Marijuana: Opponent's Factual Brief
OPPONENT'S BRIEF
Factual Proposition: Consuming marijuana is detrimental to one's health.
Definition of key terms:
1. Consumption= Smoking or eating marijuana. 2. Marijuana= Psychoactive mind
altering substance, also known as cannabis. 3. Detrimental= Serious harm.
Primary Inference:
Smoking or eating marijuana is likely to create serious health problems
for most individual users or society.
Overview:
Since the 1920's supporters of marijuana prohibition have exaggerated the
drugs dangers. Many of the “reefer madness” tales that were used to bring
support for early anti- marijuana laws , continue to appear in reports today.
The most important studies of recent times ...
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all the reports that are published there are perhaps, random studies
which may indicate greater toxicity of the drug. But in all of these cases, the
research was flawed or inaccurate since the findings cannot be duplicated by
other scientists.
Contention I: Marijuana does not damage brain cells.
A. Claim: Use of marijuana does not cause memory loss.
1. Grounds: In a recent study rhesus monkeys were exposed to the
equivalent of 4-5 joints per day for an entire year without any alteration of
hippocampal architecture.(2) Slikker, W. et al,” Behavioral, Neurochemical, and
Neurohistological Effects of chronic Marijuana Smoke Exposure in the Nonhuman
Primate,”pp219-74 in l. Murphy and A. Bartke (eds), Marijuana Neurobiology and
Neurophysiology, Boca Raton: CRC press(1992)
2. Warrant: Alteration in hippocampal structure results in memory loss.
3. Backing: A study reports “ Any alteration of the hippo campus, a
cortical brain region, results in negative consequences for ...
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In comparing chronic marijuana
users with non-users, there are no significant differences in learning, memory
recall, and other attention functions.”(6) Page, J.B., “Psychosociocultural
Perspectives on Chronic Cannabis Use: The Costa Rican Follow Up,”Journal of
Psychoactive Drugs 20: pp 57 (1988)
Contention II: Marijuana does not impair immune system functioning.
Claim A: Using marijuana stimulates the immune system.
1. Grounds : In the last two years THC (the active drug in
Marijuana)has been discovered as a “ Peripheral cannabinoid receptor associated
with lymphatic tissue proving as a effective immune system stimulant”(7) Lynn,
A.b. and Herkenham, M., “Localization of cannabinoid ...
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Marijuana: Opponent's Factual Brief. (2006, June 25). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Marijuana-Opponents-Factual-Brief/48138
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"Marijuana: Opponent's Factual Brief." Essayworld.com. June 25, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Marijuana-Opponents-Factual-Brief/48138.
"Marijuana: Opponent's Factual Brief." Essayworld.com. June 25, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Marijuana-Opponents-Factual-Brief/48138.
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