Marijuana as a Treatment for Minor Diseases - Research Paper Example

MARIJUANA Marijuana historically used and as a treatment for minor as well as terminal diseases and also played a very important role in the Americanagrarian society, but due to the advancement in technology its role was slowly eliminated and with it its positive image started to erode. Today, Marijuana is commonly used illegal drug in the world, used after people have tried the legal ones such as alcohol and tobacco. "Marijuana is one of the the most commonly abused illicit drug. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant. It usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). There are countless street terms for marijuana including pot, herb, weed, grass, ganja, and hash." (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2006) The widespread use of Marijuana started in 1960's, according to the statistics of the united states Health care industry by 1979, 68% of the youth had experienced it at least once in their life. Hence use of Marijuana was termed illegal by the controlled substances act in 1970. Although there debates have risen time and again regarding the medicinal use of Marijuana, its use is till date termed illegal in many states of America. Marijuana is usually smoked, but there are other ways of its intake for example it can be ingested orally or mixed with food and beverages. It is important to mention here that the effects of smoking this drug are far more harmful than cigarette as Marijuana smoke contains more tar than cigarette and is smoked without a filter. As far as the components making up this drug are concerned, according to the National Institute on drug Abuse "The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC which kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana." (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2006) The intake of Marijuana is much greater in the youth than in the adults which can be proved by the statistics provided by a study carried out by the National Institute on drug "The National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded 2007 Study showed that 10.3% of 8th graders, 24.6% of 10th graders, and 31.7% of 12th graders had abused marijuana at least once in the year prior to being surveyed." (Monitoring the Future) The effects of Marijuana are both physical and psychological which vary with individuals and also with the amount consumed. Technically, marijuana is classified as a hallucinogen, but its effects are usually much milder than those of other drugs in this category, such as LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. When it is inhaled through a marijuana cigarette, THC reaches its highest concentration in the blood within a half hour, and is absorbed by the brain and other organs, and can affect consciousness for several hours. THC can remain stored in body fat for several weeks. Marijuana users commonly experience feelings of euphoria, self-confidence, reduced inhibition, relaxation, and a floating sensation. Feelings of giddiness and mild feelings of paranoia are also common. Physiological effects include increases in pulse and heart rates, reddened eyes, dryness of the mouth, and an increased appetite. The initial euphoric feelings after ingesting marijuana are generally followed by sleepiness. (Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2001) The use of Marijuana has short term as well as long the effects. The short term effects include alteration of memory and perception, paranoia, lack of motor coordination and difficulty in problem solving, nausea, increased appetite, headache caused by reduced flow of blood to the brain etc. While in the long term it can affect the respiratory and immune system. If one probes into the fact so as to why the use of this illegal drug is so high among the youth, one can come across several reasons. The teens usually indulge into this habit as they see their siblings and friends around them using it making this drug socially acceptable, at least in their social circle, or it can be due to the reason that the exposure due to media drives them to use this drug. Some teens may also feel the need to escape from the problems they face at school or at home and therefore consume high amounts of this drug. As far as the treatment for Marijuana addicts is concerned, there is no medication for curing Marijuana addiction; however, there are a number of programs that focus on resisting the use of the drug through counseling sessions especially for the teenagers who are the main victim of this drug. It is also important to mention here that as far as Marijuana addiction is concerned, putting the entire blame on teenagers is looking at the story from side. Although, teenagers ought to be blamed for getting involved in such an act, risking their health, in my opinion parents also share some responsibility in this regard. One of the major reasons parents fail to keep a check on their children is ignorance on their part followed by denial of the warning signals exhibited by their child indicating the use of Marijuana or any other drug for that matter. In conclusion, parents and teachers can play an important role in minimizing the statistics mentioned above regarding the mass use of Marijuana among teens. As there is no medication to cure this addition the only real solution left is PREVENTION and in my opinion drug education including the harmful effects of drugs is vital in schools to give the youth a warning about what they might be risking by using these drugs. (Words 950) BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. "Adverse Effects of Marijuana". American Family Physician. Dec 1, 1999. FindArticles.com. 23 May. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3225/is_9_60/ai_58252719 2. Marijuana: Facts for Teens, April 25, 2005, http://www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/teenpg3-4.html 3. "Monitoring the Future" The Regents of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, 21 April 2008. http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/ 4. National Institute on Drug Abuse, April 2006, http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html 5. "Marijuana". Encyclopedia of Psychology. 20010406. FindArticles.com. 23 May. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2699/is_0002/ai_2699000208 6. National Conference on Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment, and Research, July 1995, http://www.drugabuse.gov/PDF/MJConf/MJTitlePage.html Read More