Gender Stereotypes And Influences Of Celebrities On Our...

Rationale For our IB HL Language and Literature English Class, we have been studying Part 1: Language and Gender. In this topic we explored gender stereotypes and influences of celebrities on our beliefs on various topics including feminism. I choose to do this written task on a speech by Emma Watson that we watched in class because agreed with many things that she said but wanted to explore why someone might not agree and how they would react to this speech. To communicate my purpose, I choose the voice of Diana Spector who is women against the feminist movement. She is a mother of 2 and lives happily with her husband. She is writing a response to Emma Watson after watching her speech at the UN Headquarters and shares her thoughts on the HeForShe Campaign. I choose this because perspective because this campaign is geared towards involving men in the feminist movement and I wanted to see this from the perspective of the other side which this was actually supposed to help. I concluded that in order to create gender equality we must first break all the barriers in society and not assume on gender more superior then the other. Written Task: Diana Spector 223 Elysian Fields Circle, Toronto, Ontario L3R 6Y0 416-911-5723 Emma Watson, UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY 10017, United States September 25th 2014 Dear Emma Watson, I am writing to you in response to your invitation for men to join the HeForShe campaign during you speech 2 daysShow MoreRelatedThe Social Construction Of Gender832 Words   |  4 Pagesunambiguous. Gender on the other hand, refers to the aspects that influence each sex and make them distinct from a social standpoint, and each of us does gender constantly. The social construction of gender has caused controversy throughout the years, and has ultimately conceived one of the most contended topics in our society of late: feminism. Feminism refers to the belief in equality of the sexes. Recently there has been an influx of feminism in the media and our general lives with celebrities like EmmaRead MoreFood, In Itself, Is A Social Concept, A Perception Of An1721 Words   |  7 Pagesdefined by its particular usage and representation among particular ethnic and cultural groups. Therefore, food’s significance is much more than simply satiating hunger. Take religious restrictions on pork, for example. What reason caused Islam’s belief in the pig as haram, considering it is eaten by the vast majority of the world? Simply put, why do Muslims avoid pork? This can be rationally analyzed, and is attributed to the climate and geographical limitations of foodways in the Middle East. HoweverRead More Teenage Girls, the Media and Self-Image Essay3098 Words   |  13 Pagesdesk of the mature eleven-year-old who brought in the latest issue of Seventeen. Page by page, they explored the intricacies of how to unl ock the secrets of boys, makeup tips to accentuate a girls natural beauty, and quizzes to help one find her celebrity dream date. In the span of a few weeks, every girl had a subscription to her very own teen magazine; teachers were forced to establish rules limiting the times and places that such magazines could be read. When the magazines first showed up onRead MoreRepresentation Of Teenagers And Stereotypes That Are Associated With Them Through The Media? Essay2192 Words   |  9 PagesFOA – Representation of teenagers rebelliousness and the stereotypes that are associated with them through the media? Intro Teenagers. They’re emotional, they’re smelly and they have a reputation for being disruptive dysfunctional members of society. By definition A teenager, or teen, is a young person whose age falls within the range from 13–19. They are called teenagers because their age number ends with teen. Today Grady and I will be adressing the represenatation of teenagers in the mediaRead MoreA Social Psychological Approach to Reducing Prejudice in the Classroom3200 Words   |  13 PagesPrejudice and hate have always been prominent issues in society. Their roots extend from European concentration camps to American issues of civil rights (Kleg, 1993, p. 18). Not only were feelings of prejudice seen within ethnicities, but also within gender and socioeconomic statuses. Eventually each case has diminished through appropriate regulations and education. It is no surprise that in the twenty-first century, prejudice and hate is still prevalent in society, and more importantly, in the classroomRead MoreThe Simpsons: Effect and Common Sense4091 Words   |  16 Pagessexuality, gender, and culture. This show has character s that represent a diversity of views, experiences, and backgrounds. This gives the writers and producers a lot of leeway as to what they say and what kind of topics the show tackles. The paper will examine several themes of human society and the ways in which certain characters represent and/or shatter various stereotypes about Americans or other groups those characters represent. Keywords: The Simpsons, philosophy, religion, politics, gender, cultureRead MoreEssay on America’s Schools Need Character Education5183 Words   |  21 Pagescharacter development have a place in our schools? Should public schools take the responsibility of educating students on morality? The answer is complex and has a multitude of sides and opinions. In a way, however, schools already educate students on what to believe and how to behave. By excluding the history of the other Americans, such as people of color, women, and homosexuals, and focusing instead of the failures and successes of those of European descent, our schools already instill a distinctRead MoreHow Women Are Portrayed in Media6769 Words   |  28 PagesCommon female stereotypes found in the media have a powerful influence over how society views women and how women view themselves. What is the media portrayal of women today and how does this impact how young girls perceive themselves? With programs such as The Bachelor and Flavor of Love showing a dozen women competing for the attention of one man, often using their sexuality, magazine ads displaying a half-naked female body to sell a fragrance or cosmetic product, and television commercials highlightingRead MoreSocial Influence4418 Words   |  18 PagesSocial influence occurs when ones emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by others.