Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

Scientifically Cannabis sativa popularly known by many titles such as weed, marijuana among others, has always been a drug that is accessible to many youths in spite of harsh laws that regulate its use in given countries. In most countries the use of this drug is prohibited and if you are unlucky to be caught you will serve a jail term longer enough to make you regret knowing it in the first place. Despite the stringent rules that have outlawed the use of this drug in many countries it has remained one of the highly abused drugs especially by college students and teens who are out of school.

Marijuana is currently an outlawed drug in most countries but it does not defy the saying that every dark cloud has a silver lining, it also has good effects that were once valued- this drug being rich in THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is one of the most active ingredient in cannabis that has medicinal qualities, due to its high content in this medicinal content, many researchers have opined that marijuana can be used in treatment of many diseases including cancer. However owing to the fact that it is a highly addictive drug that is prone to be abused it has attracted the attentions for all the wrong reasons making it outlawed in many parts of the world.

The use of cannabis is common despite the strict laws in fact it is on the rise among college students, thanks to its hallucinatory effects that has made it a darling to many students. Most college students begin using this drug without even knowing all the side effects that it is always associated with. Due to peer pressure and a need to belong some students also begin using this drug since some of their friends are using it. in the long run the number of college students affected grows and by the time they become aware of the dangerous effects of using cannabis they are have already become addicted to the drug so much that it can’t be easily stopped. This leads to a situation where college students become adversely affected with the drug so much that they cannot effectively study.

Cannabis and students

The use of cocaine on the rise among students

According to an article published on Michigan University News on Sept/8/2014; the use of illicit drugs has been rising at an alarming rate among American college students since 2006 when only 34 per cent indicated that they had used some illicit drugs in years prior to 2006. By 2013 the rate of those who indicated to have used illicit drugs had heightened by 39 per cent. The report also stated that marijuana is one of the drugs that are highly abused by college students. This study was done by University of Michigan scientists who conduct the nationwide Monitoring the Future study.

The report states that the use of marijuana is on the rise while that of other drugs of leisure is declining and this can be attributed to availability of this drug and affordability in comparison to such drugs as cocaine and heroin. According to this study, Daily marijuana use is now at the highest rate among college students in more than three decades. 51 percent of all full-time college students currently have used an illicit drug at some time in their lives; roughly four in 10 have used one or more such drugs in just the 12 months preceding the survey.

The results are based on a nationally representative sample of some 1,100 students enrolled full time in a 2- or 4-year college in spring 2013. The survey is part of the long-term MTF study, which also tracks substance use among the nation’s secondary students and older adults under research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The study showed that marijuana has remained the most widely used illicit drug over the 34 years that MTF has tracked substance use by college students, but the level of use has varied considerably over time. In 2006, 30 percent of the nation’s college students said they used marijuana in the prior 12 months, whereas in 2013 nearly 36 percent indicated doing so. This shows how marijuana use in colleges is rising despite the fact that it is still regulated. The question is what will happen if it is deregulated.

If marijuana would be deregulated today, the students will begin using it like some sort of over the counter drugs, without fear of authorities and deregulation in itself may sound as an approval by the state on the positive effects of the drug hence many students will use it.

Cannabis

These are some of the problems that the students will face

Inconsistence in performance- consuming alcohol doesn’t end with blowing the smoke in the air; its effects are far more than the euphoric effects that an individual may get from using the drug. When used for a long time it will result in anxiety which will not enable the student to study and perform well in exams and being that it will be unregulated the dosage may hike to a dangerous limit that over a time may cause cognitive malfunctions.

Depression- this is a threat that most people using cannabis have to face. Depression is not good for a student as it alienates him from his studies and even lecturers it may graduate to other serious problems.

Addiction to marijuana is a serious concern that needs to be duly addressed. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to offer the best treatment available to addicts. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more help in any kind of addiction you may be wrestling with.

Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

Cannabis and Cancer

August 12, 2014

Safe Use of Cannabis In Cancer Treatment

Cannabis Nature has always given the best of cancer treatments that are often safe to the users. Integrative cancer doctors, cancer researchers and other nutritionists have recommended the use of natures given herbs and fruits to help in cancer treatment as they are free from chemicals that may cause collateral damage. Most greens are packed with antioxidants that are useful in fighting cancer. Most of the greens are also very good in boosting the immune system and help in fighting disease causing pathogens. Some of the proposed cancer treatment alternatives are not very welcomed by many states and even the cancer patients are afraid to try them. But cancer is a disease that can render anyone helpless and even ready to try the formidable. Use of narcotics in cancer treatments has been met with lots of controversy. It is not only narcotics that have been met with controversy in cancer treatments but even the safe use of marijuana in cancer treatment has been attracting lots of controversy. This is because in most federal states the use of marijuana has been prohibited- even for medical purposes.

Marijuana also known as Cannabis sativa is plant that grows widely in warm tropical climates. This plant has been used in the past for its medicinal value. Due to its ready market and wide use for non medical purposes, this plant has been produced in large scale for commercial purposes. There are 66 biologically active components of marijuana that has been identified by doctors. These are called cannabinoids. However the most noted component as potent is known as the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol often shortened as THC. The potency of this delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol has been discovered to be useful in fighting cancer.

However potent these components are, there has been lots of problems with research on marijuana as the legislators classified marijuana as a narcotic drug denying access to marijuana even for medicinal purpose. This restriction came in 1970 thereby barring reasonable research to be done on the medicinal abilities of this plant.

The use of marijuana in cancer treatment began long ago even before most states allowed it to be used strictly for medicinal purposes. In a research that was done by Harvard Medical School in 1991discovered that nearly 50 percent of doctors in the United States recommended cannabis sativa to their cancer patients as a means of easing their pain and to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and other conventional cancer therapies.

Use marijuana in cancer treatment got a thumb up after the favorable review of the Institute of medicine that stated that marijuana can be used effectively as an alternative to conventional cancer treatments. . The review reasoned that in some cancer patients that are already experiencing such side effects as nausea and vomiting swallowing pills becomes a problem thereby making it hard to continue with medication.

The release of the Institute of Medicine report seemingly opened ways for many research works to be published on the effectiveness of marijuana as an alternative cancer treatment. A review of clinical studies that was conducted in several states in 2001 found out that in 768 cancer patients marijuana was very effective anti-emetic in chemotherapy. Other studies that have also been done on the effectiveness of cannabis as cancer treatment found that the biologically active components in marijuana helped in preventing nausea, vomiting and pain in cancer patients. These studies also found that it helped improved the appetite of cancer patients.

Through numerous laboratory tests, scientists have been able to prove the tumor-fighting properties of cannabinoids. Researchers have discovered that the cannabinoids inhibit growth of tumors in animal models by modulating key cell-signaling pathways. However there have never been tests on humans. The researchers also reported that the cannabinoids are very well tolerated by the patients and their use do not produce the life threatening side effects that conventional cancer treatments are known for.

Today several studies have revealed that the active components of marijuana inhibit the growth of cancer cells and promote apoptosis; which is the programmed cell death in tumors. These components are able to accomplish all this by inhibiting angiogenesis. Without angiogenesis it becomes impossible for cancer metastasis. Researchers also noticed that unlike the haphazard chemotherapy that works by producing toxic free radicals, the active marijuana components work better by targeting the cancerous cells thereby evading the grave side effects.

Possible Danger

Cannabis is a drug that when used without observation of a qualified doctor can result in serious health problems. Smoking cannabis can result in such problems as irritating throat while increased exposure to such smoke can result in development of many cancers. To avoid the danger of smoke other ingestion methods such as capsules, food products and tinctures should be used.

Marijuana also increases the rate of heart beat which may beckon other diseases. Other complications that may arise from unsafe use of cannabis include; mental confusion, lack of concentration, anxiety, paranoia, panic, fear of loss of control, alienation or detachment, dry mouth, and reddened eyes. Excessive use of marijuana may also cause loss of memory and other grave complications. It is therefore advisable that no patient should try using marijuana as an alternative cancer treatment without the help of a doctor.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.