Marijuana

"Don't Worry, Be Happy!" 
-Bob Marley

Definition/Overview:

            The word marijuana comes from the Spanish word meaning “a substance causing intoxication” (Van Wormer & Davis, 2008). Consisting of a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves and flowers, marijuana comes from the hemp plant called Cannabis sativa. 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/11/16/165245222/its-legal-to-
sell-marijuana-in-washington-but-try-telling-that-to-a-bank

            There are many slang terms including: pot, herb, weed, and Mary Jane. Usually, marijuana is smoked as a cigarette, also known as a joint, or smoked in a pipe or bong (Marijuana Abuse, 2010).  It is inside the plant that the main active chemical, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), binds to that of nerve cells’ membranes. This starts cellular reactions that then lead to a “high” (Marijuana Information, 2012). 

To see an interesting clip of how marijuana chemically alters the brain watch this short clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeF6rFN9org

History:

            The first found reference to marijuana as a psychoactive agent was found in 2737 B.B. China; it was seen through the writings of Shen Nug, the Chinese emperor at the time. Marijuana’s primary focus was medicinal and used to treat certain conditions such as gout, malaria, and rheumatism. It then spread from China to India, and used recreationally (Marijuana Information, 2012).

            The Spanish then brought marijuana to the New World in 1545. The English were responsible for introducing it to Jamestown (in 1611) where it became a major commercial crop along with tobacco and grown as a source of fiber (Marijuana Information, 2012).

http://www.ballpublishing.com/growertalks/CoverStory.aspx?articleid=18542

            Having replaced cotton as a major cash crop in the southern states by 1890, it was making a statement. In fact, medicines during this time contained marijuana in a small percentage; however, it was not until the 1920’s that marijuana really became popular and widespread. Some individuals believe it was brought about due to Prohibition. Even then, it was primarily jazz musicians and people in show business that were using the drug. This was seen through “reefer songs” and became a huge hit in to the jazz world; marijuana clubs, called tea pads, were being formed in almost all large cities. During this time, marijuana was legal and since there was no evidence of anyone disturbing the community, it was not considered a social threat (Marijuana Information, 2012).

            From 1850 until 1942, marijuana was listed in the Pharmacopeia and prescribed for many conditions such as labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Although a campaign in the 1930s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) portrayed marijuana as a powerful, addicting substance that is a “gateway” drug, it still remained an accessory. (The picture below is of a real sign clearly expressing detrimental aspects about marijuana.) Following that, marijuana was seen as a symbol of rebellion to the hippies and continued to flourish (Marijuana Information, 2012).

http://studentsforliberty.org/blog/marijuana-as-a-gatewayfor-liberty/

            It was not until The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 that marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug. (This entails having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use.) During this time most marijuana came from Mexico, but shortly after the Mexican government agreed to eradicate the crop. This role then switched to Colombia as the main supplier. Strict laws were to follow during the Reagan/Bush administrations, which was called the “zero tolerance” climate. Therefore, the “war on drugs” brought about a shift to domestic cultivation (specifically Hawaii and California). In 1982, the Drug Enforcement Administration increased attention to these farms in the U.S. and there was a shift to indoor growing (Marijuana Information, 2012).

                                 http://www.justice.gov/dea/pr/multimedia-library/image-gallery/images_marijuana.shtml

My Thoughts:

            After reviewing many resources about marijuana, a huge topic was brought up in almost every source I saw which was the legalization of marijuana with medical purposes being the main driving force. Personally, I think that if someone has a chronic condition, in constant pain, and the only drug that will enable him or her to get out of bed for the day is marijuana, how could it not be allowed? In fact, more states are legalizing medical marijuana such as Colorado and Washington that can be seen in the link below. Marijuana can help calm severe nausea, stimulate appetites (which is important to individuals with AIDS and undergoing chemotherapy treatments), and help relieve the feelings of pins and needles from neuropathic pain. 

http://potfessor.com/ask/medical-marijuana-good-for-bipolar/

Below is a link explaining the war on marijuana diminishing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LUyj2ustgc

            Another topic I encountered was its popularity. According to the 2010 NSDUH, marijuana was accountable for, “4.5 million of the estimated 7.1 million Americans dependent on or abusing illicit drugs” (Marijuana Abuse, 2010). That is more than half of the total and significant, showing its commonality.

Government Influences:

            The reaction of the government does influence the use of substances. While there are people who will not use it just based on the fact that it is illegal, there are also individuals who are addicted and continue to use. There are also those individuals that rebel and use it just because it is illegal. Regardless, there appears to be a trend with stricter laws and a higher demand by the people. An example, related to alcohol, would be prohibition. During that time people acted out when alcohol was banned, and as an overall view, I feel that people always want what they cannot have. Also, considering there showed to be a correlation with prohibition and increased marijuana usage, it can be seen how people feel about stricter government laws. Therefore, the government does influence the use of substances whether it is in a positive or negative way.

http://michaelscomments.wordpress.com/2010/11/page/3/

Sources:

Drug prevention 4 teens. (2008). Drug Enrollment Administration. Retrieved from             

           http://www.justice.gov/dea/pr/multimedia-library/publications/prevention4teens.pdfVan 

Marijuana abuse. (2010). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from

            http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-abuse/marijuana-            addictive

Marijuana information (2012). Narconon International. Retrieved from 

            http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-pot.html

Wormer, Katherine & Davis, Diane Rae (2008). Addiction treatment: A strengths 

            perspective. California: Brooks/Cole.

Videos from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LUyj2ustgc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeF6rFN9org