Links:
How to talk to your kids about drug use.
1. http://www.phoenixhouse.org/National/FamilySupport/familysupport_talk.html
2. http://www.drugfree.org/
How to notice signs of drug use
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm
compliments of google images "bud"
Source driven essay (*REVISED*)
Aaron Olson
12-07-08
Professor AnDrea Cleaves
It is a common misconception that marijuana is only allowed to be prescribed, in states that have passed laws that allow it, to the severely sick such as cancer patients, the terminally ill, or patients with other serious life threatening or painful conditions. However, www.usdoj.gov says patients in California that may legally use or possess the drug were prescribed because of the following reasons; Anorexia, depression, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, and even various types of pain.
Some sources say that marijuana should remain illegal in Minnesota and unavailable for medicinal use. Others say that some Minnesotans are suffering because it is considered an illicit drug and not a medication that can be prescribed for certain illnesses, diseases, or conditions.
California is the most popular state that legalized medical marijuana. This is most likely because it was the very first state the pass the law. In addition, it is the easiest to obtain it legally for medicinal purposes. This caused more and more states to jump on the bandwagon so to speak. Currently, there are over 20% of our United States that allow marijuana to be obtained, and used legally for medicinal reasons. Further, www.oregon.gov, a completely different source states that patients suffering from the same symptoms as patients in California are also able to be prescribed to the drug (www.oregon.gov) According to www.procon.org, there are currently thirteen states that allow medical marijuana to be recommended by a physician under certain conditions. Theses states include: Alaska, Colorado, California, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and, most recently passed on November 4, 2008, Michigan. Although each of these states rules for the law varies, most of them have very similar requirements for acquiring the drug.
Notice though, that Minnesota is not on this list. This means that there are Minnesotans with certain illnesses that cause pain that marijuana could soothe. A man named Don Haumont, a liver cancer said this to law makers; “only one thing helps: Marijuana. I ate more, I gained weight, I felt healthier, I felt that I could take care of myself, I could do things,” he said. “I could work and be productive.” As a former California resident, Haumant said that he could smoke marijuana legally there, but when he had to move to Minnesota, it was harder for him to live his day-to-day life (www.stopthedrugwar.org).
There are more and more medical experts in the field of medicine who are agreeing with the use of medical marijuana. Nurses, Doctors, and even doctors on top medical boards across the country are speaking out in favor of the highly controversial drug. Wisconsin Nurses Association Executive Director Gina Dennik-Champion testified that marijuana is an effective treatment for many patients (www.mpp.org).
In contrast, there are many of the same healthcare providers and professionals who continue to disagree with the issue at hand. On www.procon.org, over 100 licensed physicians who are considered experts on medical marijuana, are quoted, or referenced about their opinion on the drug. All of these physicians on the site have an MD and are considered key experts on the hot topic. 25.5% of these physicians were against it being a prescribable drug because of the physical harm done to your body by inhaling the chemicals into your lungs. 34% of them were neutral.
Should marijuana be legalized in Minnesota for medicinal purposes? Many believe that it will become one of the few states that do allow it in the near future. Michigan was the closest, and now that they passed it, Minnesota could be next at bat. Surely there are many worried parents and congressmen hoping that the bill will fail, but it is gaining more support everyday. Experts supporting the idea along with lobbyists are beginning to turn the tide in favor of the drug. Many Minnesotan patients are speaking out for it saying they are suffering and hope it will pass soon, but only time will tell.
Sources
1. www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/calimarijuana.html
The assertion that all medical marijuana is headed for seriously ill patients is misleading. Stats from the California Branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) shows that a survey of Californians reports the top three uses of the drug.
40% Chronic pain, 22% Aid-Related, 15% Mood Disorders, 23% other
2. www.stopthedrugwar.org/chronivle/478/minnesota_medical_marijuana_bill_passes_house_comittee.
