Introduction . Cannabis Is The Most Commonly Used Illegal

Marijuana or Cannabis is a hallucinogenic drug that contains a very high amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It can be used for both medical and recreational reasons, but it is currently illegal in most states in this country. This drug has been illegal for the majority of this country's history, and just recently several states like Washington, California, and New York have passed laws so that people with medical issues are able to consume this drug for their own medical needs

Marijuana is a mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems and flowers from a hemp plant better know as Cannabis sativa. Uses of marijuana can be recreational or medical and the earliest recorded uses date from the 3rd millennium BC. (Rudgley, “The

Marijuana has falsely been said to be highly addictive. Tobacco and alcohol have proven to be far more addictive than we are told. A comparative risk assessment using the margin of exposure(MOE) approach was taken to demonstrate the risk factor of many different drugs. MOE tested a wide range of substances: heroin, cocaine, cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol. In short, MOE: “Specifically, the results confirm that the risk of cannabis may have been overestimated in the past.” The four main substances that were

Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs in the world. Users most commonly use it by smoking its leaves, stems, buds, or flower to experience some sort of high. Scientists have discovered that not only does marijuana have an intoxication effect, but that it could be used for medical reasons as well. Marijuana has been tested by many scientists who would all agree that it should be legalized

What is Marijuana? Well, it is a plant that has many medical benefits and dates back almost 12,000 years ago. The plant has many components within itself like THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, it is the chemical compound in cannabis responsible for a euphoric high. Another component is CBD, Cannabidiol, which is a non-psychoactive and provides a wide range of medical benefits. There are eight states that allow for the plant to be used recreationally and twenty-nine states that allow the use of the plant for medical purposes only.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug (19.8 million past-month users) according to the 2013

Marijuana is categorized into a larger sector of drugs called cannabis. Cannabis exhibits a combination of stimulant, depressant, and hallucinogenic properties, leaning towards hallucinogenic or psychedelic. While tetrahydrocannabinol is typically considered the primary active component of the cannabis plant, certain other cannabinoids like cannabinol may also contribute to psychoactive

Marijuana is a drug increasingly being smoked across the nation. Cannabis refers to dried greenery, stems, and flowers

Patients with alcoholism often go through cycles of binging on alcohol, stopping for short periods of time due to experiencing feelings of remorse for behavior done under the influence and inevitably returning to drinking in excess. (Mikuriya, 2004). Additionally, long term use of excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to debilitating diseases and eventually death. Cannabis though, has been shown in some cases to be an effective substitute for alcohol aiding patients in their struggle to reduce or stop alcohol use. (Mikuriya, 2004) With its relatively benign side-effects, this makes cannabis a more favorable alternative. In Mikuriya’s (2004) study, 92 patients who had alcohol addictions used cannabis primarily to treat alcoholism, with patients listing depression, pain, and insomnia among secondary reasons for use. Patients were interviewed, and medical records reviewed for information regarding the extent of alcoholism and any current or former treatments (Mikuriya, 2004). During follow-up visits, typically every 12 months, patients reported what conditions they were using cannabis to treat, as well as how effective they found the treatment to be (Mikuriya, 2004). Of the patients that reported back, 45 ranked using cannabis as a “very effective” treatment, and 38 ranked it an “effective” treatment option. (Mikuriya, 2004). While total abstinence was an unattainable goal for some patients,

First time marijuana use does not mean an individual will use harder drugs because people will use whatever drug is available when they are ready to experiment. According to data from the 2000 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse

The history of marijuana use goes back thousands of years. Marijuana is a potent, mind-altering substance derived from the Cannabis plant. It has been used for both medical and recreational purposes. It is a Schedule-1 drug or a controlled substance under federal law in the United States, which means it is an illegal drug. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse Center (2014), marijuana is the number one most commonly used substance among adolescents and synthetic marijuana is second, which has a severe concern on health (NIDAC, 2014).

Marijuana has been used by people over many centuries for medical uses. It is a natural pain killer used today as a recreational drug by people all over the world. According to Noel Merino in, “Introduction to Gateway Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints”, “a drug is something other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body”. Marijuana is a very controversial drug and has been outlawed in many countries for its affect on the function of the body. “Effects may involve hallucinations, impaired judgment, and mood swings.” Describes the effects of marijuana in “Marijuana” Current Issues Macmillian social science library. During the past century Marijuana has been legal, made illegal, strictly enforced, decriminalized,

Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (“Marijuana” 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel “high” or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (“Marijuana” 1). Like most drugs, marijuana has a very long history. People have been using the plant around the world for thousands of years. The oldest record of the marijuana plant dates back to 2727 B. C. in China where the plant was used as a medical herb for treating conditions like rheumatism, gout, malaria and even absent-mindedness (“Cannabis, Coca, & Poopy: Nature’s Addictive Plants” 1). Slowly, the plant started spreading around the world. By 1545, cannabis was starting to appear throughout the western worlds. Being introduced to South America by the Spanish to be used as fiber. The crop also had many other common uses around the world. In North America, cannabis was often used to make paper, ropes, clothing and other materials (“The Origins of Cannabis” 1).

Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America following alcohol and tobacco. It is most commonly smoked out of a pipe, or rolled like a cigarette. The active ingredient in marijuana that causes the “high” followed by smoking it is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC for short. This is the most common perception of individuals who encounter the drug but what is failed to be considered

in “Marijuana Facts” 1). From an outsider’s perspective, one has to ask why is there so much tension and hesitation in legalizing marijuana? If alcohol is the direct cause of many deaths, while marijuana has not been responsible for any, it only makes sense that our health would not be our greatest concern in legalizing the drug. Also, it is important to understand marijuana consumption is less susceptible to overuse than alcohol or other drugs (Marijuana 10:477). Despite this, critics often argue that marijuana is a gateway to other more potent and harmful drugs. According to Dr. Halbach of the World Health Organization there is no pharmacological link between cannabis and opiates (Marijuana 10:477). This demonstrates the physiological unlikelihood of marijuana being a stepping-stone to other more potent drugs containing opiates. Marijuana does have drawbacks and side effects, as any other drug whether medicinal or recreational. However, putting the drug in perspective helps one to understand the contradiction in legalizing other drugs while continuing to ignore marijuana even though it can beneficial in different capacities.