[1] Social influence takes many forms and can be seen in conformity, socialization, peer pressure, obedience, leadership, persuasion, sales, and marketing. In 1958, Harvard psychologist, Herbert Kelman identified three broad varieties of social influence.[2] 1. Compliance is when people appear to agree with others, but actually keep their dissenting opinions private. 2. Identification is when peopleRead MoreQualitative Research and Celebrity Endorsement24767 Words   |  100 Pages      The Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement in India Abstract   The practice of celebrities being used for rendering services other than performing their actual job as either an actor or an athlete, such as endorsements has proliferated over time. Despite the cost and the risks involved with this technique of advertising, it is been used quite extensively in the present era. The instrument of celebrity endorsement has nowadays become a pervasive element in advertising and communication

William Wordsworth and T.S. Eliot - 814 Words

William Wordsworth and T.S. Eliot are both excellent and admirable poets from different time periods that have very distinct views on what it means to be a true poet. On one hand Wordsworth strived to be unique, romantic and sentimental in a time where people needed a poet as such. On the other hand, Eliot lived in a time where romanticism and sentimentalism did not satisfy readers that needed something less elevated and more realistic. Although they had opposing views neither is right or wrong and can only speak for the poets of their specific time period, yet one should not dismiss one or the other because each of their perspectives are equally valuable when deciding what it takes to be the ideal poet. The Romantic Period was a time of†¦show more content†¦It is important to recognize that Eliot was born a century after Wordsworth, so times had changed and a different type of poet was needed. Not everyone enjoyed reading about feelings or people that possessed abilities th at they did not or had more lively sensibilities than they. Eliot did not even consider sentimentalism essential in the creation of good poetry. On the contrary, he believed that poetry is meant to free one of the emotional and personal and he says that, â€Å"the business of the poet is not to find new emotions, but to use the ordinary ones and, in working them up into poetry, to express feelings which not in actual emotions at all† (Eliot 2330). The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a good example of a poem that says a lot it is just an expression of common thoughts and events written in a clever way even though it is not bursting with emotion. In addition, Eliot believed that a good work of literature or poetry should connect with the writers and works of the past. As he wrote, â€Å"no poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists† (Eliot 2330). It was not all about beingShow MoreRelatedLiterary evolution: Differentiating Romanticism and Modernist Literature1077 Words   |  5 Pagesintroduction to this idea can be observed through analyze the purpose of â€Å"lyrical ballads† by William Wordsworth. Wordsworth states the â€Å"purpose (of the writings) will be found principally to be: †¦ to illustrate the manner in which our feelings and ideas are associated in a state of excitement†¦ (and) to follow the fluxes and refluxes of the mind when agitated by the great and simple affections of our nature†(Wordsworth, Preface to Lyrical Ballads). For those studying the Romantic per iod of literature thisRead MoreRomanticism : Romanticism And Romanticism1141 Words   |  5 Pagesespecially if they were related to individualism, rights of the people, and freedom from prolonged control. There are several key figures of the Romantic Movement in English literature. These poets are William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, and William Blake. William Wordsworth was a poet who wrote during the Romantic period. He is often described as a nature writer. He always paid close attention to his environment, such as weather, plants, and animals. John Keats was an EnglishRead MoreAnalysis Of Ode On Melancholy By John Keats970 Words   |  4 PagesIn the art world there are two movements that demonstrate change, which are Romanticism and Modernism. The artists that demonstrate Romanticism include Washington Irving, William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Caspar Friedrich. The artists that demonstrate Modernism include Erich Remarque, E.E. Cummings, Claude Monet, and T.S. Eliot; some represent both movements such as Robert Frost. Romanticism emphasizes verbose descriptions and form, while Modernism emphasis function and Realism, which creates contrastingRead MoreCritical Analysis : The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock895 Words   |  4 Pageswriting. A very challenging poem to analysis is T.S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†. It