Marijuana Essays (3997 words) - Medicinal Plants, Entheogens, Herbs

Marijuana Marijuana Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the current lifestyles. This pattern is also true in American history. The use of marijuana has adapted to the social climate of the time. Marijuana, whose scientific name is cannibis sativa, was mentioned in historical manuscripts as early as 2700 B. C. in China. (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1995). The cultivation of the marijuana plant began as far back as the Jamestown settlers, around 1611, who used hemp produced from the marijuana plant's fibers to make rope and canvas. It was also used in making clothing because of it's durability. These uses fit in with the social climate of the time, because the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes. During the prohibition, marijuana was widely used because of the scarcity of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed after just thirteen years while the prohibition against m arijuana lasted for more than seventy five years. This double standard may have resulted from the wishes of those in power. Alcohol prohibition struck directly at tens of millions of Americans of all ages, including many of societies most powerful members. Marijuana prohibition threatened far fewer Americans, and they had relatively little influence in the districts of power. Only the prohibition of marijuana, which some sixty million Americans have violated since 1965 has come close to approximating the prohibition experience, but marijuana smokers consist mostly of young and relatively powerless Americans (American Heritage, pg. 47). Alcohol prohibition was repealed and marijuana prohibition was retained, not because scientists had proved that alcohol was the less dangerous of the various psychoactive drugs, but because of the prejudices and preferences of most Americans (American Heritage, pg. 47). In 1937 the government issued the Marijuana Tax Act, which levied a dollar an ounce tax on marijuana, coupled with fines of $2,000 for drug possession and jail sentences for evasion of the tax. For this reason marijuana use in the United States appears to have gone into decline in the late 30's (Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia, pg. 54). Then marijuana was outlawed in 1937 as a repressive measure against Mexican workers who crossed the border seeking jobs during the Depression. The specific reason given for the outlawing of the hemp plant was it's supposed violent effect on the degenerate races (Schaffer, pg. 86). Beginning in the 60's marijuana use saw a resurgence which may be attributed to many causes. One of the main causes was the rebellion of youth against the Vietnam War. They used marijuana as an escape from war to peace. It was easy at this time to depict marijuana as a beneficial and completely harmless substance whose effects were far less harmful than those of legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine because there was not enough scientific research done during the 60's (Grolier Wellness Encyclope dia, pg. 54). Another cause may have been the discovery of the psychoactive component of marijuana- tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. Users found the relation between the doses and the effects (Grolier Electronic Publishing, 1995). The current atmosphere provides for doctors to suggest synthetic marijuana (THC) in a pure and standardized form bp rescriptionon (called Marinol) for the treatment of nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy. Also, although there is no scientific evidence that shows marijuana is beneficial in the treatment of glaucoma, it may prevent the progression of visual loss. Marijuana, along with alcohol and a host of other substances, can actually lower intraocular eye pressure. The medication however, must be carefully tailored to the individual to prevent further eye damage. The evidence has clearly shown that marijuana has been around for a great deal of time and has served multiple purposes throughout history. History Of Marijuana Marijuana Through Time I cannot know now which of the several uses of Cannabis was earliest. Since plant uses normally proceed from the simpler to the more complex, one might presume that its useful fibers first attracted man's attention. Indeed remains of hemp fibers have been found in the earliest archaeological sites in the cradles of Asiatic civilization: evidence of fiber in China dating from 4000 B.C. and hemp rope and thread from Turkestan from

