Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Medical Marijuana: Science vs. Ideology


            As a common topic of debate, the use of medical marijuana has regained significant momentum now that several states have legalized use of said drug. However, restrictions set forth by none other than Congress itself in the CSA (Controlled Substance Act) have made it extremely difficult for scientists to conduct bona fide research on the possible palliative properties of marijuana. Since there is a lack of evidence supporting the supposed healing properties of marijuana, Congress as well as the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) stated that Cannabis “has no value as a therapeutic agent.” (Cohen 654) Interestingly enough, Congress was quick to ban marijuana and refuses to allow research to be done which is ironic because they will not change their scheduling of this drug “until sound [evidence] and scientific studies support medical use of marijuana in the United States.” (Cohen 656) The main problem with this controversy is the lack of open-mindedness to conduct bona fide and unbiased research, which allows dated and irrational ideologies to fill the numerous gaps in the war between legalizing or banning the use of marijuana for medical and even recreational use.
            Another factor that plays a major role in the prolonging of any verdict is the public’s skewed understanding of marijuana. Records show that people around the world have used marijuana for thousands of years; even President Washington was familiar with marijuana. At the beginning of the 20th century, the topic of marijuana was slowly gaining more recognition and it wasn’t until 1970 that the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) was put into action. At the time, marijuana was viewed by the general population as a useless and dangerous drug due to it’s popularity of recreational use amongst a small part of the, now adult, baby boom generation. A myriad of stereotypes and excessive government propaganda helped to steer the reputation of marijuana in the negative direction.
            One thing that struck fear into the hearts of many was the accusation of marijuana not just being very addictive, but that it was a serious “gateway drug.” The justification for this claim, says the majority of Americans, is that since marijuana is a drug that is acquired through circles of people who may also use other illegal drugs (i.e. crystal meth, heroin, cocaine etc.), thus increasing the chances of a person being curious enough to try other, more addicting drugs. This logic weighed heavily against marijuana since, in fact, it was partially true. However,  “Some 4. 3 percent of Americans have been dependent on marijuana,” (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision. The same study found that the addiction rate of cocaine is 15 percent, while heroine comes in at an astonishing 24 percent.
            Of course many argue, “every drug is addictive” but they fail to realize that the drugs you can legally purchase over the counter and that are approved by the FDA can be more addicting than marijuana; this includes prescriptions. It couldn’t have been said any better than by the official drug abuse website of the NIH, which states that “More people die from overdoses of prescription opioids than from all other drugs combined, including heroin and cocaine.” Considering these shocking statistics, why does the government still refuse to allow research to be done on marijuana?
            Science has always been secondary when it comes to the public’s perception of anything that may harm us. Ideology has been the tip of the spear of misinterpretation mainly because everyone has their own opinion on the world around them. Unfortunately, we have become a society that tends to accept things as they are without investing time to strengthen our own opinions. As a result of this sheep-like mentality, hardly anyone was skeptical of Congress’ scheduling of marijuana. Although we are victims of having propaganda shoved down our throats, it makes it extremely difficult to differentiate between what is scientifically correct or ideologically correct. Congress takes advantage of this in order to pass lengthy and ineffective bills that no one bothers to read and justify.
            That being said, we were essentially brainwashed to believe that marijuana is a terrible drug along with crack, heroine, meth, etc. This leads to messy and unclear path that scientists take when trying to ask Congress for permission to do bona fide research on marijuana. For example, in the 1990’s, Dr. Donald Abrams, a physician and professor at the University of California, San Francisco was denied approval by both the DEA and NIDA to conduct research on the efficacy of medical marijuana. Again, in 2005, the DEA denied Lyle E. Craker, Ph.D., a license to grow medical marijuana for the purpose of studying whether its properties have potential to be considered medically beneficial. Instead of denying every scientists’ attempt at researching the drug, Congress, the DEA, and other health organizations need to look past the “anecdotal reports” (Cohen 655) and numerous hasty generalizations in order to allow unbiased research be done. It is unfair to not only the scientific community, but to society as a whole to be denied the right to know for certain whether or not marijuana is as harmful as the government wants us to believe.
            However, one must carefully take the views of Congress into consideration in order to paint a more accurate picture of this debate. We can safely assume that Congress is being stubborn about this topic because of how inconsistent the information surrounding marijuana is. Despite fears of the potential rampancy of the abuse of marijuana, if deemed acceptable by Congress, access to scientists and doctors should be granted in order to confirm or debunk the existing opinions of the government. It would make more sense to allow bona fide research to be done in order to put this awkward and drawn out argument to rest. As contradicting as the rulings of Congress may be, regarding marijuana and other drugs, it seems that little or no progress will be made any time soon to resolve the issue.
            With everything up in the air it seems that scientists, Congress, and our fellow Americans will never find a way to be on the same page. There is hope, but it is going to take relentless persistence and numerous compromises. I am looking forward to what the future holds in regards to the possible palliative uses of marijuana. I’m sure that anyone would rather know the true effects of marijuana, good or bad, rather than to be stumbling in the darkness of uncertainty. Many people subconsciously think that a solution could arise overnight, unfortunately, that is not the case. I want to trust that marijuana is, in fact, acceptable as treatment and even as a recreational activity, however, I will remain undecided until scientists have provided enough research to support these claims. Until then, America, marijuana enthusiasts, doctors, scholars, Congress, and myself included, wait for the final verdict. 