has been declared that â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† started that Anglo-American modernist movement with poetry. The poem was the first poem with Ame rican poetry to flow free verse. At the time, it was deemed an urban poem. The urban, free versus flow of the poem makes analysis the purpose of the poem very intense. Before the poem begins T.S. Eliot a quotation from Dante’s â€Å"The Divine Comedy†Read MoreWilliam Wordsworth s Poetry :. Eliot And W. Wordsworth1442 Words   |  6 PagesPoetry: T.S. Eliot and W. Wordsworth T. S. Eliot and William Wordsworth were both well-known poets, born 100 years apart; both were famous poets in their own right. Both men were influential in changing the face of poetry as the world had known it. Eliot looked at poetry in a Modernistic view, while Wordsworth was a writer who chose a Romantic view. Eliot’s view seems to be one of disconnect, where Wordsworth’s view is one of emotion and feelings. Both men wrote with a different flair; Eliot believedRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On The Moving Wall945 Words   |  4 Pagescritical attention has befor been paid to T.S. Eliot s â€Å"â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†Ã¢â‚¬  in relation to the excised â€Å"â€Å"Prufrock s Pervigilium†Ã¢â‚¬  section preserved in his â€Å"â€Å"March Hare†Ã¢â‚¬  Notebook and why Eliot might have obliterate it. Reading the â€Å"â€Å"Pervigilium†Ã¢â‚¬  back into â€Å"â€Å"Prufrock,†Ã¢â‚¬  this article reason that â€Å"â€Å"Prufrock†Ã¢â‚¬  sings of its own making and that of its poet s sensation in the â€Å"â€Å"Pervigilium†Ã¢â‚¬  slice. In this passage, the epigram anticipates Eliot s depersonalization (or dissolution) hypothesisRead MoreFlowered Memories: an Analysis of Ted Hughes Daffodils1319 Words   |  6 Pagessilence on the issue. And on February 1998, Ted Hughes finally broke the silence with the release of Birthday Letters a collection of 88 poems written over 25 years, published by Faber and Faber; Farrar Straus Giroux. Birthday Letters received the T.S. Eliot Prize and re-ignited the famous controversy and met with mixed critical response (Poets.org). In it, he addresses Sylvia Plath directly, in a conversational manner, which calls to mind an image of an old man leafing through an album with a ghostRead MoreFactors Influenced On Byatt s Works Essay1767 Words   |  8 PagesNewnham College, Cambridge, in 1957 to get her B.A., Leavis, then 62, was the ruling intellectual, position he had engaged for 30 years. Leavis, his wife Q.D. (Known as â€Å"Queenie†) and their circle, which included such critics as I, A, Richards and William Empson, applied great effect on the literary of the day. It stays hard now to imagine Leavis as a radical, since he is so often critiqued for his exclusive and special judgments. However, consider the shape of university life as it was found-andRead MoreAnalysis Of Ezra Pound s 1146 Words   |  5 PagesClassicists and Modernists on the poem and Pound’s imitation of Propertius and its limitation and the paper concludes with comments on the successful elements in the poem that made it stand over time despite the virulent attacks from the Classicists. William Hale, a Professor of Classic at the University of Chicago, was the first to reject the poem. In a letter to the editor, Hale listed several translation errors that he thought were necessary to address. Hale’s accusation of Pound’s ignorance of LatinRead MorePoetry: Donne’s Metaphysical Work 1180 Words   |  5 PagesDonne is Innocent As William Wordsworth so rightly said, â€Å"Poetry is the first and last of all knowledge-it is as immortal as the heart of man†. Its themes are the simplest experiences of life: sorrow and joy, love and hate, peace and war. Yet they are equally the boldest formations, the most complex classifications and studies of reason if the poet is able to carry sensation into these poems, forming them into passionate experiences through vivid and moving imagery. For uncertain or inexperienced

Disorders Free Essays

The research states that in sexual trauma there is a prevalence of consequent axis II disorders, especially Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUDS) (Yen et al. , 2002). This heavy correlation between PTSD, borderline personality disorder and substance abuse disorder, create complications in treatment (Ross, Dermatis, Levounis, and Galanter, 2003). We will write a custom essay sample on Disorders or any similar topic only for you Order Now The goal of the present paper is three-fold. First, it aims at reviewing current research and theoretical frameworks which are designed to measure the degree of the relationship between PTSD and BPD. It is also sought to trace how it is possible by seeing to the correlation to avoid or neutralize further psycho social problems while reducing harm in substance abuse prevention. Second, the researcher plans to analyze the implications of how failure to address these dynamics in reducing harm and treating co-occurring disturbances may further delay treatment and create relapse. Finally, there is an analysis of the methodologies employed in the treatment theories presented. A particular emphasis is made on the Integrative Treatment Approach suggested by Najavits (2002) and the Dialectical Behavioural Therapy developed by Lineham (1993). The researcher attempts to explain how these theories influenced the understanding of this dilemma. Before proceeding to the first point, it is necessary to clarify the main theoretical concepts, such as BPD and PTSD. Speaking popularly, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is â€Å"a normal response to an abnormal