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Marijuana

Essay by   •  January 10, 2011  •  1,342 Words (6 Pages)  •  882 Views

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People have been using Marijuana as a medicine for thousands of years, beginning in China, India, and the Middle East. The plant's therapeutic potential became known in Western countries during the nineteenth century. From 1840 to 1900, more than a hundred articles on cannabis appeared in European and American medical journals, recommending it as an appetite stimulant, muscle relaxant, painkiller, sedative, and anti-convulsions. The use of Marijuana should be legalized in Canada for the benefits of individuals suffering from a variety of medical problems. Marijuana as a medicine, however, cannot be established with the Government’s permission to test the drug and legalize it.

Marijuana has undergone analysis for its use as a medicine and the results have shown improvements in the patients who were treated with this drug. The Government proclaims there is no therapeutic value in the medicinal use of marijuana, but they do not have hard evidence to prove it. Ira Glasser, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, expressed: “the government has demonized all drug use without differentiation and has systematically and hysterically resisted science.” Doctors have expressed opposite opinions as well, making this issue very controversial. The controversy falls in the hands of the government, that marijuana is not a safe medicine, versus the doctors who research the topic for medicinal purposes. Established, not all doctors feel cannabis should be a “legal” prescribed medicine, smoking marijuana is risky, but also recommended that critically ill patients should be allowed to use it under closely monitored settings. On the other hand, the more the government and doctors debate and try to solve this medicine issue, clearly then, more experiments and test will be done.

Marijuana proven not to cause any harmful, long-term effects to individuals suffering from medical hopelessness, cannot be tolerated. Doctors believe that they should be able to have prescribed the drug, when the patient is in need Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, when smoked, it produces over 2,000 chemicals that enter the body through the lungs. These chemicals have a variety of immediate, short-term effects. In addition, the repeated use of marijuana has been linked to a number of long- term effects marijuana including both psychological and physical reactions. These reactions usually last for three to five hours after a person has smoked marijuana. The psychological reaction, known as a high, consists of changes in the user's feelings and thoughts. Such changes are caused mainly by THC, a chemical in marijuana that impairs brain function. The effects of marijuana high vary from person to person and from one time to another in the same individual. In most cases, the high consists of a dreamy, relaxed state in which users seem more aware of their senses and feel that time is moving slowly. Sometimes, however, marijuana produces a feeling of panic and dread. The different reactions result partly from the concentration of THC in the marijuana. Other factors, such as the setting in which marijuana is used and the user' s expectations, personality, and mood, also affect a person's reaction to the drug. A doctors expert opinion claims that for cancer patients it therapeutic potential should not go unnoticed, when concrete evidence has been shown throughout the patients discomfort at times with there cancer or disease. Sick patients should have a cure or a less agonizing experience, if there is medicine, it should be used when the patient is in need. The short-term physical effects of marijuana include redness in the eyes and a rapid heartbeat. The drug also interferes with a person' s judgment and coordination. Therefore, driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana is particularly dangerous. Long-term effects of marijuana are not completely known. But studies have shown that some people who have used marijuana regularly for several months or longer develop serious problems. Use of marijuana harms memory and motivation. Some chronic users suffer bronchitis, coughing, and chest pains. Marijuana smoke also contains cancer-causing substances. Among males, marijuana use can reduce the production of sperm and of the male sex hormone testosterone. Among females, it can cause menstrual irregularity and reduced fertility. Extended use of marijuana also has a psychological effect on many people. These individuals lose interest in school, their job, and social activities. Doctors feel even though the long-term effects can be to a degree dangerous, shouldn’t inflict on the law of illegal substance for the medical practice and benefits for the individuals poverty-stricken . Therefore the law should be bended for medical purposes, and citizens should not be penalized and ridiculed by the law and justice.

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy found that marijuana relieved their nausea and enabled them to eat. Research showed that marijuana reduced the interlobular pressure that can lead to blindness in glaucoma patients. Migraine sufferers found relief from their headaches, and victims of spinal injuries, multiple

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