et al., 2000). Since the advent of the decriminalisation of marijuana in Jamaica, data revealed that there has not been any discernible increase in use (Caricom, 2018).

Conclusively, measures should be taken to comprehensively review marijuana’s current status with a view to reclassification. The decriminalisation of marijuana should be high on the agenda for the government of the country due to the numerous benefits to the society. The socio-economic benefits that abound far outweigh the miniscule dangers that have been put forward. Our nation should comprehensively look towards marijuana decriminalisation as it can save our country’s resources, boost our economy, bring about health benefits, and reduce that backlog the exist within our criminal justice system.

References

1. Robertson, H. (2018). St Vincent and the Grenadines on the brink of making medicinal cannabis a legal reality. Caribbean News Now. Retrieved from https://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/2018/10/09/st-vincent-and-the-grenadines-on-the-brink-of-making-medicinal-cannabis-a-legal-reality/
2. Caricom. (2018). Report of the Caricom regional commission on marijuana 2018. Retrieved from https://caricom.org/documents/16433-marijuana_report_final_3_aug_18-doc.pdf
3. [bookmark: _Hlk5911683]Financial Buzz.(2018). Data Projects the Global CBD-Based Oil Market Will Continue its Growth. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/data-projects-the-global-cbd-based-oil-market-will-continue-its-growth-852730975.html
4. Hassanali, S. (2016). DPP: justice system in crisis. Guardiancott. Retrieved from https://production2.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.355648.1e2b4dc938
5. Julien, J. (2019). Ganga debate gains momentum. Guardiancott. Retrieved from https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/ganja-debate-gains-momentum 6.2.760997.3743a2fbc6
6. Kogan, N. M., & Mechoulam, R. (2007). Cannabinoids in health and disease. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 9(4), 413–430.
7. MacCoun, R., & Peter,P. (1997), “Interpreting Dutch Cannabis Policy: Reasoning by Analogy in the Legalization Debate,” Science, 278, 47-52.
8. Ritter, A. (n.d). Decriminalisation or legalization:injecting evidence in the drug aw refore debate. Retrieved from
9. https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/blog/decriminalisation-or-legalisation-injecting-evidence-drug-law-reform-debate
10. Single,E et al. (2000). The impact of cannabis decriminalization in Australia and the United States. Journal of Public Health Policy, 21,157-186.
11. Surtees,J(2018) Marijuana industry could revolutionise Caribbean economies Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Retrieved from https://newsday.co.tt/2018/05/26/marijuana-industry-could-revolutionise-caribbean-economies/
12. Thies, C. & Register, C. (1993). Decriminalization of marijuana and demand for alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. The Social Sciences Journal, 30, 385-399.
13. Waithe,M.(2018) Economics of ganja. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Retrieved from https://newsday.co.tt/2018/07/19/economics-of-ganja/

Despite the prevalence of the use of marijuana in the world, the harmful effects of this substance on the nervous system and its physiological effects can’t be neglected because many of the complications of the use of the substance appear over a long period of time, many societies and individuals may only seek an instant pleasure They are not long-term complications.

Although marijuana is less dependent on cigarettes or opioids, is it only dependent on this important issue? Here, in addition to the dependence of the factors and points to be remarkably expressed. Which involves altering the level of neurotransmitter secretion and reabsorption in the central and peripheral nervous system neurons and other effects on other organs.

The sale and use of marijuana has been legalized in Uruguay, Canada, the Netherlands, and 10 US states, while many researchers have spoken a lot about the devastating effects of this article. What is behind this issue? Marijuana is the most widely used illegal substance in the world, but why is it illegal to be banned when it is consumed so high?

Here, we can have the discussion in the right shape. We can state the opinion of some experts about the use of marijuana and the opposition to the use of marijuana. In Iran, there is no accurate statistics on the use of marijuana, but what is clear is that consumption in our country is rising, perhaps due to poverty, unemployment, high cost, lack of fun or friendship or pleasure. So for these reasons, the person may enter into the use of marijuana

Opinions agree to use

On the years, marijuana has increasingly been prescribed and used for a variety of medical reasons, including pain disorders relief. It was used as a drink at parties or at religious celebrations. Marijuana is far safer than alcohol, which is legal Medical marijuana provides a safe and natural treatment for many types of chronic pain Medical marijuana helps reduce or control symptoms associated with a variety of illnesses, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer and multiple sclerosis Other prescription drugs on the market – Vicodin, OxyContin and Valium – are far more addictive Marijuana has been used for centuries as a medicinal agent and yielded positive results For every person who supports the legalization of medical marijuana, there is another who strongly opposes it.

Opinions disagree to use

Cannabis has mental and physical effects in humans, such as creating a high or stoned feeling, a change in perception of memory, make higher mood, and an increase appetite. Onset of effects is after the minutes when smoked, and about 30 to 60 minutes when smoked and drinken. There effect last for between two and six hours or more than. Short-term side effects maybe a decrease in lost of memory, dry of mouth, impairment in motor movement, red iris eyes, and feelings paranoia or anxiety. Long-term side effects may include abuse, decreased mental activity in those who started as under adolescence years, and behavioral problems between children whose mothers used cannabis during the first trimester of pregnancy pregnancy. There is a relation between cannabis user and the risk of sick psychosis, though the cause-and-effect is dispute. Frequent use can impair cognitive ability and working and short term memory. Children would have easier access to a drug that could hurt them Marijuana carries a risk of abuse and addiction its gate of abuse in some area. Could lead to a lower quality of life, as well as health problems and financial issues Is an excuse for drug legalization and recreational use

Results

According to libertarians, adults should have the liberty to pursue their own choices Useful or harmful so long as they do not harm anyone else. Not surprisingly, increased marijuana use after legalization has been accompanied by an increase in the number of emergency cases that department visits and hospitalizations related to acute marijuana intoxication.

Cannabis is a drug of dependence but its dependence risk is less than that of opioids and cocaine and other material There are different opinions about using or not using marijuana The use or rejection of this material depends on the policy of governments, the amount of consumption, the number of regular merchants, the use of other substances, and the dangers of using this substance in the long term and in the short term. The dangers of using marijuana when driving cannot be ignored, visual and auditory illnesses that may be present at home or in the workplace or in the community can be the unwanted risk of release marijuana. Heavy cannabis use contributes to failures of social role in much the same way as alcohol does: increasing the school leaving; depression state; damage mental health, including: psychoses; poor worker performance, increased likelihood of welfare dependence, and unstable and lose of relationships; and poor life satisfaction in live through adulthood. Harms from drug use that affect the user are solely the user’s concern; harms that a user may cause to Several dimensions (such as, car crashes if users drive while intoxicated) or social nuisances (e.g. being kept awake by noise drunks) are matters for criminal and misdeed law, respectively. A rational drug policy for a libertarian would therefore be one that allowed any adult to use the drug if they wished. The restrictions would be limiting this use to those over the age of adult autonomy (18 or 21) and inhibiting use by adults in situations that put others at risk, for example driving a car Or a sensitive job while intoxicated.

Legal moralists and Religious rules, by contrast, believe that (at least some types of) drug use is inherently wrong, for example, because drugs are intoxicating or undermine autonomy, and argue that such wrongful behavior should be criminalized. For legal moralists, a rational drug policy would be one that prohibited the use of the drug and imposed criminal sanctions on those who used it and those who buy and sell this substance should be banned. Any societal costs in enforcing the law are irrelevant from this perspective because legal moralists would argue that laws against drug use or abuse, like laws against murder and theft Betrayal and crime, are morally right, and hence should not be evaluated by considering the costs incurred in enforcing them.

Many people reject both the libertarian and legal moralists’ views. They are at least conditionally prepared to accept that the state may have the right to restrict adult choices if there is good evidence that these choices cause serious harm to individuals and society. Anyone who takes this implicitly utilitarian approach would want to know whether prohibiting drug use prevented these harms, and if so whether this outcome was achieved at an acceptable social and economic cost or not. This approach to policy formulation requires some form of social accounting that examines the costs and benefits of drug use and the enforcement of the prohibition on such use. There are two major problems in undertaking any such accounting: advocates of both liberalization and of a continuation of criminal penalties often have very different views on what these costs and benefits are; and disagree on how these costs and benefits should be weighed against each other.