event† (Schiraldi, 2000, p. 3). Being categorized by the American Psychiatric Association as one of the anxiety disorders, it is typically caused by either or several of the three types of traumatic events: Intentional Human causes, Unintentional Human causes, or Acts of Nature. The presence of the stressor as part of the diagnosis differentiates PTSD from other disorders and makes it a uniquely complex phenomenon. Besides an exposure to the stressful event, American Psychiatric Association in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1994, paraphrased in Schiraldi, 2000) lists another four PTSD criteria: persistent (more than one month) re-experiencing of the trauma (this category of symptoms is titled â€Å"intrusive memories† in Johnson, 2004), persistent (more than one month) avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli and suppression of general responsiveness (â€Å"avoidance behavior according to Johnson, 2004), persistent (more than one month) symptoms of hyperarousal (or, according to Johnson, 2004, â€Å"hypervigilance†), and disruption of psychological and functional equilibrium. In its turn, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) from the viewpoints of attachment theory and developmental psychopathology is defined as â€Å"a highly prevalent, chronic, and debilitating psychiatric problem† associated with the following symptoms: â₠¬Å"a pattern of chaotic and self-defeating interpersonal relationships, emotional lability, poor impulse control, angry outbursts, frequent suicidality, and self-mutilation† (Levy, 2005, p. 259). Kernberg (2004), who considered the organization of the personality to be crucially determined by affective responses as displayed under conditions of peak affect states, listed â€Å"identity diffusion and the †¦ predominance of primitive defensive operations centering on splitting† among the key symptoms of this psychological dysfunction noting that they are accompanied by â€Å"the presence of good reality testing† (p. 99). The researcher meant that although the patient imagined himself living in the paranoid and distorted reality, he differentiated between the self and other objects. It is true that many current researchers acknowledge the correlation between PTSD and BPD, the latter being treated as one type of personality disorders (PDs). Bremner (1999) conceptualized BPD as fitting to the psychiatric disorders associated with traumatic stress. From this perspective, an exposure to traumatic events and consequent stress affected structural and functional aspects of the brain so that stress-related psychiatric dysfunctions were developed. The viewpoint was supported by McGlashan et al. (2000) who as relying on the results of a descriptive, prospective, longitudinal, repeated-measures study of a clinical sample of four representative DSM-IV personality disorders called The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPS) (N = 571) found a high rate of Axis II/II overlap. To specify, PTSD and BPD co-existed in almost a half of the sample. To be even more specific, Yen et al. (2002) conducted a longitudinal, prospective, naturalistic, multisite and cross-sectional study to analyze the correlation of the aforementioned two Axis II disorders within the population of 668 individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 years. Twenty-five percent of those participants (N = 167) exhibited BPD symptoms. Furthermore, BPD participants more often suffered from lifetime PTSD than patients with any other form of PDs (51% of those 191 individuals who reported of a history of traumatic exposure). Overall, Yen et al. (2002) hypothesized that BPD symptoms trigger vulnerability for traumatic exposure which is the key characteristic of PTSD. Bolton, Mueser, and Rosenberg (2006) observed that between 25% and 56% of individuals with BPD exhibit symptoms of current PTSD as compared to approximately 10% of other patients. Upon analysis of the two studies – the index one involving 275 mentally impaired inpatient and outpatient individuals with PTSD (30 patients with BPD among them) and the replication one involving 204 patients (20 people with BPD among them), the researchers stated that comorbid diagnoses of BPD and PTSD were associated with higher rates of severe anxiety and depression. Ross, Dermatis, Levounis, and Galanter (2003) cited empirical evidence of comorbid PDs being highly associated with Substance Use Disorder (SUDS) in approximately 50% of the samples. They also shared a viewpoint that stress-related dysfunctions predicted worse treatment outcomes, for example, poorer psychosocial functioning, increase drug use, and lower retention rates. In a course of the eight-month research in a specialized inpatient dual diagnosis unit at a public hospital, the researchers observed the population of 100 patients, among which 53% displayed some kind of PDs. Seventy-four percent of the interviewees were targeted as having BPD, whereas twenty-five percent exhibited PTSD symptoms. Patients with comorbid disorders (dual and triple diagnoses) were more likely to abuse substance use (33% – alcohol; 32% – polysubstance; 25% – cocaine; 21% – cannabis; and 13% – heroin). Consequently, such individuals had more inpatient admissions and more severe symptom profiles than the ones with a single diagnosis. The difference between people with the single-, dual- and triple diagnoses was extremely evident in after-hospitalization treatment. Ross et al. (2003) argued that comorbidity of PDs as accompanied by SUDs should put the clinicians on alert as such individuals needed to be guided â€Å"at this critical junction† (p. 275) of a transition from the