ON A NATIONAL HEALTH ISSUE
[Institution Title]
ROLE OF MEDIA IN SHAPING PARENTS’ ATTITUDE
“One of the most egregious outcomes of marijuana prohibition is that many sick people cannot legally access the medicine that works best for them. For many seriously ill people, medical marijuana is the only medicine that relieves their pain and suffering, or treats symptoms of their medical condition, without debilitating side effects. Marijuana has been shown to alleviate symptoms of a huge variety of serious medical conditions including cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma, and is often an effective alternative to synthetic painkillers.”
- Introduction
Researchers believe that the marijuana can provide relief, even cure for numerously medical conditions which include cancer, glaucoma and AIDS. These are illnesses that up to date has no absolute cure. Thus, among the strongest argument posed by supporters for the legalization of the use of medical marijuana refers to the benefit that is being deprived of patients because the use of marijuana in medicine is strictly prohibited. In addition, aside from the potential benefits which can be earned from using medical marijuana is the supporting evidence that it has no side effects. However, opponents of this bill argue that the legalizing marijuana could potentially be risky especially for teenagers because it creates a provision that would allow easy access for the component. In lieu with this, parents are raising more concerns over the merits of implementing this law. This paper hopes to assess the reason parents detest the legalization of marijuana and find merits on their argument that legalizing the use of marijuana in the field of medicine could make children vulnerable to having an easy access to this highly addictive substance. The proponents hope to establish the role of media in creating this perception that parents have on the issue of accessibility of marijuana.
Media has become a very powerful media that influence how people think and behave. Over the years, mass media has been linked to several issues of creating mass hysteria and influencing people especially those relating to decision making. Among the most influential medium that shapes how parents think is media. In fact, there are reasons to believe that parents get most of their parenting styles and their knowledge about their children based on what media feeds them through television shows, movies and even published materials. It is, therefore, not surprising that parents have a tendency to overreact because they tend to associate what they see on the screen with the actual setting, not realizing that majority of what is shown on television are either exaggerated or products of one’s creative imagination.
Considering the role that media play in shaping how people think and behave, the proponents of this paper hopes to answer the following questions relating to a very important issue on health care today:
1. What exactly is the role of media in shaping the attitude of parents towards an important health-related issue?
2. How does this impact the health care system in the US?
HYPOTHESIS
It is the belief of this study that media plays a very significant role in influencing parents’ attitudes towards the things they see on television as fed by media. In the same manner that parents get majority of their opinions regarding the behavior of their children from how media portrays the youth.
RELATED LITERATURE
It is without any objection that the internet is one of the biggest breakthroughs of this century. The dawn of the internet has brought so many economic opportunities in almost all aspect of the financial world. A lot of good things can be drawn from the use of the internet and the applicability of this new platform spans from social, political, economic and cultural dimensions. However, if there is a positive side the use of the internet then there would also be a downside. Reports on the numerous ill effects of the internet have brought up the discussion on the need to impose censorship in one the world’s largest public medium of communication and information. Because this is related to massive abuse using this platform in terms of violence, discrimination and privacy issues. The internet is just one of several platforms used by mass media to deliver a message to their audience. To date, this is the most accessible and popular medium for the youth. However, the internet also has a similar access and usefulness to parents. While it is not exactly the most popular, it is among the most sought medium used by parents to spy on their kids. The use of social networking sites is often used by parents to get an understanding of their children. The internet, the advertisements on television and different shows help shape parents mind on given issue.
One of the most controversial issues to date is the legalization and free use of medical marijuana to treat patients suffering from different medical condition. With approximately 1.1 billion smokers worldwide, and mortality rate of 4.9 million every year, smoking continues to increase at an alarming rate (Gilman and Zhou). The ardent warnings and campaigns against this practice do not serve as a deterrent to discourage people from pursuing this unsafe habit. Thus, health organizations and political institutions from all across the globe take active measures to intensify the campaign to bring the necessary information about smoking in the organization's advocacy to stop its practice altogether. Information dissemination drive is perceived as an effective measure that would create awareness and foster the necessary change.
Smoking was believed to have started during 5000 B.C. as a shaman ritual (Burns). This practice was part of a religious ceremony that allowed shamans and priest to alter their state of mind that is perceived to be important in achieving spiritual enlightenment. Thus, to achieve a state of trance, incenses are burnt, and the shaman worshipper inhales the smoke. Roughly around the time of European exploration, smoking had progressed from being used to religious rituals to becoming a leisure activity and a form of status symbol. In fact, smoking has become a social activity in the Middle East. Eventually, the Muslims picked it up as a tradition that was integrated with special ceremonies and occasions like weddings and funerals (Gilman and Zhou).
As smoking becomes popularized and the substance used for smoking expands from burnt incense to cannabis, opium and tobacco, it slowly became commercialized. The commercialization of the substances used for smoking furthered the addiction and entrepreneurs took advantage of the growing hype that smoking created. In fact, in 1612 just about the height of recreational smoking, John Rolfe began growing tobacco that qualified it to the title of a cash crop (Burns). And by the dawn of the 19th century, smoking has become a common practice.
