Legal vs. Marijuana Research Paper.

Legal Spice
Jennifer Wlos
COM/156
Feb 12, 2012 Lena McArthur

Legal Spice

There are a numerous number of drugs in the United States. There is a drug like marijuana that you could smoke, get high from, and still pass a urinary test with it in your system. This drug can be called many things: legal spice, spice, legal, potpourri, and anything else someone might come up with. The two most common drugs used in the US have been legal spice and marijuana. The scientific term for legal spice is Synthetic Cannabis it is an herbal and chemical item that when smoked, mimics the effects of marijuana. It is best known as legal spice or K2. (http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=106&sid=59ce6c0d-f7a1-4779-a1b8-6cab4e630f4d%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mnh&AN=21702397). There has been an increase in drug abuse by the use of legal spice which is mixed with different chemicals such as JWH-018. JWH-018 was first developed in 1995 for research, by organic chemist John W. Huffman at Clemson University in South Carolina. (http://syntheticmarijuana.wordpress.com/). He created this chemical compound and tried to find cannabinoid receptors in the brain. The parts that THC in marijuana bond with to produce feelings of euphoria and research shows he was successful in these findings. (http://syntheticmarijuana.wordpress.com/). These chemicals do not show up in the system but result in having a long term effect on the body. According to Huffman, “it doesn’t hit the brain in the same way as marijuana, and that’s why it’s dangerous.” (http://hightimes.com/news/mmiller/7144). Legal spice is known all around the US and in some places it is legal. In other cities it is not, because of the effects it causes on the body. Many people were smoking legal spice when it was “legal” because of the fact that it didn’t show up in a drug test. It was easy to get jobs this way and stay away from getting into any trouble with the law, especially if you are or were on probation. (http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?sid=7ac2c423-a22f-459b-86a0-13a2cfa30caa%40sessionmgr4&vid=5&hid=20&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=bwh&AN=WPT195268383810). Legal spice is especially easy to get you have to be the age of 18 years and older and in Illinois coworkers at head shops don’t even ask for an ID because they just want your money, while still in certain states you must contain an ID.
Too much spacing Marijuana has been said to be an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it has been described in a Chinese medical compendium traditionally considered to date from 2737 B.C. It spread to China, India, Africa, and then to Europe as early as A.D. 500. (http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-history.html). Marijuana has been used for many things besides just consuming it and feeling “high.” Marijuana has been used for fabric, rope, and even ethanol fuel. (http://brainz.org/420-milestones-history-marijuana/). Marijuana is now known to help with the disease “Cancer” which is rapidly killing Americans. Marijuana is much safer and healthier then legal spice, because legal spice has been known to cause deaths. From January through August this year, US Poison Control Centers received 4,421 calls regarding exposure to synthetic marijuana, a 52 percent increase over last year’s total. (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/11/18/what-is-synthetic-pot-and-whys-it-causing-heart-attacks-in-teenagers/). Marijuana is known to calmly relax you and in California is legal for different symptoms you might have such as anxiety.

