Kayla Parker
Dr. Wilson
English101-09
25 November 2018
Marijuana Legalization in U.S
Marijuana is a misunderstood drug. Many assume that the usage of marijuana, or cannabis, is dangerous, but it can be the exact opposite. The legalization of marijuana in the United States has sparked such a substantial problem for many people today. Marijuana is considered to be a gateway drug and the reason for the downfall of our youth nowadays, marijuana has developed a negative reputation. In the article Science Daily, Society of Neuroscience says, “However, many people are persistent users and believe that this drug is no more harmful than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Despite its useful medical effects for relieving pain, epilepsy, PTSD and nausea, just to name a few.” Marijuana is a psychedelic drug that is looked down upon because of false claims about it. Because people tend to overlook the positive facts, cannabis has become illegal for all the wrong reasons. Marijuana should be legalized in the entire United States.
To put it simply; ill and ailing people are denied life-altering medicine because marijuana is illegal. Marijuana is a proven, effective, medicine. The Institute of Medicine’s report on marijuana published in 1999, states, “In conclusion, the available evidence from animal and human studies indicates that cannabinoids can have a substantial analgesic effect.” Included in this report is evidence supporting, to a lesser extent, marijuana relieving clinical depression, and was shown to suppress nausea and vomiting commonly associated with chemotherapy. marijuana can also be especially effective in improving the appetite of AIDS and cancer patients. It is completely irrational to have such a potentially beneficial drug illegal, while thousands of Americans die each year from legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco.
Senior field correspondent for science and innovation, Nicholas Gerbis, in his article “How Marijuana Works” says, “Your neurons are the cells that process information in the brain by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters. From the axon of one neuron to the dendrite of another, they change the electrical charge of the receiving neuron, consequently exciting or inhibiting it.” If excited, the signals passes on though. These signals work together, and the effect is quickly compounded into complex configurations within milliseconds, flushing over the entire brain. This is what happens every single time you think, breathe or move. “Unlike alcohol, which contains molecules nothing like those in our body, cannabis contains molecules that resemble those produced in our very own brains: cannabinoids.” (Gerbis 4). Though, naturally, these cannabinoids circulate in much lower quantities compared to smoking. “Cannabinoid receptors are activated by a neurotransmitter called anandamide.” (Gerbis 4). Like THC, anandamide is a cannabinoid, but one that your body makes. THC mimics the actions of anandamide, meaning that THC binds with cannibal receptors and activates neurons, which causes adverse effects on the mind and body. “Cannabinoids also affect the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain, which play a role in regulating pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, body movement, awareness of time, appetite, pain, and the senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight).” Says an article “Marijuana as Medicine”, written by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Currently, the two main cannabinoids from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are THC and CBD. “THC can increase appetite and reduce nausea. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems.” (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2:2). Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t make people “high”. CBD without THC elements is the alone base of some medical uses of marijuana, such as the FDA approved CBD liquid medication called Epidiolex. “Epidiolex is used for treatment of two severe forms of childhood epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Two FDA approved drugs, Dronabinol and Nabilone, contain THC. “They treat nausea caused by chemotherapy and increase appetite in patients extreme weight loss caused by AIDS.” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). The United Kingdom, Canada, and several European countries have approved Nabiximols (Sativex), a mouth spray containing THC and CBD. “It treats muscle control problems caused by Multiple Sclerosis, but it isn't FDA-approved.”(National Institute on Drug Abuse 2:6). With so many health benefits and such a natural effect you would think the legalization process should be a lot simpler and that it would benefit the American people to legalize this illicit drug that has been around since science could date back to 400A.D.. It has been a popular hidden trend since we were born because some believe it is dangerous to the brain. Marijuana is a plant just like the believed healthy plant of lettuce. Marijuana produces its effects by changing the rate of what is already going on in the brain. It is not dangerous.
One major disagreement on marijuana is the physiological effects, such as depression in teens. There has been no profound link between depression and marijuana. There is evidence of a toxic relationship between the two. A 2017 study published in the journal Addiction by a team from University of Washington, in Seattle, found that teenagers who suffered chronic depression were more likely to develop marijuana-use disorder later in life. A 2014 study concluded that “Preclinical data has shown that elevated endocannabinoid signaling is able to produce behavioral and biochemical effects as [well as] conventional antidepressant treatment, and that many antidepressants alter endogenous cannabinoid tone.” (Project CBD 1). Despite all the studies and research many patients have claimed that medical marijuana is an effective antidepressant. The patients admit that it helps them cope with life stressors and will sometimes allow them to see things in a more positive state of mind.
Some may argue that marijuana is an addictive drug leading to gateway drugs. Marijuana has not been found to cause an addiction for the substance, rather a dependence upon it. “Dependence — in which a person feels withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug.”(National Institute on Drug Abuse). Marijuana dependence occurs when the brain adapts to large amounts of the drug by reducing production of and sensitivity to its own endocannabinoids. Also, research simply does not support the theory that marijuana is a “gateway” drug – that is, one whose use results in an increased likelihood of using “more serious” drugs such as cocaine and heroin. However, this flawed gateway effect is one of the principal reasons cited in defense of laws prohibiting the use or possession of marijuana. Evidence that directly contradicts the “gateway” theory is not difficult to find. Marijuana is the most widely available and widely used illicit substance in the country, and therefore, it is often the first illicit drug that a person tries. “More than 100 million Americans have used marijuana during their lifetime, including successful, high-profile individuals, such as: Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton; former-Governors George Pataki and David Paterson, and current Governor Andrew Cuomo; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Mayor Ed Koch; and many others.”(SAMHSA).
Accurate testing is crucial for medical cannabis patients who need specific therapeutic effects. It’s also important for adult-use consumers because products vary widely in their potency, which will influence the experience. “THC is the main psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. In other words, THC is the primary agent responsible for creating the ‘high’ associated with recreational cannabis use.”(Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies). CBD lacks the cognitive effects of THC. In fact, CBD can counteract the psychoactive effects of THC. Meaning you can be healed without feeling the ‘high’ people associate with marijuana. There are currently 1,420 known strains of marijuana. Each strain containing different levels of both THC and CBD. Some may have higher levels of more than the other. Each strain will effect people differently. Just as your fingerprint is unique to you, so is your own endocannabinoid system. Your genetics, your environment, the foods you eat, your ailments, your deficiencies; these are all going to play a part in how cannabis acts for you. And different types of cannabis certainly have different effects. Sativas tend to be more of an up, energetic experience. Whereas Indicas often contain high levels of beta-myrcene, a terpene that is like that magic glue that sticks you to the couch and won’t let you up.
Every individual person has their own unique biological quirks and differences in their makeup compared to every other person. At the same time, each cannabis plant also is an individual with its own unique chemical profile after harvest. Now, just like people are very similar to their family compared to random other humans, cannabis plants within a given strain tend to be very similar to each other, enough so that their effects are more or less predictable overall. However, because both marijuana and people are variable, sometimes people have unusual reactions to certain strains or to marijuana in general. This leads to misconceptions on marijuana. Renowned scientists around the world have agreed that marijuana’s ability to play a significant role in medicine is more evident now than ever. Marijuana causes absolutely no long term health issues and can improve the quality of life of millions of sick, ailing people. Harmless and innocent people will continue to be harassed, arrested, and forced to suffer until this ‘horrible’ drug is legalized.