Practice These Italian Workbook Exercises

Practice These Italian Workbook Exercises Are you studying the Italian language? Here are some exercises to help you with your skills. Present Tense: First-Conjugation Regular Verbs A. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the indicated verb. Loro ________________ lentamente. (camminare)Tu ________________ la macchina. (guidare)Adriana non ________________ il quaderno. (trovare)Marco ________________ lorologio. (guardare)Io ________________ i biglietti. (comprare)Voi ________________ ad alta voce. (cantare)________________ fino a tardi voi? (lavorare)Io ________________ il ricevitore. (alzare)Noi ________________ la lezione. (imparare)Loro ________________ in ritardo. (arrivare) Present Tense: Second-Conjugation Regular Verbs B. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the indicated verb. Il professore non ________________. (rispondere)Noi ________________ un caffà ©. (bere)Loro ________________ un film. (vedere)Io ________________ la macchina. (vendere)Tu ________________ i giornali. (leggere)Io ________________ due aspirine. (prendere)Noi non ________________ la storia. (credere)Voi ________________ ogni sera. (correre)Anna Maria ________________ sempre le chiavi! (perdere)Roberta e Fabrizio ________________ volentieri delle lettere. (scrivere) Present Tense: Third-Conjugation Regular Verbs C. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the indicated verb. Loro ________________ il campanello. (sentire)Il cuoco ________________ le patate. (bollire)Franco ________________ la scatola. (aprire)Io ________________ il caffà © alle amiche. (offrire)Voi ________________ la verit. (scoprire)Noi ________________ la finestra. (aprire)Marcantonio ________________ bene. (vestire)Tu ________________ il pericolo. (sfuggire)Voi ________________ oggi. (partire)Io ________________ le bevande. (servire)