in- to out-patient environments so that they would be aware of the necessity to comply with after-care therapy. II†¦ The concluding section is dedicated to the analysis of the two innovative and effective therapeutic approaches to treating PDs as combined with SUDs: first, the Dialectical Behavioural Therapy developed by Lineham (1993) and, second, the Integrative Treatment Approach suggested by Najavits (2002). The former approach fits into the problem-solving therapeutic paradigm which is praised for the treatment allowing wide amplification and being clinically effective. Its core assumption is that antisocial and inadequate behavioral patterns are explained by the scarcity of patients’ psychological resources to cope with their problems in an alternative acceptable manner. Lineham’s Dialectical Behavioural Therapy differentiates from other problem-solving alternatives in its particular attention to the effect of a specific diagnosis on the course of treatment and its extensive preventive measures against poor attendance. Linehan compared the outcomes of her dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) to the ones of standard outpatient-care methods to find that the ratio of patients who continued treatment with the assistance of a single therapist increased from 42 to 83 percent. The approach utilizes a range of cognitive-behavioural therapeutic techniques as based on a dialectic philosophy. On the one hand, the patient is helped to value his/her self as a precious and integrative phenomenon by eliminating the feelings of guilt, self-abomination and neglect. On the other hand, a therapist assists an individual with multiple disorders in finding stimuli for change. The core concept of the approach is the â€Å"skill† which is defined as â€Å"cognitive, emotional, and overt behavioral (or action) response repertoires together with their integration, which is necessary for effective performance† (Linehan, 1993, p. 329). The scholar described the four broad modules of skills: (1) mindfulness, (2) interpersonal effectiveness, (3) emotion regulation, and (4) distress tolerance. To proceed, the pioneer of this method listed three categories of skills training procedures: (1) skills acquisition, (2) skill strengthening, and (3) skill generalization. An introduction of new skills occurs at the first stage. At the further stages, a patient learns to manage the freshly acquired skills and project them onto the everyday environment. The Integrative Treatment Approach suggested by Najavits (2002) was designed specifically for treating PTSD and substance abuse. Therefore it is especially valuable for helping patients with multiple diagnoses. This therapeutic technique is a present-focused one so far as it helps patients to free themselves from the past traumatic experiences and enables them to practice in acquiring safety from trauma/PTSD and substance abuse. Being equally effective for single patients and groups of various backgrounds, Najavits’ methodology relies on the five principles. First, individuals with multiple disorders are stimulated to value safety as the main life goal in regard to relationships, thinking, behavior, and emotions. Second, they are guided into the integrated course of treatment, during which several dysfunctions are seen to at once. Third, individuals are helped in designing ideals to balance against the loss of ideals resulting in PTSD and substance abuse. Fourth, a range of exercises includes cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, case management practice. Finally, the method heavily relies on clinicians’ activities. How to cite Disorders, Papers

Teenage parenthood Essay Example For Students

Teenage parenthood Essay Marijuana (also spelled marihuana) is a psychoactive drug made from the dried leaves and flowering parts of the hemp plant. It is one of the most strictly classified illegal drugs in the United States. Under the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is listed as a Schedule I substance, which defines it as having â€Å"a high potential for abuse† and â€Å"no currently accepted medical use.† Marijuana is therefore classified more severely than cocaine and morphine, which as Schedule II drugs are also banned for general use, but can be prescribed by doctors. It is illegal to buy, sell, grow, or possess marijuana in the United States. Marijuana prohibition comprises a large part of the federal governments War on Drugs. Law enforcement officials made 600,000 marijuana-related arrests in 1996, and 800,000 in 1998-four out of five arrests being for possession alone. Under federal and state laws, many of which were strengthened in the 1980’s, people convicted of mar ijuana offenses face penalties ranging from probation to life imprisonment, plus fines and forfeiture of property. In addition to criminal justice efforts, the federal government, state government, and local communities spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on prevention programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), in which local police officers visit schools to teach young people to refrain from trying marijuana and other drugs. However, public controversy has been growing over the two assumptions-high abuse potential and no legitimate medical use-that underlie marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug. In turn, disputes over the abuse and medical potential have shaped differences of opinion over public policy. Many of those who question one or both of these assumptions about marijuana have advocated a full or partial relaxation of the governments blanket prohibition of the drug, while those who accept these