Don Haumont, a liver cancer said this to law makers; “only one thing halps: Marijuana. I ate more, I gained weight, I felt healthier, I felt that I could take care of myself, I could do things,” he said. “I could work and be productive.” As a former California resident, Hauman said that he could smoke marijuana legally there, but when he had to move to Minnesota, it was harder for him to live his day-to-day life
3. www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/ommp/data.shtml
A patientmay have one or more of the following conditions: Alzheimers Desease, Cancer, Glaucoma,HIV/AIDS, Nausea, Sever pain, Seizures, Muscle spasms
Wisconsin Nurses Association Executive Director Gina Dennik-Champion testified that marijuana is an effective treatment for many patients
5. www.medicalmarijuana.orcon.org/viewsource.asp?resourcelD=1529
Over 100 licensed physicians who are considered experts on medical marijuana, are quoted, or referenced about their opinion on the drug. All of these physicians on the site have an MD and are considered key experts on the hot topic. 25.5% of these physicians were against it being a prescribable drug because of the physical harm done to your body by inhaling the chemicals into your lungs. 34% of them were neutral.
-Pro-41.5%, neutral- 34, CON – 24.5%
Medical
Aaron Olson
Argument Essay Preliminary
Professor AnDrea Cleaves
12/17/08
Marijuana should not be legal to grow, possess, or use for anyone for any reason whatsoever in the United States of America. There are far too many health risks involved with marijuana for it to be recommended by a physician. It makes me sick just thinking that a doctor with an M.D., who has the responsibility to seek out the best overall treatment for his or her patients’ health, could recommend inhaling a toxic smoke containing over 400 chemicals into our delicate lungs. If doctors are prescribing marijuana to patients it will make more people think that it’s okay to “self medicate”. It is scary how popular marijuana has gotten over the past few decades. Currently there are 13 states that have voted to legalize marijuana for specific medicinal purposes. These states include: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Rhode Island, Montana, and Vermont. This means that over a quarter of our states have legalized marijuana for medicinal use! According to http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org, all you need for a prescription to medical marijuana in California are symptoms of nausea, depression, and even anorexia! Another source, http://norml.org said that similar minimal requirements are need in Oregon sand Hawaii. However, common in all of these states, patients with symptoms such as chronic pain or muscle spasms can legally obtain marijuana from a physician. These conditions may be somewhat serious, and should no doubt be talked about with sensitivity, but they are not severe enough for doctors to just be handing out pot tickets to everyone who comes in and says they are depressed, or nauseous! It is an excuse for people to use a drug, and should not be tolerated any further. Cultivating, smoking, and distributing marijuana is against United States Federal law, and in these 13 states, that is exactly what is happening. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is a federal agency against drugs and should not allow the states decision to allow it for medicinal use. Places that distribute the medicinal drug in the states that allow it should be searched, seized of illegal illicit drugs, and shut down. It must be stopped immediately before all those drugs get into the hands of our children!
The truth is that marijuana is becoming more popular, and less frowned upon. A study performed by the Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) found that marijuana is much easier for teens to obtain than beer! The already powerful drug has also made huge advances in not only popularity, but in potency as well. Over the past several decades, new technology such as the hydroponic cultivation of plants has made marijuana easier to grow, and it made it much more potent. According to www.gtghydroponics.com, water is used instead of soil to grow a plant, requiring less space, and time for the plant to grow and mature. These technological advances have made marijuana much easier to grow and much stronger, causing the demand for it to grow as well as the supply!
Another serious issue about using marijuana is afoot. Marijuana use often leads to other more dangerous and addicting drugs including: cocaine, hallucinogens, prescription pills, opiates (heroine and opium), and even inhalants! According to www.marijuanaaddiction.com, researchers found that young people who smoke marijuana are two to five times more likely to move on to harder drugs than if they didn’t use it at all! People are smoking marijuana and when they get bored with it want something new. These researchers even published this information in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In addition to marijuana’s severe health risks, potential to lead to more dangerous drugs, and the fact that is an illegal drug that can get you into trouble, marijuana is also quite expensive. Although drugs like cocaine and heroine are much more expensive to obtain than marijuana, it is still of one the most expensive drugs in the United States. People who have never even used the drug are still paying for it through government taxes. www.mytwodollars.com states that our government spends $1 billion dollars of our tax money annually, by putting people in jail for marijuana, and another $8 billion dollars annually in criminal justice costs. Right now, 33,655 state inmates and 10,785 federal inmates are in jail due to the marijuana laws, and we are paying to feed, clothe and shelter them. Is this the price we are willing to pay?