Sample Application Essay for College Admissions

Sample Application Essay for College Admissions The sample application essay below was written by Felicity for personal essay option #4 of the pre-2013 Common Application: Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. With the current Common Application, the essay could work well for essay option #1  that asks students to share a story about something that is central to their identity. Note that Felicitys essay is from before the Common Application implemented the current 650-word length limit. Felicitys College Application Essay PorkopolisIn the South, where I grew up, pork is a vegetable. Actually, it’s used as a â€Å"seasoning,† but so commonly that it’s almost impossible to find salad without bacon, greens without fatback, white beans free of pinkish shreds of ham. It was difficult for me, then, when I decided to become a vegetarian. The decision itself, made for the usual reasons of health, ethics and ecological conservation, was easy; putting it into practice, however, was another matter. At every restaurant, every school lunch, every church potluck, every family gathering, there was meat- in the entrà ©e, the sides, the condiments. I suspected even innocent-seeming pie crusts of secretly harboring lard.Eventually I worked out a system: I brought my own lunches to school, asked servers about the broth used in the soup of the day, avoided the usual suspects of beans and greens. This system worked well enough in public, but at home, I faced the challenge of respecting my parents and harmoniously sharing meals with them. They were excellent cooks, both of them, and I had always enjoyed the country-fried steaks, burgers and ribs they’d served to me for so many years- how could I now say â€Å"no† to those delicacies without angering or inconveniencing them, or, worse, hurting their feelings?I couldn’t. And so, I backslid. I’d manage to live a pure, meatless life for a few weeks, subsisting on pasta and salads. Then, Dad would grill an especially juicy teriyaki-marinated flank steak, look at me hopefully, and offer a slice- and I would accept. I’d mend my ways, steam rice and stir-fry snow peas with mushrooms . . . and crumble at the first whiff of the Thanksgiving turkey roasting in the oven and the proud smile on my mother’s face. My noble goals, it seemed, were doomed.But then, I found a role model, one who demonstrated to me that I could live without meat and still be a functioning member of society, eschew my parents ’ pork chops and fried chicken without giving offense. I wish I could say that I was inspired by one of history’s great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, or a leader and inventor like Benjamin Franklin, but no. My inspiration was Lisa Simpson.Let me pause here to acknowledge how absurd it is to be inspired by an animated sitcom character, albeit one as smart and together as Lisa. Yet it was the very absurdity of feeling, somehow, moved by Lisa’s resolve and strength of character, her refusal to compromise her beliefs, that convinced me I could follow her example. In the pivotal episode, Lisa is tortured by visions of the lamb whose chops provide her family’s dinner. â€Å"Please, Lisa, don’t eat me!† the imaginary lamb implores her. She is moved by ethics, yet almost breaks her resolution when Homer prepares a pig roast and is hurt by his daughter’s refusal to partake. Like me, Lisa is torn between her convictions and her fear of disapp ointing her father (not to mention the undeniable deliciousness of pork). But she manages to explain her beliefs to Homer and show him that her rejection of meat is not a rejection of him- that she can share his table and his love while still living according to her principles.Again, I admit- as inspirations go, this one is a little ridiculous. No imaginary lamb-conscience spoke to me, and unlike Lisa, I was not able to celebrate my vegetarian lifestyle by triumphantly singing with Quickie-Mart manager Apu and guest stars Paul and Linda McCartney. But seeing the very obstacles that stymied me being overcome by a yellow-skinned, spiky-haired caricature was so silly that my difficulties, too, seemed silly. â€Å"Well heck,† I thought, â€Å"if Lisa Simpson- a cartoon character, for heaven’s sake- can stick to her guns, then so can I.†So I did. I told my parents that I had decided to really commit myself to vegetarianism, that this was not a passing phase, that I was not judging or seeking to convert them, but that this was simply something I had decided for myself. They agreed, perhaps a bit patronizingly, but as the months went on and I continued to forego the chicken in my fajitas and the sausage gravy on my biscuits, they became more supportive. We worked together on compromise. I took on a larger role in preparing the meals, and reminded them to please use vegetable stock in the potato soup and to reserve a separate pot of plain spaghetti sauce before adding the ground beef. When we attended a potluck, we made sure that one of the dishes we brought was a meatless entrà ©e, so that I would be guaranteed at least one edible dish at the pork-laden table.I did not tell my parents, or anyone else, that Lisa Simpson had helped me say no, forever, to eating meat. Doing so would cast the decision, one that many teenagers passionately make for a few months and then abandon, in the light of well-intentioned immaturity. But Lisa did help me live a more healthy, ethical, and ecologically sound life- to say no to pork, in all its guises. Critique of Felicitys College Admissions Essay Overall, Felicity has written an excellent essay for her Common Application. She does, however, take a few risks that could backfire. The comments below examine the essays many strengths as well as a few of the potential problems. The Essay Topic Felicity has certainly avoided some of the worst essay topics, but when students are asked to write about a fictional or historical figure for an application essay, admissions officers expect to find an essay on one of the likely suspects like Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, or Albert Einstein. For fiction and art, applicants tend to think big- a Jane Austen heroine, a Monet painting, a Rodin sculpture, a Beethoven symphony. So what are we to make of an essay that focuses on a seemingly trivial cartoon character like Lisa Simpson? Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer. Its tedious reading through thousands of college applications, so anything that jumps out as unusual can be a good thing. At the same time, the essay cant be so quirky or superficial that it fails to reveal the writers skills and character. Felicity takes a risk in her essay by focusing on a rather silly fictional role model. However, she handles her topic well. She acknowledges the strangeness of her focus, and at the same time she produces an essay that really isnt about Lisa Simpson. The essay is about Felicity, and it succeeds in showing her depth of character, her inner conflicts and her personal convictions. The Essay Title Titles can be difficult which is why many applicants skip them. Dont. A  good title  can grab your readers attention and make him or her eager to read your essay.   Porkopolis doesnt make clear what the essay is about,   but the strange title still manages to make us curious and pull us into the essay. In fact, the titles strength is also its weakness. What exactly does porkopolis mean?. Will this essay be about pigs, or is it about a metropolis with too much pork-barrel spending? Also, the title doesnt tell us what character or work of art Felicity will be discussing. We want to read the essay to understand the title, but some readers might appreciate a little more information in the title. The Tone of Felicitys Essay Among the essential writing tips  for a winning essay is the inclusion of  a little humor to keep the essay fun and engaging. Felicity manages humor with wonderful effect. At no point is her essay shallow or flip, but her catalog of southern pork dishes and introduction of Lisa Simpson are likely to receive a chuckle from her reader. The essays humor, however, is balanced with a serious discussion of a challenge Felicity faced in her life. Despite the choice of Lisa Simpson as a role model, Felicity comes across as a thoughtful and caring person who struggles to mesh the needs of others with her own convictions. An Assessment of the Writing Felicitys essay is from before the current 650-word limit on Common Application essays. At about 850 words, the essay would need to lose 200 words to comply with the new guidelines. When it was written, however, Felicitys essay was a good length, particularly because theres no obvious fluff or digression. Also, Felicity is clearly a strong writer. The prose is graceful and fluid. The mastery of style and language marks Felicity as a writer who would be capable of performing well at the countrys  top colleges  and  universities. Felicity grabs our attention with her humorous first sentence, and the essay holds our interest throughout because of the shifts between the serious and the whimsical, the personal and the universal, the real and the fictional. The sentences mirror these shifts as Felicity moves between short and long phrases, and simple and complex sentence structures. There are most likely strict grammarians who would object to Felicitys liberal use of the dash and her lack of the word and to introduce the final items in some of her lists. Also, someone might take issue with her use of conjunctions (and, yet, but) as transitional words at the beginnings of sentences. Most readers, however, will view Felicity as a dexterous, creative, and talented writer. Any breaking of the rules in her writing works to create a positive rhetorical effect. Final Thoughts on Felicitys Application Essay Like most good essays, Felicitys is not without risk. She could run up against an admissions officer who thinks the choice of Lisa Simpson trivializes the purpose of the personal essay. However, a careful reader will quickly recognize that Felicitys essay is  not trivial. Sure, Felicity may be grounded in popular culture, but she emerges from the essay as a writer who loves her family but is not afraid to stand up for her own convictions. She is caring and thoughtful, playful and serious, inward and outward looking. In short, she sounds like a great person to invite to join ones campus community.

