Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Concept Paper
The Concept of Marijuana as Medicine
By Doug Holder
Marijuana is usually associated as a recreational drug. But this drug, often referred to as "grass,"weed," etc... has some other uses as well. It has medicinal uses that treat the eye disease glaucoma, and has uses with cancer patients. It is no wonder that marijuana has been legalized in many states, and is dispensed in specialized clinics.
One medicinal use of marijuana is for the treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in adult populations. According to Dr. Joe Smith, in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine titled "Marijuana and Eye Disease," he states: "Because of increased eye pressure, left untreated, the eye will become damaged, and eventually it will lead to blindness."(242). According to Smith the use of medical marijuana reduces eye pressure to levels that are acceptable and will not cause damage. (24).
Medicinal marijuana can also be used in the treatment of cancer. Often cancer patients have painful side effects from their treatment with chemotherapy. Marijuana is shown to reduce those side effects drastically. In one study titled "Cancer and Cannabis," conducted by Mike Brown for the Mayo Clinic News Bulletin, he reports: "Patient side effects were reduced 70 per cent with treatment with Cannabis" (212).
In conclusion, instead of thinking of marijuana in the realm of blank-faced stoners, think of it in the realm of approved and effective medical treatment.
By Doug Holder
Marijuana is usually associated as a recreational drug. But this drug, often referred to as "grass,"weed," etc... has some other uses as well. It has medicinal uses that treat the eye disease glaucoma, and has uses with cancer patients. It is no wonder that marijuana has been legalized in many states, and is dispensed in specialized clinics.
One medicinal use of marijuana is for the treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in adult populations. According to Dr. Joe Smith, in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine titled "Marijuana and Eye Disease," he states: "Because of increased eye pressure, left untreated, the eye will become damaged, and eventually it will lead to blindness."(242). According to Smith the use of medical marijuana reduces eye pressure to levels that are acceptable and will not cause damage. (24).
Medicinal marijuana can also be used in the treatment of cancer. Often cancer patients have painful side effects from their treatment with chemotherapy. Marijuana is shown to reduce those side effects drastically. In one study titled "Cancer and Cannabis," conducted by Mike Brown for the Mayo Clinic News Bulletin, he reports: "Patient side effects were reduced 70 per cent with treatment with Cannabis" (212).
In conclusion, instead of thinking of marijuana in the realm of blank-faced stoners, think of it in the realm of approved and effective medical treatment.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
The Comforts of Visiting a Funeral Home
By Doug Holder
In the essay by Brian Cable, "The Last Stop," Cable undergoes a transformation. When he entered the Goodbody Funeral Home, he had the stereotypical idea of what it would be like: dark, gloomy and depressing. But the funeral director showed him that being in a mortuary is supposed to be more comforting than unwelcoming.
Mr. Deaver, the undertaker at Goodbody Funeral Home, was a key player in Cable’s transformation. Cable found him comforting and easy to talk to. Instead of engaging in some morbid talk, Deaver, according to Cable, talked like any man or woman doing business. Cable stated: “His tone was that of a broker conferring about the Dow Jones.” (page) So death was business as usual, and all too common.
Even the décor of the funeral home was comforting. Cable reflected: “The lobby looked more or less like an old hotel… but it had a homey, lived-in look.” (page) Certainly this was the opposite of what Cable probably expected to see.
In conclusion, Brian Cable underwent a profound transformation. He found, much to his surprise, that a funeral home can be a comforting place. And indeed, so did I.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)