Notes:

Cannabinoids have been shown to have neuroprotective properties and

to reduce High Intraocular Pressure which is a known risk factor for

glaucoma

Pg # 3

Citation: Topic:

American College of Physicians;

Supporting Research into the

Therapeutic Role of Marijuana,

2008

Common marijuana adverse

effects

Notes:

Smoking marijuana increases heart rate and may drop blood pressure.

Other undesirable effects include: short term memory loss, motor skill

problems, and inability to take in information. Chronic use leads to an

increase in cancer. And possible withdrawal symptoms include:

irritability and sleep problems.

Pg # 4

NORML (website), 2012 State legislation regarding

Medical marijuana

Notes:

There are sixteen states that have enacted laws to make marijuana use

for medicinal reasons legal. The states are: Alaska, California,

Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey,

New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the

District of Columbia

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Citation: Topic:

NORML (website), 2012 States that have decriminalized

marijuana and/or legalized it for

recreational use

Notes:

There are 14 states that have decriminalized marijuana. Which means

that no prison time or criminal record will be placed for first time

possession of any small amount. The states that have decriminalized

are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,

Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina,

Ohio, and Oregon

Colorado and the District of California have legalized recreational use

of marijuana

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NORML (website), 2012 Safety Profile of Medical

Marijuana

Notes:

Cannabinoids are unable to induce fatal overdose. Regardless of

potency or quantity. Though its active parts do indeed produce

physiological and euphoric effects. Increased risks are among

adolescents, pregnant women, and those with mental illnesses.

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Citation: Topic:

NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and HIV

Notes:

Cannabis is used in one in three patients in North America with

HIV/Aids. Furthermore, sixty percent of HIV/AIDS patients self

identify as medical marijuana users. Studies show that patients who use

cannabis have a significant increase in food intake. Also cannabis use in

patients significantly reduced neuropathic pain intensity.

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NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Cancer

Notes:

Studies have shown that THC administration decreases recurring

malignant tumor growth in patients. Cannabinoids also inhibit the

proliferation of various cancer cell lines such as, breast, prostate, skin,

leukemia, and lung carcinoma. Many experts feel that cannabinoids

have the ability to be the latest in anti cancer drugs.

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NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and ALS

Notes:

Recent preclinical studies have shown that cannabinoid have the ability

to delay ALS progression. Also, other trials have shown that

cannabinoids can moderate ALS progression and possibly extend life.

Personal anecdotal from patients have also offset some symptoms.

Though obviously these anecdotal stories do not hold scientific value.

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Citation: Topic:

Iversen, 2005 Long term effects of cannabis

usage

Notes:

There are several adverse effects of high intake levels and prolonged

usage of marijuana. Including: lower educational achievement,

psychiatric illness, and diminishment of cognitive functions. Though in

comparison to other dugs cannabis is a relatively safe drug.

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Citation: Topic:

Kalant, 1996 Adverse effects of cannabis on

health

Notes:

Several studies indicate that there is a link between cannabis and

schizophrenia. Cognitive impairments are a common problem when

under the influence. Long-term usage may result in permanent effects

of memory loss and trouble processing information. Heavy use of

cannabis has significant risks to an individual.

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Citation: Topic:

Bonsor, 2001 History of Marijuana Plant

Notes:

Cannabis Sativa was first cultivated thousands of years ago. The leaves

are arranged palmately and are very common around the world. The

origin of the plant is believed to be traced back to India just north of the

Himalayas. Cannabis plants usually have 2 flowers, a male and a

female.

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Citation: Topic:

Bonsor, 2001 Marijuana in the body

Notes:

When marijuana is consumed, the chemiscals of the drug enter the

bloodstream and head to the brain and the rest of the body. The most

powerful chemical in marijuana is THC and gives the user the “high”

effect. Marijuana can be smoked or eaten. When smoked THC goes

directly to the lungs. Though when eaten the effects are longer.

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Citation: Topic:

Bonser, 2001 Marijuana and the Brain

Notes:

When THC enters the system, it binds with cannabinoid receptors.

These receptors are responsible for short-term memory, coordination,

learning, and problem solving. When THC bings with receptors inside

the hippocampus, which is located in the temporal lobe, it heavily

influences short term memory loss. When THC binds to the cerebellum,

physical motor skills are further effected.

Pg # 4

Citation: Topic:

Bonser, 2001 Other Physiological effects of

Marijuana

Notes:

Other common side effects of the inhalation of marijuana include

trouble with learning, anxiety, and increased hear rate. Also,

endocannbinoids bind with receptors in the brain and ultimately activate

hunger. Users often call this phenomenon “the munchies”.

Pg # 5

Citation: Topic:

Bonser, 2001 Further effects of Marijuana use

Notes:

THC in marijuana may wear off in a few hours, though the chemicals

contain in it maintain to stay in the body anywhere from 20 hours to 10

days. Depending on the potency of the marijuana consumed. Marijuana

users ae still susceptible to many of the same problems cigarette

smokers are faced with such as bronchitis and other lung problems.

Pg # 5

Citation: Topic:

Bonser, 2001 Marijuana Usage

Notes:

Marijuana is an incredibly common substance. It can be found in homes

or farms in all different regions. Marijuana is also smuggled into the

United State from Mexico, Cambodia, and even Thailand. Indoor

cultivation has come to be quite common these days considering the

relentless pursuit of the DEA.

