Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment. Your state is considering passage of a statute that exempts possession and use of marijuana from prosecution if it is used for medical purposes. One of the cases that has been used to support the statute is that of Regina S., a 65-year-old woman, who has a son who has been undergoing treatment for cancer. The chemotherapy treatment made her son nauseous and he was in pain. Prescribed medication was not working, and Regina read that marijuana might be of help to her son. Regina is a gardener and decided to start growing marijuana in her back yard in order to give it to her son. The marijuana helped his nausea and discomfort. Your supervisor has asked you to write a short memo on marijuana and medical marijuana issues. You cover the following issues:

• What is the history of the prohibition of marijuana in the U.S?
• Explain how the U.S. and many state governments categorize controlled substances into Schedules I-V. In which Schedule is marijuana classified? Why?
• Identify and describe the effects of marijuana use on the brain and behavior.
• Is marijuana addictive? Support your answer with research.
• Are there scientific studies that support a finding that marijuana use can have medical benefits? If so, what are those findings?
• Do you support medical marijuana legislation? What about legislation permitting recreational use? Use research evidence to support your answer.

 

Answer:

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment

The History Of The Prohibition Of Marijuana

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment. Marijuana use was not illegal in the USA before 1910. The influx of Mexicans to the USA during the Mexican revolution led to the ban on marijuana use. Mexican immigrants used Marijuana for recreation. Marijuana use became associated with immigrants. By 1931, 31 states had outlawed the use of marijuana. Fear and prejudice of immigrants precipitated the ban. Congress criminalized marijuana use in 1937. In 1950, a Federal law introduced sentences for drugs related offenses (Caulkins, Kilmer, & Kleiman, 2016).

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment. Categorization Of Controlled Substances By USA And States Governments

Schedule I drugs or chemicals have no acceptable use in medicine. Marijuana, heroin, and methaqualone are examples of drugs in schedule I. Schedule II drugs or chemicals can be easily abused and are highly addictive. Cocaine, methamphetamine, Dexedrine are examples of drugs in this category. Schedule III drugs have a moderate risk for abuse and moderately addictive (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2017). Ketamine and testosterone are examples of drugs in this category. Schedule IV drugs or chemicals have a low risk of abuse and addiction. Category V drugs have less risk for abuse and addiction than drugs in schedule IV, and examples include Lomotil and Motofen (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2015).

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment. The Effects Of Marijuana Use On Brain and Behavior

A study done at Yale University in 2015 found out that there is a relationship between marijuana consumption and behaviors that are impulsive and hostile. Marijuana causes anxiety and puts those who regularly use it at risk of developing Schizophrenia. Neural connections in the right and left hemispheres of the brain in a regular marijuana user were impaired, and their intelligent quotient (IQ) was low (Cohn, Johnson, Ehlke, & Villanti, 2016).

Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana is classified as Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs are highly addictive and easily abused. The use of marijuana causes he marijuana use disorder, which is marijuana dependence (Timberlake DS, 2015). Marijuana use causes withdrawal symptoms that include irritability, sleep pattern disturbance, and restlessness (Caulkins, Kilmer, & Kleiman, 2016).

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment. Medical Benefits of Marijuana

Marijuana has over a hundred active components. Tetrahydrocannabinol is the component that causes addiction and intoxication. Cannabidiol is a component that does not intoxicate. The ingredient cannabidiol is used for medical purposes. Treating insomnia, chronic pain and nausea are some of the medical uses of cannabidiol (Cohn et al., 2016).

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment. Marijuana legislation

Legislation of Marijuana is necessary. Legalization of marijuana for medical use is required. The benefit of cannabidiol as an element in marijuana should not be overlooked. The cannabidiol ingredient treats post-traumatic stress disorder and glaucoma. Recreational use of marijuana containing tetrahydrocannabinol is detrimental to health and should not be allowed.

Use of marijuana for medical purposes should be considered. Ingredient cannabidiol should be isolated and used to treat conditions like glaucoma, chronic pain, and epilepsy. Tetrahydrocannabinol component has a lot of adverse effects, and its consumption should be controlled. We are here to help!

Substance Abuse Theory and Assessment. References

Caulkins, J. P., Kilmer, B., & Kleiman, M. A. (2016). Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know®. Oxford University Press.

Cohn, A., Johnson, A., Ehlke, S., & Villanti, A. C. (2016). Characterizing substance use and mental health profiles of the cigar, blunt, and non-blunt marijuana users from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Drug and alcohol dependence, 160, 105-111.

Drug Enforcement Administration. (2015). Drug scheduling. Retrieved August 25th.

Drug Enforcement Administration. (2017). National drug threat assessment