Cultural Competency in Medicine Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Competency in Medicine - Case Study Example The University of Nalanda, built in the 4th century, was also one of the greatest achievements of ancient India. Ayurveda, the system of traditional medicine, has its origins in India. Today there are 28 states and 7 Union territories in the country. The Government of India has introduced various health programs and policies. But most of the development indicators paint a grim picture, especially of the remote rural parts, where access to proper health care is still a major challenge. Rural poor often resort to alternative medicines and home remedies, which are cheaper than visiting qualified and trained health professionals. Religious beliefs and superstitions also add to their reluctance. Among many others, diabetes is one of the fastest growing health problems in India. Estimates show that India is home to around 40 million diabetics. This number gives India the dubious distinction of being home to the largest number of diabetics in any one country. The high rate of prevalence of complications is disturbing. The picture becomes all the more gloomy with reports that many patients already have these complications at the time of diagnosis. It is a widely accepted fact that more than 35-40% of people show the presence of some diabetes related complications at the time of diagnosis. India has a distinct need for a comprehensive diabetes care program. ... Most of the health budget is focused around immunization, providing clean drinking water and sanitation to the majority of the people. The government does not seem to have the finances to undertake any major program for non communicable diseases in general and diabetes in particular. Studies show that diabetic foot syndrome, which is a common yet preventable complication of diabetes, is even more neglected aspect of the disease in India. Peripheral sensory neuropathy, improper footwear, lack of patient knowledge about foot care and uncontrolled diabetes are some of the factors contributing to this syndrome. In India, footwear practices vary widely. Apart from a significant proportion of people walking barefoot outdoors, a majority of Indians walk barefoot indoors. While visiting religious shrines, people always go barefoot. In a tropical country like India, where the pavements or asphalt roads become very hot, and the rural pathways are uneven and dusty, walking barefoot can lead to injury. Furthermore, use of footwear like Hawaian chappal, which has a rubber sole supported by a strap in the first inter-digital space, but no back strap, exposes the feet to injury. Shoes, when worn by either sex, are often pointed and thus further expose the foot to injury. Also, the practice of not wearing socks, particularly in Indian females can result in a hyperkeratotic and fissured heel or a callosity of the first interdigital space or injury to the great toe. Overview of the case Murali, 60, has migrated to the US recently from the southern part of India. He has spent most part of his life working as a postman in a remote Indian village. Ever since his wife died two years back, he has been having constant health problems. With no proper medical facilities in