assumptions generally are opposed to any full or partial legalization of marijuana. Supporters of marijuana’s continued prohibition argue that the drug is easily abused and can lead to numerous physical and psychological harms. Short-term health effects-according to the NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse)-of the drug listed in this paper include memory loss, distorted perception, problems with learning and coordination, an increased heart rate, and anxiety attacks. Long-term effects according to NIDA-include increased risk of lung cancer for chronic marijuana smokers and possible damage to the immune and reproductive systems.In addition, marijuana opponents argue that many users attain a psychological dependence on the â€Å"high† that marijuana can create. Such dependence can result in stunned emotional and social maturity as these users lose interest in school, job, and social activities. About 100,000 people each year resort to drug abuse treatment programs to end their marijuana addiction. Marijuana is also viewed by some commentators as a â₠¬Å"gateway† drug that can lead to the abuse of other dangerous and illegal substances, including cocaine and heroinOn the other hand, critics of U.S marijuana policy argue that the dangers of marijuana have been exaggerated. They contend that many, not most, users of marijuana suffer no lasting harm, do not move onto other drugs, ad do not become addicts. Some surveys on marijuana use in America have shown that nine out of ten people who have tried marijuana have since quit. Researchers working with rats have found that marijuana is a far less addictive substance for the animals than cocaine or heroin Pro-Legalization activist R. Keith Stroup summed up the views of many who oppose marijuana prohibition when he asserted before a committee that â€Å"moderate marijuana use is relatively harmless-far less harmless than that of either tobacco or alcohol.†Whether or not marijuana, as a Schedule I drug, truly has â€Å"no currently accepted medical use† is also a matte r of public controversy. In November 1996, voters in two states, California and Arizona, passed referenda that legalized marijuana for medical use (these developments and the actions of other states have no impact on marijuana’s status as an illegal Schedule I drug). Supporters of the California and Arizona initiatives maintain that marijuana is effective in alleviating the symptoms of medical conditions such as AIDS, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis. Anecdotal evidence of marijuana’s efficacy, advocates claim, comes from AIDS patients who have used marijuana to restore a appetite and cancer patients who have smoked it to combat nausea caused by chemotherapy treatments-often as a last resort when legally prescribed medicines failed. Those who contend that marijuana has useful medical purposes call for the government to at least reclassify the drug as a Schedule II substance that can be prescribed by doctors. As stated by Lester Grinspoon, a Harvard University psychiatr ist, marijuana’s continued prohibition as a Schedule I substance â€Å"is medically absurd, legally questionable, and morally wrong.†The California and Arizona referenda legalizing medical marijuana were strongly opposed by prominent federal government officials, including the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Barry McCaffrey, who criticized the measures as being â€Å"dishonest† and asserted that marijuana â€Å"is neither safe or effective† as medicine. Opponents argue that the very concept of medical marijuana is absurd because it is not, like most modern medicines, a synthesized chemical whose composition can be precisely manufactured and controlled. Instead, it is taken from a plant and consists of four hundred chemicals whose exact composition varies with each â€Å"dose†. Furthermore, they assert, marijuana’s claimed medical effectiveness by clinical trials. Marijuana’s psychoactive properties may make peo ple feel better, contends Robert L. Peterson, a former Michigan drug enforcement official, but that â€Å"does not make a drug a medicine.† Marijuana opponents maintain that better legal medical alternatives to marijuana exist-including Marinol, a pill available by a physicians prescription that contains THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana. An additional concern voiced by many is that legalizing marijuana for medical purposes would send the wrong message to America’s youth. â€Å"At a time when our nation is looking for solutions to the problem of teenage drug use,† asks Thomas A. Constantine, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, â€Å"how can we justify giving a stamp of approval to an illegal substance which has no legitimate medical use?†Whether or not marijuana’s possible medical advantages outweigh its potential harm is a central question in current debates about this controversial drug. This paper presents various opinions an d viewpoints of marijuana and its uses, as well as information on its history and genetic make-up. The marijuana, cannabis, or hemp plant is one of the oldest psychoactive plants known to mankind. There are three classifications or species of cannabis: Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis. The fiber has been used for cloth and paper and was the most important source of rope until the development of synthetic fibers. The seeds have been used as bird feed and sometimes as human food. The oil contained in the seeds was once used for lighting and soap and is now sometimes employed in the manufacture of varnish, linoleum, and artists’ paints. The chemical compound responsible for the intoxicating and