Given the disadvantages of using and some of the benefits of marijuana, it can be concluded that the use of this substance can have short-term or long-term effects. And maybe some of its disadvantages and advantages are still unclear. Therefore, extensive and unbiased studies should be conducted to find clear results in this regard.

Addiction, it’s an ugly word, but unfortunately a very common one. It is wifely stated that the first step to overcoming an addiction is to admit that there is a problem. But many who smoke marijuana insist there is no problem. Take “Clay” for example, he smokes marijuana daily but says he’s not addicted. But when Clay doesn’t smoke he seems to be angrier, more prone to outbursts, and seems to be struggling with tasks. Despite what is often claimed, marijuana is an addictive substance and “data suggests that 30 percent of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder…” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, Is Marijuana Addictive?). These users are so accustomed to thinking that smoking marijuana is not only fine, but somehow healthy is giving them the false impression it’s good to smoke. They fail to realize the harm they’re doing to their body and the harm they’re doing to others when they’re under the influence. Clay is aware he acts differently when he doesn’t smoke, but thinks the best option is to smoke to feel normal again. It becomes controlling, it becomes about when they’ll be able to get it again but fail to see the power this drug has over them. If this becomes legalized for reactional use, it will only turn into another addiction that Americans can feel good about getting. This society has already become extremely unhealthy and this will just be another nail in the coffin rather than the help people claim it will be. Now add another nail for the abuse it’ll cause, for the mental degradation, and another for the social and personal effects.

In today’s society, people are quickly becoming enamored with the idea of legalizing the drug marijuana. As of right now in March of 2019, there are 10 states that allow the recreational smoking of marijuana with many other states decriminalizing and allowing the use of medical marijuana. “About six-in-ten Americans (62%) say the use of marijuana should be legalized” (Hartig) According to Pewresearch. Using the same data, we saw the sharp rise in this thought around 2010 when the millennial generation started reaching the age of voting. This new generation of people with their own thoughts and ideas decided they wanted to help decide on the debate. The main stances of pro marijuana voters are the recreational and calming affects, as well as the medicinal effects on patients who suffer from a myriad of disease. It helps by increasing hunger, reduce pain, and reduce inflammation. CBD, on the other hand, does similar things but isn’t used recreationally as it doesn’t produce the “high” effect of THC. On the other side of the debate are generally the older generation who believe marijuana was legalized for a reason and should stay illegal. Regardless of what is being smoked, the mere act of having non-oxygen flow into the lungs is damaging to the body. Then there is the effect it’s prized for; the “high” feeling. This causes impaired judgement, effects memory, and damages problem-solving skills. The main issue with the recreational use is that it’s used as an escape, much like alcohol and tobacco, in which people are looking for an endorphin release just to “ease the stress” or “take away the pain,” instead of seeking help they may actually need. Then right in the middle are the people who believe medicinal marijuana is the right middle man in this argument. Because the studies have shown that it helps patients who are suffering from a laundry list of issues with symptoms. The only issue present with this in-between is how it is handled in the community. Doctors are supposed to give them out to patients for very strict issues but aren’t following procedures. It has become a joke with how easy someone can get a medical card by just walking into a clinic and claiming they get headaches sometimes.

Marijuana should not be legalized for recreational use, the risk of it just becoming a new alcohol or tobacco is just too high. The dangers are present for this drug to be misused just as much as alcohol is today. If people are driving around and causing issues now while it’s illegal, it can only get worse if it becomes legalized. Although, the benefits begin to outweigh the negatives when it comes to medicine. Marijuana has been shown to have increasingly beneficial effects on patients suffering from acute pain and a list of other illnesses. Marijuana has an undeniably huge impact on our culture. It is basically its own brand, with a sizable following who would defend it to the death. Right now, it is considered wrong by most to be against legalization, but just because there’s a sizeable following doesn’t make it the best choice. To be against marijuana is to be a loser, or a “buzzkill,” or just an idiot. As a society, we are all aware of the effects of marijuana and have seen the changes it brings about. There are many dangers drugs in our society that are tolerated, such as alcohol which ultimately should not be allowed, weed shouldn’t be either. If we could keep a lid on marijuana and steer people away from it entirely, our communities could only grow better as a result. Less drug deals, lower crime, increased productivity, and an entire culture switch into a better direction.

There was some point of discussion about addiction previously, but it has not captured the full scope of what addiction truly is. Addiction is defined as “a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, Understanding Drug Use and Addiction) These people who are addicted find themselves constantly seeking out the drug and dealing with intense urges to use their drug. Addiction effects the brain become oversaturated with dopamine which causes a sense of euphoria. This dopamine rush causes the brain to change and “cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy behaviors like taking drugs[,]” which leads to reuse in the future (Understand Drug Use and Addiction). As a person begins to rely more and more on this false sense of euphoria from marijuana they begin to have a lessened experience when it relates to previously enjoyed activities similar to how depression works on the brain. Where a person who may enjoy going on a daily hike suddenly just doesn’t feel interested enough, or they decide to smoke before going on the hike. The daily activity of a smoker begins to revolve around marijuana, feeling they need it to do basic functions of life. Take the example of Mr. Clay, the first thing he does when he wakes up is get high; feeling it’s necessary. Then when he comes to work he smokes again, needing it to get through work, he feels he can’t make it without getting high. Then after work he heads home where he decides to relax with getting high again by watching television. When asked whether or not Clay though he was addicted, he replied with no. He feels he has a hold on it and he only does it because it makes him happy and gets him through the day. Unfortunately, this is a very common sentiment shared and “60 percent of high school seniors say they think marijuana is safe” (Hudgens). These teenagers see marijuana as something a person is unable to overdose on and assume it’s safe because it’s better than alcohol or tobacco. Being better than doesn’t mean it’s safe, McDonalds is safe to eat but no one is going to claim it’s good for you. This misinformation is only going to grow exponential as people like to hear what they want to hear. If they like smoking marijuana, they hold a confirmation bias with information pertaining to the safety of the drug. If they’re told it’s safe they are likely to believe it because our culture has encouraged knee-jerk reactions based solely on what they want to hear rather than confirming for themselves; take the Nick Sandmann controversy for example.

If a person was asked whether or not marijuana was dangerous to their health the chances are they would reply with no. When asking the public, it came to light that “51 percent say using marijuana is a health risk, while 44 percent say it is not” and many claim tobacco is much more dangerous (Ingraham). While cigarettes have been shown to be extremely dangerous and are the leading cause of preventable death, they’re similarly related. Many of the carcinogens found in tobacco smoke are also found in marijuana, regardless of what plant is being burned it’s dangerous for your health. Because of the way marijuana is smoked, it poses a lot of risks compared to normal tobacco smoking. While tobacco is usually brought into the lungs then exhaled quickly, marijuana is held in the lungs for a longer period of time which allows more of these carcinogens to enter the body. It has also been shown to increase lung problems such as bronchitis and other respiratory issues. While it is true that, so far, marijuana has not been not been as dangerous as cigarettes, it is still a danger. Many mental health issues associated with smoking marijuana have been presented, and even “possible loss of IQ points when repeated use begins in adolescence[,]” which is dangerous as people are smoking younger now too (National Institute on Drug Abuse, Commonly Abused Drugs Charts). It can even cause more serious mental health issues, ‘[c]annabis use is likely to increase the risk of schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk’ as shown by the institute of medicine (Berenson, Don’t Ignore the Risks of Pot). It has been used by many because it feels it “calms them down” and help with anxiety but many suffer from worse anxiety than before they started. This is caused by compounds that are found in marijuana, mostly THC, that binds to receptors in your brain that affect your brain. This then can affect “learning functions and… how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, Marijuana).

