cannabisnews.com: Effects of Marijuana-Use Not as Harmful as Alcohol





Effects of Marijuana-Use Not as Harmful as Alcohol
Posted by CN Staff on April 30, 2008 at 16:57:38 PT
By Adam Pham
Source: Kansas State Collegian
Kansas -- He's often demonized as existentially lazy, obtuse and prone to erratic fits of violence. He might look just like one of us - and indeed is a great number of us, many with families and stable jobs. He was recently described by John P. Walters as a "vicious criminal terrorist," and he and his forsaken friends litter our penal system, their lives and careers forever ruined on account of their victimless pastime. What could an honest, tax-paying, otherwise law-abiding citizen possibly do in this country to earn such a fate?
He need do nothing more than be an occasional user of marijuana.Immediately after his appointment as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in late 2001, Walters began his fanatical campaign against marijuana, declaring it to be "America's most dangerous drug" and spreading sensational folklore like the notion modern marijuana is twice as potent as it used to be and has no more medical value than crack cocaine. He proceeded to spend the next two years touring the United States, encouraging more draconian penalties and stifling any measure which might serve to reallocate money from punishment to rehabilitation. But though, by the ONCDP's own admission, $1 trillion has thus far been wasted on all of this disgraceful propaganda, after half a century of acquiescence the rhetoric is losing its luster. How could this be? Because despite the moral panic the disingenuous Drug Czar and his cohorts wish to foment, the empirical facts are demonstrably different.In almost every controlled clinical study, marijuana doesn't actually cause mental or physical illness, long-term memory loss, sterility or any other impairment of the immune system, nor does it seem to cause lung cancer or emphysema without concurrent tobacco use. It hasn't been proven to contribute to crime - other than marijuana possession, of course - and users don't even seem to be more likely to be involved in automobile fatalities. (This is, of course, in stark contrast to the havoc alcohol wreaks on our faculties of common sense and our bodies, and its own considerable contribution to the commission of crime.) Marijuana doesn't appear to be a gateway to hard drugs to a greater extent than any of its legal counterparts. It doesn't cause the average college student any academic trouble, and wages among working adult users are, on average, actually higher than those of nonusers. As to whether or not cannabis has any practical application, the answer is clearly a resounding "yes;" clinical studies have repeatedly demonstrated that THC could serve a valuable role in therapeutic medicine as a nausea-reliever, analgesic and antidepressant.All of the above - which has been conveniently aggregated and cited on drugpolicy.org, by the way -; is more than one needs to prove the constitutional case anyway. Since when have such things been a constitutionally sufficient condition for prohibition? (To that end, one cannot help but wonder how many tireless opponents of marijuana have given testimony on the subject only with the aid of a certain addictive stimulant percolated in almost every American household.) What kind of democracy is this anyway? Is it not the very point of our elegant Constitution to protect the interests of the minority from the tyranny of the majority? The War on Drugs has been perhaps the most embarrassing failure in the history of modern American public policy - Reuters reported back in 2006 that marijuana was officially the nation's largest cash crop. Obviously prohibition is not the answer, and as always, this is merely an aside to a more profound conversation; rather than "How do we lower drug usage?" it seems we actually ought to be asking, "Why is it so high in the first place?"Adam Pham is a senior in economics, music and philosophy. Source: Kansas State Collegian (KS Edu)Author: Adam PhamPublished: April 29, 2008Copyright: 2008 Kansas State CollegianContact: opinion spub.ksu.eduWebsite: http://kstatecollegian.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on May 03, 2008 at 09:29:34 PT
Afterburner..... Love Project Progress
or lack there of.Still loving and praying for my sister... Andrea Barthwell. Still remembering occasionally to remember my promise to myself to focus love and prayer on her.I did it relatively often the first eon or two. It still comes to mind.I try to pray for her and care about her like she's my sister... which she is. I've learned to admire things about her. She has beautiful skin.
