Marijuana is created from the dried leaves of the hemp plant. The name “marijuana” is derived from Mexican military slang for a prostitute or brothel. There are over 200 slang terms for marijuana in the popular vernacular. The most common names include: pot, grass, weed, hash, ganja, high grade, kaya and sinsemilla. The scientific name for marijuana is Cannabis.
Several drug types can be produced from the cannabis plant. The common types being herbal cannabis (produced from leaves and flowers of the plant), cannabis resin commonly referred to as hashish (a pressed secretion of the plant) and sensimilia – Spanish for without seeds (made from the unfertilized buds of the female plant.
Marijuana is said to be useful medicine for nausea, rheumatism and labor pains. Strong supporters of the drug believe it has significant value for those suffering from AIDS, glaucoma, cancer and epilepsy. In fact, several studies have been published that support and document this belief.The hemp plant which produces marijuana has a lot of other uses. When harvested, this plant can be used for clothing, sails and rope. It is a noteworthy fact that the two drafts of the United States Declaration of Independence were written on paper made from hemp.
The cannabis plant can grow in nearly any environment hence its growth in almost every part of the world. Marijuana was first used as a medicinal drug in 2737BC by Chinese emperor Shen Nung. The Emperor witnessed first hand, the drug effectiveness in treating the pains of rheumatism and gout.
Marijuana is the most common illegal drug used in the United States of America. After alcohol, it is the most popular recreational or mood altering drug used worldwide. In 1996, California became the first US State to legally allow medical marijuana for patients. In 2003, Canada became the 1st Country in the world to offer medical marijuana to pain suffering patients.
The use of Cannabis has been highly justified by many. In fact, popular icons such as artists and actors are known to be using or to have ever used the drug at some point. The irony is that most of these individuals are high achievers in their professions which could act as further proof to critics that marijuana is not that bad.According to Rastafarians, marijuana is the healing of the nations. It is usually attributed to have the ability to make the truth more clear. They also consider it as a way of being close to nature. Smoking marijuana symbolizes the burning of the corruption from the human heart – “the herb is the key to new understanding of the self, the universe and God. The vehicle to cosmic consciousness.”
The primary active ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta 9 tetrhydrocannabinol). The THC ingredient in marijuana acts on cannabinoid receptors on our nerve cells and influences the activity of these cells. Many of these receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception and co-ordinated movement.
Marijuana also increases the heart beat by 20 to 50 beats per minute within a few minutes of smoking it. The risk involved is a major heart attack. Moreover, the marijuana smoke has more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke and since smokers inhale deeper and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers, their lungs are more exposed to the harmful properties of the smoke.
Smokers of marijuana have a high risk of cancer than tobacco smokers. The marijuana smoke contains 3 times the amount of tar found in tobacco smoke and 50 percent more carcinogens.
Inspite of all the facts that point to the harmful effects of marijuana, most of the findings and assumptions are not full proof. Research into the marijuana menace has not been utterly conclusive though some of it has borne some undeniable concerns. However, the ultimate bottom line is that marijuana is a drug that can both harm as well as cure its consumer.
LIVE LIFE SATISFACTORILY
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Fear
Fear is an emotion that exists in every form of life. Insects, animals and even humans exhibit fear in specific conditions, circumstances or instances. Fear has been a major area of concern in religion, science and even history, whereby scholars seek to understand, justify and even provide a remedy to this emotion.
Fear can be an adaptive response. It prepares our bodies to flee danger, fear of real or imagined enemies binds people together, and fear of injury protects us from harm. Fear of retaliation constrains us from harming one another. People can be afraid of almost anything.
Psychologists, through their extensive study of learning, have come to the fascinating conclusion that we can learn to fear almost anything. Through conditioning the short list of naturally painful and frightening events can rise into a long list of possible human fears.
Fears can also arise through observation i.e. learning by observation. This means that the fears of our parents and friends can be transformed into our own fears.
