Research paper about Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Research paper about Marijuana Essay Marijuana marijuana or marihuana, drug obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (see hemp) or C. indica; the latter species can withstand colder climates. It is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world, following only caffeine, nicotine, and alcoholic beverages in popularity. In the United States, where it is usually smoked, it also has been called weed, grass, pot, or reefer. The Plant C. sativa grows as a common weed in many parts of the world, and drug preparations vary widely in potency according to climate, cultivation, and method of preparation. Mexico, Paraguay, and the United States are the top marijuana-producing nations worldwide. C. indica is a shorter, hardier variety with rounded blue-green leaves, grown in Afghanistan for hashish. Most marijuanas grown in the United States since the late 1980s are hybrids of the two and yield a much more potent product than the marijuana of the past. The resin found on flower clusters and top leaves of the female plant is the most potent drug source and is used to prepare hashish, the highest grade of cannabis. The bud of the female plant, called sinsemilla, is the part most often smoked as marijuana. The Drug The effects of marijuana vary with its strength and dosage and with the state of mind of the user. Typically, small doses result in a feeling of well-being. The intoxication lasts two to three hours, but accompanying effects on motor control last much longer. High doses can cause tachycardia, paranoia, and delusions. Although it produces some of the same effects as hallucinogens like LSD and mescaline (heightened sensitivity to colors, shapes, music, and other stimuli and distortion of the sense of time), marijuana differs chemically and pharmacologically. The primary active component of marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), although other cannabinol derivatives are also thought to be  intoxicating. In 1988 scientists discovered receptors that bind THC on the membranes of nerve cells. They reasoned that the body must make its own THC-like substance. The substance, named anandamide, was isolated from pig brains in 1992 by an American pharmacologist, William A. Devane. Marijuana lowers testosterone levels and sperm counts in men and raises testosterone levels in women. In pregnant women it affects the fetus and results in developmental difficulties in the child. There is evidence that marijuana affects normal maturation of preadolescent and adolescent users and that it affects short-term memory and comprehension. Heavy smokers often sustain lung damage from the smoke and contaminants. Regular use can result in dependence. The Legalization Question With the increase in the number of middle-class users in the 1960s and 1970s, there came a somewhat greater acceptance of the view that marijuana should not be considered in the same class as narcotics and that U.S. marijuana laws should be relaxed. The Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 1970 eased federal penalties somewhat, and 11 states decriminalized possession. However, in the late 1980s many states rewrote their drug laws and imposed stricter penalties. Beginning in 1996, however, a series of states began enacting medical marijuana laws (two fifths of the states now have one), and in 2012 voters in the states of Colorado and Washington approved the legalization of marijuana. Opponents of easing marijuana laws have asserted that it is an intoxicant less controllable than alcohol, that our drug-using society does not need another widely used intoxicant, and that the United States should not act to weaken UN policies, which are opposed to the use of marijuana for other than possible med ical purposes. In 2013, Uruguay became the first nation to legalize the growing, selling, and use of marijuana, a move it undertook in part in an attempt to undermine drug cartels. Uruguays legalization, which was a source of controversy in the country, also was critized by international authorities for contravening treaties to which Uruguay was a party. Medical Uses Controversy surrounds the medical use of marijuana, with proponents saying it is useful for treating pain and the nausea and vomiting that are side effects of cancer chemotherapy and for restoring the appetite in people with AIDS. Its active ingredient, THC, was synthesized in 1966 and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1985; synthetic THC is available by prescription in pill form as dronabinol (Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet). Proponents of medical marijuana say it is not as effective as the herb and is more expensive. In addition to THC, another cannibis derivative (or cannabinoid), cannabidiol (CDB), is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and also moderates THCs psychoactive effects. A 1999 U.S.-government-sponsored study by the Institute of Medicine found that marijuana appeared beneficial for certain medical conditions, such as nausea caused by chemotherapy and wasting caused by AIDS. Because of the toxicity of marijuana smoke, however, it was hoped that further research might lead to development of new delivery systems, such as bronchial inhalers. A number of studies since 1999 have shown that smoked marijuana has pain-reducing effects when compared with marijuana stripped of its cannabinoids. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has opposed legalization of the medical use of marijuana, citing law enforcement issues and the possibility that some would use it as a pretext to sell marijuana for nonmedical use, and the FDA said in 2006 that, despite the 1999 report, that marijuana has no accepted or proven use in the United States. Proponents, disregarding the law, have set up networks for the distribution of the drug to people who they judge will be helped by it and continue to lobby for its legalization for medical use. In 1996 California enacted the first state law permitting the use of marijuana for medical reasons, and about one third of the states now have some sort of medical marijuana legislation. As a result of a Supreme Court ruling in 2005, however, these laws do not protect medical users with a prescription from federal prosecution. In 2009 Attorney General Eric Holder ordered that federal prosecutors not focus on persons who  clearly comply with state med ical marijuana laws, but federal law enforcement officials have moved to close many so-called marijuana dispensaries despite compliance, arguing in part that many prescriptions for marijuana are not justified medically. Another, lower court ruling permits doctors to discuss medical use of marijuana with their patients but forbids them to help patients obtain the drug. A number of countries, including Canada, permit the medicinal use of the drug. History of Marijuana Use Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it was described in a Chinese medical compendium traditionally considered to date from 2737 BC It also has a long history of use as a medicinal herb. Its use spread from China to India and then to N Africa and reached Europe at least as early as AD 500. A major crop in colonial North America, marijuana (hemp) was grown as a source of fiber. It was extensively cultivated during World War II, when Asian sources of hemp were cut off. Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for various conditions including labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Its use as an intoxicant was also commonplace from the 1850s to the 1930s. A campaign conducted in the 1930s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) sought to portray marijuana as a powerful, addicting substance that would lead users into narcotics addiction. It is still considered a gateway drug by some authorities. In the 1950s it was an accessory of the beat generation; in the 1960s it was used by college students and hippies and became a symbol of rebellion against authority. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug, i.e., having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Most marijuana at that time came from Mexico, but in 1975 the Mexican government agreed to eradicate the crop by spraying it with the herbicide paraquat, raising fears of toxic side effects. Colombia then became the main supplier. The zero tolerance  climate of the Reagan and Bush administrations (1981–93) resulted in passage of strict laws and mandatory sentences for possession of marijuana and in heightened vigilance against smuggling at the southern borders. The war on drugs thus brought with it a shift from reliance on imported supplies to domestic cultivation (particularly in Hawaii and California). Beginning in 1982 the Drug Enforcement Administration turned increased attention to marijuana farms in the United States, and there was a shift to the indoor growing of plants specially dev eloped for small size and high yield. After over a decade of decreasing use, marijuana smoking began an upward trend once more in the early 1990s, especially among teenagers, but by the end of the decade this upswing had leveled off well below former peaks of use.

