How Marijuana changes lives Fighting the ignorance of college students everywhere By: Bakari Shaw

changing lives for the better

Medical Conditions There are eight medical conditions for which patients can use cannabis. Cancer Glaucoma HIV/AIDS Muscle spasms Seizures Severe pain Severe nausea and cachexia or dramatic weight loss Muscle atrophy

epilepsy 6 yr old Charlotte Figi has a rare form of intractable epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. She was having 300 grand mal seizures a week and had lost the ability to walk, talk, and eat. With two doses of cannabis oil a day in her food, her seizures only happen two to three times per month. She is also talking, walking(riding her bike), and feeding herself.

Cancer Marijuana has been found to be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy. Scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells. Marijuana has shown promise for helping people with cancer related pain.

HIV/aids Marijuana helps stimulate the appetite that is sometimes lost with HIV patients. Marijuana can relive the pain caused by certain HIV medications. Marijuana is beneficial for HIV patients experiencing nausea from their HIV medications. A small dose of marijuana before bed often helps HIV patients get a good nights sleep.

Changing lives for the worse

Short-Term Effects Sensory distortion Panic Anxiety Poor coordination of movement Lowered reaction time Increased heartbeat

Long-Term effects Drowsiness and lack of motivation Suppression of the immune system Growth disorders Reduction of male sex hormones Rapid destruction of lung fibers and lesions to the brain. Study difficulties Increase of abnormally structured cells in the body

Marijuana’s effect on Lungs Marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than cigarette smokers, which leads to a greater exposure per breath to tar. Research shows that smoking marijuana causes chronic bronchitis and marijuana smoke has been shown to injure the cell linings of the large airways. Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke.

Marijuana’s effect on the brain Studies show that the mental functions of people who have smoked a lot of marijuana tend to be diminished. The THC in cannabis disrupts nerve cells in the brain affecting memory. Marijuana over activates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of these receptors.

Marijuana use during pregnancy A pregnant woman who regularly smokes marijuana or may give birth prematurely to an undersized, underweight baby. Studies also suggest that prenatal use of the drug may result in birth defects, mental abnormalities and increased risk of leukemia in children.

Marijuana the GateWay Drug

Marijuana is just the beginning Because a tolerance builds up, marijuana can lead users to consume stronger drugs to achieve the same high. The vast majority of cocaine users (99.9%) began by first using a “gateway drug” like marijuana, cigarettes or alcohol. Marijuana is sometimes combined with harder drugs.

Treatments for Marijuana abuse Cognitive-behavioral therapy Contingency management Motivational enhancement therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy A form of psychotherapy that teaches people strategies to identify and correct problematic behaviors in order to enhance self-control, stop drug use, and address a range of other problems that often co-occur with them.

Contingency management A therapeutic management approach based on frequent monitoring of the target behavior and the provision (or removal) of tangible, positive rewards when the target behavior occurs (or does not).

Motivational enhancement therapy A systematic form of intervention designed to produce rapid, internally motivated change; the therapy does not attempt to treat the person, but rather mobilize their own internal resources for change and engagement in treatment.

Works cited http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/07/health/charlotte-child-medical-marijuana/ http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/physicalsideeffects/chemotherapyeffects/marijuana-and-cancer http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/marijuana-and-lung-health.html https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/the-harmful-effects.html