Free Essay: The Use of Marijuana to Reduce Mentor Illness in Maryland

Some of the other related mental diseases that can be reduced using marijuana in the state of Maryland include:

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- Bipolar Patients

- HIV

- Post traumatic stress disorder

- Social and Economic Benefits of Using Marijuana to Treat Mental Illness

- Reduced depression and stress in the citizens of Maryland

- High productivity in the economic sector due to a health working state of Maryland

For many years marijuana been used internationally for different purposes. Marijuana is a drug that when used properly, can be of great use economically, for health and in reducing the rate of crime. Marijuana has been abused predominantly by the youth who have wrongfully misused the drug for their own pleasures. In most countries, the use of marijuana is not allowed by the state including the state of Maryland. One of the prime reasons why the use of marijuana has been illegalized by state authorities is that most people use the drug in ways that may cause harm to the body. Too much overuse of marijuana can lead to unprecedented addiction and this may affect the individual as well. The youth who engage in such vices always find themselves at loggerheads with the law. In the United States of America, most states do not embrace the idea of legalizing marijuana and it is common belief that any acceptance to the use of marijuana may cause individuals to stop performing their duties. However, for those who control the marijuana market, the sale and distribution of marijuana is a means of living. The money from the drug circulates into the market strengthening the economy. Scientific research that has been conducted shows that the use of marijuana can effectively control suicide attempts by individuals. If a depressed individual takes a considerable amount of marijuana, he is likely to abstain from criminal activities; hence it reduces the rate of crime. In addition to this, concerning health, the use of marijuana has proven to cure some diseases like bipolar disorder in patients. Various tests including pilot tests have been conducted to prove the truth behind these phenomena and surprisingly most of the results are positive. They attest to the fact that the use of marijuana can surely aid in the recovery of individuals suffering from mental illness in hospitals. The research proposal will indicate some factors that could be useful in enabling the legalization of marijuana in the state of Maryland.

Body

Research/ Studies on Marijuana in the State of Maryland

The potential medicinal properties of marijuana have been the subject of research in the State of Maryland. According to Kilmer and Waggnaar (2014), the medical fraternity in Maryland state has conducted several studies on marijuana over the past years.

There is the existence of an active ingredient,

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -provide pain relief and other medical benefits to patients.

Cannabidiol (CBD) it impacts the brain.

Mental illness

A health condition that is characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior and is associated with distress or impaired functioning. THC and CBD help to reduce

anxiety,

depression,

lack of appetite,

nausea and

Insomnia in individuals

Mental disorder is closely linked to suicide and suicide is the 16th leading cause of death in Maryland and according to the CDC, accounts for 10.15 to 11.23 percent of deaths per 100,000 people.Marijuana has been reported to positively affect those who suffer from psychotic disorders that can cause suicidal ideations. Legalizing Marijuana can aid in solving mental health problems that have plagued Maryland residents and can reduce suicide rates.

CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Mental illness can be caused through a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Some of these factors have diverse effects on the residents of Maryland in particular since Maryland is the area of study. Some of the causes of mental illness include anxiety, depression, paranoia, poor nutrition, trauma, and abuse. Studies have also shown the link between mental illness and major psychiatric disorders including autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder. Life threatening diseases such as HIV, cancer, and epilepsy may lead to stress on an individual which if no treated may eventually lead to mental illness.

EFFECTS OF MENTAL ILLNESS ON PERFOMANCE

The increasing number of ailments caused by mental illness is proof that it has negative effects on individuals of Maryland as a whole. This is because in the recent years the state of Maryland has economically lowered down due to most attention being directed at those who are mentally ill. Mental illness has various effects on people and the society as a whole. These effects include the following:

Reduced productivity of an individual. A mentally ill person is normally unmotivated to work due to depression and stress, and the inability of such a person to be able to concentrate. In severe cases, such individuals are considered unfit to work and hence have to become dependent on the help they receive. Mental illness can affect the physical health of an individual. Mentally ill people can suffer from either reduced appetites or unhealthy eating habits. Both of these conditions will eventually affect the individual.

Reduced appetite can lead to diseases caused by lack of sufficient nutrients while unhealthy eating can lead to heart diseases or other deadly medical conditions. Depression and anxiety negatively affects peoples ability to engage in health promoting behaviors.