Marijuana is a serious, powerful drug that can lower your decision making skills, cause harmful effects on your body, get you into trouble, lead to other drugs, and make you spend all your hard earned money. It is an issue that is being cold shouldered and we must do something to stop it! The future is in our hands and we cannot allow marijuana to be legalized in any way! More and more states are allowing this “pandemic” inside their territory and it will continue to spread throughout the entire country if we don’t do something to stop it! It should be made illegal in all 50 of our beloved United States. Our future and our children’s future depend on it.
SOURCES
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/127823/why_we_should_keep_marijuana_illegal.html?cat=9
http://www.well.com/user/woa/fspot.htm -The main mind-altering (psychoactive) ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), but more than 400 other chemicals also are in the plant.
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/ -
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=881-
2. California Ballot Proposition 215 — Approved Nov. 5, 1996 by 56% of voters
Effective: Nov. 6, 1996
Removes state-level criminal penalties on the use, possession and cultivation of marijuana by patients who possess a “written or oral recommendation” from their physician that he or she “would benefit from medical marijuana.” Patients diagnosed with any debilitating illness where the medical use of marijuana has been “deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician” are afforded legal protection under this act.
Approved Conditions: AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraine, persistent muscle spasms, including spasms associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, including seizures associated with epilepsy, severe nausea; Other chronic or persistent medical symptoms.
Amended: Senate Bill 420 
(PDF 70KB)
Effective: Jan. 1, 2004
Imposes statewide guidelines outlining how much medicinal marijuana patients may grow and possess.
Possession/Cultivation: Qualified patients and their primary caregivers may possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana and/or six mature (or 12 immature) marijuana plants. However, S.B. 420 allows patients to possess larger amounts of marijuana when recommended by a physician. The legislation also allows counties and municipalities to approve and/or maintain local ordinances permitting patients to possess larger quantities of medicinal pot than allowed under the new state guidelines.
S.B. 420 also grants implied legal protection to the state’s medicinal marijuana dispensaries, stating, “Qualified patients, persons with valid identification cards, and the designated primary caregivers of qualified patients … who associate within the state of California in order collectively or cooperatively to cultivate marijuana for medical purposes, shall not solely on the basis of that fact be subject to state criminal sanctions.”
Attorney General’s Guidelines:
On Aug. 25, 2008, California Attorney General Jerry Brown issued guidelines for law enforcement and medical marijuana patients to clarify the state’s laws. Read more about the guidelines here.
www.gtghydroponics.com -Hydroponics consist of growing of plants in water instead of soil. To do this successfully, the water must be enriched with nutrients and sometimes oxygenated. Also, the plants must be placed in some type of inert medium like sand to anchor the roots.
http://www.marijuanaaddiction.info/news-left.htm?aid=49 -
New research confirms that marijuana is a gateway drug for most teens who use it.
Some will tell you marijuana is a harmless drug, but the Journal of the American Medical Association isn’t one of them.
Young people who smoke marijuana are two to five times more likely to move on to harder drugs. That is the formal opinion of researchers, who published their conclusions from a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
It is also the informal conclusion of two recent high school graduates who talked with Family News in Focus. The two, who asked that their names remain anonymous, said they no longer smoke marijuana, but that most of the kids they smoked pot with in high school went on to harder drugs and aren’t able to hold jobs.
One of the young persons said she started smoking pot because of peer pressure, but she stopped out of concern for her parents.
“I realized how bad it disappointed my parents,” she said. “My dad cried and so I stopped.”
http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/02/12/9-billion-of-your-tax-dollars-is-spent-dealing-with-marijuana-laws-each-year/ -Right now, 33,655 state inmates and 10,785 federal inmates are in jail due to the marijuana laws, and we are paying to feed, clothe, and shelter them. The fact that our government spends $1 billion dollars of our tax money putting people in jail for marijuana while allowing other drugs to be used in our society is insulting not only to my intelligence, but even more so to my wallet. And this $1 billion is only the beginning of the story, as hundreds of thousands are arrested each year just for violating marijuana laws, “costing taxpayers another $8 billion dollars annually in criminal justice costs”. Isn’t it time we take a real hard look at where our tax dollars go, and really put them towards projects that will benefit society?