Recent studies show that fear is hereditary. We humans are quick to learn and slowly unlearn to fear wild animals and natural phenomena- fears that probably helped our ancestors survive. We are less predisposed to fear cars, electricity and bombs, which in modern society are far more dangerous
( Lumsden & Wilson, 1983; Mc Nally, 1987 )
Some biological predisposed fears develop with little or no learning- Most people are horrified the first time they see a corpse or a mutilated human body.
Some people’s fears of specific things, such as heights, are greater than others. When fears of certain things or events surpass a certain level, they are referred to as phobias.
People who tend to thrive on risk make common and naturally occurring fears seem like child play. These individuals express no fear in the face of terrifying or blood curdling situations, occurrences or things. Instead, they manage to keep their cool. Astronauts, adventurers, con artists and killers are classic examples of fearless characters.
Experience could help shape fearlessness or fearfulness but so do our genes.
Fear is natural .It is also human to fear. Your fear could be your source of courage, but it could also be your worst nightmare. We should face our fears, embrace them and learn to live with them. Most importantly we should never give in to them instead we should strive to control them. After all, fear is a human emotion which should be treated as part of the biological composition that makes one a living being.
NOTES
1. “afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other,” observed Ralph Waldo Emerson.
2. Dogs learn to fear neutral stimuli that have been associated with shock, infants can be conditioned to fear furry objects that are associated with frightening noises, and adults can become terrified of incidental stimuli linked with traumatic experience such as rape.
3. The Minnesota study of separated identical twins found that one twin’s level of fearfulness was similar to the others. ( Lykken, 1982)
4. “He who fears all snares falls into none.” Publilius Syrus, Sententiae, 43 B.C.
Fear can be an adaptive response. It prepares our bodies to flee danger, fear of real or imagined enemies binds people together, and fear of injury protects us from harm. Fear of retaliation constrains us from harming one another. People can be afraid of almost anything.
Psychologists, through their extensive study of learning, have come to the fascinating conclusion that we can learn to fear almost anything. Through conditioning the short list of naturally painful and frightening events can rise into a long list of possible human fears.
Fears can also arise through observation i.e. learning by observation. This means that the fears of our parents and friends can be transformed into our own fears.
Recent studies show that fear is hereditary. We humans are quick to learn and slowly unlearn to fear wild animals and natural phenomena- fears that probably helped our ancestors survive. We are less predisposed to fear cars, electricity and bombs, which in modern society are far more dangerous
( Lumsden & Wilson, 1983; Mc Nally, 1987 )
Some biological predisposed fears develop with little or no learning- Most people are horrified the first time they see a corpse or a mutilated human body.
Some people’s fears of specific things, such as heights, are greater than others. When fears of certain things or events surpass a certain level, they are referred to as phobias.
People who tend to thrive on risk make common and naturally occurring fears seem like child play. These individuals express no fear in the face of terrifying or blood curdling situations, occurrences or things. Instead, they manage to keep their cool. Astronauts, adventurers, con artists and killers are classic examples of fearless characters.
Experience could help shape fearlessness or fearfulness but so do our genes.
Fear is natural .It is also human to fear. Your fear could be your source of courage, but it could also be your worst nightmare. We should face our fears, embrace them and learn to live with them. Most importantly we should never give in to them instead we should strive to control them. After all, fear is a human emotion which should be treated as part of the biological composition that makes one a living being.
NOTES
1. “afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other,” observed Ralph Waldo Emerson.
2. Dogs learn to fear neutral stimuli that have been associated with shock, infants can be conditioned to fear furry objects that are associated with frightening noises, and adults can become terrified of incidental stimuli linked with traumatic experience such as rape.
3. The Minnesota study of separated identical twins found that one twin’s level of fearfulness was similar to the others. ( Lykken, 1982)
4. “He who fears all snares falls into none.” Publilius Syrus, Sententiae, 43 B.C.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
What kind of thinker are you?
Thinking is a mental process that goes on in our minds. Not only can our mind be credited for most of the body processes but most importantly it is also responsible for thinking. Thinking is invisible and most of the time unconscious. It is through a person’s decisions and actions that we get the by product of their thoughts. We all think differently hence our varying approaches towards similar problems. Scholars have classified thinkers into five classes: Synthesists, idealists, pragmatists, analysts and realists.
