Hahahaha wrote:Canabis has been part of human culture for almost 30 000 years. laws banning the use of canabis are about 70 years old, and were just a way to start a war.
Geoge Washington smoked pot.
There are less negative effects from canabis consuption than there are from alcohol consuption.
Anti-drug laws creat criminals in the same way that alcohol prohibition gave huge power to the mafia in the US.
A study in New Zealand revealed that you are less likely to be invoved in an auto accident while under the influence of canabis.
The us prison system houses 25% of the worlds prisoners, approximately 180 000 people are in jail for minor possesion in the US.
As long as pot remains criminal, crime organizations are going to take something that should cost pennies and charge outrageous prices for it, then use that money to buy harder drugs, guns, etc. in order to extend their power base. Wanna kick the chair out from under the bikers? Legalize cannabis in small amounts.
There are numerous known medical benefits and much research to be done to look for more. As long as canabis is illegal, people are missing out on existing and possible future drug theapies. Those treatments would be low cost bringing in the two big ememies of legalization. The phamachemical industry doesn't like cheap drugs, and the pulp and paper industry looses benefit because the lumber industry hates cheap pulp and fibre.
Just some thing for you to think about. There's way more of course.
PAX
http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/atod/marijuana.htm
"Are there short-term dangers of smoking marijuana?
Discomforts associated with smoking marijuana include dry mouth, dry eyes, increased heart rate and visible signs of intoxication such as bloodshot eyes and puffy eyelids. Other problems include:
Impaired memory and ability to learn
Difficulty thinking and problem solving
Anxiety attacks or feelings of paranoia
Impaired muscle coordination and judgment
Increased susceptibility to infections
Dangerous impairment of driving skills. Studies show that it impairs braking time, attention to traffic signals and other driving behaviors.
Cardiac problems for people with heart disease or high blood pressure, because marijuana increases the heart rate
It is virtually impossible to overdose from marijuana, which sets it apart from most drugs.
Are there long-term consequences to smoking marijuana?
Respiratory problems
Someone who smokes marijuana regularly can have many of the same respiratory problems as cigarette smokers. Persistent coughing, symptoms of bronchitis and more frequent chest colds are possible symptoms. There are over 400 chemicals that have been found in marijuana smoke. Benzyprene, a known human carcinogen, is present in marijuana smoke. Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide are 3 to 5 times higher than in cigarette smoke. This is most likely due to inhaling marijuana more deeply, holding the smoke in the lungs and because marijuana smoke is unfiltered.
Memory and learning
Recent research shows that regular marijuana use compromises the ability to learn and to remember information by impairing the ability to focus, sustain, and shift attention. One study also found that long-term use reduces the ability to organize and integrate complex information.
In addition, marijuana impairs short-term memory and decreases motivation to accomplish tasks, even after the high is over. In one study, even small doses impaired the ability to recall words from a list seen 20 minutes earlier.
Fertility
Long-term marijuana use suppresses the production of hormones that help regulate the reproductive system. For men, this can cause decreased sperm counts and very heavy users can experience erectile dysfunction. Women may experience irregular periods from heavy marijuana use. These problems would most likely result in a decreased ability to conceive but not lead to complete infertility."
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/HOME.HTM
"Acute effects
anxiety, dysphoria, panic and paranoia, especially in naive users;
cognitive impairment, especially of attention and memory, for the duration of intoxication;
psychomotor impairment, and probably an increased risk of accident if an intoxicated person attempts to drive a motor vehicle, or operate machinery;
an increased risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms among those who are vulnerable because of personal or family history of psychosis;
an increased risk of low birth weight babies if cannabis is used during pregnancy.
Chronic effects
The major health and psychological effects of chronic heavy cannabis use, especially daily use over many years, remain uncertain. On the available evidence, the major probable adverse effects appear to be:
respiratory diseases associated with smoking as the method of administration, such as chronic bronchitis, and the occurrence of histopathological changes that may be precursors to the development of malignancy.
development of a cannabis dependence syndrome, characterised by an inability to abstain from or to control cannabis use;
subtle forms of cognitive impairment, most particularly of attention and memory, which persist while the user remains chronically intoxicated, and may or may not be reversible after prolonged abstinence from cannabis.
The following are the major possible adverse effects of chronic, heavy cannabis use which remain to be confirmed by further research:
an increased risk of developing cancers of the aerodigestive tract, i.e. oral cavity, pharynx, and oesophagus;
an increased risk of leukemia among offspring exposed while in utero;
a decline in occupational performance marked by underachievement in adults in occupations requiring high level cognitive skills, and impaired educational attainment in adolescents;
birth defects occurring among children of women who used cannabis during their pregnancies. "
http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/marijuana.htm
"Effects of Marijuana on the Brain
Researchers have found that THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is acted on by the hippocampus. This is a component of the brain’s limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Investigations have shown that THC suppresses neurons in the information processing system of the hippocampus. In addition, researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, also deteriorate.
Effects of Marijuana on the Lungs
Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.
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Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs.
Other Short Term Effects
Dry mouth and/or throat, problems with memory and learning, distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch), trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety. These effects are even greater when other drugs are mixed with marijuana.
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Persons high on marijuana show the same lack of coordination on standard drunk driver tests as do people who have had too much to drink.
Long Term Effects
Marijuana smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco, sometimes in higher concentrations. Someone who smokes 1 to 3 joints can produce the same lung damage and potential cancer risk as smoking five times as many cigarettes."
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/marijuana.html
"Q: Does marijuana pose health risks to users?
Marijuana is an addictive drug1 with significant health consequences to its users and others. Many harmful short-term and long-term problems have been documented with its use:
The short term effects of marijuana use include: memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety2.
In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of emergency room mentions of marijuana use. From 1993-2000, the number of emergency room marijuana mentions more than tripled.
There are also many long-term health consequences of marijuana use. According to the National Institutes of Health, studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.
Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, including most of the harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. Smoking one marijuana cigarette deposits about four times more tar into the lungs than a filtered tobacco cigarette.
Harvard University researchers report that the risk of a heart attack is five times higher than usual in the hour after smoking marijuana.3
Smoking marijuana also weakens the immune system4 and raises the risk of lung infections.5 A Columbia University study found that a control group smoking a single marijuana cigarette every other day for a year had a white-blood-cell count that was 39 percent lower than normal, thus damaging the immune system and making the user far more susceptible to infection and sickness.6
Users can become dependent on marijuana to the point they must seek treatment to stop abusing it. In 1999, more than 200,000 Americans entered substance abuse treatment primarily for marijuana abuse and dependence.
More teens are in treatment for marijuana use than for any other drug or for alcohol. Adolescent admissions to substance abuse facilities for marijuana grew from 43 percent of all adolescent admissions in 1994 to 60 percent in 1999.
Marijuana is much stronger now than it was decades ago. According to data from the Potency Monitoring Project at the University of Mississippi, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of commercial-grade marijuana rose from an average of 3.71 percent in 1985 to an average of 5.57 percent in 1998. The average THC content of U.S. produced sinsemilla increased from 3.2 percent in 1977 to 12.8 percent in 1997.7
). In my opinion, this is not a federal issue, it should be determined on a state by state basis. In addition, I would disagree with the harshness of penalties. Jailtime for marijuana just doesn't set well with me (excluding certain circumstances)...
