What Is Medical Marijuana A Social Problem
Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes
What is Societal Problems??
A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. Everyone would agree about some social problems, such as murders and DWI traffic deaths. Other social problems may be viewed as such by certain groups of people.
Medical Marijuana is a big societal problem in the U.S. lately.
Some toke for pleasure, others for better health. But what 's the truth about "medical marijuana?"
Medical cannabis (also referred to as medical marijuana)
• is the use of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy. The Cannabis plant from which the cannabis drug is derived has …show more content…
a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BC.
• Although the extent of the medicinal value of cannabis has been disputed, and despite the opposition to research and use put forward by most national governments, it does have several well-documented beneficial effects.[
PROS & CONS
PROS
• The legalization of marijuana for medical reasons is viewed favorably by many Americans, including members of the medial community and congress. Some of the pros to medical marijuana that they argue: Marijuana is effective at relieving nausea and vomiting, especially caused by chemotherapy used to treat cancer.
• Marijuana can relieve spasticity of the muscles that is sometimes associated with multiple sclerosis and paralysis.
• Marijuana can help treat appetite loss associated with HIV/AIDS and certain types of cancers.
• Marijuana can relieve certain types of pain.
• Marijuana is safe, safer in fact than most other prescribed medications to treat the same symptoms.
• Studies show that smoking marijuana alone (without the concurrent use of tobacco) does not increase the risk of lung diseases.
• Marijuana has been used for centuries as a medicinal agent with good effect.
CONS
• For every person who is for legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, there is another who argues against it. Some of the arguments from the opposition include:
• Frequent marijuana use can seriously affect your short-term memory.
• Frequent use can impair your cognitive ability.
• Smoking anything, whether it 's tobacco or marijuana, can seriously damage your lung tissue.
• Not enough evidence supports marijuana as an effective pain relieving agent.
• Marijuana carries a risk of abuse and addiction.
• Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds.
• Smoked marijuana has been implicated in a high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents.
• Unfortunately, clinical trials to evaluate of the effectiveness of marijuana to treat certain conditions have been restrictive and limited. Until marijuana is downgraded from a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), widespread clinical trials are unlikely to happen. If we really want a conclusive answer whether marijuana is valuable for symptom management, it needs to be evaluated using the same standards as other medications.
Medical cannabis in the United States
• In the United States federal level of government, cannabis per se has been made criminal by implementation of the Controlled Substances Act which classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, the strictest classification on par with heroin, LSD and Ecstasy, and the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution allowed the government to ban the use of cannabis, including medical use. The United States Food and Drug Administration states "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision".
• Sixteen states have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington ;and Washington D.C. Maryland allows for reduced penalties if cannabis use has a medical basis. California, Colorado, New Mexico, Maine, Rhode Island, Montana, and Michigan are currently the only states to utilize dispensaries to sell medical cannabis. California 's medical marijuana industry took in about $2 billion a year and generated $100 million in state sales taxes during 2008 with an estimated 2,100 dispensaries, co-operatives, wellness clinics and taxi delivery services in the sector colloquially known as “cannabusiness”.
• On 19 October 2009 the US Deputy Attorney General issued a US Department of Justice memorandum to "All United States Attorneys" providing clarification and guidance to federal prosecutors in US States that have enacted laws authorizing the medical use of marijuana. The document is intended solely as "a guide to the exercise of investigative and prosecutorial discretion and as guidance on resource allocation and federal priorities." The US Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden provided seven criteria, the application of which acts as a guideline to prosecutors and federal agents to ascertain whether a patients use, or their caregivers provision, of medical marijuana "represents part of a recommended treatment regiment consistent with applicable state law", and recommends against prosecuting patients using medical cannabis products according to state laws. Not applying those criteria, the Dep. Attorney General Ogden concludes, would likely be "an inefficient use of limited federal resources". The memorandum does not change any laws. Sale of cannabis remains illegal under federal law. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration 's position, that marijuana has no accepted value in the treatment of any disease in the United States, has also remained the same.[174]
• The Health and Human Services Division of the federal government holds a patent for medical marijuana. The patent, "Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants", issued October 2003 reads: "Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer 's disease, Parkinson 's disease and HIV dementia, etc…"
Medical Marijuana Meets Good Public Policy
• As medicines go, marijuana surely is unique.