Recently, there was a controversial discussion on legalizing the use of medical marijuana. Supporters of this law believed that the marijuana has medical benefits, and patients should not be deprived of these benefits because the law considers the use of this drug as illegal. In an article that appeared in CNN’s website entitled No Federal Challenge to Pot Legalization in Two States, the author narrates that while there was still an ongoing dispute between state and federal law on the legalities of using medical marijuana in Washington and Colorado, the Justice Department would just capitalize on implementing a stronger campaign that would combat the trafficking of the drug and keeping it away from the public especially the children (Perez). The decision of the Justice Department was prompted by the memo that enforces the federal prosecutors to address the eight priorities of regulating the use of marijuana.
The use of medical marijuana raises questions in terms of jurisdiction and responsibility. Whose responsibility is it to decide on the matter and whose decisions should prevail—the state or the federal government? This problem originally starts with Proposition 215 of California voters, permitting physicians to use medical marijuana to treat patients and allow caregivers to grow the drug for patient’s full use and access. However, many claims that this particular state law are invalid given the existing Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Under the said law, marijuana was classified under Schedule 1(Marijuana Legalization Organization, 2008). This classification ascertains that the marijuana has a high potential for abuse and with no medical value. However, this classification has been made almost half a century ago, and studies have already disputed this claim. Since an existing federal law is being applied on Drugs and Narcotics in the US, under Article I of the Constitution it becomes the discretion of the Congress or the Federal government to decide any issues governing this matter. Thus, the state has no authority to create any laws that overwrite the said federal law.
Base on the arguments raised on the technicalities of the use of medical marijuana, it appears that the responsibility is neither limited to the federal government nor the state. Instead, it is a shared responsibility of both considering that it is a national issue. The benefits and threats of using of marijuana do not simply involve the state of Washington, California and Colorado(O'Keefee, 2014). It concerns every citizen of the US. If medical marijuana is legalized, the benefits of using this to treat medical conditions as Alzheimer’s and depression should be enjoyed by everyone since it does not come with a heavy financial burden unlike some synthetic medications prescribed to treat these conditions. However, the potential of abuse is just as significant as the benefits. Therefore, it should not only be the responsibility of the state to ensure that it would not be trafficked and used outside of the realm of medicine.
Base on the arguments raised on the technicalities of the use of medical marijuana, it appears that the responsibility is neither limited to the federal government nor the state. Instead, it is a shared responsibility of both considering that it is a national issue. The benefits and threats of using of marijuana do not simply involve the state of Washington, California and Colorado. It concerns every citizen of the US. If medical marijuana is legalized, the benefits of using this to treat medical conditions as Alzheimer’s and depression should be enjoyed by everyone since it does not come with a heavy financial burden unlike some synthetic medications prescribed to treat these conditions. However, the potential of abuse is just as significant as the benefits. Therefore, it should not only be the responsibility of the state to ensure that it would not be trafficked and used outside of the realm of medicine.
The use of medical marijuana raises questions in terms of jurisdiction and responsibility. Whose responsibility is it to decide on the matter and whose decisions should prevail—the state or the federal government? This problem originally starts with Proposition 215 of California voters, permitting physicians to use medical marijuana to treat patients and allow caregivers to grow the drug for patient’s full use and access (ca.gov). However, many claims that this particular state law are invalid given the existing Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Under the said law, marijuana was classified under Schedule 1 (Cornell University Law School). This classification ascertains that the marijuana has a high potential for abuse and with no medical value. However, this classification has been made almost half a century ago, and studies have already disputed this claim. Since an existing federal law is being applied on Drugs and Narcotics in the US, under Article I of the Constitution it becomes the discretion of the Congress or the Federal government to decide any issues are governing this matter. Thus, the state has no authority to create any laws that overwrite the said federal law.
B. METHODOLOGY
This paper will require the participation of parents for this study. The participants will be randomly selected using the statistical treatment purposive random sampling. This technique has been selected because the study has been specific about the requirement of having parents as participants. Thus, the said qualification has to be met in order to be included in the study.
The proponent of this study will use 10 video clips showing potential effects of making marijuana accessible because of its medicinal value. The content of the clips was from the feedbacks that were given by the different sectors in the society. Each video clip will run for approximately two to three minutes only.
The participants will be asked to give their opinion about making marijuana accessible if and when legalization of the use of medical marijuana be approved. They will be asked to view a series of short video clips presenting different situations. At the end of each clip, the participants will be asked to express their opinions whether they think that what they saw in the in the video is a potential outcome of making marijuana accessible.
Upon completion, the results will be assessed to determine how many parents shared the same response. Every response will be assessed to establish and evaluated in terms of their favorability and the lack thereof on the issue being presented for discussion.
C. DISCUSSION
After careful review, significant findings would reveal that parents tend to believe what they hear and see on television as real. Media has a strong influence in persuading parents into believing what is harmful to their children depending on the whims of the media outfits. Thus, if media portrays something as evil, parents will believe them. It is observed that parents have a tendency to practice selective understanding depending on what they see is valuable. In this particular sense, parents see the evil more than the benefits of marijuana. Thus, parents have a tendency to disregard whatever explanation is provided regarding the rewards of the said substance.
Work Cited
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Marijuana Legalization Organization. (2008, January 22). Marijuana Legalization Organization Website. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://www.mjlegal.org/medicinal.html
O'Keefee, K. (2014, March 3). ProCon Organization Website. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002481
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