Synthesists are the kind of thinkers that are considered weirdoes. They seem like mental cases for their theories and philosophies. They like theorizing. These kind of people have different ways of looking at the truth and are ardent debators. They view arguments as fun.
Idealists are sort of perfectionists. They are good listeners and prize morality and integrity dearly. They do what is good for others and disapprove of themselves for failing to meet their own high expectations. They are usually concerned about the future and their plans and goals are usually based on the future.
Pragmatists are the kind of guys that are often referred to as
‘happy go luckies ’. These individuals have a positive and lively view of life. They take a day at a time and avoid the “unnecessary” baggage of having to plan. These are great compromisers and are flexible enough to adapt to any situation. They are spontaneous and are "look on the bright side kind of guys". Pragmatists can handle tasks that appear otherwise impossible provided they don’t face any negative criticism.
Analysts are somewhat conservative. They are the kind of guys that attribute reason behind every action. They only see one way of doing things and usually abandon their fixation on an idea in the face of the next best thing. Analysts are concrete thinkers who hate praise. In fact they like to think about things and for them efficiency equals competence- the kind of guys who never leave their accounts unbalanced.
Realists see themselves as being realistic. They believe what they see and work with stone cold facts. Compromise, synthesis, idealism or soft ways of dealing with the world don’t auger well with them. Planning is not their strong suit and they sort of dive into things without pre-consideration.
Learning of the different kinds of thinkers goes a long way in helping us deal with them. Since synthesists view arguments as fun, it would be wise to indulge them but not to loose your grip on the real world. Try taking no offense at the tendency of idealists to expect much from you. Do not plan ahead or strategise about the future with pragmatists and take no mind when an analyst thoroughly scrutinizes your ideas. Last but not least, always have your facts when standing up against a realist.
Whatever thinker you are, you are no less than the others. However, it’s good to determine your category and seek out activities or careers and interests in line with your kind of thinking. What’s more, it doesn’t hurt to try other thinking trends, it could prove to be a worthy experience.
Synthesists are the kind of thinkers that are considered weirdoes. They seem like mental cases for their theories and philosophies. They like theorizing. These kind of people have different ways of looking at the truth and are ardent debators. They view arguments as fun.
Idealists are sort of perfectionists. They are good listeners and prize morality and integrity dearly. They do what is good for others and disapprove of themselves for failing to meet their own high expectations. They are usually concerned about the future and their plans and goals are usually based on the future.
Pragmatists are the kind of guys that are often referred to as
‘happy go luckies ’. These individuals have a positive and lively view of life. They take a day at a time and avoid the “unnecessary” baggage of having to plan. These are great compromisers and are flexible enough to adapt to any situation. They are spontaneous and are "look on the bright side kind of guys". Pragmatists can handle tasks that appear otherwise impossible provided they don’t face any negative criticism.
Analysts are somewhat conservative. They are the kind of guys that attribute reason behind every action. They only see one way of doing things and usually abandon their fixation on an idea in the face of the next best thing. Analysts are concrete thinkers who hate praise. In fact they like to think about things and for them efficiency equals competence- the kind of guys who never leave their accounts unbalanced.
Realists see themselves as being realistic. They believe what they see and work with stone cold facts. Compromise, synthesis, idealism or soft ways of dealing with the world don’t auger well with them. Planning is not their strong suit and they sort of dive into things without pre-consideration.
Learning of the different kinds of thinkers goes a long way in helping us deal with them. Since synthesists view arguments as fun, it would be wise to indulge them but not to loose your grip on the real world. Try taking no offense at the tendency of idealists to expect much from you. Do not plan ahead or strategise about the future with pragmatists and take no mind when an analyst thoroughly scrutinizes your ideas. Last but not least, always have your facts when standing up against a realist.
Whatever thinker you are, you are no less than the others. However, it’s good to determine your category and seek out activities or careers and interests in line with your kind of thinking. What’s more, it doesn’t hurt to try other thinking trends, it could prove to be a worthy experience.
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