Case Report on country with a large refugee Essay

Case Report on country with a large refugee - Essay Example This enforced migration highlights the humanitarian concerns, our social biases and national and international policy. What lay ahead for refugees after their battle of survival? This paper aims at analyzing from humanitarian point of view the lives of refugees, often treated as an undifferentiated mass, both before and after displacement. This paper will explore the civil trauma faced by Afghan refugees and investigate the socio cultural and political background of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. This paper aims at highlighting the lifelong psychological and mental affects of the trauma and the kind of life in refugee camps. Afghanistan has a very long and rich history mainly due to its geostrategic position. It lies on the crossroads of many cultures and on the many Asian migration routes. It is the home of many diverse cultures and population mainly due to extensive trade and migration. This diversity is one of the most important determining factor in its politics and responsible for the current economic and political instability. The term Afghanistan evolved in the eighteenth century when Pushtuns took control of this territory. Originally the term Afghan was also termed to Pushtuns majority. This also had political implications which made all non-Pushtuns outsiders to Afghanistan. Current Afghanistan is also divided among many ethnic groups. A rough estimate reveals that Pushtuns are the dominant majority forming 40% of the population. Second biggest group is of Tajiks who constitute 20% of the population. The other important ethnic groups are Hazaras, Uzbeks and Aimaqs each forming almost 9 % of the population. Afghanistan has a long history of conflicts and wars. However it gained its first independent monarchy in 1919-1973. During this period Afghanistan managed its own independent foreign policy. The third Afghan –Anglo war fought in 1919 led by king Amanullah earned Afghanistan complete freedom. This resulted in huge migration from central Asi an countries to Afghanistan which became safe haven for Muslims and hence enriched the already diverse population of Afghanistan. Amanullah implemented the modern concept of a nation according to the wishes of the King. This became the first cause of drift between the Islamic scholars and the modern government. Throughout this independent monarch period there were many political reforms sometimes conservative and sometimes very liberal. During the last decade of the Zahir’s rule there was severe political instability with many active political parties and freedom of press. In 1965 Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) was formed in 1965 which was basically the Afghan Communist party. In 1969 elections the Communist were elected in the government. The PDPA representatives immediately took control of all the major authoritative positions and paved the way for soviet invasion and military coup of April 1978. They tried to abolish all traditional and Islamic religious cu stoms practices and policies and tried to form a secular state. This attempt became the root cause of all the internal conflict and the rise of Taliban. Afghanistan came into the international lime light with the Soviet invasion, guerrilla war fought by Afghans against the Soviet Union and the communist government. Recent history has seen huge political upheaval in Afghanistan. Civil war broke out after the fall of the Marxist government. It has also

Making Utilities for MS-DOS :: Microsoft Computers System Software Essays

Making Utilities for MS-DOS These days, when computers play an important role in virtually all aspects of our life, the issue of concern to many programmers is Microsoft's hiding of technical documentation. Microsoft is by far the most important system software developer. There can be no argument about that. Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system has become a de facto standard (IBM's PC-DOS is actually a licensed version of MS-DOS). And this should be so, because these systems are very well written. The people who designed them are perhaps the best software engineers in the world. But making a computer platform that is a de facto standard should imply a good deal of responsibility before the developers who make applications for that platform. In particular, proper documentation is essential for such a platform. Not providing enough documentation for a system that everyone uses can have disastrous results. Think of it, an operating system is useless by itself, its sole purpose is to provide services to applications. And who would be able to develop applications for an operating system if the documentation for that system is confidential and available only to the company that developed it? Obviously, only the company that has developed that operating system will be able to develop software for it. And this is a violation of the Antitrust Law. And now I start having a suspicion that this is happening with Microsoft's operating systems. It should be no secret to anyone that MS-DOS contains a lot of undocumented system calls, data structures and other features. Numerous books have been written on this subject (see bibliography). Many of them are vital to system programming. There is no way to write a piece of system software, such as a multitasker, a local area network, or another operating system extension, without knowing this undocumented functionality in MS-DOS. And, sure enough, Microsoft is using this functionality extensively when developing operating system extensions. For example, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Network, and Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions (MSCDEX) rely heavily on the undocumented internals of MS-DOS. The reader can ask, "Why do they leave functionality undocumented?" To answer that question, we should look at what this "functionality" actually is. In MS- DOS, the undocumented "functionality" is actually the internal structures that MS-DOS uses to implement its documented INT 21h API. Any operating system must have some internal structures in which it keeps information about disk drives, open files, network connections, alien file systems, running tasks, etc. And MS- DOS (later I'll call it simply DOS) has internal structures too. These structures form the core of undocumented "functionality" in MS-DOS. This operating system also has some undocumented INT 21h API functions, but they

