To see it through unbiased eyes, we need to review painful lessons from our nation’s history. Around the beginning of the 1900’s, America faced a serious medical challenge. In a very real way, this whole scenario is playing itself out again, right in front of our eyes.
Fly-by-night swindlers traveled from town to town hawking “miracle medicines” that claimed cures for everything from baldness to life-threatening diseases. Though their tonics rarely helped, much less cured their maladies, consumers often reported feeling better. There was a reason for this – most often they contained large amounts of alcohol and / or opium and other feel-good agents.
This chaotic medicinal marketplace, where legitimate medicines competed with unproven and often dangerous snake oils compelled the U.S. Congress over 100 years ago to create the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is now responsible for approving, regulating and verifying the effectiveness and safety of medicines.
Their mission is two-fold: to verify and ensure that medicines meet safety and effectiveness in treating medical conditions. (Some drugs only mask or hide symptoms, allowing them to continue to cause harm.)
Recently, the FDA has come under criticism – that they too often seem to serve the large pharmaceutical companies. Drug users who want their drug of choice have taken this criticism further . . . . many say too far, but most agree that the pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists wield too much power in D.C.!
So the problem is, do we now, throw it all out and allow the alternative - letting the people decide again? Medicine by election can be just as corrupting, especially when the media seems to be in the hands of the wealthy - those who own the printing presses and TV channels.
Simply stated, the FDA states it has not found compelling scientific evidence that smoking marijuana relieves the myriad of ailments that its proponents claim.
When considering at this question, one must take into account two related issues: 1) that the whole plan to make marijuana legal was published in “High Times.” They issued a call, compelling users to come forward saying that pot helped their suffering.
See the video of Nathan Edelman:
And there’s another part: 2) that a survey showed that medical marijuana cardholders had been smoking pot for an average of 17 years! That in itself, brings the whole system under more suspicion - - - for what if, marijuana does cause one to think their “medicine” helps their condition when it is instead, actually causing or contributing to it?
Then, there’s two further question that needs to be asked:
1) What weed is smoked without the particulate matter, tars, and (over 400 chemical compounds in the smoke) not causing harm? The doctor’s oath is “First, do no harm.”
2) If people who were already breaking the law using an illicit drug for 17 years before the system allowed this pseudo-legal use, do they have the credibility to allow us to believe this actually helps?
This article written from the inspiration of the Testimony of Dr. David Murray, Chief Scientist, Office f National Drug Control Policy before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security - - - “Hearing on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Regulation of Medicine” published in: http://www.drugwatch.org/Newsletters/Apr%202008%20Newsletter.pdf
Comments
Vaporize or injest it John. Again John, I point you to this PEER REVIEWED STUDY: Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated
cell death through stimulation
of ER stress in human glioma cells
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
The National Institute of Health (NIH) recognizes the VALIDITY of a peer reviewed study, especially when the conclusions are reached within the frame work of the scientific method. This study John is NIH suported. Argue with that John. Keeping the potential of a cure of this magnitude suppressed is no different than what your ancestors did to the Jews during World War II John. If you or a loved one were stricken with this deadly disease, would you deny them releif John? FYI John, no human being has moral authority over another. Put your efforts to prohibiting something truly deadly John, i.e. tobacco. Did you ever wonder why ONDCP doesn't run the 1 joint=4cigarettes ad anymore?
I liked the last post by AqueousChemist - I myself have wondered why John never appeals to peer reviewed scientific material. He is always quoting "science" material...but it is never peer reviewed. That is where the real science is John.
Vaporizers my cut down some damage but not all, but doctors prescribing smoking is an oxymoron. We have a lot of abuse of prescription medicine, but that doesn't mean that marijuana, smoked or otherwise is a solution. If medical marijuana advocates really wanted to help sick people, they would go through the FDA process rather than weakening the FDA by these state initiatives which are written and paid for by the drug lobby (ultimate aim, legalization). There is no control over dose or side effects or dependency issues unless a doctor monitors a patient, and that isn't happening with the fly by night marijuana recommendations. The large % of young healthy people getting these recommendations is another tip off.
We as a society need to come to grips with our preoccupation with drugs of any kind--and we need to separate recreational from medical use.
John is a silly old crank who recycles the same crap over and over again.
The poor old coot should give it up, he writs the same old column every time. Like some senile old man yelling at the kids to stay off the grass - he is a sad and pathetic figure, trying to convince people the earth really is flat.
If you want to "review painful lessons from our nation’s history" try starting with prohibition and all the harm that brought. As for medical mj users still smoking after 17 years, Arthritis, migraines, glaucoma, diabetes, etc.. don't just go away. There is no cures for many of the maladies that cannabis brings relief for. Patients smoke to alleviate pain, not to cure. If there was a cure they would go for that, since there is none they treat their inflictions with whats available. Should someone in pain be told that they can live pain free for a set amount of time ( as determined by who, you John?) and after that suffer becuase some hypocritical old godwad gets upset when people won't do what he thinks they should? Not only are you a hypocrite, you are a hateful sadistic anal retentive control freak. If you don't do, think, and believe exactly as John English does you are a crimenal and danger to society. John, your kind are the real threat to civilized society and freedom.
