Medicinal Marijuana use in the United States Essay Example for Free

Medicinal Marijuana use in the United States Essay Although many individuals find medical marijuana illegal, and unnecessary, it is a natural herb used to help symptoms caused by chronic illnesses. Over three million Americans use medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is the most widely used drug used to treat chronic illnesses in seventeen states. The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue here in the United States. Although, there are healthcare professionals that do believe that the use of medical marijuana can be very beneficial for patients. Just as there are benefits associated with the use of medical marijuana there are also negative effects. Many American are still unfamiliar with Medical Marijuana, so what is medical marijuana? Medical marijuana also known as â€Å"cannabis sativa†(Harold E Dowieko 2009) is a naturally growing plant that produces tetra-hydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.(Harold E Dowieko 2009) These chemicals are both thought to have possible effects on lessening the bad side effects from chronic diseases. Medical marijuana has been used for health reasons for centuries. Marijuana was a legal herb in the United States until 1937 when the United States passed a law making it illegal to sell. (Kring, Davinson, Naele Johnson 2007) Marijuana was then made legal for medicinal use in 1995. The state of California was the first state in the United States to make marijuana legal for medical purposes. Medicinal marijuana is now legal in seventeen states. These states include; â€Å"Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington state.† (â€Å"Thc.me History†, n.d.) In all of these state a patient can obtain a medical marijuana license, also referred to as a â€Å"green card,† from a licensed physician. Patients must have documentation stating what chronic illnesses they have that may require the need for medicinal marijuana. The physician will then decide if the use of marijuana will be beneficial. Medical marijuana has been proven to benefit patients who have multiple illnesses. The most common uses for medical marijuana are; pain relief, loss of appetite, depression, and diseases such as AIDS and cancer. TCH has been proven to block pain receptors in the brain. The blockage of these pain receptors allows patients dealing with chronic pain to have some relief. Medicinal marijuana also stimulates appetite, and relieves symptoms associated with depression, AIDS and cancer. This enables patients to not have to rely on the use of prescription pain pills such opiods. Meidcal marijuana is also less addictive, and has less physical side effects than other prescription pain relievers. Just as there are positive benefits associated with medical marijuana there are some health risks. First, marijuana is not regulated by the FDA. The FDA is the food and drug administration. They regulate medication and ensure the safety and risk associated with drugs. Without the FDA regulating medical marijuana there is no way for patients to know if they are getting correct information pertaining to the exact marijuana they are smoking, and if there may be additives or chemicals on the marijuana. This can be risky for patients, because marijuana comes in much different strength. The FDA has also found that dosing of medical marijuana is hard due to the effects taking around thirty minutes for patients to feel. The main health risk that medical marijuana has is psychological effects. According to Kring, Davinson, Naele, and Johnson â€Å" rapid shifts of emotion, to dull attention, to fragment thoughts, impair of memory, and sense that time is moving more slowly.† (Chapter 10) Kring, Davinson, Naele, and Johnson also stated â€Å"extremely heavy dosing has been found to induce hallucinations and other effects similar to those of LSD.† (Chapter 10)Another risk associated with medicinal cannabis is the harmful effect done to lungs. There have been many studies done that look at the respiratory risk associated with regular marijuana use. In one study done with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey it concluded that the risk of respiratory illness does rise. Marijuana damages lungs just as smoke cigarettes. The last major health risk associated with medical marijuana is a lowered immune system. This can be very dangerous for patients that are dealing with cancer and AIDS. Since these patients already have very low immune systems because of their disease. Doctors prescribing medicinal marijuana must ensure that the benefits of marijuana use out ways the risks. Although a controversial issue in the United States medical marijuana does have many potential health benefits for patients with chronic illnesses. Statistics now show that eight out of ten Americans support the use of medicinal marijuana. This is because previously I have stated through studies done; the benefits of medical marijuana outweigh the risks associated with medical marijuana use. With already seventeen states in the United States allowing the legalization of medical marijuana. It is fair to say medical marijuana can be very helpful for patients who need it. Currently there are more states in the process of trying to legalize medical marijuana. Some say eventually marijuana as a whole will be a legal substance in the United States. In years to come as Americans we will see how medical marijuana plays a role in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. References Moore, B., Auguston, E., Moser, r. (2012, October). Respiratory Effects of Marijuana and Tobacco Use in a U.S. Sample Bostwick, M. (2012, February Day). Blurred Boundaries: The Therapeutics and Politics of Medical Marijuana. , p. . dowieko, h. E. (2009). Concepts of medical dependency (7th ed.). : cengage learning. Kring, A. M., Davinson, G. G., Naele, J. M., Johnson. S. L. (2007). Abnormal Psychology [University of Phoenix Custom Edition eBook]. : John Wiley and Sons INC.. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, website. THC.me History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thc.me

