cannabisnews.com: Everyone Who’s Died Of A Marijuana Overdose

cannabisnews.com: Everyone Who’s Died Of A Marijuana Overdose
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Everyone Who’s Died Of A Marijuana Overdose
Posted by CN Staff on April 20, 2017 at 12:05:57 PT
By Nick Wing
Source: Huffington Post
USA -- Thursday is April 20, better known to many as 4/20, or “Weed Day.” People around the world are celebrating the unofficial marijuana holiday by gathering for rallies, smoke-outs, policy discussions and thousands of other weed-centric events.It’s a day of blissful hypocrisy for millions of cannabis users in the U.S., who by and large are still expected to be somewhat covert about their fondness for the plant. The federal government maintains that marijuana is a dangerous illegal drug, with no accepted medicinal value and a high potential for abuse. Despite repeated calls for the reclassification of cannabis, it remains on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of Schedule I substances Ż which also includes heroin, mescaline, LSD and a broad category of synthetic stimulants often referred to as “bath salts.”
The government’s message is clear: Marijuana and the psychoactive compound within it Ż tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC Ż poses a severe hazard to your health. To get a better sense of just how dangerous these substances are, The Huffington Post set out to compile a list of every person who has ever died solely as the result of a marijuana overdose.Here’s what we found:There are no recorded instances of anyone dying from a fatal dose of marijuana alone.Nothing has changed since the last time HuffPost highlighted this fact in 2013. And because the list was once again relatively easy to compile, we had time to find this GIF of a dog with the munchies. He did not overdose on marijuana Ż though dogs can, so keep that in mind. He is also a good boy.Fatally overdosing on marijuana in its most commonly ingested forms is seemingly impossible. In 1988, a DEA judge argued in favor of rescheduling marijuana in part because of its low harm profile. In his ruling, he wrote that a user would have to ingest somewhere between 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC contained in a single joint to approach lethal toxicity.“A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response,” wrote Judge Francis Young.A more recent study suggests a lethal dose of marijuana may actually be even higher. To be at risk of fatal poisoning, a user would have to orally ingest more than half a gram of pure THC per kilogram of body mass, according to a 2014 analysis of the compound. At 88kg, the average American man would have to down more than an ounce and half of 100 percent THC extract. That’s almost certainly not possible, but if it were, it might involve taking this “Dragon Ball” to the face.“That’s far more than most people will consume throughout their entire lifetime,” said Jahan Marcu, chief science officer at Americans for Safe Access, an organization that advocates for cannabis as medicine.The lack of death by marijuana poisoning doesn’t mean people haven’t been trying. Humans have been getting high since prehistoric times and for millennia, cannabis Ż both in its flower and concentrated hasish forms Ż has been one of our favorite intoxicants. People aren’t particularly prudent in their efforts to chemically alter their consciousness, so if it were possible to use a fatal dose of marijuana, it seems like someone would have done it. In fact, if some poor soul had managed to blaze up the close to a ton of herb necessary to achieve this morbid feat, you can be damn sure it would be the stuff of legend.“People have tried to ingest as many plant cannabinoids as possible and there is no fatal overdose that has ever been documented in human beings,” Marcu said.Opponents of marijuana might argue that just because it hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it can’t happen in the future. They often point to growing concentrations of THC in modern pot plants as a cause for concern about increased harm. This ignores some important historical context, said Marcu.