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Citation: Topic:

Bonser, 2001 Further Marijuana Usage

Notes:

Common methods to consume marijuana include: tobacco paper(joint),

cigar paper(blunt), pip, bong, and even food. Marijuana cuts across all

races, age groups, and gender. “The prevalence of marijuana use in

teenagers doubled from 1992 to 1999: One out of every 13 kids aged 12

to 17 were current users of marijuana in 1999”.

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Citation: Topic:

NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Tourettes

Syndrome

Notes:

In several clinical trials, a 25 year old patient has a 10mg of delta-9-

THC and investigators have reported that the patient’s overall tick level

has dramatically dropped. In another double-blind placebo controlled

trial a dosage of 10mg delta-9-THC dramatically reduced ticks in the

long term and patient’s did not suffer any detrimental effects.

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NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Alzheimer’s

Disease

Notes:

“Investigators at The Scripps Research Institute in California in 2006

reported that THC inhibits the enzyme responsible for the aggregation

of amyloid plaque — the primary marker for Alzheimer's disease”.

Furthermore, investigators at Ohio State University, rats dosed with

THC had a 50 percent improvement in memory.

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NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Gastrointestinal

Disorders

Notes:

Gastrointestinal disorders such as different bowel diseases and Crohn’s

disease can be inhibited through marijuana use. Preclinical studies have

shown that marijuana activated receptors that suppress gastrointestinal

motility, inhibits intestinal secretion, and reduce acid reflux.

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NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Sleep Apnea

Notes:

Sleep apnea is directly related to high blood pressure, irregular

heartbeat, and even heart attacks. “One preclinical study is cited in the

scientific literature investigating the role of cannabinoids on sleep-

related apnea… investigators reported that doses of delta-9-THC and

the endocannabinoid oleamide each stabilized respiration during sleep

and blocked serotonin-induced exacerbation of sleep apnea in a

statistically significant manner”.

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Citation: Topic:

NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Incontinence

Notes:

Urinary incontinence is loss of bladder control. Statistics show that one

in ten Americans at elderly ages suffer from incontinence. In recent

investigative studies, “Following cannabinoid therapy, "urinary

urgency, the number of and volume of incontinence episodes, frequency

and nocturia all decreased significantly," investigators determined”.

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NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Fibromyalgia

Notes:

Fibromyalgia is the chronic pain of muscles and increase in tenderness

of different parts of the body. Where medical use is legal, physicians

commonly issue cannabis to treat different musculoskeletal disorders

such as fibromyalgia. In recent trials, marijuana is helped with the relief

of pain and muscle stiffness. Marijuana plays a great factor in the

eluviation of pain.

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Citation: Topic:

NORML (website), 2012 Marijuana and Multiple

Sclerosis

Notes:

Throughout the coarse of an individual with multiple sclerosis, the

patient commonly becomes permanently disabled. According to recent

statistics, nearly 200 people are diagnosed weekly. “investigators at the

University of California at San Diego reported in 2008 that inhaled

cannabis significantly reduced objective measures of pain intensity and

spasticity in patients with MS in a placebo-controlled, randomized

clinical trial”.

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Citation: Topic:

NORML (website), 2012 Cannabis and Cognition

Notes:

Although studies and journals show that long-term use of marijuana do

indeed have effects on cognitive abilities, the extent commonly greatly

exaggerated. A recent study found that long-term smokers who used

once a week, "showed virtually no significant differences from control

subjects (those who had smoked marijuana less than 50 times in their

lives) on a battery of 10 neuropsychological tests."

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Citation: Topic:

Zimmer, 1997 Correlation of medical

marijuana and general marijuana

use

Notes:

Statistics have shown that in areas that have legalized medical use of

marijuana for a prolonged time, have not seen any sort of increased

usage of recreational use of marijuana. For example citizens in

Netherlands who have had access to marijuana in its entirety have

found no escalation overall cannabis use.

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Citation: Topic:

Watson, 1999 THC

Notes:

THC is the primary ingredient in marijuana and is the substance that

produces most of the effects of the usage. “All recent studies have

indicated that the behavioral effects of THC are receptor mediated.

Neurons in the brain are activated when a compound binds to its

receptor, which is a protein typically located on the cell surface. Thus,

THC will exert its effects only after binding to its receptor. [...] Binding

to a receptor triggers an event or a series of events in the cell that results

in a change in the cell's activity, its gene regulation, or the signals that it

sends to neighboring cells."

Pg # 25

Citation: Topic:

Lynskey, 2003 Is marijuana s gateway drug?

Notes:

In a recent study, individuals who used cannabis at an early age had a

dramatic increase in probability to abuse other drugs and/or alcohol.

Early access to cannabis increases the tendency to try other illegal drugs

and it provides easier routs to obtain other drugs.

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Citation: Topic:

Watson, 1999 Marijuana Addictiveness

Notes:

"In summary, although few marijuana users develop dependence, some

do. But they appear to be less likely to do so than users of other drugs

(including alcohol and nicotine), and marijuana dependence appears to

be less severe than dependence on other drugs...”. Marijuana users are

generally far less dependent on their substance in comparison to other

substance users.

Pg # 64

Citation: Topic:

Watso, 1999 Marijuana and its relation to

causing cancer

Notes:

There is no clear cut evidence that marijuana is a cancer causing agent.

Though further studies show that marijuana smoke is a definite risk

factor regarding respiratory cancer.

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