Effective Study Skills Essay Example for Free

Effective Study Skills Essay Why it is so hard to concentrate while studying, or even to study effectively? The hardest part of studying is concentrating on the material at hand. Memorizing everything is nearly impossible, but with a better understanding of effective memorization skills you can improve your memorization skills surely. Did you know that the most effective method of studying is to use notes, or note-cards? Some people actually have trouble taking notes, due to improper note taking methods. Although there are many different methods for effective study skills, there are three that have been proven to be the most effective: concentration, memorization, and ote taking skills. Have you ever found yourself reading a paragraph, and when you finish you think to yourself, What did I Just read? Well 10 and behold; it happens to the best of us. One proven method of concentration is to get yourself into a quite, but not completely silent to where you hear yourself think, environment. Also if you will adjust yourself to where you are not slouching or hunching over, as these positions tend to make you ache or get sleepy. The next step is to read at a steady pace, not too fast to where you forget and not to slow to where you read the same thing over and If youre like me then you probably forget a lot of things you read on a daily basis. I sometimes find myself wishing I was like a computer and I could Just store anything and everything, except for viruses. We, as human beings, cannot and will not ever be able to remember everything; however we can remember key items, but only with the proper techniques. The key to remembrance is to review more than once, and take breaks in between your study sessions. Also be sure to prioritize what you plan to study and how you plan to conduct your study sessions. Another proven memorization technique is to take notes, which we will discuss next. Proper note taking is probably the hardest of the three steps, due to most people not knowing what to take note of. Many people can take notes great, but some have trouble knowing what to write down, or if the note they Just wrote is even note- worthy. Any form of note-taking that requires compilation of information by categories, rather than in narrative form is best done using index cards. Index cards are a life saver when it comes to taking notes, and the best part is you can use them for Q ; A, highlights, key points, or even paraphrasing. One of the best pieces of advice is that if the note doesnt sound note-worthy, its probably not. Effective study skills can mean the difference between an A and a B. In most cases it can make a world of difference in your school of choice or even your life long career decisions. Many people today think that they had it rough when they went through school, well in my young age, we too have it rough and the only way to stay on top is through self improvement. Just remember the next time you sit down for a study session; concentration is the key, memorization will help you unlock the door, and taking notes will hopefully keep you from forgetting to lock it behind you. Effective Study Skills By hahaitsmine

