Reefer Madness
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The motion picture Reefer Madness, produced in 1936, posited effects of a single use of marijuana for recreational (or perhaps any) purposes as ranging from criminal and predatory sexual behavior to insanity. The film appears to have been created in complete seriousness, perhaps even earnestness--that is, without a comic-ironic style or intent. Today, however, most people would readily agree that Reefer Madness is strictly for laughs, a pop-culture artifact that, from the standpoint of both aesthetics and sophisticated research lacks verisimilitude or credibility in characterization, plot line, concept, or execution. As a work of art it is routinely characterized as a BOMB, or "the granddaddy of all 'Worst' movies" (Maltin, 2005). Reefer Madness did not dispose of warnings against marijuana's negative physical and mental effects on the human organism. As one commentator puts it: "Medical use of marijuana for persons with certain conditions is rarely discussed without some consideration of the social context" (Kane, 2001, p. 1162). Yet medical use of marijuana can be defended with reference to scientific research.Some studies have has demonstrated that marijuana is associated with certain kinds of cognitive impairment, particularly in so-called "heavy" users of cannabis (Hart, et al., 2001). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published mortality statistics showing a linkage between drug use and reported deaths. Drugs most commonly reported "singly," or not
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y, accompanied with drastic weight loss--unusual in any pregnancy. The first pregnancy culminated in a caesarean, which the mother would have preferred to avoid. The second pregnancy was marked by the woman's shift from a conventional obstetrician to a midwife, who intervened in the morning sickness issue with chiropractic, homeopathic remedies, and herbs, to minimal effect on the nausea. At 32 weeks and having lost 30 pounds over the course of the pregnancy, the mother was given a marijuana "joint" by a friend. Although hesitant at first owing to concerns about the possible effect of marijuana on the fetus, the mother--who had been unable to keep food down--tried the joint. She reported almost instantaneous relief and a return of appetite, a more stable balance of the pregnancy, and a third pregnancy that did not have the complications of the first two (Hildebrandt, 2004). Nor were there negative effects on the fetuses. It is important to recognize that Hildebrandt's report was not peer-reviewed, and despite abundant use of footnotes and evidence of her subsequent research into the subject, she is writing as a lay person, not a biomedical expert. Nevertheless, if her real-world experience is accurately described, it confirms evid
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Matsuyama Jarvik, Buyers' Cooperative, Grinspoon Bakalar, Reefer Madness, Human Services, Additionally Kane, Pharmaceuticals Ltd, May-June Medical, Foltin Fischman, McQuan HJ, medical marijuana, al 2001, morning sickness, kane 2001, bock 2000, et al, et al 2001, reefer madness, severe morning sickness, research studies, research subject, zimmer morgan 1997, supreme court, central nervous system, campbell et al,
Approximate Word count = 1787
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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