The Struggle of Synthetic Marijuana

                                               The Struggle of Synthetic Marijuana
    
     Synthetic Marijuana is a new drug that is destroying America’s inner cities in a negative way. It can also be known as K-2 or spice, and is sold in inner city bodegas all over the United States for as low as five dollars. Individuals purchase the drug as a substitute for marijuana. Synthetic marijuana doesn’t have the same chemicals as marijuana, the K-2 potency is one hundred times stronger than marijuana THC. That’s the reason why it is ruining the lives of many individuals, Synthetic marijuana contains over one hundred different chemicals that are sprayed on dried shredded plant material. When inhaled it can cause immediate and severe mental effects. Police try to get the product off the streets but it isn’t an easy process, store owners usually would change the labeling and give it a different name. The drug has made its way out to the streets so it is being sold by regular individuals trying to make a quick buck .Haglage, Perez, Prokupecz and Bruer argue the Synthetic Marijuana is causing harmful effects to its user’s lives.
      In Haglage article titled “Synthetic Weed is F-ing Up New York”, she expressed how synthetics has caused psychotic breaks, suicide, and murder. She also explained how the drug attraction is rising in teens and homeless people. Haglage demonstrates certain incidents the occurred while individuals were on synthetic Marijuana. Lastly she talks about what is being done to stop this epidemic and will it ever be recovered. Haglage illustrates an incident that occurred when a homeless man was naked on all fours howling at a car, she provided video proof from the New York City Police Department. When Haglage described the side effects of synthetics there was no clear source to back her information up, this makes her statement an opinion, and everyone reacts to the drug in a different way. Haglage describes an incident involving a 19 year old in California who died after one hit of synthetic marijuana and a 23 year old lady who jumped off a pier and drowned in NYC after smoking synthetics. These situations can give readers a sense of emotion because they can draw a connection with the victim, whether its age, they may know someone who went through a similar situation, or knowing that there’s a possibility of that happening to them if they use the drug. Haglage later explains the actions of Conner Reid Eckhardt the 19 year who died off of one hit of synthetics, parents who presented a social media campaign with pictures of their son unconscious in a hospital bed. This makes Eckhardt a credible source to other individuals cause by seeing what happened to him can change a person’s thoughts on trying the drug.
      In Perez, Prokupecz and Bruer’s article titled “Summer Surge of Synthetic Marijuana Causes Overdoses, Crime”, they explain the effects synthetic marijuana has had on the streets throughout America. They explain where synthetic marijuana comes from which is China factories and imported to the United States. Also what actions are being used to fix the issue? Perez Prokupecz and Bruer stated “The New York Police Department added that there are more than 100 overdose cases a month at New York's major trauma center, Bellevue Hospital” (Perez, Prokupecz, and Bruer). The authors source is fact coming from the police department, also when stating “Most of the synthetic marijuana comes from factories in China and is imported to the U.S., the Drug Enforcement Administration said” (Perez, Prokupecz, and Bruer), If this drug is coming from China factories the U.S. need to be more aggressive with china so they can stop destroying our people. The statement made is evidence coming from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The authors explain an incident involving a man suffering from effects of synthetic marijuana, he carried out a fatal stabbing on a subway cart full of riders. This situation makes readers feel sorry for the victims hurt in that situation, they may have experienced a similar situation. This incident does not make the man doing the stabbing credible, just because he did those actions on synthetics doesn’t mean it will happen everyone, people go through different effects.
     The connection that both articles share is the amount of statistics shown. Both articles have statement made by departments and administrations that illustrate accrete numbers and dates. For example Haglage stated “This May through July, a hospital in Austin, Texas, received more than 439 calls to report exposure to K2” (Haglage). If over 400 calls were being made in a two month span because of K-2 that shows that this drug is taking over the streets. Perez, Prokupecz and Bruer stated “And the city's EMS Department reports transporting 439 people suffering from suspected synthetic marijuana overdoses in June alone”(Perez, Prokupecz, and Bruer). These statics inform us that this is becoming an epidemic across the America.
     Walton’s article Titled “Why Synthetic Marijuana is More Toxic to the Brain than Pot”, Walton explained the history of synthetic marijuana, its aliases and where it originated from. After Walton explains the difference between regular marijuana and synthetic marijuana, she mentions how synthetic marijuana can cause seizures by how it acts on the brain. Synthetic Marijuana can activate a receptor in an individual’s brain cell with maximum efficacy, as regular marijuana does it practically. Walton states “Researchers are starting to understand more about the drugs, and finding that synthetic cannabis is not even close to being the same drug as pot” (Walton). This makes her earlier statement true because her evidence comes from researchers. Walton later goes on to add her on suggestions on the synthetic Industry and if it will end if marijuana is legalized. Walton mentions Lewis Nelson MD at NYU Department of Emergency Medicine, saying “As mention, it takes so long for the FDA to catch up – a year or more – that by the time one drug is made illegal, dozens of other iterations of the synthetic are already formulated and poisoned for release into the market”(Walton). This scares readers knowing this drug, and others like it will never stop being created and sold to individuals in America. The evidence stated is also a credible source coming from Lewis Nelson MD.
     A connection that Haglage and Walton share in their articles are both have professionals in the medical field explain how serious this drug is to an individual’s body. Haglage’s article mentioned Dr. Lewis Nelson od NYU’s Department of Emergency who said “With people using synthetics they look like people who are using amphetamines, they’re angry, sweaty, and agitated”(Haglage). In Walton’s article she used Yasmine Hurd PHD professor of psychiatry and Neuroscience at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Yasmine Hurd explained how synthetics can damage the CB1 receptors in the brain. She states “The Cardiac, respiratory and gastrointestinal effect come from the CB1 receptor in the brain cell. It might be any of these that produced the greatest risk of death” (Walton).

