Psychoactive Drugs : The Single Convention On Narcotic Drugs

Chapter six talks about stimulants, like coffee (caffeine containing plants for the most part), cocaine, tobacco, and amphetamines. Many people would not consider coffee a drug, but those are usually the people that cannot go a day without it. Chapter seven talks about depressants, like alcohol, sleeping pills, narcotics, general anesthetics, and antianxiety drugs. Like coffee, many people would not consider alcohol a drug; it may be because it is legal but, when it is abused it has potential to cause more damage than many other drugs to one’s self and outsiders. Depressants depress the nervous system, reducing sensitivity to outside stimulation but in small doses they tend to make people relaxed and happy. The eighth chapter is about psychedelics, which are claimed to have the lowest potential for abuse of any of the psychoactive drugs. This chapter discusses drugs like LSD, morning-glory seeds, mushrooms, ibogaine, DMT, peyote, and ecstasy. People have been using hallucinogens since the beginning of time and most of these plants are concentrated in North and South America. The ninth chapter covers one drug only, marijuana. It is not a depressant or stimulant but has features of both, and some people even consider it a light psychedelic. The experienced high from marijuana can differ from person to person.

Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America, after alcohol and nicotine products. It is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of cannabis sativa, the hemp plant. The main psychoactive part of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol or also known as THC. It contains THC as well as over a hundred other cannabinoids. THC is a psychoactive chemical. Marijuana is often used for its mental and physical effects such as a “high” or a “stoned” feeling. It has been know that there are benefits to using marijuana such as euphoria or heightened mood, increased appetite and many others. However there are short term side effects which may include dry mouth, decrease in short term memory, red eyes and often

Lately there has been a big push to legalize marijuana for recreational use and it has been used as a prescription drug for a number of medical conditions. For instance, it is used in the treatment of glaucoma, nausea, post traumatic disorder, anxiety disorder, cancer, anti-inflammatory regimens, multiple sclerosis and also to stimulate appetite in those suffering from AIDS.

Further, there are many proven medical benefits of marijuana. Currently, marijuana is being used to treat glaucoma, and it has been shown to significantly reduce nausea in cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Additionally, people with HIV/AIDS and other terminal illnesses use marijuana to stimulate their appetites and to reduce various side effects of pain medications. Marijuana can also be used for the treatment of pain and muscle spasms in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Scientists report that cannibidiol; one of the chemicals found in marijuana, slows growth of breast cancer cells growing in laboratory dishes, and can even result in shrinkage of cancerous brain tumors in laboratory animals. Evidence for marijuana’s effectiveness in treating, or reducing the symptoms of, arthritis, insomnia, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, migraine headaches and Tourette’s syndrome is also very promising. The most

Marijuana in the medical field has countless usages from dealing with chronic pain to helping cancer patients with nausea. “Two of the most important treatments, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, also cause damage and often, severe vomiting” (McKinley). Cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy are essential in treatments for cancer though it often can result in extreme vomiting in the patients receiving treatments. Medicinal marijuana can help patients with their nausea and vomiting. If the vomiting ceases while using marijuana, the individual’s appetite is sure to increase making it easier for the individuals to sustain an adequate weight as cancer patients are most of the time under weight. “The smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to

First, let me begin by explaining what exactly is medical marijuana, medical marijuana is the use of the cannabis plant or extracts from it to treat disease or symptoms. This can happen because of two main chemicals in marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol or (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and these two chemicals both have different effects on brain that can help many people dealing with serious to normal health issues. THC increases appetite and reduces nausea. The FDA-approved THC-based medications are used for these purposes. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems. This can be extremely helpful to cancer patients suffering from the side effects of chemotherapy which include weight loss and

While there are studies that lead us to believe that the use of medical marijuana on cancer patients can actually help their recovery, it is also reported that the THC, can impair the body’s immune system. Some methods of ingesting medical marijuana include, food and drink consumption, as well as smoking. Smoking can lead to respiratory problems due to the smoke, leaving the body with a weakness, possibly causing cancer in the lungs and respiratory tract. This can also lead to an increased risk of heart attacks. Overall, these side effects and long lasting impairments can be much more harmful than the possible positives of medical marijuana.

Advocates for medicinal marijuana argue that clinical tests have established that marijuana has definite and valid therapeutic values. It is the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana that is the active chemical component for the relief o pain and symptoms. Marijuana suppresses AIDS-related nausea and nausea in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy, along with appetite loss and abnormal pressure in the eye which leads to glaucoma, the #1 cause of blindness. Marijuana is also believed to be a safe and inexpensive alternative in treating muscle spasms, epilepsy, anorexia, asthma, insomnia, depression and other disorders. Marijuana is not only believed to help with physical ailments, but psychological ones as well. A former chairman of the 1991 established Office of Alternative Medicine’s (OAM) Program Advisory Council said, “When used appropriately, marijuana could be extremely helpful to people undergoing certain kinds of emotional crises.”

