Mary Jane: The Devil Weed :: essays research papers fc

Mary Jane The Devil ratABSTRACT This paper, entitled "Mary Jane The Devil Weed?" attempts toexamine what we have it off just about ganja and what problems are associated with its wasting disease. The paper examines briefly the history of marijuana legislation,marijuanas know effects, and conclusions about its danger.Early in this century, the government waged a contend of terrorism on marijuana,or cannabis sativa. "By 1937, forty-six states had virtues against the spend ofmarijuana, and its use had already been made a criminal offense beneath federallaw" (Jaffe, 659). Andrews pointed out that "not until some time in the early1930s did the Louisianna legislature pass a state regulating making use of thedrug illegal" (5). Jaffe noted that "since the early 1900s, marifuana has beenconsidered the one drug that might introduce the susceptible to hard drugs."Jaffe pointed out that "since about 1950.... smoking of marijuana has beenlinked stati stically to the use of other extramarital drugs....Most observers haveconcluded that the link is sociological rather than biological and...marijuanais a marker for individuals who are more prone to seek new experiences take down whenthese violate social norms and local laws."Andrews related that "sensational newspaper stories relating...to wickedness isgenerally held to be accountable for the sudden enactment of a law prohibitingits use." He went on to note that "users were often subject to heavy penalties--up to heart imprisonment in Texas." "After caffeine, nicotine and alcohol,marijuana is the fourth most public abused substance" (OBrien, Cohen, Evans,and Fine, 175).does marijuana deserve this reputation? We must freshman consider what it isand what effects it has. The active ingredient is tetrahydocannabinol, or THC(Andrews). THC, effectuate only in the female plant, produces a mild euphoric effect. marijuana is considered a hallucinogen, a Sch edule 1 drup, under the ControlledSubstances Act of 1970 (OBrien, Cohen, Evans, and Fine, 177). A Schedule 1drug means there is no known medical use. Recently "a new drug application was sanction for THC (Marinol) to be used therapeutically for control of nausea and vomitive associated with cancer chemotherapy" (Jaffe, 663). This moved THC fromSchedule 1 to 2 (medical use despite potential for abuse).How dangerous is marijuana? Jaffe notes that "any performance prove showsimpairment....although no distinctive biochemical changes have been found inhumans." Andrews writes, " material effects of marijuana use is probably themajor question....The answer? None." OBrien, Cohen, Evans, and Fine, describethat the National Institute on Drug Abuse found, "Marijunan now available isfive to 10 times more potent than it was a one-half dozen years ago" (178). Whilethese statements may not sound conclusive, the Institute of Medicine, according