“When you put those potency values on the scale of products that have been available and distributed and traded over millennia, they’re actually probably less potent than what someone would have gotten from a Moroccan hash trader a thousand years ago,” he said.Although the era of “Reefer Madness” is not completely over Ż just listen to some of the officials in the Trump administration Ż it has proven increasingly difficult for the federal government to keep people scared about the supposed dangers of marijuana.With tens of millions of Americans regularly reporting having used weed in the past year, it is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States. Eight states and Washington, D.C., have now approved marijuana for recreational use, though sales remain banned in the nation’s capitol. A total of 29 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.And the relative harms of marijuana have begun to look less troubling as the nation’s attention has shifted to the ravages of highly addictive and often deadly opioids like heroin and fentanyl.In 2006, a study in American Scientist compared the relative toxicity of marijuana to other commonly used substances, including some legal ones. It found that just 10 times the effective dose of alcohol and five times the effective dose of heroin could be enough to cause death in humans. Marijuana ranked among the least toxic drugs.AMERICAN SCIENTIST: Alcohol is far more toxic than several popular illicit drugs.None of this is to say that using marijuana recreationally is as safe or as healthy as it would be to abstain completely. Although the science on even the most basic physiological effects of marijuana use remains incomplete and highly politicized, in rare cases it has been associated with disturbing adverse reactions. Studies have found that THC can exacerbate certain preexisting mental health conditions in some people, especially among younger users. Cannabis use has also been cited, albeit controversially, as a contributing factor in a handful of deaths of people with underlying cardiovascular conditions.But scientists say the nature of these links is often inconclusive, inconsistent and highly dependent on the condition of the person using marijuana.“There have been some associations seen with heavy cannabis use and development of possible psychotic behaviors, for example, but we don’t know if it’s a causal pattern,” said Sunil Kumar Aggarwal, a clinical instructor at the University of Washington’s school of medicine. “If it is, I can’t prove it.”In states that have legalized cannabis, emergency rooms have reported an uptick in instances of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a mysterious illness that causes severe abdominal pain and vomiting. But these symptoms are not life-threatening and can be treated by stopping marijuana use, Aggarwal said.Although a heavy dose of weed may not kill you, it’s certainly been known to make people feel uncomfortably high, leading to dysphoria, agitation, anxiety or panic. Those effects can seem like they last an eternity, but they’re reversible and tend to get better over a window of a few hours.Sometimes, using marijuana in extreme excess can lead to poisoning or nonfatal overdose. But even then, the long-term damage pales in comparison to many other drugs. Aggarwal points out that taking too much of a common pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can do serious harm to the liver, kidneys or stomach.“We don’t see those kind of end organ damages with cannabinoids, especially natural-form extracts and that kind of thing,” he said.It’s also important to remember that the conversation around marijuana use extends far beyond those who use it recreationally while celebrating on 4/20. Many people already rely on cannabis as a medicine. Even if the federal government won’t openly acknowledge its therapeutic effects, marijuana-based prescription pharmaceuticals like Marinol and cannabidiol treatments for epilepsy are proof that the plant’s benefits and harms are not as clear-cut as the DEA makes them out to be.“These marijuana-derived products and purified forms of cannabis that have THC in them have been around for decades, and they’ve been prescribed to treat neurological disorders, not to cause them,” Marcu said. “If it was so bad for our nervous system and our brain, why is the first person we give it to someone who has multiple sclerosis, or HIV-AIDS, or neuropathy, or cancer, or a child with a disease?”This article has been updated to amend a quote that misstated the effects of overdoses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.Source: Huffington Post (NY)Author: Nick Wing, Senior Viral Editor, The Huffington PostPublished: April 20, 2017Copyright: 2017 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/kuYzBtkhCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #27 posted by Hope on April 28, 2017 at 16:11:12 PT
It's good to laugh... even at ourselves.
J. P. Sears
Why to legalize marijuana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrslyzwErGcI've been watching this a couple of times a day lately. It's funny. One can waste hours watching his videos, but they are so funny.He does burn someone pretty badly in every one of them. I like Yoga Pictures and If meat eaters acted like vegans. Oh my gosh. The man is a mess.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #26 posted by Hope on April 28, 2017 at 16:00:28 PT
John Tyler
Yes, he is funny. I think I want the t-shirt or hoodie that says "Spiritual as Hell".