• There is ample evidence that marijuana does offer some relief more effectively than conventional medications to some patients who suffer from some serious ailments, including multiple sclerosis, AIDS and cancer.
• But unlike any prescription drug, marijuana has not been tested and certified safe by any governmental agency. In fact, California includes marijuana smoke on the official list of substances known to cause cancer. Medical science has not determined what an appropriate dosage might be, how it should be administered or how often, or which strain of marijuana might be best for which symptoms of which illnesses.
• It is also illegal to possess, cultivate or sell any amount of marijuana under federal law, and illegal to possess, cultivate or sell certain amounts of it under state law.
• And, as most law enforcement officers from San Diego to Washington, D.C., will attest, far more medical marijuana dispensaries operate in violation of the law and regulations than in compliance with them and far more consumers simply use the dispensaries as a way to gain legal access to an illegal drug than for legitimate medical ailments.
• Still, medical marijuana was approved by California voters in 1996, the federal government now essentially takes a hands-off approach here and in other states that have approved it, and the issue for local governments is how to deal with the dispensaries that have proliferated into a serious community problem. Some California cities and counties have banned dispensaries outright. Some have no restrictions. And many have adopted regulations and restrictions falling somewhere in between the extremes.
• At San Diego City Hall on Monday, the City Council will consider two medical marijuana ordinances that are the product of a process begun in 2009 with the creation of the Medical Marijuana Task …show more content…
Force.
• The ordinances would limit the location of dispensaries to certain industrial and commercial zones, require dispensary applicants to obtain a special permit, require a background check of all employees, prohibit dispensaries near schools, playgrounds, libraries, churches, parks and other dispensaries, regulate hours and security and, importantly, would prohibit on-site medical consultations.
They would also prohibit dispensaries from operating for profit and require that all marijuana medications be labeled with the names of the patient, the dispensary and, if an edible product, the source of the food.
• Many medical marijuana advocates are opposing the ordinances, saying every dispensary in the city would be shuttered.
• Indeed, there is no grandfather clause for existing dispensaries and no grace period for compliance. This editorial page believes that is not only a good thing, but imperative if the ordinances are to be effective.
• These ordinances are tough but good public policy. They recognize the will of voters, the concerns of neighborhoods and the needs of those who legitimately need marijuana for what ails
them.
Medical Marijuana –
Use and Acceptance
• A recent survey reports that over 100 million Americans have used cannabis at least once in their life and over 25 million report they have used marijuana in the past year. Marijuana use is becoming more accepted and widespread especially in states like California and Oregon, where the use of medical marijuana has been growing rapidly. It is estimated that in California alone, marijuana use is a 14 billion dollar business. As of 2009, in Los Angeles County alone, there are over 200 operating marijuana dispensaries.
• In states that permit medical marijuana use, there are a growing number of physicians available for medical marijuana consultation and recommendations. You should also know that if you visit such a physician, be prepared to provide the doctor with a copy of your medical records. Most doctors’ charge in the range of one hundred dollars for a consultation and paying the money does not guarantee that you will get a positive recommendation. Expect a summary physical exam and a series of questions about your symptoms, current medical status and your prior use of drugs including marijuana to remedy your ailments.
• Many medical specialists are recommending marijuana use to treat the following types of illnesses: chronic pain, arthritis, AIDS, anorexia, migraines, glaucoma, seizures, nausea and cancer. Upon receiving a medical recommendation of use, most physicians are now providing a certificate of recommended use as well as a personal medical marijuana identification card. You will need to present the certificate of use and identification card to a marijuana dispensary to obtain your medication. Each dispensary maintains its own membership of legally qualified patients who are given safe access to marijuana. In states like California, dispensaries are permitted to dispense not only medical grade marijuana but also hashish.