There are some advantages of legal spice. If you wanted to take a drug test for a probation officer you would urinate as clean since the chemicals do not show up. Legal spice also comes in many kinds and flavors with a bunch of unique names. The flavors leave a certain aroma in the room depending on what the name is. There are kinds called, strawberry, watermelon, cherry cheech, and juicy chong. These aromas make it smell like strawberry, watermelon, and cherries in a room almost like you sprayed air freshener. (http://www.herbalsmokeblend.com/spice-legalbud.html) If someone were to walk in the room they would never know you just got done smoking legal spices as Marijuana leaves a distinct “skunk” smell where anybody would be able to tell what someone just got done doing. Legal spice comes in packaging that looks like incense or tea so they are less noticeable as drugs, which attracts a teenager since it would not be easily identified by their parents. Advertisements for legal spice products are often written in bright colorful words yet again attracting the average teenager. Legal spice is very easy to purchase researching legal there are many websites you can order legal spice from.
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There are many more disadvantages to legal spice that leave the advantages worthless. Legal spice possibly has been the cause of many deaths and is why they are finding new ways each year to make it illegal. They band one chemical at the end of the year, and by the beginning of the year people are finding a new way to make it without that chemical making it legal once again. People are beginning to be frightened that when legal spice becomes banned and then something legal comes out again it will only spur alternatives to be much worse than the original product that was previously banned. On FOX59 News, they investigated a healthy man from Indianapolis possibly dying from the use of legal spice. (http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-death-may-be-linked-k2-051010,0,3426191.story). In Middletown, Indiana, a mother of two was found possibly dead from using legal spice, her friends and family are trying to get the drug outlawed since more people appear to be dying from it. (http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-spice-death-080410,0,1021879.story). In some states right now, if you were found with legal spice by the police you can be charged with a felony. People think you will only be charged with a misdemeanor since it is legal, but I talked to the police in Illinois and they said, “It would be safer for anyone to be caught with marijuana over legal spices.” Legal spice is completely unhealthy for you. The chemicals in it do nothing but harm your body. Legal spice has been known to cause delusions, elevate your blood pressure, elevate your heart rate, make anyone have hallucinations, increase agitation, give you nausea, pale your skin, increase seizures, and cause you to vomit. (http://drug.addictionblog.org/spice-synthetic-marijuana-side-effects/). Legal spice has also been known to play tricks with your mind not reducing your anxiety but increasing it, making you feel worried about everything around you something called paranoia, and can result in giving you suicidal thoughts. Legal spice will begin interacting with the same receptors in the brain just like marijuana does. It will result in a “high” similar to marijuana but shorter and more intense. It will result in loss of cognition, slow response time, dilated pupils, and reddened eye tissues. (http://www.greglawlegal.com/Legal-Articles/The-Momentum-to-Criminalize-Spice-the-Legal-Marijuana.shtml).
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I have asked many people around my neighborhood and out of state as well if they should make marijuana legal over legal spice. I asked 42 people total and 30 said yes, 2 said no, and 10 people didn’t care. I asked people only who have smoked both at one point in their life so they know the effects on each. Many of the people I asked said the same thing that marijuana helps you with your anxiety issues. One girl for instance said, “When I get so stressed out and feel as if I can’t do it any longer I’ll just smoke a little marijuana and feel so much better.” I had others say that it is a natural drug that comes straight from the ground as a plant which makes people believe it is safer than a bunch of chemicals combined. One guy I talked to in particular said, “My Grandma smoked marijuana when she was going through chemotherapy for having leukemia and it helped her to get through chemotherapy faster and easier so I know God created it for reasons such as this.” My sister used to live in California and on Venice Beach there is a sign by “The Evaluation Center for Medical Marijuana.” (http://www.medicalmarijuanablog.com/card/marijuana-cards-by-state-003.html). It says, “Loss of Appetite (Anorexia), Chronic Pain, Glaucoma, Persistent Muscle Spasms, Sickle Cell Anemia, Arthritis, Cancer (AIDS), Migraine Headaches, Severe Nausea (Vomiting), Depression or Anxiety, Seizures, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, Menstrual Cramps and Pain, Hepatitis C, Chronic Fatigue, Sleep Disorders (Insomnia), Diabetic Neuropathy, and Asthma can cause physicians to legally recommend medical marijuana. Doesn’t sound like they left anyone out does it? People in California simply do not have the legal spice problem because they can get Marijuana legally at any time. One girl mentioned to me, “If marijuana was legal less people would be smoking legal spice they only smoke legal spice because it is legal but marijuana is not nearly as dangerous as the chemicals in legal spice.” The people that replied “no” had one reason and that was because legal spice is cheaper then marijuana but expensive stuff has turned out to be the healthiest for the body. Legal spice needs to be banned forever this drug is possibly killing people. If you ever see someone smoking legal spice make sure to tell them of all the disadvantages. You don’t want to be responsible for ending someone’s life, do you?
References should be placed on one page. Also, incorrect set-up of references.
(http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=106&sid=59ce6c0d-f7a1-4779-a1b8-6cab4e630f4d%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mnh&AN=21702397). – University Library.
(http://syntheticmarijuana.wordpress.com/).
(http://hightimes.com/news/mmiller/7144).
(http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?sid=7ac2c423-a22f-459b-86a0-13a2cfa30caa%40sessionmgr4&vid=5&hid=20&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=bwh&AN=WPT195268383810). – University Library.
(http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-history.html).
(http://brainz.org/420-milestones-history-marijuana/).
(http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/11/18/what-is-synthetic-pot-and-whys-it-causing-heart-attacks-in-teenagers/).
(http://www.herbalsmokeblend.com/spice-legalbud.html).
(http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-death-may-be-linked-k2-051010,0,3426191.story).
(http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-spice-death-080410,0,1021879.story).
(http://drug.addictionblog.org/spice-synthetic-marijuana-side-effects/).
(http://www.greglawlegal.com/Legal-Articles/The-Momentum-to-Criminalize-Spice-the-Legal-Marijuana.shtml).
(http://www.medicalmarijuanablog.com/card/marijuana-cards-by-state-003.html)
The Research Paper provided a strong thesis and the information was detailed, explanatory and gave the reader an in-depth understanding of your position. But, you did not follow the APA components as instructed in the directions. The entire paper is not formatted as outlined in the directions. Document mission a cover page, spacing, font, transitional words/phrases and appropriate structured references. It is extremely important to review the directions of your assignment before submitting.

References: (http://hightimes.com/news/mmiller/7144). (http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?sid=7ac2c423-a22f-459b-86a0-13a2cfa30caa%40sessionmgr4&vid=5&hid=20&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=bwh&AN=WPT195268383810). – University Library.