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on May 02, 2008 at 21:07:00 PT
"Lovers In A Dangerous Time"
"Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight"
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on May 02, 2008 at 20:45:59 PT
"Lovers In A Dangerous Time"
Cool!Thank you.
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Comment #11 posted by afterburner on May 02, 2008 at 14:14:22 PT
Hope & all
YouTube - Bruce Cockburn "Lovers In A Dangerous Time"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dGNDUdtNh8
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on May 02, 2008 at 08:14:45 PT
What seventeen year old
goes to the doctor about sexual dysfunction? The only seventeen year old boy that ever heard a doctor lecture him about his future ability to have children... was one who was being forced to get a lecture about the evils of marijuana. Or maybe they're just redecorating the old man-boobs story here into a slightly adjusted reincarnation of the same manure.If anything... the story might run along these lines. Kid's got infection... won't go away in his genitals. Finally he has to say something. "Mom... Dad, I'm having trouble." Tells them and perhaps shows them.Mom or Dad... "Oh my gosh. You have an infection! Have you been having sex? You have to go to the doctor!"Hence Doctor... hence lectures.Or could it be, "Mom/Dad, I had wanted to make a baby with Lucy last weekend and ....."
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on May 02, 2008 at 08:06:34 PT
Whoa!!!
"Anecdotal evidence already points towards its role in causing impotence and in lowering testosterone and sexual desire."Whoa!"In my clinic I see youngsters from the age of 17 onwards with sexual dysfunction."Whoa! What? Think about that one.
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on May 02, 2008 at 08:00:59 PT
UK: Cannabis 'Is Making Teenagers Impotent'
And they wonder where some kids get the crazy idea that using cannabis will keep them from impregnating and getting pregnant?"You can't be pregnant! We were smoking pot that night!"*Sigh*
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Comment #7 posted by afterburner on May 02, 2008 at 00:32:52 PT
Global Marijuana March (5/3) v. Global Prohibition
British Prime Minister Claims Marijuana Can Kill You.
Posted in Chronicle Blog by Scott Morgan on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 7:39pm 
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2008/may/01/british_prime_minister_claims_maUK: Cannabis 'Is Making Teenagers Impotent', Say Doctors 
by Maureen Culley, (28 Apr 2008) Daily Mail United Kingdom
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n445/a12.htmlCN BC: Holy Smoke Admits To Selling Pot, Nelson Daily News, (29 Apr 2008) 
http://www.mapinc.org/newstcl/v08/n443/a10.html?176
Excerpt: {
According to testimony, the store began a "designated dealer" program in 2004/05 to get rid of the "unscrupulous" dealers selling drugs in a nearby garden. They say they tried everything including erecting a large sign, to get rid of those dealers and prevent them from selling to youth, but nothing worked. Once Holy Smoke started dealing and allowed people to smoke inside the store, the accused claim the garden dealers virtually disappeared. 
}Health Canada Exposed.
It's your right to choose 
your health products and therapies 
http://www.stopc51.com/ 
Comment by an opponent of Bill C-51 [name withheld for the sake of privacy]:
{
I remember mentioning the Codex Alimentarius (the original UN name of the idea to index and regulate ALL natural substances, including all food items and tea!) to my boss two years ago. She laughed at me, saying that sort of thing would never even be tried in Canada, it was too ridiculous.Well, here it is. The end of our nutritional freedoms. The government is about to declare war on everyone who wishes to keep themselves healthy. Yet, at the same time, they make it practically illegal to die.This is what our government is now telling us: "Be sick, unhealthy, and in pain your entire life through lack of nutrition that we have engineered for you. However, be sure to see us once a month and you will live forever on our chemicals and machines, but not before you pay us every last dime you have for it."This is why I will never walk into another doctor's office in my life. My life is in the hands of the Universe, and I must say, the Universe is much wiser than any state-trained pharmaceutical-prescribing robot. My medicine cabinet will always have whatever the hell I want in it, even if it is dangerous to me. That is MY CHOICE. It is MY EARTH. This is MY LIFE.I love the Earth. I am here to help protect humankind's place on her. Unfortunately, with nonsense like this we are really proving to her that we do not belong here. If you are confused and do not know where to place your loyalties in life, place them with Earth. She is our nurturing mother. Without her and those things she provides for us, we would not have life. 