It would not be a lie to say that marijuana has a huge role in our society. It has become sort of a cultural icon that has a lot of power over many part of our population. Unfortunately, most of the power it has over the population is negative. There have been strong correlations between those who smoke marijuana and “productivity, quality control, absenteeism, workers’ comp claims, workplace accidents and other business metrics that affect profitability” which leads employers to not want to hire people who smoke (Legalizing…). But under the law, if it becomes legal, employers no longer have the right to refuse those who would fail a drug test for marijuana (Legalizing). The legalization of marijuana also puts drivers at risk as Colorado saw a more than double the rate of fatal crashes due to marijuana after legalization. In Colorado, stated by Ryan Searle who is on the American Board of Emergency Medicine, “[o]f the 547 traffic fatalities in 2015, 99 were due to marijuana, 187 to alcohol and 35 to both” (Legalizing…). This is a dangerous fact as we are all aware of the danger alcohol plays on our roadways and just a few short years after legalization of marijuana we see this huge spike in fatal accidents. American has also seen an increase in the potency of this drug over many years which is putting even more risk on our society. “In the 1970s, most marijuana contained less than 2% THC. Today, marijuana routinely contains 20-25% THC” (Berenson, REVIEW…). This is an issue as more Americans are not only smoking marijuana, but there smoking it in large quantities. In the same article about the strength of marijuana, America has seen that the number od frequent smokers has increased from 3 to 8 million Americans. Even more astounding is the fact that due to our knowledge on marijuana, we are able to produce edible versions that are up to 99% THC. For people who are inexperienced with the drug this may be too much for their body to handle. It won’t cause death due to overdose, but it is certainly capable of causing the user to die in other ways. One of the issues with marijuana that even advocates for the legalization can’t deny is the risk of paranoia and anxiety. Paranoia in itself is a harbinger for violence as it causes the person to act irrationally, and sometimes violently. Many claim that violence dropped in states where legalization went through, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Before legalizing marijuana these “four states had about 450 murders and 30,300 aggravated assaults in 2013 [and] [i]n 2017, they had almost 620 murders and 38,000 aggravated assaults” (Berenson, REVIEW…). This jump is data is too high to claim as normal variation. America must ask itself whether or not it’s capable of handling the responsibility that this drug; and the answer is no.

Perhaps the most dangerous thing associated with marijuana is just the clear lack of knowledge everyone has on the subject. Marijuana research has not been as fruitful as everyone would like. Due to the way the government handles drug scheduling, marijuana is seen as a drug with absolutely no medical use and a high chance of abuse. This means that researchers are having an issue researching this drug. Marijuana is “still largely a mystery and… the lack of evidence-based information poses a public health risk” (The Lack…). Our inability to research this drug is a threat due to us not knowing the exact causes of smoking as well as all the long-term effects. It could turn out to be extremely dangerous for human consumption and cause severe health issues much like cigarettes and alcohol. It is unwise to legalize such a wholly untested item to the general public. It should be allowed to be studied for several years before being allowed into the hands of those who would use it without restraint. America has already seen the way mis-information can spread through media and confirmation bias of those who smoke it. Such claims as Marijuana being health, or harmless, or even that it cures diseases. While it has been shown to help in certain medical conditions, to claim it has healing properties is just false and a gross distortion of the truth.

Smoking marijuana is starting at earlier and earlier ages, take Mr. Pohl for example. “For Quintin Pohl and other teenagers before him, smoking pot was a rite of passage[,]” showing an early indoctrination to the drug before they fully can grasp what’s happening (Vestal). For Quintin it become an unbreakable habit that changed who he was as a person. He started hanging out with the wrong group and it began to show as he began smoking large amounts of pot, daily. At this point his mother began seeking help, she then admitted her son to Muir Wood, which is an organization that helps teens with issues such as these. He went through standard withdrawal symptoms where he stated, “he went through a week of pure misery at the rehab center: angry, in denial and suffering” (Vestal). It was the that suddenly he overcome his addiction and was able to enjoy life again. Now it is common knowledge that the first step to solving a problem, like addiction, is to admit that there is even a problem in the first place. This is an issue as many people don’t want to admit there’s a problem, they convince themselves and others that they have a legitimate use for marijuana. Findings such as when a survey “asked why they currently use marijuana, only 16 percent of smokers said it was [‘]just to have fun[;][‘] The rest cited a variety of utilitarian reasons” (Ingraham). The stereotypical thought of a stoner is someone eating snacks while giggling to themselves over the smallest things. With the history of marijuana being a “party” drug, it’s hard to believe the thought that suddenly over 80% of the smokers have a good reason for doing it. They’re lying to themselves and being convinced by whatever issue they think they have. They are trying to legitimize their claim to push a marijuana agenda forward; otherwise they could just simple state “I smoke marijuana because I enjoy it.” Whether subconsciously or not, they know what they are doing is wrong as seek to convince America of this. Addiction is curable, while the craving may never go away, and it will lead to a healthier life.

It would be easier to dismiss these claims if the drug were not classified as a schedule 1, It is becoming extremely apparent that this drug no longer belongs in this classification as it has been proven to have medical benefits. Not to mention that fact that marijuana isn’t as dangerous as other items listed such as ecstasy, LSD, and heroin. Lowering the schedule of marijuana would allow for further and more frequent testing giving America a better understand of this drug. As it stands right now our understand of the drug is extremely limited and needs to be tested. We need to find out what this drug does over long-periods of time, it’s correlation to mental health, and whether or not it truly has medicinal qualities or if it’s just a symptom reliever such as Advil.

On the opposite side of the argument lies those who push for the medical use of marijuana; and rightly so. Allowing marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes would serve a variety of useful purposes. It would allow those who are in severe pain to have an option against insanely addictive opiate drugs; reducing the risk of addiction overall. It would alleviate certain symptoms, especially in cancer patients as it increases appetite. This allows the patients to begin eating again and reduces the sense of nausea that accompanies it. The anxiety relief from marijuana allows them to overcome to the mental stress of the disease as well. The CBD oil that can be produced from marijuana has also been shown to help reduce seizures in those with epilepsy. It also, while dangerous, give us information on the drug with human test subjects. We are able to see first hand how this drug can be used, and how it can be helpful or hurtful to the body. It is seemingly a better alternative to help people overcome pain than with opiates and should be allowed in all states, which is quickly becoming the case.

As scientists learn new information through clinical trials and research, they should present this information to the general public. America should be allowed to make a fully informed decision about whether marijuana should or should not be legalized for recreational use. As it stands right now there is not enough evidence to show that marijuana is healthy enough to allow for normal use. The average person can not be trusted that they will not abuse this drug, risking injury upon themselves or others. We have seen data of the heightened risk that comes when any person is allowed to smoke. This coupled with the negative mental and physical effects that have been attributed to marijuana indicate that danger is close at hand. With as much proof as there is now, things are likely to only get worse for this drug, as we find more and more issues with it. Only science and time will tell whether or not marijuana is truly beneficial and whether it should be allowed in the hands of Americans without restriction.

The question remains, why is this an issue, why should America care. The real question is why someone would not care about their country or the dangers presented. Why would a person allow this drug to be distributed when very little is known about it? America is in the middle of a culture war right now. A culture war, that if won, can only shape us into a better nation than we were previously. It may sound extremely dramatic, but it’s true. At the very least more information needs to be gained about cannabis before anything should be done with it. This should be America’s top priority regarding marijuana and should accept no shortcuts on the path to legalization.

Works Cited

1. Berenson, Alex. ‘Don’t Ignore the Risks of Pot.’ New York Times, Jan 05, 2019. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu:2443/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu/docview/2163310023?accountid=227.
2. Berenson, Alex. ‘REVIEW — Marijuana is More Dangerous than You Think — as Legalization Spreads, More Americans are Becoming Heavy Users of Cannabis, Despite its Links to Violence and Mental Illness.’ Wall Street Journal, Jan 05, 2019. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu:2443/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu/docview/2163316094?accountid=227.
3. ‘Legalizing Marijuana: The Pros and Cons.’ Wall Street Journal, Jun 21, 2018. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu:2443/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu/docview/2057314106?accountid=227.
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Commonly Abused Drugs Charts.” NIDA, 2 July 2018, https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonly-abused-drugs-charts#marijuana.
5. National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Is Marijuana Addictive?” NIDA, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive
6. National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Marijuana.” NIDA, https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
7. National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Understanding Drug Use and Addiction.” NIDA, www.drugabuse.gov/ublications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction
8. Hartig, Hannah, et al. “62% Of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 8 Oct. 2018, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/08/americans-support-merijuana-legalization/.
9. Hudgens, Laura H. Teens Tend to Think Marijuana use is no Big Deal, but they’re Wrong. WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post, Washington, 2017. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu:2443/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu/docview/1889962816?accountid=227.
10. Ingraham, Christopher. 11 Charts that show Marijuana has Truly Gone Mainstream. WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post, Washington, 2017. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu:2443/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu/docview/1889602475?accountid=227.
11. ‘The Lack of Health Research into Marijuana Makes it Hard to Tell People Whether it is Safe.’ProQuest, Dec 27, 2017, https://ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu:2443/login?url=https://search-proquest com.ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu/docview/1981298849?accountid=227
12. Vestal, Christine. ‘Marijuana Addiction is Real, and Rising.’ The Washington Post, Jun 26, 2018. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu:2443/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.scottsdalecc.edu/docview/2058880948?accountid=227.