John English - one-man crusade against a plant.
Lynn,
First, ignore crass comments. As a former user, and one whose son followed in my footsteps I blamed myself and rightfully so. I watched him go through all the horrors of drug use, I'm one of the blessed ones. My son is clean and sober - 5.5 yrs now, recovered from mental problems. It breaks a parent's heart! Virtually every one of our members, has suffered a horrible loss. Tough love is horrendous to go through. Prayer for 25 years, helped; I can ONLY credit the grace of God! My son now returns to the 1/2 way house that brought him out (when he decided he wanted out). Until then, it seems that we have only prayer but my article "Stopping the Drug Use" suggests one thing - ask all of your son's former friends to do an intervention and confront him - telling him who he use to be and how much he is hurting those who love him. The use, blinds them; I'm praying for you and will continue to do so; so are those I work with; thanks for your reply! Maybe it will even help someone else.
In 1937 Dr. James C. Munch was the only doctor in the US who thought that cannabis should be illegal, so he became the US Official Expert on Marihuana and traveled the country testifying in court on the effects of Marijuana. He testified, under oath, that marijuana would make your fangs grow six inches long and drip with blood and, when he tried it, it turned him into a bat.
So, there ya' go. If you want to be like Batman then fire one up!
Oddly enough, the results, as with so many other 'marijuana studies', can not be duplicated.
Prohibition is a fly-by-night swindle perpetuated by the government and the (shr)ill informed.
i think we should al spark a fat blunt in our mouth's and let's al get High 8)
LEGALIZE WEED IT WILL MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE! HAHAHAHAHAHA BLAZE IT!!!! 420
AND LIKE I ALWAYZ SAY "Life's a Bitch den You Die,Lets Smoke a Blunt and Lets Get High!!! 8)
Marijuana use must evolve past smoking towards water filtration, vaporization, and ingestion. Sobriety is a wonderful thing as well but it is natural for animals to pursue intoxication or alteration of their conscious.
Legalizers will be the heroes of our future supple economy with lowered health care costs and less profits for the Mexican mafia.
Every hero needs a villain so thank you John English for playing the part so well.
Medical marijuana is all lies! If people want to get high let them just dont call it medical. These studies are half assed because the DEA wont let people use actual cannabis to use in the studies so how do you know any of these studies are real if they cannot use cannabis in them? Does not make sense to me! Fly by night doctors are profiting from patients when it should be legal.
fly by night dick stiffener doctors make more money. but who cares, people throwing rocks at doctors make money are probably jealous greedy lawyers.
I've know heaps of people who have destroyed there livers from using prescription drugs and I'm yet to meet someone who has done any serious damage to there lungs from smoking cannabis. Not saying smoking cannabis doesn't do damage your lungs, but I seriously question if popping pills is actually as healthy as doctors like to claim.
Anyway it seems incoherent to deny the terminally ill a medicine that they claim works, just because it may or may not cause damage to your lungs after 30 years of chronic use!
John your such an ignorant moron. Too much reefer madness propoganda as a child maybe? You sure look old enough to be hand fed that garbage.
Retired locksmith... Wow your a great drug expert, why don't you do us a favor and go get a job greeting at Walmart instead of writing this trash.
If this was a normal internet forum I would call you a troll John. Every article you have written has been a bunch of crap. If your so good at fighting drug abuse why don't you write about anything but Marijuana? You seem to be a 1 man crusade against pot. Not a drug policy examiner.
I think Allison is right. John English is probably just a caricature of an angry old white man who is mad at a plant.
Can we talk about other drugs John? Crack, smack, alcohol? I am really worried about teenagers abusing pharmaceuticals. Pills can be dangerous you know.
Sir you dont have your facts right and let me explain a few of them, oh and Im dying from Cancer and at least you can show some respect and research the facts before posting such crap.
First, back in the early 1900s, most if not all drug makers, some still in operation, produced medicine that had cannabis in it. I have seen countless bottles and pills all made from cannabis, ok then and a big part of medicine. Second, cannabis(marijuana) was prohibited because a small group of men decided to lie and cheat their goal into law, they made tons of money from lumber/paper and also to target blacks and hispanics because of race. And finaly, many people have been using it for years, because it works so good they risked arrest. Vaporizing and eating it, no smoke sir!
I have patches, morphine, Oxi's you name it, but marijuana works better and it gave my kids 2 more years with dad. You would rather I was arrested, or had died in jail 2 years ago? Come on, really?
Research!!
The doctor’s oath is “First, do no harm.”
Really are there any prescription meds that "Do no harm"?
Hell Vicaden, a low potency prescription pain killer has way more side effects and chance for addiction then MJ. I haven't seen a single prescription drug that didn't have a list of negative harmful side effects, it's not "do no harm" it's do more good then harm and make the patients life easier/less painful.
"Some drugs only mask or hide symptoms" sounds like a whole lot of legal prescription drugs there. No pain killer cures your pain it only masks it, Vic, percacet, morphine etc. and those are all way more damaging addictive then MJ.