Reflection

      Children who grow up in family orientated households are more likely to have good behavior as an adult. According to Race to Incarceration it states “Education, religion, and parenting are ways to encourage good behavior” (Race to Incarceration). When a child grows up in a household with his parents or guardian they get taught how to become mature and how to behave in the real world. Parents keep their children in school because they want the best for their child’s life, every parent wants their children to become similar or better than they were. Some children grow up religious which keeps them connected to their family and place of worship. As the children grow to adults they tend to follow their parents and make their children religious as well it shows a sign of good behavior. Children who grow up without parents or parental guidance act out of a sense of abandonment or rejection and sometime get influenced by the wrong people which cause bad behavior as an adult.

Views From The Apple

Views from the Apple

My New York

Some may call New York the city of dreams, where anything can happen. I feel that comes from the people who are not from New York and see this big city as a dream come true. Being that I was born in New York, Brooklyn to be exact. Where hope stays alive, but luck is rare. In this generation I look at New York like, it’s who you know and not what you know. You need connections now in days, the average New Yorker would help a family member or a friend before they will help someone they don’t know, no matter what that person can bring to the table. Growing up in Williamsburg I’ve seen the bad of my neighborhood, as far as abandon and burned building, crack bags on the streets, drug addicts on every corner, graffiti everywhere, it was just awful. Now my neighborhood is beautiful with condos on every block, luxury hotels, private owned businesses and city businesses. The bad thing about it is gentrification is at an all-time high. People have been living here for decades and are now being forced to move because of the outrages living expenses, so the city can build a new condos or expensive attraction in the neighborhood.

            What makes the situation worse, my neighborhood is 20 minutes away from Manhattan, where there is Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, Central park, Statue of liberty, Empire State Building, and Times Square just to name the most visited and talked about. Also 20 minutes from Downtown Brooklyn, where the Barclay center is located, Albee Square, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Metrotech center. This causes prices to get hiked up on everything and you’re expected to have the money for it. In order to have it more jobs need to be created for individuals like myself. There are millions of students from New York who graduate from college and still find themselves in the dark hole after college. Whether its student loans or they can’t find a job. There’s eleven senior colleges in the city which are Baruch College, The City College of New York, Brooklyn College, Staten Island College, Lehman College, Queens College, John Jay College, Hunter College, City Tech College, York College and Medgar Evans College. If there’s a large amount of students with degrees from working their ass off with no career opportunities after school how credible are these schools.

Then again, like I said it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Be prepared to work your ass off and not get the credit you deserve. I’m fed up with this City and can’t wait to leave. It’s too crowded and people don’t know how to mind their own business. When you do get a chance to own a house or a piece of real estate whether it was passed down from family generations or you spent your life savings. You will be hit with all type of policies and a large amount of property tax. It’s like if you are not connected you can’t win in this city. A true New Yorker is determined to win and not stay stagnated. 

Then you have the good ole subway, number one word to describe that would be overcrowded. Overcrowded every day because millions are trying to get to their destination. With Twenty two routes, some numbers and most letters, early in the morning’s train after trains are still packed, so be prepared to be a sardine for a while with the stench of stink breath in the air. Don’t forget the homeless people stinking up the carts and platforms, or asking you to give them money. At nights be careful because there is a rat fiesta in New York’s subway they might be on the plat form or on the steps looking for their next meal. You also have to watch out for the crazy people who ride the train acting a fool or trying to do you harm. This is what the city lacks they push to be this luxury rich city but they don’t take care of the inner city problems we as citizens face every day. Some people need help and more resources, everyone is not rich and that’s what the high powers don’t understand.

When you have the upper hand on people, you might own a car which is better than the train any day. In New York City that may not be the case, you’re always supposed to be safe when driving but on New York streets expect to be extra safe. People drive like maniacs out here, especially taxi cabs who try to cut you off whenever they feel. Or people who act like they don’t see the Don’t Walk sign and decide to run across the street while cars are speeding by. This is a rush city so everyone's on the move and patience are irrelevant for most. I love my city without a doubt, I’m just tired of it and its unfair policies. I feel they don’t care about the citizens that were born here. They only care about the next money move for the city. Enter this City at your own risk because it’s not the glamor and glitz you usually here about, it’s the real deal and called the rotten apple for a reason.