Model Train Building :: essays research papers

The world of Model Train Building has grown greatly with the aid of computers and technology to enhance the fun of building. Technology has long been a part of Model Train building with the adding of lights, bells, and whistles to capture your interest and imagination. But with the latest generation of building comes the influx of technology and the computer. The computer brings along a new breed of builders who plan track layout, buy parts on the Internet, receive updated news, and chat with other enthusiast. The most notable difference that computers have brought to the world of Model Train building is in software programming. Now on the market there are numerous different packages of software that enable hobbyist in the â€Å"challenge† of real yard operations on a smaller scale. These programs allow the person to move loads between depots and keep track of your revenues. They allow simulations of operational switches between tracks, multiple train operation, coupling/uncoupling of railcars. But the greatest benefit that they bring is allowing the person to design a layout using an electronic template and ensuring that all measurements in the layout will work before a single piece of track is laid. Many of these software programs even play off on the hype of using a computer for design in their name, with names of CyberTrack, The Right Track Software, and Design Your Own Railroad, who could not want to become involved in there use. This software ties into many other aspects of building that encourage the use of the Internet in this hobby. Many of these programs allow the hobbyist a â€Å"realistic railyard† action complete with sights, sounds and even planned crashes. With the event of a crash you are always going to need replacement parts for repair or maybe you just want to upgrade or expand you track system. This brings in the convenience of the use of the Internet in product ordering. With few stores in scattered areas it may be difficult or expensive for some hobbyist to get to these locations for the parts that they need. The Internet brings this store right into their home with online catalogs and parts stores. One mainstream over the counter catalog, The Atlas Catalog, provides an electronic version, The Atlas Online Catalog, for internet users to order parts on a secure online catalog. Even more important for some people are the Online Magazines that provide up to the minute news breaking information.