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/106/casastudy.shtml -More interesting, but buried in the news coverage of the report, was the teens’ response to a question about the availability of various substances. Specifically, teens were asked which was easier to obtain among cigarettes, beer and marijuana. While the overwhelming majority of teens listed cigarettes as the easiest, marijuana was a clear second. In fact, seven times as many teens (35%) listed the prohibited marijuana as easiest to obtain as listed beer (5%), which of course is legal and regulated.
courtesy of Google Images
Aaron Olson
(*REVISED*)Blog Review
URL- http://medicineandman.com/
Professor AnDrea Cleaves
Medicine is a very important part of all regions and cultures allover. It is practiced in literally every part or the world, and has been ever since the beginning of human life. Advances in medications, treatments, and procedures as well as technology throughout the years have brought us many tools for helping the sick as needy. This is why I chose to review “Medicine and Man”, a blog written by Dr. Sudeep Bansal on www.wordpress.com
Sudeep Bansal, M.D. is a Resident in Internal Medicine at Caritas Carney Hospital, Dorchester, MA. He started the blog solely for the curious and to improve the relationship between doctor and patient.
I will be reviewing this blog focusing on three main criteria; the authors’ audience, the organization of the Blog and content, and the composition of the blog itself.
The author does a great job in addressing his audience. On the home page of the blog, he states the purpose of the blog is to give tips on how to stay healthy, give disease reviews and other news related to the community which is of importance to everyone. This blog is good for anyone to read for many reasons; they can look up medical advice if they are coming down with a sickness, obtain a wide variety of interesting information concerning medicine and health for anyone who is curious, or someone who is just bored and killing time. No matter what reason the reason, anyone can easily open up this blog and navigate their way through the easy layouts of the pages.
I noticed that this particular blog is very well organized. It is simple, but thoroughly done and to the point. It doesn’t cover just a bunch of random stuff, it sticks to the big picture and that is medicine. The site is very easy to navigate through the different blog posts, and other parts of the blog. The category tabs are easily found on the right side of the page, and are easy to navigate between them. The author puts in a lot of interesting pictures that compliments the text that is written. This is good because many first-time viewers of any blog or webpage will become uninterested if they don’t see something that grabs their attention right away. In addition, it is not too wordy and it’s easy to read. There isn’t too much text in one particular category for readers to get bored and stop reading. I can see how a doctor may get carried away and write too much, causing some audience members to become uninterested. However, Dr. Sudeep Bansal does a good job of keeping his text short, sweet and to the point. The pictures add to what he’s posting about, and it looks very professional. They definitely catch the reader’s attention, and they are entertaining to look at. Overall it’s a very well organized blog page.
The composition of the blog is very good. There are some different colors, but not too much to be distracting. There is the right amount of text, and pictures that go along with the text to emphasize the message he wants to get across to his viewers. In addition, the author sets up the blog posts so it grabs the reader’s attention, and keeps them reading with enthusiastic writing and pictures. The blog is set up in a way that draws the reader’s attention to the latest post while making it easy to navigate to a different page in order to find a more specific Blog topic of your choice. It is really quite clever.
Overall, I think it’s a great blog for anyone looking up basic medical information, or just to anyone who is curious about the subject of medicine. I strongly recommend this blog to anyone and everyone. Everything seems to compliment each other in the blog site. The page layout, composition, easy navigation, and with how easy it is to understand each post, it really is the complete package when it comes to a blog! It is interesting, and you may even learn a thing or two.
Vice Presidential Debate 2008
courtesy of google images/palin
There were a few ground rules set by the commentator described before the debate began. These included five minute segments of each question; each candidate is given ninety seconds to answer. After both candidates have given their initial answer it is followed by a two minute rebuttal. The order is determined by a coin toss and all of the subjects and direct questions are chosen by the commentator and have not been released to either side of the campaigns, or to anyone for that matter. I will be comparing each candidate by their rhetoric and identifying their ethos, pathos, and logos styles.
