Weed Is Great Essays - Cannabis Smoking, Entheogens,

Weed Is Great Marijuana Marijuana originated in the middle east (Taiwan, Korea). China plays an important part in Marijuana's history. Hoatho, the first chinese physician to use Cannabis for medical purposes as a painkiller and anesthetic for surgery. In the Ninth Century B.C., it was used as an incense by the Assyrians Herbal, a Chinese book of medicine from the second Century B.C., was first to describe it in print. It was used as an anesthetic 5,000 years ago in ancient china. Many (*) ancient cultures such as the persians, Greeks, East Indians, Romans, and the Assyrians for many things. These were what they used it for: the control of muscle spasms, reduction of pain, and for indegestion. Imagine that if they still practiced this, instead of taking an Alka Seltzer after you had mom's Chili or Tacos, you might be sitting in the living room on the LAY-Z Boy, smoking a joint or however they would take it. The folk medicine of Africa and Asia have used it as an herbal preparation. A mythical and legendary pharmacist and emperor Shen Nung thought using it as a seditive was all right. In 2,700 B.C. that same mythical emperor said it helped female weakness, gout, rheumatism, malaria, beri-beri (?), contipation, and absentmindedness. In 1979 (A.D.) Carlton E. Turner visited China and found marijuana was not in use in formal medical places. J. D. P. Graham of the Welsh National School of Medicine wrote, One not need take to seriously the anecdotal use of it's use for many purposes in China or by the Hindus in the pre-Christian Millennia ...and by the Arabs! In 1890 in England's Lancet said cannabis extract was good for neuralgia, fits, migraine and psychosomatic disorders but not for rheumatic conditions. It is not easy to tell the dosage because of the variations in potency and the irregularity in absorbtion. The time delay before the onset of the possible effects of marijuana lowered it's popularity as a medicine as did the introduction of a variety of new and better medicines like aspirin, morpheine (habit forming), chloral, barbituates tranquilizers, and when it got on the list of drugs thought by the world community to require legal restrictions. Our first President, George Washington, grew cannabis on his plantation. The cannabis he grew was more fibrous and is better known as hemp. Hemp was used to make rope, twine, paper and canvas (the word canvas comes from Cannabis) and was an important crop in the american colonies. In Jamestown, Virginia it was grown for it's fiber qualities in 1611. (Snyder, 1985) The U.S. Pharmacopeia had it listed as a useful medicine from the year 1870 to 1941. A Pharmacopeia is a book of directions and requirements for the preparations of medicines, generally published by an authority; a collection or stock of drugs. This tells us the U.S. Pharmacopeia was an authority on the use of drugs for medical purposes, and said that the use of marijuana for said purposes was helpful. The U.S. Pharmacopeia last listed cannabis (the dried flower tops of the pistillate plants of cannabis sativa) in 1936.(Lovinge,1985,p434) That years epitome of the pharmacopeia and the national formula described the drug for physicians thus:a narcotic poison, producing a mild delirium. Used in sedative mixtures but of doubtful value. Also employed to color corn remedies. The next pharmacopeia released in 1942 (I gather they were relaesed every six years) did not have cannabis sativa in it. The 1937 U.S. dispensatory said:Cannabis is used in medicine to relieve pain, encourage sleep, and to soothe restlessness. We have very little definite knowledge of the effects of therapeutic quantities, but in some persons it appears to produce a euphoria and will often relieve migrainic headaches. One of the great hindrances to the wider use of this drug is the great variability and the potency of different samples of Cannabis which renders it impossible to approximate the proper dose of any individual smaple except by clinical trial. Because of occasional unpleasant symptoms from unusually potent preparations, physicians have generally been overcaustious in the quantities administered. The only way of determining the dose of an individual preparation is to give it in ascending quantities until some effect is produced. (The Book suggested using a fluid extract - powdered cannabis in solution, 4/5 alcohol - three times a day, starting with two or three minims.)(Lovinge,1985,p434) Extracts, tinctures, and herbal packages of cannabis manufactured by many drug companies, was available in any pharmacy until 1941 when The two main professional directories of drugs in the United States dropped it.(Snnyder 1985,p38) It is still used as a medicine