medicinal effects are found mainly in a sticky golden resin exuded from the flowers on the female plants. The marijuana plant contains more than 460 known compounds of which more than 60 have the 21-carbon structure typical of cannabinoids. The only cannabinoid that is both highly psychoactive and present in large amounts, usually 1-5 % in weight, is (-)3,4-trans -delta-1-tetrahydrocannabinol, also know as delta-1-THC, delta-9-THC or simply THC.A few other tetrahydrocannabinols are about as potent as delta-9-THC but are present in only a few varieties of cannabis and in much smaller quantities. A native of central Asia, cannabis may have been cultivated as much as ten thousand years ago. It was certainly cultivated in China by 4000 B.C. and in Turkestan by 3000 B.C. It has long since been used as a medicine in China, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and India for malaria, constipation, rheumatic pins, â€Å"absent-mindedness†, and â€Å"female problems†, to quicken the mind, to induce sleep, dysentery and fevers. The medical use of cannabis was already in decline by 1890. The potency of cannabis preparations was to variant, and individual responses to orally ingested cannabis seemed erratic and unpredictable. Another reason for the neglect of research oh the analgesic properties of cannabis was that the greatly increased use of opiates after the invention of the hypodermic syringe in the 1850’s allowed soluble drugs to be injected for fast relief of pain; hemp products are insoluble in water and cannot be administered so easily by injection. Tow ard the end of the twentieth century, the development of synthetic drugs such as aspirin, chloral hydrate, and barbiturates, which are chemically more stable than cannabis indica and therefore more reliable, hastened the decline of cannabis as a medicine. But the new drugs had severe disadvantages. More than a thousand people died from aspirin-induced bleeding each year in the United States, and barbiturates are, of course, more dangerous. One may have expected physicians looking for a better analgesic to turn to cannabinoid substances, especially after 1940, when it became possible to study congeners (chemical relatives) of THC that might have more stable and specific effects. Business Ethics EssayBesides their direct responsibility to individual patients with respect to medical marijuana, physicians have another obligation that is social and ultimately political. Jerome P. Kaiser has identified it in his recent New England Journal of Medicine editorial entitled â€Å"Federal Foolishness and Marijuana.† He describes the governments policies on medical marijuana as â€Å"hypocritical† and predicts that physicians who â€Å"have the courage to challenge the continued prescription of marijuana for the sick† will eventually force the government to reach some sort of accommodation. That important task will inevitably fall to the younger generation of doctors, including present and future medical students. â€Å"Marijuana’s claimed healing power with regards to glaucoma, cancer, and pain relief have not been proven by scientific studies. Because of its damaging effects to the brain and lungs, marijuana should be considered a health hazard, not a medicine. The media should fully inform the public about the dangers of smoking marijuana.†-Dr. Paul Leithbert, substance abuse specialist. There has been more extensive research on marijuana over the past 40 years than on any other substance.Cannabinoids from a single marijuana cigarette deposit in the fatty tissue of the body (brain, testes, ovaries, etc.) and remain there for three to four weeks. Repeated use of the drug produces THC storage in these vital organs for months. By contrast, when alcohol is consumed it is metabolized in a few hours. Contrary to the arguments of its advocates, marijuana is physically and psychologically addictive. Additionally, when a user stops he experiences withdrawal symptoms. Also, myriads of psychological symptoms develop as use becomes chronic. When a joint is inhaled, over 2,000 noxious chemicals invade the lungs. Users typically â€Å"toke†, holding the smoke in their lungs to enhance the absorption of THC. This produces more rapid lung damage than smoking tobacco. Marijuana and tobacco share the same chemical compounds (except for the cannabinoids), but somehow cigarettes are deemed the more deadly, while pot is touted as a medical necessity. The high from pot has been described by its users as a euphoria, a pleasant, relaxed escape that causes one to become self-absorbed and to pay less attention to his surroundings. The anticipations of these sensations is the major reason for use. And with repeated use, one’s ability to think becomes dulled, concentration is more difficult, and pathological thinking develops. The ability to perform tasks-especially new ones-diminishes, the memory becomes impaired, the sense of time is altered, and an inertia or lack of motivation develops. In many users, an antimotivatio nal syndrome sets in. Chronic users often develop such problems as emotional instability, difficulty in absorbing and integrating new information, and decreased work performance. As the brain’s â€Å"pleasure center† becomes exhausted, users have difficulty in experiencing pleasure and often put forth less effort to socialize. Users go from a sense of suspiciousness to a full-blown paranoia-and, eventually, to total â€Å"burnout.