The First thing I noticed about the debate was how both of the candidates presented themselves. Right away Senator Joe Biden shook hands with Governor Palin, and they smiled at each other. Palin kept thanking the woman who was asking all the questions rather awkwardly at both the beginning and the end of the debate which I thought was one of those little things that shouldn’t matter, but does. It was one the main turn-offs for me about Palin. Both candidates demonstrated ethos right away by the way they presented themselves through their and clothing and their gestures. This set up a ‘relationship’ with the audience at the debate, as well as everyone who was watching it. Governor Palin chose a good outfit to wear for the debate because it wasn’t too revealing, but it was still feminine. She looked very professional and very presentable. Biden too, looked presentable. He just wore a dark black suit with a blue tie. I didn’t like the way that Senator Biden spoke. He spoke too quiet sometimes, and he spoke in almost a monotone. Also, his points and rebuttals were too structured and factual. He threw out a lot of big words and numbers that were hard to follow or understand. This is why I believe he presented himself in an overall logos type of way ad some what ethos because he spoke in a more serious and structured tone of voice and was well organized. I noticed he seemed to be crossing what seemed to be points on a list from a paper he had prepared on the podium. I also noticed that Palin criticized Senator Biden for certain things he had said, or done, or voted for in the past and it didn’t really seem like he could back himself up. Senator Biden also got off track a lot. Even though he had very structural points numbered out and explained step by step, he seemed to lose track of time or get off track with what he was saying, not even answering the question thoroughly
I like how Governor Palin presented herself, and how she talked to the American people. Her words had a lot of energy and sincerity. She demonstrated pathos the most throughout the 2008 Vice Presidential Debate by showing high amounts of emotion. You could tell she was really passionate about helping out with middle class in America. She told a lot of stories dealing with the question of interest and put herself on the same level of the every day American. She seemed to know both the political side of the questions and the normal everyday person side as well, which is good because she can empathize for other people’s situations which ultimately could lead to her making good decisions for America and its people. She also expressed comical relief when Biden was backed into a corner by earlier statements or decisions that don’t match up to his political beliefs he presents now, with coy smiles. Her words were highly based on honestly. Where on the other hand, Biden was also a seemingly honest man (at least for a politician), people have a right to change their views but he seemed to make more of an excuse for his words and actions not coinciding, never really justifying his answer or explanation. He gave off a defensive vibe throwing the pressure back at Palin when he wasn’t sure how to respond.
Overall I thought both candidates did well in this debate. I have never seen a debate of any kind before this, but neither Biden nor Palin screwed up enough to lose a lot of votes. I think Biden had a more Logos and somewhat ethos approach to his audience because of the structured points he made, the facts and numbers with references he explained, and his tone of voice just screamed logos in my opinion. Palin however had more of an emotional based strategy that I thought was mostly pathos. She had a lot of emotion with her voice and body language, and she told a lot of personal stories.
compliments of Google images
I do agree with the way the article portrays our generation. As far as I can remember there have been new inventions, or advances in technology of some sort. We grew up with this technology, and learned how to use it as it was progressing. You could say that our generation grew up with technology, and came up with ways to improve it. Technology is becoming more and more involved in our daily lives. Cell phones, iPods, navigation systems, and computers are getting better and better every year, so our generation should be called digital natives, because we are indeed native to the “language” of technology.
I believe that someone can be considered a digital native if they: know how to use a cell phones, computers, video game systems, navigation systems, and of course the internet to their full potential. A true digital native could probably just figure out any of these gadgets right out of the box without even looking at the instructions manual.
The author in the book makes the assumption that our generation has differently developed brains. The author states that since we have grown up with this technology, we have learned to learn differently than the traditional way. Computers and cell phones are our main forms of communication now. People rarely write letters and send them through the mail nowadays because they can just text someone, email them, or “facebook” them (if he or she is into that sort of thing). The author also assumes that some of the older, not as technologically skilled generations (immigrants) are upset with how us natives learn. Because of how they were taught, they feel we too should be taught this way, when in reality, its just not how our brain functions best.
I believe our generation are not only digital natives, but technology inventors, and innovators.