There are many diseases that marijuana can treat such as muscle spasms, nausea, eating disorders, seizure disorders, crohn’s disease, and the one that is talked about most, cancer. Marijuana helps cancer patients by relieving pain, control nausea and vomiting, and even decreases pressure in the eyes so it helps patients with glaucoma. One of the biggest discoveries has been that marijuana has been shown to inhibit tumor growth. Cannaboids go out and attack these tumors cell growths which causes them to take longer to develop and in some cases can get rid of them entirely.

But states and cities are also wrestling with the question of whether medical marijuana should be legal. Cannabis which is also known as Ganja, Hashish, Hemp, Mary Jane, , Pot, reefer, and weed is a recreational drug introduced to the country by Mexican and Caribbean laborer’s in the nineteenth century. (m.d pg 33).In the mid twentieth century medical marijuana use began to arise (m.d pg 33). It has been Known as a healing aid to individuals who suffer from severed disease’s and illnesses .Cannabis can be used for people with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) which is is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints. Smoking marijuana can alleviate joint pain, reduce inflammation, and promote sleep. (Worth).Medical Marijuana is very popular among patients living with HIV or AIDS; with one of the main reasons being that it is able to soothe a severe pain and a variety of the disease symptoms. It can mollify pain; kindle appetite, and calm nausea (greene). THC which is found in marijuana in the form of Marinol has been shown to increase appetite and maintain weight with slight side effects of dry mouth and slight psychological distress. It is difficult for patients to fine-tune the pill form dosage and also the THC orally is slow to act and slow to clear from one's body (greene pg 2).According to Jack Mendelson M.d the foremost recognized medical use

Drug abuse is happening in many countries. Millions of dollars are exhausted universally to prevent drug use, to treat addicts, and to fight drug-related misdemeanors. While drugs menace many civilizations, their result can also be combated triumphantly. This essay topic glances at some of the consequences of drug use on the world, and proposes some resolution to the complication. Drug addiction and drug abuse sinfully changes your state of body and mind with chemical substances. (What is the scope of Marijuana use in the United States?)

It can be used to control seizures and tremors related to illnesses such as Epilepsy, Dravet’s Syndrome, and Parkinsons Disease. By controlling the seizures and limiting the tremors of these patients, marijuana allows them to have some semblance of a normal blissful life. Marijuana has been proven to help ease symptoms for individuals who suffer from chronic severe pain. These individuals include people with Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, and pain relating to past recurring injuries. Patients who undergo chemotherapy treatments often times become nauseous and lack an appetite. These patients have shown an increase in appetite and a decrease in nausea when using marijuana. These are just a few of the numerous benefits of marijuana use in the medical

From the last few decades it has been observed that drugs addiction rate is growing higher and higher. The responsible authorities are partially responsible for this as they are not spreading awareness or taking serious actions on drugs consumption. Among these “marijuana” a kind of drug gained much popularity among the people and is now highly consumed drug not in Europe but in Asia too. This virus does not leave United States too as reports provided by CNN stated that “one in eight United States adults smoke marijuana”. According to statistical reports it was estimated that people of US spends $53 million on marijuana. One more resource that is US drug enforcement Administration stated that criminals who are arrested for committing

It can be used to help treat people suffering from cancer, aids, and glaucoma. Chemotherapy is used in the treatment of cancer and causes nausea resulting in an inability to keep food down. AIDS cause a general loss of appetite which can lead to dramatic weight loss and weakness. The healing power of marijuana for these two illnesses results in increasing a person's appetite, as well as relieving nausea, allowing a patient to regain weight. As for glaucoma, it helps reduce the pain of visual pressure that is damaging to the eye. Even though the causes for use in these cases are legitimate, smoking medically or not, the negative effects are all the same.

Abusing marijuana increases the risk of heart attack. Benefits of Marijuana The mechanism of action of marijuana is that attachment of THC and other cannabinoids to two types of receptors occurs once marijuana is smoked or ingested. One of these receptors is the CB1 which is present in the brain particularly in areas that have control over memory, movement, and vomiting. For this reason, balance and coordination and short term memory and learning are affected thus marijuana can be helpful in the treatment of nausea, loss of appetite, and pain. Moreover, CB2 receptor is primarily located in the immune system specifically, the lymph nodes and spleen. Although there is no exact explanation of its function but it is considered as a brake thus suppressing the immune system. On the other hand, after several minutes of smoking marijuana, its peak level is reached and this will last up to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Meanwhile, ingestion of marijuana utilizes food as this can hamper from reaching peak levels in the body and its effect will last longer in the body. In fact, dronabinol prescription, has potent effects after 30 minutes and its mechanism of appetite stimulation will last for more than 24 hours. Meanwhile, medical professionals believe that marijuana is a very effective drug that relieve nausea, vomiting, spasticity, certain types of pain, appetite loss, other symptoms caused by such illnesses like