Descartes Essays (1492 words) - Ren Descartes, Free Essays

Descartes Essays (1492 words) - Ren Descartes, Free Essays Descartes Descartes Meditations Descartes Cogito Ergo Sum (I am, I exist) argument is a complex one. In many ways, he constructs a convincing argument for the existence of the self, and for the process of the thinking being, the essence of that self. In this meditation on his philosophy, Descartes on numerous attempts tries to convince both the readers, as well as himself, of his theory that we must reject all of our present ideas and beliefs and start from nothing. He believes that the only thing that has any certainty at this point is his own existence as a thinking being. Everything else, which he has learned throughout his entire life and believed in, is to be thrown out because it is not known clearly and distinctly. Descartes method and theory on knowledge was well planned and carefully thought out. It is evident that he spent a great deal of time determining the principles that he would use as determinants for judging whether a specific idea was justified and true. In my opinion, there are some flaws contained in Descartes argument. Among these flaws are Descartes apparent determination to prove his theory on his individual existence in the world and the existence of G-d to backup and prove himself and his theories. At the beginning of meditation two, Descartes is stuck in the middle of nothingness. He has nothing, nothing to believe in and everything around him he regards as false. This is because he cannot believe what he has learned and he is also unable to trust his senses due to the fact that they deceive him. He feels like he is drowning in a whirlpool and cannot reach the top and get out nor can he put his feet on the bottom and stand. Everything in the world at this point he has called into doubt, including himself. Everything that he has ever seen, learned or thought is now external from what he deems to be true and he is beginning his knowledge from non-existence. Descartes although is certain of one thing, nothing (but to be certain of nothing is still to be certain of something?). Descartes is a rational thinker and he rationalizes through his studies that nothing in the world is known. He decided to re-start his belief process and call everything he has ever believed in, into doubt. He is debating complex ideas in his head, changing his mind and objectively making decisions, so his existence in a world has to be a certainty. The fact that he is having these thoughts, whether right or wrong proves mental capacity. Descartes then states with certainty Cogito ergo sum (I am, I exist). This is the first accurate idea that Descartes knows with any conviction, he knows that he is a thinking being. Descartes still does not know what he is, he says but what then am I? A thing that thinks. What is that? A thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, and that also imagines and senses. He is aware of his mental capacity and knows he thinks, deliberates and makes decisions, but he still rejects his body and his senses. O ne major flaw found in Descartes argument is that while critically examining, and then rejecting, mostly everything in the world around him, he maintained that he could prove the existence of G-d, beyond a shadow of a doubt. For thousands of years, people have been trying to prove G-ds existence but he has yet to be successful. It seems to me that Descartes showed a display of arrogance in supposing that he could devise a method of proving the existence of G-d, doing so without a great deal of difficulty. At one point in his discourse on method, Descartes sets out a code of morals, which he plans to abide by. Descartes states that he plans to obey the laws and the customs of my country, constantly holding on to the religion in which, by G-ds grace, I had been instructed from my childhood . It is quite apparent from this passage, that Descartes had accepted and embraced the idea of G-d long before he even began to question it. With this pre-judgement of

English 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

English 101 - Essay Example I simply explore the library and discover the myriad books, magazines, papers, and documents that I would never have known existed. I find one at random, locate a quiet corner, and spend some time getting acquainted with my new discovery. I have encountered 200-year-old books that were written about the history of the local area. I have also found magazines from the late 1800s that I always find interesting. One particular magazine was a late 1800s Science magazine that had an article that was written by Charles Darwin, the father of the Theory of Evolution. Wherever I look, the books that I accidentally discover always pleasantly surprise my curiosity. While I enjoy simply visiting the library, it is also an excellent place to study. I not only have a well-lit and quiet area to work, I have the entire library available to answer any questions I have, or provide the reference material I may need. I often consider the library my second home away from