Blood Donation

Imagine a happy healthy teen. He does well in school and is easy to get along with. Imagine he is diagnosed with leukemia and requires daily platelet and blood transfusions just to stay alive. Now, imagine he has a rare blood type that requires him to be moved to a larger hospital for treatment. This is just another thing for him and his family to worry about. Similar stories happen every day in the United States. It is estimated that every three seconds a patient in the U. S needs a blood transfusion. Donated blood saves 4. 5 million lives in America each year. Yet only 5% of the eligible U.  S population donates blood in any given year. This is a sad fact considering healthy donors are the only source of blood. Since it can not be made or harvested, there is no substitute. The blood supply in the US is consistently low, and the demand for it increases each year. Everyone in good health should donate blood at least once a year. There are many reasons why people should donate. First you should know that it is a safe and healthy thing to do. Not only do you get a free mini physical, including blood pressure check, heart rate, temperature and iron levels, but it is the fastest way to lose a pound! Also, disasters like car accidents, fires, and other trauma cases happen every day and these patients need blood, and rarely do they need only one pint. A bleeding trauma victim can run through 100 units of blood in no time. And because of our growing and aging population, as well as the huge expansion of health care facilities, our blood usage is growing at three times the national rate, and the usage of it outpaces donor collections. With it estimated that up to 85% of us will need blood in our life time it is unlikely that the 5% donating now can sustain the rest. Many people who do not donate give the same reasons. Number one is they do not like needles or are afraid to do so. Nearly everyone feels that way at first. However, most donors will tell you that you feel only a slight initial pinch, and 7-10 minutes later, you are finished. The second is that they did not know or were never asked to donate. More than 38,000 donations are needed every day in communities across the U. S. So it is important to spread the word. Another common excuse is fear of diseases. It is good to know that it is not possible to get AIDS by donating blood to the American Red Cross. A new sterile needle is used for each donor and discarded afterwards. So as you can see, it is safe, simple and most importantly it can save someone's life. If you do not know what is required of you, it is very simple. Anyone who is at least 17 years of age, weighs at least 110 pounds, and is in good health, can donate. The donation process, from the time you arrive until the time to you leave, is only about an hour. Less than one pint is taken during a donation and it is replaced naturally by the body within 24 hours. If you take the time to make one donation, you will wonder why you ever hesitated. If you are not convinced, image again the teen, fighting for his life. Now give him a face, a name; he is your cousin, your brother, your best friend. It could even be you. My question to you is why not? Blood donors are true heroes. In fact, your one blood donation will be broken down into several components, enabling you, with just one donation, to save up to three lives. If you know someone who donates blood regularly, I urge you to go with them next time, or even on your own, and do the same.

Effects Of Mental Disorders On Adolescents - 2336 Words

Introduction The topic I chose for my I-Search paper was mental disorders affecting adolescents. There has always been a great deal of controversy about mental disorders in general, but there’s even more when it comes to teens. I chose this topic because I enjoy learning about mental disorders and want to work with it later in life as a career. I chose to focus on adolescents in particular because while there are more disorder cases in adults, the adolescent years are the hardest for most people and where the disorders themselves start to show and develop. I am also choosing to stick more with personality disorders rather than eating disorders or any other disorder that has more attention on it. A lot of people think that some of these†¦show more content†¦I believe that knowing the causes and reasons for mental disorders can help us discover more ways to help adolescents cope with them. Getting Started My research started about a year ago. I became interested in the subject of mental disorders after going over the subject in a class. There set off my interest for the subject and my countless hours of no-stop research of the topic. I was fascinated by it. So going into this process I had some previous knowledge of all of it. I knew my facts on D.I.D. and other main personality disorders. But the nature of this paper meant that I had a lot more to learn. I had to find information the the background and go more in depth on the more common disorders. I also had to have findings on the disorders in one group to narrow the information down to less than the many pages I could write this on. Adolescents stuck out to me because I am one myself. Some of this information came easy, I am well acquainted with google. But other forms didn’t come as well. My library didn’t carry many books on my subject. Although two of the books I did find, had ample information to help my search. I had better luck with the world wide web, as many sites have facts about the topic at hand and throughly explained them. The over all search took a good amount of my time, but it paid off. Now I know a lot more about my subject and I’m even more interested in going into it in the