}Stephen Harper's government has no love of science | Straight.com (17 Apr 2008) 
http://www.straight.com/article-141083/harper-government-has-no-love-scienceHarper’s broad-brush drug policy absurd. Publish Date: May 1, 2008. http://www.straight.com/article-143883/harpers-broadbrush-drug-policy-absurd
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 01, 2008 at 10:15:48 PT
mykeyb420
I like what you added to your comment. I'm with you. I honestly believe that if Clinton gets the nomination the DNC will be like 68. 
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Comment #5 posted by mykeyb420 on May 01, 2008 at 09:56:51 PT
What kind of democracy is this anyway? 
that is a stupid question. We don't live in a democracy. We live in a theocratic-neo-con republic. 
"We pledge alegiance, to the flag,,,and to the republic, for which it stands"
 If we lived in a democracy,, when we vote,,when the MAJORITY wins, ( like prop 215 ) the government should oblidge our votes. But they dont.
when the majority votes for a president, and one guy get more votes,,then THAT guy(or girl) wins. It is NOT for the supreme court(jesters) to override our votes. I smell ANOTHER election fiasco on the horizon. Which state will it be this time???AVOID THE DRAMA, VOTE FOR OBAMA
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on May 01, 2008 at 08:22:22 PT
Adam Phan
Very good comment on the situation. Thank you.
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on May 01, 2008 at 08:17:52 PT
ONDCP Book of Virtues
Lies. (They really, really are virtuous... ask any narc or prohibitionist or preventionist.)Taking property from others. (For a "good cause" also known as forfeiture, seizure, and theft. Thieving is good if you're doing it for some "noble"... really, really good reason... like the war on drugs and we'll just give the money and all to schools... yeah schools, that's the ticket! (He, He.))Hatred and retribution are two very important virtues of the drug warrior... prohibitionist. (They wouldn't get anything done without hatred and retribution.) Virtuous!Spying.Turning one neighbor against another. Turning parents against children and children against parents. ( That might even help create some of those "Predator Children" they promised.)Scare people. Keep them scared... of something! (Even if you have to lie... but that's covered under the first virtue of the ONDCP book.)Tear families apart from every direction. (It's really a kind of "saving" them, so it's...) Virtuous!Make drugs more expensive. (A cartel favorite, I'm sure. Making drugs unnaturally profitable and expensive, feeds the corruption at every level situation too. Big time! And of course it's scary to boot!) Big time virtuous!Killing and dieing. (Because people who dare touch or taste what the government and ruling people say you can't, are "Bad guys"... and other really bad stuff... like "Slime", and they really "should be killed". Prohibitionist preventionist should be willing to die for the cause... of course. Some of them, anyway. What virtue... giving your life for a mighty and virtuous cause.) Virtuous and so highly Moral!Death and Destruction. (One of the mightiest virtues of the Drug War and the ONDCP. It is very scary... naturally... and it helps them keep the people scared and them in control.) Virtuous!Humiliation of others. (It's important to humiliate people involved in "drugs". Good clean fun and an emotional release!) Virtuous. It's for the cause.There's more. Lot's more. It's a long book... and hard to read... but everyone should.
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on May 01, 2008 at 05:27:21 PT
TATOO
May this be tatood on John P. Walters ass.The ass of an ass.And all His fellow prohibitionists ass too. -I mean tatoo.
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on May 01, 2008 at 05:24:19 PT
TATOO
May this be tatood on John P. Walters ass.The ass of an ass.And all His fellow prohibitionists ass.
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