Recommended Medical Use
• Always comply fully with your recommending doctor’s advice and judgment concerning use. • Always start with a small dose and slowly increase the dosage until you find an acceptable level of symptomatic relief. • Be totally informed as to the effects of usage on yourself and others. • Try not to use marijuana solely for recreational purposes. • Know the risks associated with prolonged use of marijuana. Like with any other drug, there are always side effects. The possible side effects of heavy and prolonged use can include respiratory disease, as is the case with any heavy intake of smoke into the lungs. Other side effects may include loss of short-term memory, disorientation, and drowsiness.
• Notwithstanding the growing use and acceptance of medical marijuana, the following disturbing statistics reveal the extent to which marijuana reform is needed:
• The U.S. has the world’s highest incarceration rate. • We have over 5% of the world’s population, but we house 25% of the world’s prisoners. • One out of every 31 adults in the U.S. is in prison or county jail. • Over 15% of all prisoners suffer from mental illness. • Over 47% of all drug arrests in the U.S. are serving time for marijuana offences
Driving Under The Influence of Marijuana
In all states including permissive use states such as California, it is illegal to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol including legal-use marijuana. This should not be surprising, since all states make it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of any drug, recommended by a physician or not, if that drug actually causes the impairment of the drivers ability to safely operate a vehicle.
A major problem for law enforcement in proving the crime is that traces of marijuana can be detected in the blood stream and urine for as much as thirty days after its original use. This means that a person can end up submitting to a blood or urine test at the request of law enforcement and end up testing positive for marijuana even though the driver had not used marijuana for days or even weeks.
California law for example, like most other states, makes it illegal to operate a motor vehicle if the driver was under the influence “at the time” of the subject driving. The good news for the defendant is that most states allow the jury to consider whether the marijuana trace found in the blood was from another day – perhaps even from another week. The prosecution will often find it very difficult to overcome this challenge when the prosecutors case is based mostly or solely on a positive blood or urine test.
Possible Health Risks – Chronic Use of Marijuana Researchers have learned a great deal about how THC acts on the brain to produce its many effects. Upon smoking marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabin receptors, igniting a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the effect that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabin receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabin receptors is found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception. Most experts agree that most marijuana smoke contains carcinogens and with chronic use will affect the lungs. In fact, is has been argued that street marijuana smoke contains 40 to 60 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. This might be because marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers. Some research suggests that Marijuana smokers show deregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer. Other studies have found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers. Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated. In response to the increased health risk associated with smoking, there are a growing number of medical marijuana users who are putting down their pipes and paper in favor of ingesting THC through capsule, food, and sublingual strips. A much safer approach says the medical community. Further, there is increasing evidence that sublingual strips and other forms of digestive intake have many of the medicinal benefits of THC but without the added risk of respiratory danger that inhaling any form of smoke presents. Furthermore, a growing number of marijuana patients report that ingesting marijuana does not impair or effect short-term memory nor does it seem to overly increase ones apatite. Treatment programs focused solely on addiction to marijuana is extremely rare. Yet much of the health community believes that continued and regular use of marijuana can cause addiction and even physical withdrawal symptoms such as nervousness and insomnia. Other medical researchers and health professionals argue otherwise. The debate rages on as more states consider legalizing or reforming their marijuana laws in favor of regulated medical use. Notwithstanding, there are a reported 150,000 individuals each year who voluntarily enter treatment programs for what they consider addiction to marijuana. In fairness, a majority of those who seek treatment for addiction to marijuana are also seeking treatment for addiction to other types of drugs (legal or otherwise) such as cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates and alcohol.
Works Cited
• http://aboutmedicalmarijuana.com/tag/new-york-times
• http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical
• http://www.marijuana-doctor.com
• http://www.marijuanamedicine.com
• http://www.medicalmarijuanacure.com/benefits-of-marijuana
• http://www. medicalmarijuana.com
• http://www.medicalmj.org/nyassembly07.htm
• http://www.nysenate.gov/news/approval-predicted-medical-marijuana
• http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/health/policy/19marijuana.html
What is Societal Problems??