Since 2900 BC, Marijuana, has been utilized as a drug for individuals experiencing sicknesses. The Chinese, Egyptian, Indian, Roman, just as the Ancient Greece societies turned out to be amazingly keen on Marijuana’s recuperating properties when they understood that the medication helped treat individuals experiencing glaucoma, gout, cramped joints, fierce agony, ear infections, aggravation, uncleanliness, edema, and different sicknesses influencing the body (Deitch). Using Marijuana as a healer wound up well known all around the globe and by the 1900s, it was being utilized in South Asia to treat asthma, bronchitis, and the loss of hunger (‘A Note on Marijuana’). After eleven years nonetheless, Marijuana would be banned and restricted, beginning with the province of Massachusetts (Gieringer). This preclusion was begun on the grounds that the specialists at the time couldn’t discover strong certainties that upheld the possibility that Marijuana mended the group of illnesses. The restriction truly took over by the mid 1900’s the point at which the Boggs Act was passed which built up least jail sentences for straightforward ownership of Marijuana and afterward the Narcotics Control Act which lead to significantly stricter punishments for individuals having Marijuana (‘Busted: America’s War on Marijuana’). In the 1970’s, in any case, the primary support bunch developed known as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). The NORML’s central goal was to end the Marijuana preclusion, and since the 1970’s, various research examines have occurred, taking a gander at the impacts Marijuana has on the human body (‘About NORML’).

All through the 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s, numerous investigations have been done and have demonstrated that Marijuana has recuperating properties that can enable the human body to battle illnesses just as help individuals with mental incapacities. An investigation done from late February to early March 2014 demonstrated that there was more help among specialists than among buyers for the sanctioning of Marijuana. ‘The study was directed with in excess of 1,500 specialists and about 3,000 customers and presumed that 69 percent of the specialists said that Marijuana can help with specific conditions and medications, while just 52 percent of shoppers communicated a similar conviction. Among the 69 percent of specialists that said Marijuana can help treat patients with specific conditions, 67 percent said that they trusted Marijuana ought to be a treatment choice for patients. Half of the specialists reviewed in the states where Marijuana isn’t legitimate said it ought to be legitimized, as completed 52 percent of the specialists in the states thinking about such laws’ (Preidt). The help for sanctioning Marijuana, however, appeared to be most noteworthy among oncologists (malignant growth masters) and hematologists (blood issue experts). Inside these two gatherings, 82 percent said that Marijuana can give various advantages to the patients (Preidt). As per the WebMD/Medscape study, a similar rate said that Marijuana ought to be a treatment alternative for patients (WebMD). Another examination done, that endeavored to demonstrate how prominent the medication really is, demonstrated that Marijuana is the most normally utilized medication in the United States. The examination was directed by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and built up that about 97.8% of Americans have confessed to smoking Marijuana sooner or later in their lifetime, making it the most generally utilized medication.

‘In 1972, the US Congress [had] put Marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act since they considered it to have ‘no acknowledged medicinal use.’ Since at that point, 20 of the 50 states including DC have authorized the restorative utilization of Marijuana’ (‘Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option’). Over the long haul explore has been done on Marijuana and its belongings, and proof demonstrates that the medication may not be so awful all things considered. Defenders of Marijuana contend that it very well may be a protected and successful treatment for patients experiencing malignant growth, HIV/AIDS, numerous sclerosis, torment, glaucoma, epilepsy, ADD/ADHD, head injuries, for example, blackouts, seizures, and Alzheimer’s (‘Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option’). There is likewise proof demonstrating that Marijuana has restorative esteem, calming agony, sickness and heaving, just as invigorating the craving. Joycelyn Elders, a previous US Surgeon General, composed the accompanying on March 26, 2004 out of an article titled ‘Fantasies About Medical Marijuana,’ distributed in the Providence Journal: ‘The proof is overpowering that Marijuana can calm specific sorts of torment, queasiness, spewing and different side effects brought about by such ailments as various sclerosis, malignant growth and AIDS- – or by the unforgiving unsafe medications once in a while used to treat them. What’s more, it can do as such with amazing security. In fact, Marijuana is less dangerous than a considerable lot of the medications doctors endorse ordinary’ (‘Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option’). David Hadorn, Md, PhD, Medical Consultant for GW Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., wrote in his record, on July 17, 2003, titled ‘Utilization of Cannabis Medicines in Clinical Practice,’ distributed on his own site www.davidhadorn.com (which was never again accessible as of February 17, 2009): ‘I have seen numerous patients with ceaseless agony, muscle fits, sickness, anorexia, and other unsavory indications acquire noteworthy – frequently striking – alleviation from cannabis meds, well past what had been given by conventional (as a rule sedative based) torment relievers (‘Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option’). Indeed, even an individual from the U.S. Place of Representatives, Maurice Hinchey, expressed the accompanying in a June 28, 2006 public statement issued by his office titled ‘Hinchey Vows to Keep Fighting for Medical Marijuana Amendment’: ‘…It is corrupt to deny individuals access to drug that can help soothe their torment and enduring’ (‘Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option’). The verification of the medical advantages of Marijuana are interminable. Pretty much every examination done has demonstrated some kind of proof that is agreeable to Marijuana getting to be legitimized and decriminalized. From the remedial qualities to the various other medical advantages, Marijuana can be viewed as a lifesaving drug (Chevallier 180). The inquiry is at that point, for what reason is Marijuana still unlawful?

Correctional facilites and detainment facilities around the United States are loaded with culprits who are serving time for ownership and utilization of Marijuana. Numerous supporters for legitimizing and decriminalizing Marijuana, for example, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), imagine that, ‘Weed ought to be expelled from the criminal equity framework and managed in a way like liquor and tobacco. [They accept that] legitimizing Marijuana will bring the country’s biggest money crop under the standard of law, making employments and financial open doors in the formal economy rather than the illegal market. They state that rare law requirement assets that could be better used to ensure open security, would be saved while decreasing remedies and court costs. State and nearby governments would get critical new wellsprings of assessment income from directing Marijuana deals’ (‘Marijuana Legalization and Regulation’). This means states would increase mass measures of cash from selling and exhausting Marijuana, which they at that point could use towards school regions, interstates, and different pieces of the express that should be fixed. For instance, inside the 37 dispensaries (Marijuana stores) in Colorado, around five million dollars was made just in the principal seven day stretch of offers. Toward the finish of the principal month of the sanctioning of Marijuana, the stores created more than fourteen million dollars, with putting around two million dollars of expense income into the state all the while (Ferner). The legislative head of Colorado, John Hickenlooper, stood up and, ‘… declared that he expects that the consolidated deals from both lawful therapeutic and recreational Marijuana in the state will achieve almost one billion dollars in the following monetary year- – around six hundred million dollars of that is anticipated to originate from simply recreational deals. The state stands to gather no less than 134 million dollars in assessments and charges’ (Ferner). Generally speaking, the decriminalization and sanctioning of Marijuana can prompt vast advantages medicinally, yet in addition for the state and governments. A national survey was done called the Pew Research overview, and found that 75 percent of the United States says Marijuana will be lawful across the country sooner or later in the following decade. As indicated by the study, ‘Three-fourths of Americans state it’s unavoidable that Marijuana will be lawful for recreational and therapeutic use the country over, regardless of whether they bolster such strategies or not; the sentiment survey features the moving dispositions following the medication war time and extreme on-wrongdoing enactment’ (Wyatt). The study additionally mirrors a dynamic pattern of acknowledgment of the legitimization of Marijuana. An overview controlled four years preceding this review, demonstrated that 52 percent of the respondents figured the utilization of Marijuana ought not be lawful, while 41 percent said it should. The tables have turned totally with the latest review led, which demonstrates that Marijuana ought to be sanctioned. The overview additionally demonstrates that individuals are agreeable to getting rid of prison time for ownership of little measures of Marijuana and it demonstrates an expanded help for closure obligatory least jail sentences for peaceful medication wrongdoers (Wyatt). Lawmakers, for example, U.S. Lawyer General Eric Holder, and commentators, both traditionalist and liberal, have been pushing Congress to end bitter medication sentences since they trust that the obligatory essentials have prompted jail packing, stressed spending plans, and social equality infringement. In the event that analysts continue directing examinations and can demonstrate that Marijuana effectsly affects the body instead of negative impacts, at that point Americans might see Marijuana legitimized inside the following ten years across the nation.

