¶ … Medical Marijuana Use Drugs & Alcohol

Marijuana is a plant or herb that grows on various parts of Earth. Other names for marijuana are hemp and cannabis, which refers to its biological name in Latin, cannibus sativa. Cannibus simply is the Latin word for marijuana, and sativa is the supine form a Latin verb meaning "sown" and "useful." The issue of marijuana use has been prominent in American culture since at least the 1930s, with propaganda films against the use of marijuana like Reefer Madness. Marijuana use has been in the news over the past few decades with specific regard to the medical uses of marijuana. There has been increased attention and research into the medical properties and benefits of marijuana, which is a new endeavor or perspective from mainstream America, as it has been historically viewed and publicized as a narcotic that makes users vulnerable to the use of much harder and more dangerous drugs. Cocaine is a drug that comes from a plant and so is heroin. They, like other drugs, are directly derived from plants and have the potential for medicinal purposes and for narcotic abuse. Where marijuana differs is that it does not need any special process like cocaine, crack cocaine, or heroin to...

People simply harvest the plant, distribute, and sell it. The paper explores the uses and perceptions of marijuana providing insight as to why this plant draws so much attention.
Numerous cultures around the world have used hemp for medicinal and recreational purposes for many generations. Over the past few decades, in the United States, there has been an increase in the number of research studies conducted so as to ascertain the medical properties of marijuana, if any. For some years, the findings of American studies were inconclusive and the results were often contested. Attitudes in America have shifted somewhat, but the mainstream attitude is still to keep marijuana illegal as well as to discredit any medicinal properties found or experienced. Nonetheless, there are some states that have legalized marijuana for medical use. It has become more common knowledge for those familiar with the issue that medical marijuana is often used for various kinds of cancer patients who suffer severe effects from chemotherapy and pain from the cancer itself, as well as for AIDS patients to help counteract nausea and severe weight loss because of their treatments and the disease. Marijuana use for medical purposes has expanded exponentially into other areas:

Marijuana may also alleviate symptoms associated with certain neurologic disorders. For instance, marijuana has been used to treat muscle spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injuries.…