A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. Everyone would agree about some social problems, such as murders and DWI traffic deaths. Other social problems may be viewed as such by certain groups of people.
Medical Marijuana is a big societal problem in the U.S. lately.
Some toke for pleasure, others for better health. But what 's the truth about "medical marijuana?"
Medical cannabis (also referred to as medical marijuana)
• is the use of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy. The Cannabis plant from which the cannabis drug is derived has …show more content…
a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BC.
• Although the extent of the medicinal value of cannabis has been disputed, and despite the opposition to research and use put forward by most national governments, it does have several well-documented beneficial effects.[
PROS & CONS
PROS
• The legalization of marijuana for medical reasons is viewed favorably by many Americans, including members of the medial community and congress. Some of the pros to medical marijuana that they argue: Marijuana is effective at relieving nausea and vomiting, especially caused by chemotherapy used to treat cancer.
• Marijuana can relieve spasticity of the muscles that is sometimes associated with multiple sclerosis and paralysis.
• Marijuana can help treat appetite loss associated with HIV/AIDS and certain types of cancers.
• Marijuana can relieve certain types of pain.
• Marijuana is safe, safer in fact than most other prescribed medications to treat the same symptoms.
• Studies show that smoking marijuana alone (without the concurrent use of tobacco) does not increase the risk of lung diseases.
• Marijuana has been used for centuries as a medicinal agent with good effect.
CONS
• For every person who is for legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, there is another who argues against it. Some of the arguments from the opposition include:
• Frequent marijuana use can seriously affect your short-term memory.
• Frequent use can impair your cognitive ability.
• Smoking anything, whether it 's tobacco or marijuana, can seriously damage your lung tissue.
• Not enough evidence supports marijuana as an effective pain relieving agent.
• Marijuana carries a risk of abuse and addiction.
• Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds.
• Smoked marijuana has been implicated in a high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents.
• Unfortunately, clinical trials to evaluate of the effectiveness of marijuana to treat certain conditions have been restrictive and limited. Until marijuana is downgraded from a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), widespread clinical trials are unlikely to happen. If we really want a conclusive answer whether marijuana is valuable for symptom management, it needs to be evaluated using the same standards as other medications.
Medical cannabis in the United States
• In the United States federal level of government, cannabis per se has been made criminal by implementation of the Controlled Substances Act which classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, the strictest classification on par with heroin, LSD and Ecstasy, and the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution allowed the government to ban the use of cannabis, including medical use. The United States Food and Drug Administration states "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision".
• Sixteen states have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington ;and Washington D.C. Maryland allows for reduced penalties if cannabis use has a medical basis. California, Colorado, New Mexico, Maine, Rhode Island, Montana, and Michigan are currently the only states to utilize dispensaries to sell medical cannabis. California 's medical marijuana industry took in about $2 billion a year and generated $100 million in state sales taxes during 2008 with an estimated 2,100 dispensaries, co-operatives, wellness clinics and taxi delivery services in the sector colloquially known as “cannabusiness”.
• On 19 October 2009 the US Deputy Attorney General issued a US Department of Justice memorandum to "All United States Attorneys" providing clarification and guidance to federal prosecutors in US States that have enacted laws authorizing the medical use of marijuana. The document is intended solely as "a guide to the exercise of investigative and prosecutorial discretion and as guidance on resource allocation and federal priorities." The US Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden provided seven criteria, the application of which acts as a guideline to prosecutors and federal agents to ascertain whether a patients use, or their caregivers provision, of medical marijuana "represents part of a recommended treatment regiment consistent with applicable state law", and recommends against prosecuting patients using medical cannabis products according to state laws. Not applying those criteria, the Dep. Attorney General Ogden concludes, would likely be "an inefficient use of limited federal resources". The memorandum does not change any laws. Sale of cannabis remains illegal under federal law. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration 's position, that marijuana has no accepted value in the treatment of any disease in the United States, has also remained the same.[174]
• The Health and Human Services Division of the federal government holds a patent for medical marijuana. The patent, "Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants", issued October 2003 reads: "Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer 's disease, Parkinson 's disease and HIV dementia, etc…"
Medical Marijuana Meets Good Public Policy
• As medicines go, marijuana surely is unique.