The Theory Of Substance Dualism

The Theory Of Substance Dualism An argument has been made against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory that will be analyzed and evaluated in this paper. The Christian apologist J.P. Moreland argued in an online video that goes as such: If interactive substance dualism is true, a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. It is metaphysically impossible that a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. Interactive substance dualism is false. (Moreland J. P., 2009) This paper will set forth to point out that this argument against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory, while being valid in nature, is unsound because its second premise is false. With the help of modern science; this paper will argue that it is indeed metaphysically possible for a non-physical substance to have an effect on a physical substance. Before we can appropriately analyze and evaluate the argument, some terms must be defined first so that we may understand how this paper will defend interactive substance dualism. The first step when evaluating an argument is to look at the logic of the argument. According to Bruce Miller of the University of Michigan an argument is logically sound only if the premises were true, this fact would constitute good grounds for accepting the conclusion as true (Miller, 2000). The current argument against Descartes appears to follow logical correctness which leads to the next idea. Is the argument a deductively valid one? Miller also states that an argument form is deductively valid if and only if it is impossible that its conclusion is false given its premises are true. (Miller, 2000) If we were to assume that the premises of the argument in question were true then we would also be drawn to the same conclusion found in the argument. The second premise of the argument states that the first is untrue and therefor the conclusion is true. If the second premise were in fact true, then one could safely claim that interactive substance dualism is indeed false. This flow of sound logic structures and frames this as a deductively valid argument, but is it deductively sound? Even though an argument can be structured logically and found to be deductively valid; that may not always make the argument sound. A sound argument can be summed up as an argument that is based on truths. If a conclusion or argument is drawn from false premises then the argument is considered unsound. For instance, if I were to say that all X are Y and all Y are Z, then I could safely conclude that all X are Z. Yet using a qualifier such as all or every can be tricky, because if just one Y is not Z, then not all Xs could be Zs making the statement deductively unsound. So now that we understand what deductively sound and unsound is, let us apply it to the argument at hand. To do this we will evaluate the premises and decide whether they are true or false. The first premise of the argument at hand is a reiteration of Descartes interactive substance dualism theory that a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. Substance dualism generally holds that the body is a physical object having physical properties and that the mind is a mental substance containing mental properties irreducible to the physical. (Moreland Craig, 2003) When one experiences pain for example, the body may incur certain electrical and chemical stimulus (physical properties), which results in the self or mind consciously experiencing the felt quality and awareness of the pain (mental property). Descartes argues within substance dualism that the mind and brain closely interact with each other, though they are different substances with differing properties. This is considered to be Descartes main point in the interactive substance dualism theory and this premise will be considered true. The second premise is where this paper focuses because the argument claims that it is metaphysically impossible that a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. This premise is false because modern science has shown the effects a mind has over a body and vice versa. It appears fairly obvious to most that physical properties do not have the same features as mental properties. For example, we are unable to apply physical qualities like mass and spatial dimensions to mental events such as thoughts, feelings of pleasure and sensory experiences. (Moreland Craig, 2003) As philosopher Keith Maslin summarizes, physical occurrences do not just appear to be different from consciousness; they are utterly different, so utterly different in fact, that it is inconceivable how the physical could produce the mental. (Maslin, 2001) Yet in a published journal we find that Bruce Hinrichs pointed out that when a person reads a sentence, hears a speech, experiences an emotion, or thinks a thought, a cluster or network of brain cells fires in a certain pattern with particular intensity and timing. (Hinrichs, 2001) Similarly, it has been observed that when a part of ones brain is touched with an electrode, it may cause a mental experience such as a memory to occur. (Moreland Craig, 2003) This is evidence in itself that mental states (the mind) can be reduced to physical states (firing of electrodes/electricity); but this only demonstrates so much. While the mind is partly connected to the body, they are not identical. Therefore, the distinctiveness of mental and physical properties and states argues favorably of substance dualism; and the casual connection the mind and body share is evidence supporting Descartes interactive substance dualism theory. The existence of secondary qualities also argues favorably for interactive substance dualism. Secondary qualities are said to consist of properties like color, taste, sounds, smells and textures, whereas primary qualities are properties that characterize matter such as weight, shape, size, solidity, and motion. (Moreland Craig, 2003) Frank Jackson explains that a strictly physical and material world would arguably force us to deny it: We sense the world as made up of coloured, materially continuous, macroscopic, stable objects; Science and, in particular, Physics, tells us that the material world is constituted of clouds of minute, colourless, highly-mobile particlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Science forces us to acknowledge that physical or material things are not colouredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This will enable us to conclude that sense-data are all mental, for they are coloured. (Jackson, 1977) Effort should be made to at least acknowledge the criticisms of interactive substance dualism and potentially defend against them. Some have pointed out a problem of interaction when it comes to substance dualism. This may be the leading criticism against Descartes theory. How can the soul, lacking all physical dimensions, possibly affect, and be affected by, the extended body? (Maslin, 2001) It does not appear that we reasonably explain how each separate substance could interact with the other. This argument though appears to be based on an appeal to our ignorance. It assumes that if we do not understand how X causes Z that it is not reasonable to believe the two can interact. Craig and Moreland wrote that a tack can be moved by a magnetic field, and gravity acts on a planet millions of miles away. (Moreland Craig, 2003) The magnetic fields and gravitational forces have very different properties to the solid and spatially located entities they affect, and while we may not fully und erstand how such an interaction occurs, it nevertheless does just as we recognize the interaction between mind and body. An argument was made against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory that will be analyzed and evaluated in this paper. The paper set forth to point out that this argument against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory, while being valid in nature, is unsound because its second premise is false. We discussed that the argument, while logically framed and deductively valid, was inevitably false because of its second premise. The paper presented several arguments in favor of substance dualism by showing the distinctiveness of mental and physical properties and states; as well as the existence of secondary qualities. The paper also examined the main criticism of interactive substance dualism and the problem of interaction between mind and body. Given the above arguments for interactive substance dualism and the successfully countered criticism, it seems clear to me that it is indeed metaphysically possible for a non-physical substance to have an effect on a physical substa nce. If this paper has performed its purpose adequetly, then you as the reader can agree that the 2nd premise of the argument against Descartes is false. If a conclusion is drawn from a false premise then the argument becomes deductively unsound and should leave the interactive substance dualism theory in a very convincing position.