The Luxury Passenger Carrier Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Luxury Passenger Carrier - Case Study Example The company has decided to raise the average fare to $ 205. If the tax rate is 30 percent, how many passengers per month are needed to generate an after-tax profit of $ 750,000? Â  f. (Use original data). Springfield Express is considering offering a discounted fare of $ 120, which the company believes would increase the load factor to 80 percent. Only the additional seats would be sold at the discounted fare. Additional monthly advertising cost would be $ 180,000. How much pre-tax income would the discounted fare provide Springfield Express if the company has 50 passenger train cars per day, 30 days per month? Â  g. Springfield Express has an opportunity to obtain a new route that would be traveled 20 times per month. The company believes it can sell seats at $ 175 on the route, but the load factor would be only 60 percent. Fixed cost would increase by $ 250,000 per month for additional personnel, additional passenger train cars, maintenance, and so on. Variable cost per passenger would remain at $ 70. Â  Springfield Express should be sure that its forecasts are correct.

Portfolio Analysis Essay Example for Free

Portfolio Analysis Essay ABSTRACT This paper discusses the portfolio analysis. The paper includes a brief discussion on the meaning of the portfolio and why it is important for an investor to consider portfolio. It   also explains how an investor would select a particular asset to be a part of his portfolio. The limitations and disadvantages of having a portfolio analysis is also discussed in the last paragraphs of the paper. An investor or entrepreneur must study where he or she must invest in. These assets are combined in order to maximize the return of investment of the investor and entrepreneur. The combination of these assets, according to Weston and Copeland (1992) can be called a portfolio. The aim of an investor is to maximize their investments. Weston and Copeland (1992) believe in applying the portfolio theory to optimize the selection of assets. Each portfolio has a certain degree of risk and advantages. The weighted average of the returns of the individual assets is done in order to compute for the rate of return of the portfolio. A risk of a portfolio is the combination of all assets. The risk of the portfolio is different from the asset if it is held in isolation. A particular asset can be considered as very risky if it is held in isolation. However, this may not be so if it is combined with the other assets. Rather, these assets may contribute largely to an optimal portfolio of the investor. The risk of a particular portfolio depends on the risk factors of the assets. Litterman and Winkemann (1996) had noted that investors select their portfolio depending on the benchmark or the standard that they had set. The benchmark depends on the selection of the investors. These can be a liability stream, performance index or cash return. Experts are trying to understand the risk of assets and portfolio. Littermann and Winkelmann (1996) had recommended the use of risk factors. One of the most important risk factors that the investors must looked out for is the market exposure of the portfolio. This makes the risk of portfolio very unpredictable that is why investors are expected to risk their assets when they are managing their portfolio and are deciding on where to put their money. The analysis of one’s portfolio is important in its management. Through the analysis of the portfolio an investor can estimate the return or the loss that a particular asset may contribute. Having been able to study the portfolio does not mean a total success because as stated above, investing is a risk and an investor decides based on uncertainty. There may be cases that an investor had chosen the wrong combination of assets that may result to losses. Every businesses are exposed to risk and the percentage of failing is not fixed. An investor may estimate that the percentage of success is 75% and the percentage of failure is 25%. However, this may not be the case. It could be the other way around. Failure percentage can be higher than that of the success depending on the events that may happen. Even though the investors have uncovered all the risk factors that is connected with the success of the investment, there could be other complications that can occur once the investment had already been decided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Investing in stocks and bonds are also a part of the portfolio. There is no fixed amount of return concerning stocks. A particular company stock may be high now but because of matters in the economy or problems in the company it could go very low. The limitations of having the portfolio analysis is that the computation of the portfolio may now approach the benchmark of the investor however, there could be times that the portfolio of an investor changes because of the â€Å"risk factors†Ã‚   in the market. REFERENCES: Littermann R. and Winkelmann K. 1996.   Managing Market Exposure. Retrieved last February 20, 2008 from Goldman Sachs. Website: http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~charvey/Teaching/IntesaBci_2001/GS_Managing_market_exposure.pdf Weston, J. and Copeland, T. 1992. Managerial Finance 9th edition. Dryden Press. United States ofAmerica.