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Album of the Week - 1: "Allomaternal" by Stolas



    Stolas, an experimental/post-hardcore band from Las Vegas, Nevada, released their third project "Allomaternal" on November 7, 2014. Although at first glance (or listen, rather) it doesn't sound like their previous album "Living Creatures", it definitely stands alone as a unique and very intriguing composition. Trust me, you're in for a real treat. From soft melodies to the harsh and punchy vocals, you can really see how much Stolas has grown as a group since their last release. The first song (Allomaternal) pulls you in with it's soft and mesmerizing intro, which then throws you into a pit of awesome riffs, intense vocals, and gut wrenchingly amazing songs. Many listeners have complained that they "changed" from their groovy and spastic style seen on "Living Creatures", however, I disagree because although it's obvious who they got their inspiration from (A Lot Like Birds, The Fall Of Troy, Dance Gavin Dance, Hail The Sun etc.), they found a way to make this style their own which makes "Allomaternal" very pleasing to listen to from start to finish. The more I listen to this album, the more I fall in love with each and every song. Kudos to Stolas for writing another kick-ass masterpiece.

    Bellow is the stream of the entire album. Enjoy:


Saturday, December 6, 2014

The Death Of Communication

    Tonight I sat with my parents, aunt, great aunt, and grandparents to have some banana cake that my mom made. The cake was delicious, and so was the Martinelli, but it was so awkward. I feel like all I can so is listen when I'm in these situations. Maybe it's the fact that I've been conditioned to be used to everyone looking at their phones and talking about what's happening on their screens. 
    
    Granted not everyone falls under category, but nonetheless it's weird. What happened to talking to people face to face instead of screen to screen? What happened to going out on adventures with friends without having to post online about it? The best experiences are the ones that you can only tell as a story when you and all your friends get together; the ones not even the best technology can capture.

    Here is my two cents: try putting your phone down every once in a while and listen with your eyes, not just your ears; maybe you'll learn something that's more interesting than what your "friends" on Facebook are talking about. If curiosity killed the cat, technology killed genuine human interaction. 

Welcome, Internet People

    Hello everyone and welcome to The Suburban Post. This blog is intended to be a convenient funneling of all my social media outlets. Here you will find posts about my views on certain events happening around the world, photography, sketch comedy, gaming, music, tweets, poetry, writing, and much more! Hopefully in time I will find a consistent post pattern, but for now, I will be posting as often as a can about as many things as I can!

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