Morphine and 20th Century Cannabis Essay

Cannabis (Drug)
1. Opening Statement:
a. A drug that has caused around 800,000 arrest for simple possession
b. A drug that has never been proven to cause a mental illness
c. A drug that users say they have never used any illicit drugs besides marijuana
d. A drug that has not been shown to increase the risk of cancer
2. Cannabis also known as marijuana
a. Used as a psychoactive drug and medicine
3. Use:
a. Recreational or medicinal drug and as part of religious or spiritual rites
b. Since early 20th century cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions with the possession, use, and sale.
i. United nations has said the cannabis is the most used illicit drug in the world
4. Effects:
a. Psychoactive and physiological effects
b. Body effects:
i. Eyes: reddening, and decreased intra-ocular pressure ii. Mouth: dryness iii. Body: a sensation of heat or coldness, increased heart rate, relaxed muscles
c. Psychoactive classification:
i. Mix of stimulant, depressant, and hallucinogen ii. THC is typically considered the primary active component of the cannabis plant
d. Other Effects:
i. Long-term use: heart disease, bipolar disorder, depression, mood swings, or schizophrenia ii. Obesity: lower in those who use cannabis than non-users
1. Known for inducing hunger, but 2 cannabinoids, THC, and cannabidiol were found to have an appetite suppressing effect
2. Test ran on rats proved that a rats metabolism was increased after having marijuana in its system iii. Addictiveness:
1. Cannabis is ranked least addictive with caffeine and second least with nicotine iv. Adolescent Brain Development:
1. Persistent, dependent use of marijuana before the age of 18 was associated with lasting harm to a person’s intelligence
5. Safety
a. Illegal in most countries
i. Never said to lead to overdose death ii. Medical reports of occasional infarction stroke, and other cardio vascular effects
b. United Kingdom stated in 2006 that it is a much less dangerous drug than tobacco, prescription drugs, and alcohol in social and physical harm and addiction
6. Medical Use:
a. There are several well documented beneficial effects
i. Amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemo therapy and AIDS patients ii. Lowered intravascular eye pressure shown to be effective for glaucoma iii. General analgesic effects for pain relief iv. U.S. FDA did not approve smoking cannabis for any condition or disease in the United States
v. 18 states in the District of Columbia have legalized it for medical use vi. Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, and Austria have legalized some form of cannabis for medical use.
7. Memory, Learning, and Intelligence
a. University of California San Diego School of Medicine failed to show substantial, systematic neurological effects from long-term use of cannabis
8. Pulmonary Function
a. Researchers found occasional and low cumulative marijuana use was not associated

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