Emergency Contraception Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Emergency Contraception There are many myths surrounding the use of emergency contraception. The question of what it is and when to use it is just a fraction of the controversy surrounding this arguably new practice. Emergency contraception is a method of preventing pregnancy after the act of unprotected sexual intercourse. It does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. However, emergency contraception can not be obtained without a prescription. Why does the US government not trust women with the choice of making sure they do not get pregnant after having unprotected sex? If abortion is a choice and abortion terminates a life, why can women not have the choice to make sure they do not need an abortion? What is wrong with preventing an unwanted pregnancy? There are two types of emergency contraception, pills (ECP's) or copper T intrauterine devices (IUD). There are two distinct pill types, the brand name "Preven" and the brand name "Plan B". Preven contains the same hormones as regular birth control, estrogen and progestin. (1) It causes more instances of nausea and vomiting than Plan Bs, and decreases the chances of pregnancy by 75%. However, Preven can be used as an ongoing form of birth control. Plan B only contains the hormone progestin. It is more effective, decreasing chances of pregnancy by 89%, and has less of a chance for side effects. (1) These pills can be taken immediately after the sex, or up to 72 hours later. (2). The other form of emergency contraception, IUD, can be inserted up to five days after the unprotected sex and is more effective than the pills (99% decreased chance of pregnancy). (1) An IUD can be left in for up to 10 years as a form of birth control, but in some cases can lead to pe... ...e. The American government still denies the request for these to be readily available for American women. Why is this so? In a country where abortion is such a moral issue, you would think that an alternative to having to end a life would be widely welcomed by all sides of the issue. WWW Sources 1) emergency contraception at princeton http://ec.princeton.edu/info/eciud.html 2) teen forum on ec, myth/fact based site http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web1/www.cfoc.org/3_teen/3_emergency.cfm 3) publication paper, stand on emergency contraception http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web1/www.amwa-doc.org 4) ec connection, valuable resource http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web1/www.ecconnection.org 5) plannedparenthood, good price list http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web1/www.plannedparenthood.com

Reflection and Evaluation Essay

As part of the 7407 stage 1 course there is a requirement for several groups of students to complete a micro teaching session, we would do the session in front of the other students who would provide the feedback for the session. There is no doubt that immediate feedback is the most beneficial due to the work still being fresh in the mind of the student. Reece & Walker (2002 p470) Reflection We had initially planned to deliver the micro teach two weeks earlier but one member of the group had a personal issue that forced the session to be delayed by two weeks. Our group had a diverse knowledge pool, IT, Physical Education and Marketing and because of this diversity I initially thought that finding a subject for the micro teaching session would be hard but to my surprise we had discussed and agreed the subject and each persons involvement within thirty minutes. The micro teaching session would be based on the human heart with each member of the group delivering a part of the session, my part would be to create the presentation materials using Microsoft PowerPoint, the marketing expert would devise the session plan and handouts and the PE instructor would discuss the function of the human heart. Each individual in the group contributed to each part of the session (see lesson plan and scheme of work submitted with this document). Action Points We set up the resources and distributed the handouts, the session started with our marketing expert discussing the aims and objectives of the session, when she had finished it was my turn to read some interesting heart facts from a PowerPoint presentation, I chose to read these facts direct from the projected screen and because of this I could not face the class, I believe that this was a mistake and in future I will ensure that I read from printed material. After I had finished my interesting facts presentation the PE instructor completed her section which included explanations of the different aspects of the human heart, this was done using models and overhead projections, this section went particularly well and the students participated by asking questions, we had only allowed five minutes for this section but the amount of questions asked made the section overrun slightly. After this section was complete the students were given a quiz sheet, the quiz was based on the delivered session and this would be used to check learning had taken place, this section was handled mainly by the marketing expert who read the questions and confirmed the answers at the end. Overall the micro teaching session went well and issues were identified immediately, the students performed well on the quiz and the overall feedback was good. Bibliography Reece I & Walker S (2002) Teacher Training and Learning Fourth Edition Business Education Publishers Limited.