I have interviewed Drug Policy Alliance's Dr. Ethan Nadelmann and former NORML Director Richard Cowan, so I was quite amused when John links to a video of Cowan and attributes it to "Nathan Edelman". I'm the one who smokes pot every day and old teetotaler John can't even form a coherent hyperlink.
Keep defending the FDA's role in approving safe and effective drugs. Like Vioxx (55,000 dead), Zicam (can kill your sense of smell), Trasylol (50% increase in risk of death), Baycol (100 deaths), Adderall (20 deaths), Raptiva (3 deaths)...
Cannabis, meanwhile, is non-toxic and a 150lb man would have to smoke 1500lbs of pot in 15 minutes to die from it. It's ratio of lethal dose to effective dose is 1000:1 (aspirin=20:1, cocaine=15:1, alcohol=10:1, heroin=6:1) making it, in the words of DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young, "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."
I'm also amused by the idea that if you were nauseous, in chronic pain, spastic, prone to seizures, or were losing your eyesight to glaucoma, and you smoked a joint 17 years ago and found it helped you medically, that you should choose to live in misery for another 17 years until it became legal to use, just so you could have some credibility in John English's view.
John, you say you're a former user and your son was, too. My dad was an addict and alcoholic; I understand. But you make the same mistake most zealous reformed addict prohibitionists make: believing that your inability to use a drug moderately and responsibly means nobody can, and believing that punitive measures are the only way to prevent some from experiencing your pain and help others escape addiction.
Prohibition didn't cure alcoholics; it created more of them, plus violence, crime, and corruption. Tobacco use is at its lowest rates ever not from making it illegal, but from education and health care options.
Medical user here. Daily back pain from sports were I was hoping to make the US Olympic team. There are many ways to use cannabis beyond just smoking it. It works for my nerve pain and I find it much safer than the FDA approved Tylenol. Tylenol which causes liver damage. Nice job on the link to Richard Cowan, I mean Nathan Edalman (you meant to screw it up with Ethan Nadelmann?), wrong name like three times in one! You couldn't have messed that up anymore if you tried. Should have left it to a pothead to proofread it for you.
A brilliant piece of obfuscation and flawed logic John. I find your medieval sense of compassion toward medical cannabis users (my brother who died at age 39 from smoking the legal, lethal, addictive tobacco, used cannabis during his last few months to allay the nausea, lack of appetite, and pain: the 100%THC Marinol the doctor's prescribed him stoned him to the point of unconsciousness...he prefered to take a few hits of 5% herbal marijuana to be able to function) most refreshing. Your merciless sense of justice is wasted on a modern, enlightened society. You would have went far as Torquemada's right hand man during the Spanish Inquisition.
You are a sad and bitter old man, and you have my pity.
If there is anyone you should be angry or lash out at it should be those people who told you not to smoke pot. They were wrong.
But your life has been about criminals and trying to protect people from others who would wrongly steal from them; as a locksmith you represent a sacred and trusted role in our society.
Many people who post these comments have judged you and decided who you are. I think they are not completely correct and they do not understand you and your life and your pain and suffering.
I think you too are not correct when you judge others and characterize them accouring to your values alone.
If you're a Christian you must believe in the virtues of mercy and peace. And if you are not a religious man then you must conceed to reason: we cannot continue doing the same thing when it comes to drug policy anymore, it's insanity.
Honestly, I tell you this as one man to another: educate yourself about LEAP.
Cannabis is an herb that grows like a weed and only a dope would call it a drug!
I have to agree with so many of the points made on here. For one, just because some abuse something doesn't mean that everyone does. Anything is abusable, such as say food. If we banned Mc Donalds, Taco Bell, Burger King etc maybe childhood and adulthood obesity would be eradicated....yeah right. Where I am from there is a methadone clinic on every corner. People die evryday from FDA approved meds. Why? Because they abused them. That was THEIR choice. The number of deaths caused by alcohol (I am a recovering alcoholic), scripts, crack, meth, etc is scary. But marijuana? Compare the facts for yourself. Also, my mother has fibromyalgia. If she followed the approved regimen for treatment of this disorder she would be on an anti-depressant, anti-inflamatory,
a sleeping medication, a nerve pill, and possibly a pain med as well. She tried marijuana and it helped all symptoms. Not cured, because there is no cure. It is sad that she has to suffer when all she needs is a small toke.
You might be interested in this:
Nine out of 13 members of the D.C. Council are sponsoring legislation to bring medical marijuana to your D.C. environs, according to today's Washington Post. This is although, alarmingly, research at the NIDA in Baltimore shows that pot affects blood flow in the brain even a month after the last use; and research in Spain shows that daily use is linked to development of psychosis and schizophrenia, while researchers in both Texas and Vienna were separately surprised to find that not only is pot ineffective in treating types of pain, it may actually intensify, spread and prolong pain. Marijuana has been the sentimental favorite since Peter, Paul and Mary, touted as benign and a cooler alternative to gin and tonic, but think: Limited in your options and information by ADA, HIPAA and other laws, have you thought about what employees, customers, vendors, and colleagues in a pot-induced haze of altered consciousness could mean to your business and fac
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