The Effectiveness of Medical Marijuana Essay - 2156 Words

Marijuana, also commonly referred to as pot, weed, cannabis, or a variety of other names, has been cultivated as early as 4000B.C. in China, from the hemp plant cannabis sativa (Miller, 2012). There have been reports of it being used for medicinal purposes dating as far back as 1500B.C. (ProCon.org, 2012a). Although cannabis contains a variety of different chemicals, the main, and most understood, ingredient is THC, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The amount of THC in marijuana determines the drug’s strength and can be affected by the growing conditions. Marijuana is usually smoked by being rolled into â€Å"blunts† or â€Å"joints† or by being smoked through a pipe or bong. The difference between blunts and joints is that joints are rolled in†¦show more content†¦In this paper, I will focus on the potential side effects of marijuana use, and the current use of marijuana in medicine, and then implications for future use of medical marijuana Physiological Side Effects Smoking marijuana is the most common route of administration. Much research exists on the side effects of smoking marijuana. A wide spectrum of respiratory health risks has been associated with smoking marijuana such as chronic bronchitis, coughing, phlegm production, and wheezing. Individuals who smoke both tobacco and marijuana seem to have a greater prevalence for the contraction of respiratory problems. Some studies indicate that smoking marijuana involves the inhalation of about three times the amount of tar as compared to tobacco smoking, and one third more retention of the inhaled tar in the respiratory tract (Hashibe, Straif, Tashkin, Morgenstern, Greenland, Zhang, 2005). Marijuana smoke contains several carcinogenic substances often found in tobacco smoke, which may also contribute to respiratory side effects. These substances include vinyl chlorides, phenols, nitrosamines, reactive oxygen species, and various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Al though research exists on the correlation of cancer risk and marijuana use, it has been largely inconclusive regarding the relationship between the two (Hashibe,Show MoreRelatedMarijuana Use For Medical And Recreational Purposes1027 Words   |  5 PagesThe history of marijuana use goes back thousands of years. Marijuana is a potent, mind-altering substance derived from the Cannabis plant. It has been used for both medical and recreational purposes. It is a Schedule-1 drug or a controlled substance under federal law in the United States, which means it is an illegal drug. 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