Improving a company?

Improving a company's system helps aid in its success in today's market as well as in the future of the company's growth and stabilization. This new system that will enable the company to promptly accomplish these requirements without hesitation and will not interfere with the company's time management protocols or add extra unneeded expenses.An information system that more specifically is â€Å"a network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server Servers are powerful computers or processes dedicated to managing disk drives (file rivers), printers (print servers), or network traffic (network servers). Clients are PC's or workstations on which users run applications. Clients rely on servers for resources, such as files, devices, and even processing power. † (Whooped, 2014) The Trusted Computing Base (ETC) is the part of a system that is responsible for enforcing system-wide information security policies.The user can define user access to the trusted communication path, which allows secure communication between regular users and the ETC, by installing and using the ETC. The system administrator must determine how much trust can be given to a particular program. In the ring of trust model, the outer rings contain a lower level of security, and systems requiring higher levels of security are located inside the inner rings. To move from an outer ring into an inner ring, extra security mechanisms are encountered. † (Smith, 2013) the servers will be secure and have all the securities that Ordain would like and need.There will be little or no down time to create the new virtual servers and business will not be effected. Also the disaster recovery rate is much quicker in case of a crash. The information is backed up so in case of a crash the information can be derived quickly. The information gets to the end user much more quickly than having a physical server. Physical server machines get dirty and overload ed with old files and information that is no longer needed or wanted. All information passed through the organization will be encrypted to protect vital aspects of the company operations.The virtual machine running the share point will house the encryption piece for information traffic. Utilizing a virtual server in this aspect will allow end users to generate reports by department in real time with little or no help from an information technology professional. The use of firewalls and even a virtual firewall is also recommended to protect Radian's information. â€Å"A virtual firewall is a firewall device or service that provides network traffic filtering and monitoring for virtual machines.A virtual firewall is deployed, executed and operated from a virtual machine. Virtual firewall formats include: Stand-alone software Integrated SO kernel component. A virtual security provider's dedicated hardware platform A virtual firewall operates in a virtual area network (VAN) environment of connected virtual machines. A virtual firewall operates in two different modes: Bridge mode: Like a rotational firewall, this mode operates by diagnosing and monitoring all incoming and outgoing traffic bound for other virtual networks or machines.Hypocrites mode: In contrast, this mode is isolated from the actual network, resides in the core hypocrites kernel and monitors the virtual host machine's incoming and outgoing traffic. † (Technophobia, Virtual Firewall, 2014) When placing all of the business information on a server along with all of the employee information the company will want it to be secure and readily available to use. When using a virtual server there is not complete control of the physical access of the database. On the other hand the information is no longer on easy identifiable physical systems.There are multiple layers of virtual securities. The data safeguards requirements are the same as a physical server. Information that requires more safeguards is available. Information can be encrypted, role based control, and secure in many ways. Cyber-attacks are all very real threats and can be protected against also. A firewall can encrypt data at the file system that the virtual machine then uses a much managed login procedure for added protection of data against compromise. Logs are also created for looking jack on to see who, where, and when certain data was accessed.Different levels of securities will be used for different levels of data importance. Administration roles will have more securities on them than someone at the data entry level.