The battle for the decriminalization and the sanctioning of Marijuana has been happening for a long time. After some time inquire about has given legal advisors, specialists, and lawmakers with proof reasoning that Marijuana is a protected treatment for individuals who are experiencing infections, for example, malignancy, HIV, Alzheimer’s, various sclerosis, anorexia, cerebrum wounds, glaucoma, ADD/ADHD, and so forth, just as sheltered to utilize recreationally. With such solid proof, the United States could be seeing a diminishing in the measure of individuals serving sentences in prison for ownership of Marijuana alongside observing more patients being treated for ailments with Marijuana, inside the following decade. The way toward decriminalizing and authorizing Marijuana is long, however it will be justified, despite all the trouble at last when various lives are spared.

For many years, Marijuana has been illegal in the UK. However, many people like me believe that it should be legal. Therefore, you may ask why should weed be legal. Cigarettes are legal in the UK even though they cause cancer of the lungs but weed is quite the opposite, it kills cancer cells. Therefore, why hasn’t the government banned cigarettes and legalized weed.

Marijuana is also 114 times safer than alcohol. Alcohol causes liver problems and yet is still legal. Marijuana reduces crime by 15 percent as it chills people out and makes them hungry so that means more money goes to local shops and businesses which is helping the economy. In addition, unlike cocaine and cigarettes, dope is not as addictive. If we legalized cannabis, up to £900m could be raised annually in taxes, according to the Institute for Economic Research. States such as Colorado, which have legalized cannabis, have seen increased tax revenues. Many people now believe that smoking weed is safe – and no longer worry that a puff on a joint will either kill them or turn them into a murdering psychopath.

In American states such as Colorado, where cannabis has been legalized, thousands of jobs have been created. Loads of people now work in the area’s cannabis industry. Barack Obama, who freely admits to having smoked dope in his youth, this week, gave his support for a legalization bill in the U.S.A. A cancer patient claims to have been cured by cannabis. David Hobbit had been told he only had 18 months to live but now he’s looking forward to life and is about to get married after being given the all clear.

The government could always set an age limit on marijuana use, with stricter controls on whether younger people can buy marijuana. Marijuana should be the human right of everyone who wants to take it as it doesn’t harm anyone or interfere with government activities. Marijuana could be much better regulated if it was legal, observed Arkady Bukh, a criminal defence lawyer in New York. “Stores and marijuana age restrictions can card kids and prevent youth marijuana use, while people who illegally sell marijuana don’t do that.” Many people are arrested for marijuana possession, and they might end up in jail, which will cost the government millions. The costs associated with enforcing this ban includes arrests.

Prohibition also hurts the economy in terms of lost wages and people with criminal records have a harder time finding a job and getting the education they need. On the other hand, legalizing, taxing, and regulating is good for the economy and creates jobs. By simply putting a tax on marijuana as we do cigarettes and alcohol, state and local governments could raise more than 6 billion pounds. This does not even include additional money from taxes on the marijuana industry.

“Legalizing marijuana will also reduce racism according to the laws currently prohibiting marijuana possession in the United States which owes a lot to the sinister legacy of racist opportunists. Efforts to establish and emphasize an association between non-whites and marijuana began as soon as the drug’s recreational use was introduced by Mexican immigrants in the early 1900s.” Anti-drug activists used this excuse to blame those of colour suggesting the colour or race you belong to determines who would be likely to take drugs. Therefore, they used this to cause fear mongering. American politicians also targeted minorities and did the same so racism is justified by those against drug abuse in many states. Given the inevitable damage this attitude has done, it is not hard to work out the high instance of arrests linked to race and marijuana. In the first three months of 2018, for example, of the more than 4,000 people arrested in New York City alone for marijuana possession, less than 300 were white, according to a report in the New York Times. “In Manhattan, per the same report, Black people are picked up by cops on petty marijuana charges at 15 times the rate of whites.’

Therefore, in conclusion legalizing weed will not only boost the economy, help with doctor’s research against cancer, reduce racism and police brutality against non-whites but it will also reduce crime and billions spent on drug convicts will be cut.

Every garden receives unique care from its gardener. In Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World, he emphatically expresses how marijuana growers are the best gardeners because they grow a plant every cannabis user wants. Pollan does not promote or hinder the use; however, he does confirm that marijuana is an extremely powerful mind-altering drug. Furthermore, he asserts that marijuana is a product that allows one to exceed an everyday physical experience and achieve a new unique altered state of mind despite any risks. Cannabis, as seen through the plants’ perspective, reaches a relationship with human’s desires explicitly, evolving from satisfying one’s craving for intoxication and its impact. Nature, in fact, undoubtedly gratifies our human desires.

When used, the cannabis plant, known as marijuana, produces a powerful chemical that alters one’s consciousness, unleashes one’s inhibitions, and influences one’s behavior. The use of this drug can potentially improve, as well as transform one’s consciousness, giving one a new perspective on life and behavior.

As seen in Bryan Lewis Saunders’s self-portraits, he reveals his perception of himself while experimenting with drugs, fulfilling his desire for intoxication, which is evident in his artwork. Saunders, under the influence of marijuana, stimulates a rare kind of ability that sets him in motion. He uses his imagination in an attempt to imitate the natural flow of thought and creativity, enhancing his vision, expression, and inspiration.

Saunders, in his marijuana-induced self-portrait, unveils himself as a multicultural man who wears a rainbow-colored turban placed on top of his head, followed by a second self-portrait displaying a drawing of a large marijuana plant that covers his entire forehead and placed above his brows and red-dazed eyes. It was in these crazed moments that Saunders felt he captured his best perception of himself. In each portrait, Saunders tries to drastically change the circumstances of his surroundings to help influence his ability to express himself artistically. While intoxicated, his creativity is fueled, and he draws himself. Each portrait represents his life; each picture is depicted in another way, reflecting his different ways of drawing expressively. However, this experience has left him lethargic, confused, and eventually, mentally disabled.

Moreover, Saunders attempts to produce the same self-portraits under the influence of different drugs in order to show how his cognitive skills enhance his perception by not allowing his conscious impulses to affect his creativity. Instead, he lets the drug of choice drive his artistic abilities, allowing his preconceived notions from deep within to express themselves in his self-portraits. Furthermore, as Saunders’s motor skills and visual observations are affected by these drugs, his self-portrait attempts to describe his feelings, thoughts, and behaviors at the time. His inspirations come from an altered state of mind.

Similarly, in the chapter, Understanding Cannabis and Brain Science, of Michael Pollan’s book, he discusses consciousness and drug-use along with the rewards and dangers of both. Pollan states marijuana is an overlooked, powerful drug that can help us, delight our senses, calm our nerves, wake us up, and even change the contents of our minds and the experiences of our consciousness. Scientists still do not understand consciousness entirely, but they know that marijuana has the power to gratify our desires. It is through the cannabis plant that one tries to understand the unique relationship between humans and nature. This plant explicitly manipulates one’s brain with a design for self-deception in order to satisfy our desires. This drug can make people believe they have a secondary imagination to recreate new ideas. People like to believe that their minds stand out from others, solidifying that the most magnificent visions are generated by the brightest, most talented minds and not because of the use of marijuana.

Even with proof of Bryan Lewis Saunders’s startling reality of self-portraits, exposing how deceptive drugs can be to the brain, it is surprising how many people continue to use drugs to fuel their creativity. Saunders gives his reasons for experimenting with different drugs during his self-portraits; first, he starts with his curiosity about drugs and then moves to his desire to experiment with them, which then leads to peer pressure and easy access to drugs. Through these drug-induced experiences, Saunders’s objective was to access his subconscious to enhance his behavior during his self-portrait work. Saunders found that staying in his comfort zone gave him the time to focus and work on his skills. However, for Saunders, remaining in his comfort zone, hindered his creativity. Once he stepped out of this comfort zone with the help of cannabis, more things in his environment became new, different, strange, and continued to change, allowing Saunders’s mind to focus, and thus, he became hyper-aware. The further away Saunders got from his comfort zone, the more his mind became alert, and the associations he made, as well as the connections while he was in his hyper-sensitive state, were responsible for his creativity and ideas. Saunders could then further see, from his self-portraits, his hidden fears, motivations, drives, and desires. It was these external pictures that let Saunders see what he was internally feeling by the use of drugs.