Mental illness can lead to suicide. Previous research has shown that most mentally ill patients consider suicide due to the stigma they face. If left unmonitored such patients can end their lives due to something that can be prevented and even treated. While United States records over 29 000-suicide deaths annually, 5000 of the suicide cases have been attributed to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Thirteen percent of individuals who suffer from schizophrenia and fifteen per cent of those suffering bipolar disorder commit suicide in the United States. Further research by Woo and Keatinge (2008) reiterated that individuals who suffer from mental illness are 12 times more likely to commit suicide than individuals who are healthy. If left unmonitored such patients can end their lives due to something that can be prevented and even treated.

Stigma and discrimination by society. One of the triggers of suicide cases among patients with mental disorders has been social stigma and negative views of community members. Individuals suffering from mental illness face discrimination from every sphere of their lives. While research indicates that majority of individuals who experience mental illness recovers, they continue to face stigma at their workplace and families. Some of the challenges that have associated with mental disorder include difficulty to work opportunity, difficulty to develop and maintain stable relationship and challenge of being included in the mainstream society.

USES OF MARIJUANA TO REDUCE MENTAL ILLNESS

Research done in Maryland has shown that marijuana can be administered to individuals to reduce depression, anxiety, and pain, which are the root causes of mental illness. Marijuana can be used to reduce the chances of other related diseases leading to mental illness in the following ways:

Bipolar Patients

Hofstra North Shore School of Medicine recently (May 2012) conducted a study on bipolar patients with a history of marijuana use versus those with the disorder but have never used marijuana in Maryland. The results showed that those patients with a history of marijuana use showed significantly better neuron cognitive performance particularly on measure of attention, processing speed, and working memory. Lester Grinspoon, a highly respected Harvard University Associate Professor of Psychiatry, conducted a research which showed that a significant number of bipolar patients find marijuana useful in the treatment of their disorder (Gruger, 2012). It has helped to treat mania and depression in these patients.

HIV

THC pills have been used in HIV patients to stimulate the appetite of HIV patients. By eating normally, the patients are able to leave a normal healthy life. This therefore reduces the chances that the person will be subjected to social trauma due to his condition as they are able to carry out duties just like normal people marijuana can also be used to reduce pain and muscle spasticity in these patients.

Post traumatic stress disorder

The PTSD cases are also on the increase in the state of Maryland. According to Figley (2012), more than 10% of the people living in Maryland suffer from PTSD due to the hard circumstances of life. Examples of such people include those who go through divorce and those who find out they are infected with HIV/AIDS. When people with PTSD take marijuana it helps to reduce their anxiety as it helps the body to regulate the system that causes fear and anxiety in the brain.

Social and Economic Benefits of Using Marijuana to Treat Mental Illness as observed from the Maryland Studies

Maryland is bound to accrue many benefits from embracing the use of marijuana to treat mental illness. First, the state will accrue economic benefits from increased productivity. Reduced depression and stress level means that people will be able to carry out their duties as expected. Reducing the number of people who are not working due to mental illness also increases the work force available to work in Maryland. Medical expenses used on mental illness patients will also decrease tremendously with the use of marijuana. Cases of depression and anxiety can be treated as soon as they are detected preventing them from becoming severe or even fatal.

According to a study by First and Tasman (2011) the effective use of marijuana for treatment of depression and related mood disorders resulted to significant decrease of suicidal cases among mental illness patients. According to the findings, the legalization of the marijuana use resulted to a 5 % decreases in the rate of total suicide cases and 11 % reduction for suicide cases among men between ages of 20 -29. On one hand, the reduction has been attributed to effective role of medical marijuana in the reduction of alcohol consumption among patients. Therefore, the use of marijuana for medical purpose will not only lead to therapy of mental disorder but also further enhance the management of related complications. An additional use of marijuana as curative measure for mental illness pertains to its inexpensive nature. Compared to the use of conventional medication for psychiatric disorders, marijuana is relatively cheap and easily accessible in states where it has been legalized for medical purposes. As consequence of recommending marijuana for medical therapy, patients from less affluent household will have access to medical marijuana at compared to conventional remedies

CONCLUSION

Even though support for medicinal marijuana has grown over the years, patients in Maryland are vulnerable to the federal laws that still ban the use of marijuana. The prohibition of mariju...