Legislation of MarijuanaJoin now to read essay Legislation of MarijuanaFor many years, the United States government has prohibited some drugs, such as Marijuana, from being sold in the marketplace. Yet, even with prohibition, Marijuana use has only decreased minimally. Because of its illegality, only the bad aspects of Marijuana use have been made known. But there are many positive aspects of Marijuana legalization, including its application concerning to medical cures. As of today, in most of the states, Marijuana is classified as an illegal drug. Due to its proven medicinal purposes though, the drug should be made available for people to use.
Marijuana is a mixture of leaves, stems, and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant, which is called in Latin “Cannabis sativa”. Cannabis is a genus containing a coarse, tall, hairy annual herb that provides fiber from its stems, oil from its seeds, and drugs from its leaves and flowers. The only species of Cannabis, also called hemp or India hemp, is a native of Central Asia but is widely cultivated and found as a weed throughout North America (Encarta). Marijuana can be taken by smoking or eating it for its hallucinogenic and pleasure-giving effects. The psychoactive ingredient of Marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol also known as “THC”, is concentrated in the flowering tops of the plant. Hashish, a drug prepared from the plant resin, has about eight times more THC than Marijuana. Known in Central Asia and China as early as 3000 BC, Marijuana was already used as a folk medicine. China played an important part in Marijuanas history. The first known record of marijuana use for medical purposes was in 2737 B.C. by a Chinese emperor by the name of Chen-Nung. He recommended it for the treatment of malaria, constipation, rheumatic pains, absent-mindedness, and female disorders. After Chen-Nung discoveries, many cultures acquired the emperors knowledge and accepted the therapeutic benefits of the medicinal plant. For example, in India, “Cannabis has been recommended to quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep, cure dysentery, stimulate appetite, improve digestion, relive headaches, and cure venereal diseases” (Sarasota and Bakalar). Thailand also used Marijuana to stimulate the appetite of people who were ill. It would make them sleep, and counteract diarrhea (Morgan 36). In 1839, a respected member of the Royal Academy of Science, Dr. W. B. OShaugnessy, was one of the first in the medical profession, who presented positive facts dealing with Marijuana and medicine. His work helped open up the medical world to Marijuanas medical uses. These statements prove clearly that the use of Marijuana began as a medicine. From about 1900 then it was used as a pleasure-inducing drug and by the 1960s and 1970s its use was widespread. It became, after alcohol, the second most popular drug. Although Marijuana has not been proven physically addicting and no physical withdrawal symptoms occur when use is discontinued, psychological dependence can develop with consistent, long-term use. Marijuana use had been prevalent since the mid-nineteenth century, however primarily for medicinal purposes. Marijuana grew fervently throughout the United States, and was therefore, readily available. By the 1930s Marijuanas use as a drug began to decline. Man-made drugs were being created in the laboratories as a safer alternative. In 1937, the use of Marijuana became illegal when the Marijuana Stamp Tax Act was passed (Morgan 50). This act prohibited the use, sale, and growing of marijuana. It was made illegal because no one understood why smoking marijuana made people feel the way they did, and because it was associated with Indians and other so called “immoral people.” The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 was passed to officially mark Marijuana as an illicit drug. Ironically, at this time two new medical discoveries were made. The first one was using Marijuana in the treatment for glaucoma, and the second one was the ease it provided for cancer patients. This next portion of my paper will detail the medicinal benefits of Marijuana usage.
The legalization of Marijuana has become a major issue, and the number of supporters and opponents seems to be equally divided. Many physicians feel and they have proved that Marijuana is helpful in the treatment of AIDS, glaucoma, and cancer treatment. They also feel it is helpful for the treatment of arthritis, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis and spasticity which is also known as muscle stiffness. A good example is that Marijuana has been shown to be beneficial in patients suffering from the eye condition known as Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a group of diseases characterized by the triad of elevated intraocular pressure, optic nerve injury, and visual loss (Sarasota 40). It is very prevalent today and is an important cause of blindness in all populations. Glaucoma is more common in older patients and in certain ethnic groups. Today glaucoma is treated
Treating the problem
A common way to make Cannabis more effective is to reduce the psychoactive potency of THC (Dronabinol) and other cannabinoids and other ingredients in Cannabis. For example, in a clinical study conducted by a group of cannabis medical doctors, a group with THC found to provide an average 20% of the THC of each plant. This is similar to the percentage of THC users reported with marijuana from the other medical groups (Grossner et al. 2002). Moreover, Cannabis users who reported that they had used Cannabis without an adverse reaction may have shown a dose-response relationship between their use of it and their marijuana dose (Lunge et al. 2002).
As explained by Dr. Roy Krol, a senior scientist, cannabis is not an addictive drug and it is a safe and harmless drug with great potential for both medical, recreational, and medicinal use. We recognize that there are many other, more effective uses of Cannabis which require a larger number of users, and therefore large, population to be successfully evaluated. However, the best and most appropriate method is to treat such patients by making them treat Cannabis as a Schedule II drug as they are, rather than a Schedule I as other drugs are treated by the FDA.
What Cannabis Makes Of
The natural cannabinoids of Cannabis: 1C-18
3-METHNOD
4-N-METHIC
5-DIMETHIC
Some people are familiar enough with Cannabis to have an appreciation for the effects of Δ9-THC, a natural constituent of the cannabis plant. Although it is not considered a part of marijuana, it is commonly used as an adjunct to other medical and recreational drugs (Grossner et al. 2002).
Cannabinoids with therapeutic uses
A large number of cannabis plants are medicinal plants that contain plant extracts that work to relieve pain and provide relief from anxiety, pain, and insomnia (Hans et al. 1981; Krummler, 1995; Laughlin and Stiles, 1992). One example of a medicinal plant extract can be extracted from Cannabis flower (Chivas de Venezuela) (Grossner et al. 2002). While some of the plant extracts are considered to help relieve the symptoms of various neuro-degenerative diseases, others are considered more of a medication for general medical needs (Hall and Fenton 2001). The main difference between CBD and THC is that the two compounds don’t work to treat a disease themselves.
Marijuana extract: 4,9-THC, tetrahydrocannabinol
THC and CBD are widely used psychoactive ingredients and are widely used as an opioid antagonist and analgesic for pain relief and pain management (Flynn 1994; Rippett and Wachschner 1992; Grossner et al. 2002). This is the first example we have of making it into CBD or THC extracts. Most cannabis plants contain at least one non-toxic amino acid in their extract. The only known exception to this rule is with CBD oil.
The effects of CBD oil are highly variable, and its efficacy varies by plant species ranging from extremely severe, to moderate. The use of this plant as a pain aid is often discouraged, as does the possible dependence on and an increased risk of heart disease and seizures (Stiles, 1987). Because of medical concerns