Chen Rongs The Nine Dragons :: Essays Papers

Chen Rong's The Nine Dragons Mysteries within mysteries, this is the gateway to understanding. -LaoZi (Harbaugh) Reading the Dao de Jing can be a daunting task for one who is unaccustomed to such simple riddles, as the Chinese language is so well designed to supply. The Dao de Jing itself is a collection of sayings, pearls of wisdom, which are intended to promote contemplation, an expanding of ones observational prowess, and eventually a total realization of the Dao. The Dao is the energy or being of the universe. To fully realize the Dao, is to become one with the universe, gaining immortality and absolute wisdom. Because the Dao cannot be described as it truly is, many artists have sought to allude to the Dao's true existence in painting and sculpture. One of the artists who has most successfully created a visual representation of the Dao is Chen Rong, the twelfth century literati artist. He is best known for his masterwork, The Nine Dragons. (Sullivan) Chinese Scholar artists like Chen Rong disapproved of the painting media of their professional contemporaries, opting to use black ink on paper, as opposed to the otherwise popular color on silk. The simplicity, of plain black over the simple backdrop of widely available paper, appealed to the Confucian and Daoist Scholars. As such, Chen Rong painted his Nine Dragons on a large paper scroll with black ink. (Little) Another common practice amongst Daoist scholars was the use of alcohol and other mood-altering substances, and often painting and composing poetry while intoxicated. Chen Rong was true to this practice, creating The Nine Dragons while drunk. This could very well account for the spontaneity of the work, which was first roughly outlined by Chen Rong painting with his hat; having dipped it in ink, with the fine detail work was then applied with a traditional calligraphy brush. (MFA) While these things alone may not set the Nine Dragons apart for any other Chinese literati painting, the work is truly unique and innovative. Most amazing in the work, is the illusion of motion. The waves swirl and crash, while the clouds softly shift through the sky, and the dragons fly playfully and spiritedly. No previous literati work has been able to match this fluid depiction of active movement of the dragons. Moreover, it is these dragons that hold the most significance in terms of the Daoist principles within the work. The dragon is a personification of the Dao, the realization of which is the goal of the Daoist practitioner.

Solutions in Higher Education Essay -- Education, Training Faculty

Senge’s (1990) characterization of controlling versus learning organizations helps illustrate the challenge Medtech faces in making the shift to a learner-centered college with outcome-based classroom practices. When new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, collective aspiration is set free (1990); however, Harris and Cullen (2008) state that the work environment at many colleges is quite to the contrary. So our questions are the same as stated by Boyer (1987) nearly three decades ago, â€Å"Is it possible for students to become independent, self-directed learners, as well as, how can faculty improve their teaching so as to encourage creativity and critique? For the purpose of this project, I will make the assumption that the answer to the first question is yes, and therefore, deal primarily with the second. â€Å"If we accept the premise that the learner-centered class is a microcosm of the learning organization, then it follows that the professional development of leadership should reflect professional development of teachers (Harris & Cullen, 2008). This can only be accomplished through concrete mechanisms for effecting change. The problem identified for this project stems from Dr. Terry O’Banion’s (2010) statement, â€Å"we cannot assume students are learning†. I identified that existing teaching and assessment often does not achieve the learning objectives required for the courses due to the hiring of faculty who are experts in their field; however, are not trained educators. In the past, tradition dictated that knowledge of the discipline was sufficient for the transmission of knowledge to students; however, this can no longer be taken for granted. The recommended solution is to implement a process for the shift from traditiona... ...the communication to the students will be through the updated syllabi and implementation of new practices in the classroom. Finally, the campus will host an open house on-site for all affiliate partners that include classroom demonstrations that will highlight the new practices. In addition, the presentation will include an explanation on how the new practices benefit the partners with externs and potential employees who have the critical thinking skills required for on the job success. Welsh (n.d.) reflected on a higher education that was static in the mid-twentieth century as he admits that is not so anymore. His charge is that change is necessary today for higher education to remain vibrant. The entire institution must become learner-centered and by initiating incremental steps, immediate rewards, and links to intrinsic motivation we will achieve that vision.

Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem :: Essays Papers

Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem Hospitallers of St. John, or in full The Sovereign Military Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, is one of the most important military orders that existed since before the crusades. It was founded in early 12th century by a person known as Gerard or Gerald. Even if the family name or birth place of this Gerard is not known for sure, his title as a founder of the order was confirmed by an official document, the Bull of Paschal II dated 1113 and addressed to â€Å"Geraudo institutori ac praeposito Hirosolimitani Xenodochii.† Hospitallers of St. John is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and it follows the rules of St. Augustine. The beginning of the order is different from those of other hostelries of its period, because others were dependent on their churches or monasteries while St. John's supported itself. It profited from the presence of the crusaders and from the gratitude people felt for the hospitality they received. Thus, the order had revenues and territories in the new kingdom of Jerusalem and in Europe as well. At the very beginning, the order was completely devoted to the hospitalization of pilgrims visiting the Holy Places in Jerusalem. It started to develop some military characters when Raymond of Provence (1120-1160) succeeded Gerard as the first Grand Master of the order. He sponsored an armed escort for the pilgrims. Eventually, this armed escort evolved into a heavy cavalry whose members were crusaders from Europe and Turcopoles - natives of mixed blood. The very first military dignitaries in the order were â€Å"the marshal† for the command of the knights and â€Å"the turcopoliers† for the command of the turcopoles. Later the grand masters, heads of the church, started to go into battle. For example, Gosbert, the fifth successor of Raymond, died on the battle field in 1177. Rules directly concerning knights were added to the rules of the order by the ninth Grand Master, Alfonso of Portugal, around 1200. The rules made notable distinction between secular knights and the professed knights. The secular knights were externs to the order and did not stay with it for life. They just serve it for some time, and then go on with their lives like usual.

Attitude, Meaning Symbolism and Allegory Essay

Part 1: Discussion with Others on Symbolize Pool, Highway and Character Needy The â€Å"Swimmer† is one of a long familiar works of John Cheever (1964) which is illustrative of his suburban stories in which John relates individuals living by using symbolize themes such as Pool, highway, character Needy, suburbia and foreshadowing. How these symbolizes used by John Cheever to narrate his story summarize the realisms, surrealism and humoristic description of suburban life. I believe the pool is the excavation of water. But in John Cheever’s ‘the swimmer†, the pool is the subversion of the nature which represents the place of characters. Cheever relates his story that the confining nature of the suburbs is inexplicit in the approximation of the pool itself. It is the structure by which the water, the most important natural of all earthly and an essential of life is set for activities or leisure. John Cheever considers in story, the life of in the suburban as a pool of individuals that share same interest of living. In John Cheever’s story, highway is the swimming pools of his county used by Neddy Merril (369) as a means of transportation back to his house. The author point of view Needy used the pool as highway to travel from neighbor to neighbor. From pool to pool/ He travel through the dark underbody of suburbia, and discover the labor of both his and his community’s lives. The highway is the path that allows Neddy to participating his community’s lives and discovers his own life. The Character, Needy consider himself to be an adventurer or a pilgrim when he determines and continues as such even if the end of the story and his unusual decision describe near. As Neddy goes into one pool out to another, he considered himself as reborn each time, finding out that the world is not the informal place he at one time comprehended. He considered the word as a complex that place he never comprehends because of the diversity of human activities and needs. Foreshadowing and alcohol two symbolize that are important to the outcome of the story. In the Swimmer of John Cheever, the foreshadowing designated what is wrong between the realities and the surreal materialize. The author used the foreshadowing by means of the simple description everyday objects and events. For example the example pool, strange approaches storm despite the perfect sun moment the smell and signs of autumn. The author did not specify to the reader that this man getting a hallucination or something is wrong. The Swimmer of John Cheever represents the alcohol as a motif and the symbol and important to several levels. As a motif alcohol nearly likes a handshaking or a tranquilizer and polite, temporary motion. It is the main object around which all social or parties’action rotates. This is mentioned at the beginning of the story when the narrator talks about how nearly everyone â€Å"drank too much†. The alcohol gesture symbolizes an invitation to form aside reality and join others in a covering of reality. The ready find out that Neddy covering the reality and drinking was only the part of the case There may be different interpretation by the readers because each reader has his way to comprehend or understand the themes or the entire story. Certain readers amend or contrast what the author or narrator develops in his novel or book. Some readers explain things according the way he likes things to be, while others exculpate what someone has developed his story. For example there are many interpretation of the pool in the â€Å"Swimmer† of John Cheever. Part 2 I believe when you dream of water. it means the individual will be a powerful and rich man. The water defines the prosperity and tranquility of life according of certain culture. The snake defines the manhood and the fear. When some dreams of snake, means it will give a birth of boy and he will be a group leader. Falikou from another country had a different point about these dreams. In my country, when someone dreams of water means a long lasting problem which extend to whole country; wile, when someone dreams of snake defines poverty and physical distress. As far as my concern, the multiples interpretation of the same story by different readers because his reader has his believe and his culture in addition to his understanding of  the story. That why there are humorist, naturalist, surrealist, existentialist and anthropologist. These different categories of people will have different interpretation of same story. The multiple interpretations of the same story occur when different opinions of different categories of people amend or contrast the writers ‘stories, novels or books. References Cheever, J. (1964). Author of â€Å"The Swimmer† in Introduction to Fiction Poetry, Drama, and Writing. X. J. Kennedy. Dana Gioia