Essay about The Addictiveness of Cannabis: A Review of the literature

The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans

Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While

First, from 1900 to 1940, marijuana, including opium and cocaine were considered part of everyday drugs. As time went on, the U.S. cracked down on crack and opium, eventually outlawing them, but continued to be very “loose” with the use of marijuana. Hoxter a weed smuggler explains how he began in the 1960’s trying weed and years later saw himself unloading four hundred pounds of pot in Vancouver. The story of this man ends in his isolation and argument of why he couldn’t smoke weed even if he stopped selling? He asked a parole officer and she didn’t know what to respond. It is true what Hoxter states, fifty years ago alcohol was illegal and now it’s not, was it bad then? Will weed be legalized? And will the conflicts have been in vain? (Schou 8). Around the late 90’s and early 2000’s, scientific studies started to produce jaw-dropping results. Scientists started to discover that marijuana can significantly help people who have become ill. Medical Marijuana has been tested to help people with cataracts, cancer and severe depression (Zeese 1999). With this new worldwide discovery, the argument about medical marijuana ignited. States wanted to only make medical marijuana legal so it may help sick people, but the government did not want any form of marijuana legal. The law that was known throughout the United States was any form of marijuana was illegal. But now with this new discovery, doctors in states across the country want the

The act was drafted by Harry Anslinger and introduced by Rep. Robert L. Doughton of North Carolina, on April 14, 1937. The imposed tax equaled roughly one dollar on anyone who profited from cannabis, hemp, or marijuana. The Act did not itself make the possession or usage of hemp, marijuana, or cannabis unlawful but it did add a punishment and implementation to the rule to which marijuana, cannabis, or hemp handlers were subject. A $2000 fine and five years' imprisonment could result in the violation of these processes.

Background: The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 established the federal prohibition of marijuana. Dr. William C. Woodward of the American Medical Association testified against the Act, arguing that it would ultimately prevent any medicinal use of marijuana. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 established five categories, or "schedules," into which all illicit and

Using marijuana can lead to the development of problematic use, known as a marijuana use disorder. This takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Data suggests that 30% of people who use marijuana have some level of marijuana use disorder. People who begin to use marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to have marijuana use disorder or addiction compared to adults.People that use marijuana daily have addiction rates between 25% and 50%. Dependence is usually associated with marijuana use disorders. When frequent users of marijuana quit using it, they feel physical and psychological discomfort, otherwise known as withdrawal symptoms. This leads many people to resume their usage. Dependence is when the brain adapts

Cannabis is becoming increasingly widespread and increasingly common in modern-day society for both recreational use and for medication. The article by Craig Reinarman, ‘Criminalisation, legalisation and the mixed blessing of medicalisation in the USA’ generates many controversial issues of cannabis.

The use of cannabis toward medicine should not be shocking to anyone, since it has been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, it has been under medicinal aid for an estimated 5,000 years. Western medicine truly grasped marijuana’s medicinal abilities in the 1850’s. Infact, doctors documented over one hundred papers about how marijuana helped numerous disorders, such as nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders, pain relief, depression, and anxiety. It also helps cancer patients and those with HIV or Aids. Currently, many American patients have access to marijuana use so that they can have effective treatments for their illnesses. Medical marijuana use is achievable because

Marijuana is the familiar name for a raw drug made from the plant cannabis sativa. One of the active chemical in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinal (THC); a stimulant it give users the pleasure effect of relaxation, known as a “high” or hallucinating when consumed too much either through oral or smoking. It is the mainstream drug and a blistering topic to our nation in this day and age. Legalizing marijuana is an ever-growing political and social battle making its way to the top of American controversial issues list. Marijuana is one of the prime adversaries on the outlook of America’s war on drugs. Numerous people crave this drug to be permissible and readily available similar to tobacco and alcohol. While it is mind-boggling that

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

Marijuana is a drug that divides people. Some people claim it as the wonder drug of the '90s, capable of relieving the symptoms of many serious illnesses. Others curse the day the cannabis plant was ever discovered. From pain relief to stimulating the appetites of patients on chemotherapy, marijuana seems to have plenty going for it as a medicine. The legalization of marijuana is a large controversy in many parts of the world today, but the obvious negative effects that the drug induces has kept it from being legalized. Many researchers have a strong positive attitude towards marijuana. It has been said that the drug is “worth investigating and even providing as a medicine for pain relief, severe

Marijuana is a contrast to tobacco and alcohol when addiction characteristics do not show with the use of marijuana while addiction shows with legal tobacco and alcohol. It shows that less than one in ten marijuana smokers convert to consistent consumers of the drug, and most intentionally terminate their use after age 34, by comparison, 15 percent of alcohol users and 32 percent of tobacco smokers display indicators of drug dependency. Cannabis withdrawal indicators are uncommon and do not need replacement medication to stop the habit. When smoking marijuana comes to an end of an intake, the vast majority of smokers do not feel subjected to uncomfortable withdrawal indicators commanding restarting the use of marijuana.

According to TREATMENT EPISODES DATA SET (TEDS) 1992-2002, SAMHSA, 2006, Marijuana is addictive. More teens are in treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined. Several teens begin using substances when they are introduced to marijuana. Marijuana is referred to as a gateway drug, and many teen users begin using because they are depressed, having family problems, or any other struggles they are experiencing in their lives. Teens begin smoking marijuana, thinking they are not going to become addicted. Truth is marijuana use by teenagers who have prior antisocial problems can quickly lead to addiction. Therefore, if you were to begin using marijuana, you should be aware that you can become addicted.

Throughout the process of cessation of marijuana, cravings do occur, just like with many other substances. Gray (2007) says that “cravings and urges are considered to reflect the fundamental motivational processes that maintain continued drug use”. A paradigm was created to test cravings for marijuana on adolescents who have recently stopped using. In this paradigm a researcher presents cues associated with marijuana, for example: drug paraphernalia, the sight of someone smoking, the smell of the marijuana, etc. This has shown to increase cravings for the substance, also, a higher heart rate has

Most people believe that marijuana isn’t addictive or is a drug, but Marijuana is proven to lead to development issues, and disorders causing severe forms of addiction. It was stated that individuals who begin using marijuana before the ages of 18 are about 4-7 times more likely to develop a marijuana disorder. Marijuana disorders are associated with dependence in which a user who stop taking drug feels symptoms of withdrawal. Marijuana users reported feeling a great sense of irritability, mood swings and difficulties sleeping, and many forms of physical discomfort within just the first week of quitting that will last up to two weeks. The dependence occur in the brain when adapting the brain to large amounts of the drug in which