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #25 posted by John Tyler on April 28, 2017 at 14:15:45 PT
J. P. Sears
J. P. Sears is hilarious. I have never heard of him before.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #24 posted by Hope on April 24, 2017 at 17:31:11 PT
JP Sears
If Trump Drank Ayahuasca - Ultra Spiritual Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vLQZh6eaTg
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Comment #23 posted by Hope on April 24, 2017 at 17:17:07 PT
Making fun of others...
saying the rudest things with the nicest words. This guy is amazing. He goes after "Legalizers" in this one. J. P. SearsWhy to legalize marijuanahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrslyzwErGc
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Comment #22 posted by Hope on April 24, 2017 at 15:22:48 PT
ABC
Last Man Standinghttp://abc.go.com/shows/last-man-standingFriday evenings 8/7 cs time
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #21 posted by FoM on April 24, 2017 at 14:59:09 PT
Hope
Is it on a network channel?
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #20 posted by Hope on April 24, 2017 at 13:55:55 PT
Tim Allen's character is Mike Baxter
That article describes him thus: "Mike Baxter is an educated Archie Bunker."Actually, it is a funny show. If it really makes you upset you shouldn't watch it, but I've thought it was funny the occasional times I've watched it.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #19 posted by Hope on April 24, 2017 at 13:27:35 PT
Mike... ranting... about Modern Men.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w2R2_e4XIo
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #18 posted by Hope on April 24, 2017 at 13:24:26 PT
Tim Allen ... Last Man Standing
How Tim Allen's 'Last Man Standing' Gets Away With Politically Incorrect Humorhttp://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-tim-allens-last-man-859204A choice of Last Man Standing on You Tubehttps://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Last+Man+Standing+Tim+Allen
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on April 24, 2017 at 04:54:32 PT
What humor do Republican like?
What makes the RP laugh? We have Colbert, SNL and Trevor Noah and we watch them faithfully.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #16 posted by FoM on April 24, 2017 at 04:51:30 PT
Hope
I love Colbert. I thought that skit was one of the funniest I have ever seen. I am laughing just thinking about it again!
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #15 posted by Hope on April 23, 2017 at 09:50:54 PT
Comment 12 FoM
Oh my gosh! April the giraffe! "Once a year... than every hour thereafter!"Hilarious! Oh my life! I love Colbert, my husband detests him. I detest Alex Jones.... Lol!... he does too, pretty much. Not as much as I do... but he doubts him.At least I have my C-News friends and about three others here in the midst of Republicana. We "Lay low" and keep our mouths shut... watching... waiting... until the Alex Jones of our lives run themselves over and off an edge somewhere and come to their senses. If they ever do. Oh yes... about half the friends and loved ones in Austin agree with me. The rest ... not so much... unless they or a family member have leukemia, MS, or epilepsy. Then they look sad... and a little different. Less combative. Maybe it is just a plant, they might admit. A plant that helps people.Sad... but true.Carry on, Colbert!
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Comment #14 posted by Sam Adams on April 22, 2017 at 08:31:25 PT
Mass. update
great article in today's newspaper:https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/20/marijuana-panel-chair-goal-kill-black-market-fast/8mJZt8xCVTC1qlSfXLRu0M/story.htmlMarijuana panel chair aims to kill off black market quicklyA key state senator wants to kill the black market for marijuana by keeping the tax on the drug low when it is sold legally next year, continuing to require communities to hold a voter referendum if they want to ban pot shops, and insisting that retail stores can open by July 2018.Senator Patricia D. Jehlen hopes that approach will effectively clear the way for private, legal marijuana retailers to dominate the market for the sale of marijuana.I want to immediately - as fast as possible - make possible a safe, legal market for adults who want access to get it, Jehlen, the senator in charge of rewriting Massachusetts voter-passed recreational marijuana law, said in an interview with the Globe. If its at a reasonable price, most people will prefer a safe, legal product.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #13 posted by FoM on April 22, 2017 at 06:12:07 PT
John Tyler
I haven't heard any yet but we sure had some great music years ago and I still love them all.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #12 posted by FoM on April 22, 2017 at 06:07:19 PT
A Good Laugh
I haven't laughed so hard in a long long time!The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Alex Jones Called Out Stephen Colbert In Court http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/video/sWcu3s65Z1fmRqZOjBAI14AJIkD1BYQk/alex-jones-called-out-stephen-colbert-in-court-testimony/
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Comment #11 posted by John Tyler on April 21, 2017 at 18:17:02 PT
music
Now that we have had legal cannabis in several states and it is coming on line in several more, I have been hoping to see a resurgence in really good cannabis influenced music like it was in the 1960s. Has anybody seen or know of a resurgence? Anything on YouTube? Some country and western singers and song writers are getting into it, a little bit, but what else?