†In spite of the documented side effects associated with marijuana use, it has nonetheless been promoted as useful in the treatment of an amazing variety of ailments. Unfortunately, the truth about marijuana’s effectiveness in treating physical maladies is completely overblown:? Glaucoma. Proponents claim pot smoking lowers the pressure in the eyes of glaucoma patients. A small pressure drop does occur in some patients when marijuana is used two to four hours around the clock. This would mean, of course, that the user would be constantly stoned. In man y users the pressure increases, however, and recent research indicates that marijuana users have a decreased circulation to the optic nerve-a serious problem. Also, there have been medications available for years that are as effective as marijuana and that have minimal side effects. ? Cancer. Marijuana is advocated to fight nausea in patients receiving intensive chemotherapy. But it is really no better than the many safer anti-nauseates available. Also marijuana has been found to damage the immune-system, which is important in fighting cancer and other serious ailments like AIDS, infection, etc. ? Pain. Marijuana is not an analgesic.For example, users frequently have toothaches which are not relieved with their marijuana smoking; they require the standard pain killers. Marijuana is not helpful in fighting other kinds of pain either. In short, all the â€Å"medical uses† for marijuana, including asthma, seizures, multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, etc., are really just excuses to get high. Some users may be under the delusion they are being helped, but marijuana users typically smoke for the THC while still taking the standard medications for their disease.Synthetic delta-9THC (Marinol) is available by prescription for some conditions and is effective.Marijuana users say they prefer the side effects from cannabis to the side effects of prescription drugs, however. In essence, then, rather than being a medicine, marijuana is a health hazard. Who would call a drug â€Å"recreational† if they realized that chronic use caused permanent brain damage? Marijuana use is never cited by proponents as a factor in high school dropout and failure rates, as well as the increase in promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases. Such is the case, however. Another area they ignore is the dramatic effect cannabis has on the ability for one to drive a car safely. Not only is the driver impaired in major ways while high, but for hours after the high wears off. Why are these important facts not better understood by the public? For more than 35 years the media have suppressed information on cannabis. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published an annual report on â€Å"Marijuana and Health† for many years-each issue cataloguing the increasing THC content of the weed and the dramatic research findings on damage to the users body. These report s have been ignored by the media, although all levels of media outlets were supplied with NIDA findings. In 1971 the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) was founded. It soon became a highly organized and influential body. There are 80,000 members in many larger cities. NORML conducts seminars to train lawyers in defending users and pushers when they are arrested. The hearings in state houses across the country are highly choreographed by these lawyers. They often call in NORML’s national advisors-Lester Grinspoon, MD and Thomas Ungerleider, MD-for the hearings. For many years these two psychiatrists have been major activists in the marijuana war. Dr. Grinspoon declares that marijuana is a â€Å"wonderful medicine† and finds it useful for almost everyday malady. Users who have major medical problems are featured witnesses at hearings. These patients declare that they would be dead except for their marijuana. The media (especially TV) featured these experts and patients, usually ignoring the testimony of legitimate medical experts. If marijuana is legalized there are billions of dollars to be made by the unscrupulous. Billionaire financier George Soros, who admits to having experimented with cannabis, gave a million dollars for the California and Arizona pro-pot initiatives. The FDA issues narcotic licenses to physicians. Under license guidelines, Schedule I substances â€Å" have no accepted medical use†¦and have a high abuse potential.† Included in this category are heroin, marijuana, and LSD. Any physicians, however, can receive marijuana for use in legitimate medical research. But marijuana users want free access to the drug. For the more, the Psychotropic Convention Treaty of 1971 classifies marijuana as Schedule I drug. The U.S. is on of the 74 nations that have accepted the treaty. A fascinating article, â€Å" The Return of Pot,† by Hannah Rueban, appeared in the February 17, 1997 issue if The New Republic. A visit by Reuban to San Francisco’s Cannabis Cultivators Club demonstrated the total absurdity of state-sanctioned use of marijuana. Reuban stated, â€Å" it’s as if the rotting of the late ‘60s San Francisco described by Joan Didion in Slouching Toward Bethlehem has been preserved in reverse; the characters are the same, but the center was holding.† Reuban recounted the lives of the burnt out beings that frequent the clubs and made it obvious that â€Å"medical marijuana† is the red herring that NORML plotted. The article should be must reading for state legislature facing the issue of legalizing â€Å"medical marijuana.†The views shared by many critics of marijuana is: Using marijuana for illness would be like prescribing moldy bread (containing penicillin) for phenomena or suggesting cigarette smoking for weight loss. Prescribing marijuana for any medical condition is totally irresponsible. Some doctors do and are either nave about the damage marijuana causes or perhaps are users themselves.