• There is ample evidence that marijuana does offer some relief more effectively than conventional medications to some patients who suffer from some serious ailments, including multiple sclerosis, AIDS and cancer.
• But unlike any prescription drug, marijuana has not been tested and certified safe by any governmental agency. In fact, California includes marijuana smoke on the official list of substances known to cause cancer. Medical science has not determined what an appropriate dosage might be, how it should be administered or how often, or which strain of marijuana might be best for which symptoms of which illnesses.
• It is also illegal to possess, cultivate or sell any amount of marijuana under federal law, and illegal to possess, cultivate or sell certain amounts of it under state law.
• And, as most law enforcement officers from San Diego to Washington, D.C., will attest, far more medical marijuana dispensaries operate in violation of the law and regulations than in compliance with them and far more consumers simply use the dispensaries as a way to gain legal access to an illegal drug than for legitimate medical ailments.
• Still, medical marijuana was approved by California voters in 1996, the federal government now essentially takes a hands-off approach here and in other states that have approved it, and the issue for local governments is how to deal with the dispensaries that have proliferated into a serious community problem. Some California cities and counties have banned dispensaries outright. Some have no restrictions. And many have adopted regulations and restrictions falling somewhere in between the extremes.
• At San Diego City Hall on Monday, the City Council will consider two medical marijuana ordinances that are the product of a process begun in 2009 with the creation of the Medical Marijuana Task …show more content…
Force.
• The ordinances would limit the location of dispensaries to certain industrial and commercial zones, require dispensary applicants to obtain a special permit, require a background check of all employees, prohibit dispensaries near schools, playgrounds, libraries, churches, parks and other dispensaries, regulate hours and security and, importantly, would prohibit on-site medical consultations.
They would also prohibit dispensaries from operating for profit and require that all marijuana medications be labeled with the names of the patient, the dispensary and, if an edible product, the source of the food.
• Many medical marijuana advocates are opposing the ordinances, saying every dispensary in the city would be shuttered.
• Indeed, there is no grandfather clause for existing dispensaries and no grace period for compliance. This editorial page believes that is not only a good thing, but imperative if the ordinances are to be effective.
• These ordinances are tough but good public policy. They recognize the will of voters, the concerns of neighborhoods and the needs of those who legitimately need marijuana for what ails
them.
Medical Marijuana –
Use and Acceptance
• A recent survey reports that over 100 million Americans have used cannabis at least once in their life and over 25 million report they have used marijuana in the past year. Marijuana use is becoming more accepted and widespread especially in states like California and Oregon, where the use of medical marijuana has been growing rapidly. It is estimated that in California alone, marijuana use is a 14 billion dollar business. As of 2009, in Los Angeles County alone, there are over 200 operating marijuana dispensaries.
• In states that permit medical marijuana use, there are a growing number of physicians available for medical marijuana consultation and recommendations. You should also know that if you visit such a physician, be prepared to provide the doctor with a copy of your medical records. Most doctors’ charge in the range of one hundred dollars for a consultation and paying the money does not guarantee that you will get a positive recommendation. Expect a summary physical exam and a series of questions about your symptoms, current medical status and your prior use of drugs including marijuana to remedy your ailments.
• Many medical specialists are recommending marijuana use to treat the following types of illnesses: chronic pain, arthritis, AIDS, anorexia, migraines, glaucoma, seizures, nausea and cancer. Upon receiving a medical recommendation of use, most physicians are now providing a certificate of recommended use as well as a personal medical marijuana identification card. You will need to present the certificate of use and identification card to a marijuana dispensary to obtain your medication. Each dispensary maintains its own membership of legally qualified patients who are given safe access to marijuana. In states like California, dispensaries are permitted to dispense not only medical grade marijuana but also hashish.