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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on April 21, 2017 at 16:41:03 PT
Cannabis has not killed a soul.
Cannabis prohibition,over zealous policelaws of persecution,NOW, How many killed?
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #9 posted by MikeEEEEE on April 21, 2017 at 14:49:26 PT
Off-topic: Stupids Update
I had diagnosed trump with mental illness about 2 months ago. I'm not the only one who has noticed, please read the following:https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/21/group-mental-health-professionals-warn-trumps-state-putting-country-dangerBy the way, if you voted for trump, you are so stupid!!!
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Comment #8 posted by John Tyler on April 21, 2017 at 11:15:32 PT
enthusiasts
One more thing, on the NBC national news the news caster, Lester Hold, was doing a 420 story and described cannabis users as cannabis enthusiasts and showed all of the joyous people across the country enjoying their favorite plant. It reminded me of the Indian saying from the Seth McFarland movie, “a person can find true happiness when they do psychedelic drugs with their friends.”
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on April 21, 2017 at 11:05:33 PT
NO B.S.
Colorado unemployment in March just dropped to the lowest rate in the U.S.Rate dropped even as 10,500 more people joined the labor forcehttp://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/21/colorado-unemployment-lowest-in-state-history/-0-Re-legalizing cannabis creates jobs. At least some of those stats are related...
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Comment #6 posted by John Tyler on April 21, 2017 at 11:05:03 PT
on MSNBC
On 4/20 MSNBC did a cannabis poll and 95% of MSNBC viewers favored full cannabis legalization.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on April 20, 2017 at 20:41:49 PT
Lol!
"People aren’t particularly prudent in their efforts to chemically alter their consciousness, so if it were possible to use a fatal dose of marijuana, it seems like someone would have done it."That's funny... and pretty true, I would imagine. This article covers a lot of ground. It's a good read.
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Comment #4 posted by HempWorld on April 20, 2017 at 18:36:20 PT
FoM Thank YOU So Much!
And Stick and your dogs... ha, ha.I was thinkin' after my post, I forgot to thank you and your loved ones!You are one of the people that made this HAPPEN!THANK YOU SO MUCH!
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 20, 2017 at 18:25:51 PT
HempWorld
Happy 4/20! Yes 61%!
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Comment #2 posted by HempWorld on April 20, 2017 at 18:07:38 PT
A Very Happy 420 To All!
VICTORY!
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on April 20, 2017 at 17:16:21 PT
Me!
I have been clinically dead since the age of 17 when I took my 1st toke (over the line) and now I'm 56! I've been brain-dead living half out of my body...But seriously, it is finally happing! 61% in favor, Coast-to-coast!Yahoo WEED just came into being:"When Michelle, a 40-year-old lawyer from Connecticut, visited her son at college in Colorado, it did not occur to her at first that she would be venturing from a state where recreational marijuana was still against the law to one that had recently voted to legalize it.But when she did realize it, she decided it would be fun to get high legally — with her son.Michelle and Schuyler, a 19-year-old organismal biology and ecology major, are pioneers in the brave new world of pot use."https://www.yahoo.com/news/weed/?camp=WATAF&chan=bboardEtc. etc. it took a long time but we are at 61% and growing!FINALLY!
[ Post Comment ]

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