Today, marijuana is still considered taboo. The stigma around marijuana is that it induces violence, severs the connection between a person’s actions and the consequences of that action, and unleashes one’s inhibitions, which then endangers society. Science has profoundly proven that a chemical derived from the cannabis plant is responsible for affecting a person’s consciousness. As Jimi Hendricks once stated, he was always under the influence of marijuana when performing; it was his only drug of choice for improvising. He believed that marijuana unlocked the secrets of his consciousness. Even though scientists have proven that receptors in the human brain have responded to cannabis, creating an inner bliss, allows one to choose whether they believe marijuana is a source of creativity or a crutch.

Marijuana may help some people get a creative boost, but there is a negative side to cannabis, which includes aloofness, a loss of focus, and an inability to form cohesive sentences. If the choice is to use cannabis, know that it is a well-known psychotic drug that affects the central nervous system, disrupting signals to the brain. Remember that a body is attached to one’s head, and one’s neurotic behavior is also being affected, as well as other organs in the body, not just the brain’s receptors. It is an individual’s chemical reaction to cannabis that decides how one reacts under the influence of marijuana. By definition, “creativity is the ability to view things differently, by increasing one’s hyper-awareness, and the capacity of wonder and awe.” It does not mean one’s inspiration or vision has to come through the use of cannabis or any other “magical-wonder drug.” It takes a lot of hard work and motivation to become creative, successful, and highly innovative.

Although thousands have confirmed that cannabis is a wonder drug, and primarily, a catalyst to creative thinking, when used, the drug induces an altered state of mind, influencing exaggerated emotions and perspectives, breaking away from the ordinary everyday ways of thinking and generating new innovative, and novel ideas. Although these results seem attractive, a remedy of instant creativity prescribed from a cannabis plant is not a substitute for talent. It is essential to recognize the connection marijuana has with the brain and the creative process before trying to unlock one’s creative inventiveness with drugs. Creativity can be counterproductive if the consequences are not understood.

Ultimately, it is this lengthy connection that people have with nature and the overall focus of human desire that plants have on people’s emotions and consciousness that affects the savvy gardener who produces one of the fastest-growing crops in the country. It is a human desire that emulates the role of nature, which, in essence, allows cannabis to be the coevolutionary partner of humans.

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are debilitating injuries affecting a large portion of Canadian society. Motor deficits, a hallmark feature of spinal lesions, can be improved in less severe cases through neuroplasticity in the central nervous system. However, commonly used psychoactive drugs, such as alcohol and cannabis, have been shown to impair cortical neuroplasticity, which may impair recovery in individuals with SCIs. The objective of this proposal is to assess the acute effects of both alcohol and THC usage on neuroplasticity in SCI patients as well as their chronic effects on the time-course of SCI motor recovery. It is expected that both drugs will reduce the motor evoked potential amplitude increase following induction of neuroplasticity, and that chronic use will delay the time-course of motor recovery. This would imply that cannabis and alcohol impair cortical neuroplasticity, which results in a reduced ability to rehabilitate the nervous system.

Literature Overview

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) affect approximately 86,000 Canadians and up to 755 million individuals worldwide 1. A majority of these injuries result from car accidents, falls, and sports injuries which lead to mechanical contusion or compression spinal cord lesions 2. Consequently, they have the potential to be extremely debilitating, with symptoms ranging from numbness and motor difficulties to total sensory loss and paralysis 3. A large proportion of patients have ‘incomplete’ SCIs, allowing for symptom improvement 8.

Whereas the peripheral nervous system (PNS) exhibits a relatively robust neuroplasticity-mediated regrowth in response to damage, central nervous system (CNS) neurons are unable to regenerate axons, thus restricting functional recovery following SCI 2,4. However, neuroplastic changes, observed through functional reorganization of brain regions as well as synaptic and dendritic modifications of neuronal populations, are prevalent in the CNS 5,6. In fact, innate neuroplastic processes begin to shape motor function and reorganize cortical areas immediately following injury. For instance, a rat model of a partial cervical lesion displayed increased cortical forelimb representation and decreased hindlimb representation 8. In humans, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional imaging have demonstrated remapping of limb representations in the motor cortex following SCI, in addition to corticospinal tract restructuring 9,10,11,12. This suggests that intrinsic structural plasticity within the CNS may provide a mechanism through which limited recovery in individuals with SCIs can occur.

A previous study found that, in a cohort of incomplete SCI patients displaying tetraplegia, 40% were able to walk upon hospital discharge 7. This recovery is partially attributable to rehabilitation-induced motor cortex remodeling. Rehabilitation and functional recovery in both SCI patients and animal models have been associated with plasticity of cortical and spinal circuitry (e.g. M1 reorganization, spinal tract sprouting) 13,14,15. The ability to improve motor recovery following SCI by inducing motor plasticity (using TMS, for example) further supports the hypothesis that neuronal plasticity is a vital mechanism through which SCI recovery occurs 16,17.

However, several widely available psychoactive substances, such as alcohol and cannabis, may impair recovery in clinical SCI populations. Alcohol and cannabis are common recreational (and medicinal, in the case of cannabis) drugs in Canada, with almost 80% of Canadians consuming alcohol each year and 42.5% of Canadians currently or previously using cannabis 18,19. Acute alcohol use impairs neuroplasticity in the human motor cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while exogenous cannabinoids (e.g. THC and cannabidiol, the major psychoactive components of cannabis) disrupt long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CNS of animals as well as humans 20,21,22,23,24. This is especially pressing given the high prevalence of alcohol abuse and potential future of cannabis as a chronic pain treatment in these patients 25,26. Thus, alcohol and cannabis use during rehabilitation could possibly impair neuroplasticity-mediated functional recovery following SCI. It is currently unclear whether alcohol or cannabis use affects focal induction of plasticity in SCI patients and whether this impacts motor recovery in these individuals.

Objective

The aim of this proposal is to first assess the acute effects of both alcohol and THC usage on SCI patient neuroplasticity, and second, assess the chronic effects of these drugs on the time-course of SCI motor recovery as well as limb representation in the motor cortex.

Methods

Experiment 1: Incomplete cervical SCI patients and healthy age/sex/education-matched controls will be administered either low-dose ethanol (0.3 g/kg of 96% ethanol – 5 mM blood alcohol) in orange juice and a placebo nasal spray, a placebo drink (orange juice with bitter syrup to imitate ethanol content) and a Sativex® nasal spray (25 mg/mL each of THC and cannabidiol), or both placebos (6 groups total) (adapted from Lucke et al. 21 and Koch et al. 24). A paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocol of the motor cortex (as described by Bunday & Perez 16; i.e. stimulating nerves in the least-impaired wrist while simultaneously stimulating the motor cortex via TMS) will be performed 30 minutes after drug consumption. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) will be measured immediately prior to drug administration (baseline 1), prior to PAS (baseline 2), and both 2 minutes and 30 minutes following PAS. The strength of TMS will be adjusted at baseline 2 to account for confounding effects of alcohol or cannabinoids on MEP amplitude.

Experiment 2: Incomplete SCI patients with quadriparesis and healthy age/sex/education-matched controls will be followed shortly post-injury, who will be administered either low-dose ethanol in orange juice and a placebo nasal spray, a placebo drink (orange juice with bitter syrup) and a Sativex® nasal spray, or both placebos (6 groups total) once daily over the course of 3 months. Improvement in motor impairment was assessed with the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Standard Neurological Classification of SCI 27 every two weeks. Additionally, every two weeks, participants will be placed in an fMRI and asked to complete 15-second blocks of a least-impaired wrist extension task (adapted from 14), with a focus on the volume of blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) response in the primary and premotor cortices (measuring SCI BOLD response volume relative to the controls).