Recommended Medical Use
• Always comply fully with your recommending doctor’s advice and judgment concerning use. • Always start with a small dose and slowly increase the dosage until you find an acceptable level of symptomatic relief. • Be totally informed as to the effects of usage on yourself and others. • Try not to use marijuana solely for recreational purposes. • Know the risks associated with prolonged use of marijuana. Like with any other drug, there are always side effects. The possible side effects of heavy and prolonged use can include respiratory disease, as is the case with any heavy intake of smoke into the lungs. Other side effects may include loss of short-term memory, disorientation, and drowsiness.
• Notwithstanding the growing use and acceptance of medical marijuana, the following disturbing statistics reveal the extent to which marijuana reform is needed:
• The U.S. has the world’s highest incarceration rate. • We have over 5% of the world’s population, but we house 25% of the world’s prisoners. • One out of every 31 adults in the U.S. is in prison or county jail. • Over 15% of all prisoners suffer from mental illness. • Over 47% of all drug arrests in the U.S. are serving time for marijuana offences
Driving Under The Influence of Marijuana
In all states including permissive use states such as California, it is illegal to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol including legal-use marijuana. This should not be surprising, since all states make it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of any drug, recommended by a physician or not, if that drug actually causes the impairment of the drivers ability to safely operate a vehicle.
A major problem for law enforcement in proving the crime is that traces of marijuana can be detected in the blood stream and urine for as much as thirty days after its original use. This means that a person can end up submitting to a blood or urine test at the request of law enforcement and end up testing positive for marijuana even though the driver had not used marijuana for days or even weeks.
California law for example, like most other states, makes it illegal to operate a motor vehicle if the driver was under the influence “at the time” of the subject driving. The good news for the defendant is that most states allow the jury to consider whether the marijuana trace found in the blood was from another day – perhaps even from another week. The prosecution will often find it very difficult to overcome this challenge when the prosecutors case is based mostly or solely on a positive blood or urine test.
Possible Health Risks – Chronic Use of Marijuana Researchers have learned a great deal about how THC acts on the brain to produce its many effects. Upon smoking marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabin receptors, igniting a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the effect that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabin receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabin receptors is found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception. Most experts agree that most marijuana smoke contains carcinogens and with chronic use will affect the lungs. In fact, is has been argued that street marijuana smoke contains 40 to 60 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. This might be because marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers. Some research suggests that Marijuana smokers show deregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer. Other studies have found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers. Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated. In response to the increased health risk associated with smoking, there are a growing number of medical marijuana users who are putting down their pipes and paper in favor of ingesting THC through capsule, food, and sublingual strips. A much safer approach says the medical community. Further, there is increasing evidence that sublingual strips and other forms of digestive intake have many of the medicinal benefits of THC but without the added risk of respiratory danger that inhaling any form of smoke presents. Furthermore, a growing number of marijuana patients report that ingesting marijuana does not impair or effect short-term memory nor does it seem to overly increase ones apatite. Treatment programs focused solely on addiction to marijuana is extremely rare. Yet much of the health community believes that continued and regular use of marijuana can cause addiction and even physical withdrawal symptoms such as nervousness and insomnia. Other medical researchers and health professionals argue otherwise. The debate rages on as more states consider legalizing or reforming their marijuana laws in favor of regulated medical use. Notwithstanding, there are a reported 150,000 individuals each year who voluntarily enter treatment programs for what they consider addiction to marijuana. In fairness, a majority of those who seek treatment for addiction to marijuana are also seeking treatment for addiction to other types of drugs (legal or otherwise) such as cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates and alcohol.
Works Cited
• http://aboutmedicalmarijuana.com/tag/new-york-times
• http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical
• http://www.marijuana-doctor.com
• http://www.marijuanamedicine.com
• http://www.medicalmarijuanacure.com/benefits-of-marijuana
• http://www. medicalmarijuana.com
• http://www.medicalmj.org/nyassembly07.htm
• http://www.nysenate.gov/news/approval-predicted-medical-marijuana
• http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/health/policy/19marijuana.html