Expected Results

Experiment 1: Based on previous literature illustrating that both alcohol and exogenous cannabinoids have been shown to impair neuroplasticity, it is expected that the magnitude of MEP amplitude increase following the PAS protocol will be reduced or abolished compared to the placebo group. This effect may be seen in both the SCI and non-SCI (healthy) groups. Because cannabinoids seem to impair LTD as well as LTP, it may be that the effect of alcohol on PAS-induced MEP increases will be greater than that of cannabis (reduce MEPs more than cannabis). Conversely, cannabinoids alter the expression of NMDA receptor subunits, which are critically involved in modulating neuroplasticity 24, and thus THC may have a larger effect than alcohol (which mainly inhibits GABA receptors) 22.

Experiment 2: Since both acute cannabinoid and alcohol exposure have been shown to impair neuroplasticity, a process which is critical in the functional recovery of patients with SCI, chronic administration of these drugs will be expected to delay the time-course of motor recovery as assessed by the ASIA scale. However, due to tolerance of the physiological effects of both cannabis and alcohol which develops over prolonged use 28,29, it is likely that the effect of these drugs will attenuate over time. Additionally, it is expected that increased movement-associated cortical volume (as measured via fMRI) will be delayed in drug-administered SCI participants compared to the placebo SCI group. It is not anticipated that one will observe any changes in the motor score or motor cortex BOLD volume in any of the control groups.

Implications and Conclusions

Experiment 1: If the hypotheses are confirmed, it further verifies previous findings that the CNS is capable of neuroplasticity (based on comparisons between the placebo SCI and control groups with MEP changes seen in the drug groups). One can also conclude that acute administration of either alcohol or exogenous cannabinoids impairs short-term neuroplasticity in the human motor cortex. While alcohol has previously been shown to reduce neuroplasticity in a PAS paradigm 21, this experiment demonstrates the result in a clinical population and would be a novel finding regarding the negative relationship between cannabinoids and human motor cortex plasticity. A common side-effect of alcohol or cannabis exposure is the impairment of spatial and working memory (processes which require neuroplasticity) 30,31,32. Thus, the findings presented also support a plausible mechanism through which these drugs may inhibit memory formation.

Experiment 2: The expected results of the second experiment establish that alcohol or cannabinoid use impairs motor recovery following SCI. However, it is yet to be determined whether these effects are clinically relevant in the long-term (i.e. 6 months to a year) and if they stop or simply slow down the recovery process. From the results illustrating a decrease in representational volume growth in the motor cortex, we can gather that not only do these drugs inhibit neuroplasticity acutely, but that chronic administration can sustain this dysfunctional plasticity as well. The results also provide a causal, rather than a correlative, link between neuroplasticity and recovery following SCI.

Therefore, these two experiments demonstrate that alcohol and cannabis reduce neuroplasticity, decreasing the ability of the CNS to rehabilitate following SCI. Consequently, researchers and clinicians will have to re-evaluate the possible use of cannabinoids as a form of analgesic relief for patients suffering from SCI-induced chronic pain (or pain due to any nervous system condition for that matter, e.g. stroke), as it may slow the recovery rate. Alcohol abuse is also prevalent in this clinical population (possibly as a form of self-medication), and therefore substance use disorder in these patients should be prioritized to improve motor recovery following SCI (along with other health/emotional issues stemming from alcohol abuse).

References

1. Noonan, V. K., Fingas, M., Farry, A., Baxter, D., Singh, A., Fehlings, M. G., & Dvorak, M. F. (2012). Incidence and prevalence of spinal cord injury in Canada: a national perspective. Neuroepidemiology, 38(4), 219-226.
2. Ding, Y., Kastin, A. J., & Pan, W. (2005). Neural plasticity after spinal cord injury. Current pharmaceutical design, 11(11), 1441-1450.
3. Waters, R. L., Adkins, R. H., & Yakura, J. S. (1991). Definition of complete spinal cord injury. Paraplegia, 29(9), 573-581.
4. Geuna, S., Fornaro, M., Raimondo, S., & Giacobini-Robecchi, M. G. (2010). Plasticity and regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, 115(1/2), 91-94.
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Marijuana that is legally available for adults has multiple implications for adolescent substance use. One potential effect that legalization may have is an increase in adolescent use to due increased availability, greater social acceptance, and possibly lower prices. Legalization may also introduce new formulations of marijuana (edible or vaporized) that are very influential, especially to the younger generation. It is unknown what adolescent consumption patterns will be if marijuana is widely available and marketed in different forms, or what effects different patterns of adolescent use will have on the mind, the development of marijuana use disorders, school performance, and the development of psychotic illnesses. While previous studies of the effects of adolescent marijuana use provide some guidance for current policy and public health recommendations, many new studies will be needed that answer questions in the context of use within a legal adult environment. Marijuana has both positive and negative attributes. It can be used to help with nausea and vomiting during chemo therapy and it can be used to alleviate chronic pain. But when used for the wrong reasons marijuana can be dangerous. For example, marijuana may cause impaired thinking and ability to learn and perform complex tasks and anxiety.

Researchers have claimed that marijuana has medicinal benefits create additional challenges for adolescent prevention efforts as they contrast with messages of its harmfulness. Prevention and treatment approaches will need to address perceptions of the safety of marijuana, claims of its medicinal use, and consider family-wide effects as older siblings and parents may increasingly openly consume and advocate for marijuana use. Widespread legalization and acceptance of marijuana implies that as law enforcement approaches for marijuana control decline, public health, medical, and scientific efforts to understand and reduce negative consequences of adolescent marijuana use need to be substantially increased to levels commensurate with those efforts for tobacco and alcohol. Yes, marijuana has medical benefits but legalizing the drug can cause more harm than good. Marijuana is known as a hallucinogen, this is a drug that causes hallucinations. Because of the mind altering compounds found in this drug it can be become addictive to the person who is using it, which will later become harmful to the person’s health. Marijuana often can leave you anxious, afraid, or panicked. Using this substance may raise your chances for clinical depression or worsen the symptoms of any mental disorders you already have. Marijuana can also make it harder for you to focus, learn, and remember things. This seems to be a short-term effect that lasts for 24 hours or longer after you stop smoking.

More and more states are moving to legalize marijuana (whether for medicinal or recreational use, or both), and the impact has already been tremendous. The legal changes have spawned a burgeoning industry of legal cannabis companies, including those which aim to research and develop cannabis-based medical products, those which are working to distribute and grow marijuana, and many others. Approximately 70% of U.S. states have medical marijuana laws on the books, and nine states have legalized certain quantities of marijuana for recreational use as well. According to “The economic benefits of legalizing weed” most states has already moved their votes on legalizing the use of the drug, California being one of those states. Overall, legal marijuana could mean a big push for state economies and big bucks for both the state and the federal governments. Also, because of the health benefits that marijuana possesses it would beneficial for the pubic if more states vote yes to legalize the substance. THC is a substance that can be found in marijuana and it has proven to be very useful to chemo therapy patients. According to (Herbonaut, 2019) a study was done in 2001 which stated that “ chemo therapy patients who smoked cannabis showed a 70 – 100% relief from nausea and vomiting, while those who used a Δ9-THC capsule experienced 76 – 88% relief.” Marijuana is said to be able to alleviate chronic pains. (eMedical Health, 2019) Stated that “Chronic pain is pain that persists over time (6 months or longer) and typically results from long-standing (chronic) medical conditions or damage to the body”. Smoked or vaporized marijuana can lead to a significant decrease in chronic neuropathic pain associated with different diseases. Vaping or smoking cannabis 3 times a day for 5 days can result in a significant decrease (27%) of perceived pain, by chronic pain patients.

Just like any other thing, marijuana also has it disadvantages such as marijuana decreases mental health, second hand smoking could be very problematic especially for persons who have lung problems and last but not least marijuana alters the way how we perceive things. When person smokes marijuana, the substances quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, the blood then carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. The body absorbs those substances more slowly when the person eats or drinks it. In that case, they generally feel the effects after 30 minutes to 1 hour. Those substances acts on specific brain cell receptors that ordinarily react to natural chemicals.

Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by smokers. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals. Hundreds are toxic and about 70 can cause cancer. Secondhand smoke causes nearly 34,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers, breathing secondhand smoke interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems in ways that increase the risk of having a heart attack and also Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20–30%. Like alcohol, marijuana alters your perception. And like alcohol, this altered perception could lead to problems of impaired driving. Driving under the influence of marijuana could compound the already major problem of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Bibliography

1. investopedia. (1999). Retrieved january 2, 2020, from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/110916/economic-benefits-legalizing-weed.asp#ixzz5WVTgIbOKeMedical Health. (2019). Retrieved january 2, 2020, from https://www.emedicinehealth.com/chronic_pain/article_em.htm
2. Drug Policy Alliance Headquaters. (2020). drug policy alliance. Retrieved january 2, 2020, from http://www.drugpolicy.org/issues/marijuana-legalization-and-regulation
3. Transnational Institution. (2015). Retrieved january 2, 2020, from https://www.tni.org/en/issues/regulation/item/627-altered-state

Over the years the evolution of medicine has drastically improved. Along with the technological advances, the field of medicine has steered away from old medicinal practices such as leeching, herbal medicines, immediate amputation, and others in favour of modern medical drugs and technology. However there is a debate whether marijuana could be used for modern medicine. Many studies show that this is a solution of a multitude of illnesses while there are also studies which say that it is not. Because of this, many countries debated whether it is safe or not to use marijuana medicinally. However, we believe that marijuana is beneficial for medicinal use.

The legality of cannabis or commonly known as marijuana for medical and leisure use varies by the condition and terms of each and every country specially when it comes to its possession, cultivation, distribution, how it will be consumed, and for what illness it can be used for. Concrete policies are mandated by United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs that was permitted in 1961. The use of marijuana for frivolous purposes is prohibited in most countries. Marijuana is the most often used illegal substance within the United States. Little is known of the function that macro-level factors, including community norms and laws associated with substance use, play in determining marijuana use, abuse and dependence. Examination within the relationship between state-level legalization of scientific marijuana and marijuana use, abuse, and dependence is already been executed to several rural areas in the said country, states that legalized medical marijuana had better charges of marijuana use. Future research desires to observe whether or not the association is causal, or is because of an underlying unusual cause, such as network norms being supportive of the legalization of clinical marijuana and of marijuana use.

The government here in the Philippines see Marijuana as an addictive drug that might destroy lives. Many research studies and experiments prove and said that Marijuana has a good medical value. Cancer is one of the most deadliest disease in the world, it is the second leading cause of death. In 2017, it kills approximately 9.6 million people from the various form of it and Marijuana might have the capacity to cure cancel or at least lessen the effects of it. Marijuana contains Cannabidiol (CBD) that is non-psychoactive cannabinoids, Cannabidiol has the ability to kill or turn off a gene called Id-1. In 2007, researchers from California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco conducted an experiment using a breast cancer cell which has a high level of Id-1, and treated it with Cannabidiol, after the experiment, they found out that Cannabidiol helps to decrease Id-1 expression and lessen aggressive spreader. Marijuana can help, not only in cancer but also in tumor. The American Association for Cancer Research found out that Marijuana helps slow down tumor growth in brain, breast, and lungs considerately.

Marijuana is composed of different elements that can cure various diseases. Cannabis is known to have three elements which may lead to psychological effects caused by groups of cannabis containing psychoactive properties. These so called groups are namely; Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. However, marijuana or cannabis, contains cannabinoids which is the term used to generalize the components of cannabis. Sadly, over 120 of its components, only two of which is being studied by the experts, these cannabinoids are known to be the cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoids which does not lead to a person being ‘high’, on the other hand tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a psychoactive cannabinoids and leads for a person to be ‘high’. Having that being said, these cannabinoids is the reason why marijuana could be the cure to different illnesses, and is now called medical marijuana, for it is believed to be a pill for cure in other countries. One of what medical marijuana can do is to ease the pain of multiple sclerosis, and nerve pain in general. In addition to that, medical marijuana is also reported to help the patients who are now suffering from HIV, and the syndrome/s related to it. In connection to that, marijuana is being studied in other countries because it has the potential to reduce the symptoms related to HIV, or if possible it can be the cure for the said illness. To discuss further, the use of marijuana or cannabis to help HIV patients is not common for the some people. According to Pickett, a person who is an HIV positive, “I always enjoyed pot recreationally, and one day I realized that just taking a hit before taking my medication made me feel so much better,” because even if it has a lot of negative effects, there are also positive feedback that we can get from it, such as it can help patients to have appetite and decrease the soreness of muscles. Although cannabis is not the cure for now, but it can help the patients to have a better quality of living. Also, it can keep the patients from what their anxiety and depression could do for them. Who could possibly think that a single plant can be this powerful.

To conclude the relationship between Marijuana and potential marijuana user patients, we argue that Marijuana has its advantages to the medical field if it is used properly. We assert that Marijuana should be used to treat diseases such as Cancer and HIV and not for recreational use. The use of Marijuana should be maximized to a certain extent that it will be beneficial for the community and the whole humankind. Marijuana is proven for its health benefits, and the government should allow the health sector to use it for medical purposes so we can reach out to those people in the lower class that can’t afford to go to United States just to be treated. We can’t hide the negative effects of smoking cannabis, but if we think of it in a different perspective and in a more open minded way, it can truly help us more that what we think it could.

Studies have shown that marijuana users are more likely to experience symptoms of poor mental health than those who do not. Many have been puzzled by this, as marijuana has become an increasingly accepted treatment for mental disorders throughout Western medical practice. Could there possibly be a causal relationship between marijuana use and one’s emotional decline? If so, what does this entail for the rising generation, where cannabis’s recreational use is so widely normalized? Could this potentially mean that we’ve been inviting the culprit behind America’s mental health crisis into our very homesteads?

First, we must ask: does marijuana use cause symptoms of depression, or is it more complicated than that? Some argue that early marijuana use affects adult mental health because it hinders one’s transition into adulthood, disrupting processes of educational attainment, occupational attainment, and marriage (Codina et al., 1998; Hartnagel, 1996; Johnson and Herring, 1989; Johnson and Kaplan, 1990). If this is the case, marijuana use may not immediately produce depressive symptoms but rather be strongly implicated with life circumstances that do.

As humans, our brains don’t fully mature until our early twenties. Before then, we are still undeveloped in our capacities to make knowledgeable decisions and exercise appropriate self-control. Due to this, adolescents are especially vulnerable to the mal-effects of cannabis use. Studies have even provided evidence to suggest that cannabis use may stunt one’s intelligence level (IQ) in the long term (Camchong et al., 2017). As such, prolonged marijuana use contributes to one’s compromised educational and/or occupational attainment. It has also been suggested that higher degrees of success in these arenas are associated with lower signs of depression (Kessler, 1982; Ross and Mirowsky, 1989). In this way, prolonged marijuana use during adolescence may be to blame for the onset of one’s depressive symptoms later on in life.

How may marijuana use affect marital status then? Studies have shown that marijuana users are less likely to be married than nonusers, and being married is associated with good mental health (Bourque et al., 1991; Carter, 1980; Kaestner, 1997). It is reasonable to assume that stereotypical traits of marijuana users, such as lack of interest or productivity, may be at play. These lackings may even create patterns of isolation between users from nonusers, causing a snowball effect of social and emotional/psychological decline. Regardless of the mediating factors, marijuana use is counterproductive to social relations (marital or not), and thus counterproductive to emotional/psychological well-being.

Another explanation for the relationship between early marijuana initiation and adult psychological distress is that the substance is often ineffectively used as a coping mechanism for occurring life stressors. By disengaging from the problem(s) at hand, a person may use patterns of avoidance to cope. Although immediately comforting, avoidant coping is usually detrimental in the long term. This sort of avoidant behavior may likewise result in a sort of snowballing effect, making circumstantial matters worse/appear more permanent, putting a person at greater risk of depressive symptoms.

Though in the cases discussed, marijuana use does not directly cause depressive symptoms, one should think twice before introducing the substance into their every day. Because, as we’ve seen, it appears to be quite a slippery slope once a person begins. To illustrate the gravity, according to Harder et al. (2006), “the odds of current depression among past-year marijuana users are 1.4 times higher than the odds of depression among non-users”. Taking this application even broader, greater consideration should be taken before a person attempts to ‘treat’ their current depressive symptoms with a substance that may just make matters worse. For today’s clinicians who believe that marijuana may be effective in post-depressive rehabilitation: this doesn’t seem to be the case. With the evidence that studies have provided that attests to the contrary, I firmly argue that there are better paths moving forward in treatment.