Vince Beach Marijuana Poster
Growing up in the '60's, marijuana was the preferred recreational drug of my generation. While beer and other alcohol may have been the choice of the fraternity crowd, the cool kids recreational drug of choice was marijuana.
Living close to Santa Monica Bay, my wife and I frequently stroll the Venice boardwalk to soak in the flavor of the beach and witness the antics of the wacky local Venetians. For the last several years, we couldn't walk the boardwalk without being approached by a local vendor inviting us to meet with a local doctor to get our marijuana prescription filled. "Whatever ails you, marijuana will cure you".
I always considered the prospect of decriminalization of marijuana as a positive step since its use was no worse than alcohol or cigarettes and enforcement of antiquated marijuana laws were a waste of resources. I really didn't believe that marijuana had a legitimate medical use but, with a wink and a nod, I supported initiatives designed to legalize its use.
Well, it looks as though current marijuana research may be changing my original opinion of its medical benefits. According to an L.A. Times article, recent research points to the following benefits and risks of marijuana consumption:
THE GOOD
Pain:
Marijuana has been shown to be effective against various forms of pain ranging from chronic low grade pain to severe pain and seems to be effective against nerve pain that's resistant to opiates.
Cancer:
While no one is arguing that marijuana will cure cancer in humans (at least not yet), it has been shown to be effective in combating pain, nausea and loss of appetite in cancer patients undergoing traditional cancer treatments. According to an October 2003 review article in the journal Nature, marijuana may even have a positive effect on blocking the growth of tumors in lab animals.
Other Potential Benefits:
Multiple Sclerosis
AIDS wasting syndrome
Muscle spasms
Tourette's syndrome
Glaucoma
THE BAD
Addiction:
The same National Institute on Drug Abuse that has yet to determine whether marijuana increase the risk of lung and other cancers, says that repeated use could lead to addiction and heavy users may experience withdrawal systems such as irritability and sleep loss if they stop suddenly.
Respiratory disease:
Several studies in New Zealand and Australia have concluded that smoking one marijuana joint is at least 2.5 times more harmful to the lungs than one cigarette and that pot smoking can lead to one type of lung disease 20 years earlier than cigarette smoking.
Psychological effects:
It appears that heavy pot smoking affects the parts of the brain that controls memory, attention and learning. (Those readers who have partaken in this herb can relate to that last sentence). Also, studies have showed loss of tissue in two areas of the brain, the hippocampus and amygdala which are areas of the brain that are rich in receptors for marijuana and are a vital memory and emotional region of the brain.
THE ANSWER
Perhaps a way to overcome the adverse health concerns that will allow consumers to reap the benefits of marijuana is to not smoke marijuana (as a joint or in a pipe) but to inhale its vapor. According to a study published in 2007 in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, vaporizing is a safe and effective way of getting THC, the active ingredient, into the blood-steam and does not result in consuming toxic carbon monoxide.
While inhaling marijuana vapor and not its smoke will help alleviate the adverse physical affects; regular, heavy non medicinal pot smoking or THC vapor ingestion should be avoided. It's not good for your brain. Otherwise, contrary to the original conventional wisdom, for some of us marijuana may offer more benefits than risks.
UPDATE:
For those Southern California readers who are interested in finding a doctor to prescribe medical marijuana, the can check out this Cannabis center site.
Comments
Nice article Fred. Very balanced. I think it should be legalized. California is a good place to start. Treat it like the Cali wine industry. Tax it - regulate it. I did a video about California legalization efforts. Search YouTube - "Should Marijuana be Legalized in California"
Decriminalization is a dead end, as it doesn't remove some of the most egregious problems of the black market trade, profiteering by law enforcement and criminal enterprises, being one of the more urgent matters.Legalization is the only way to address these problems, and it needs to be done now before these organizations amass too much wealth and influence to be stopped. Already the prison industrial complex has an unhealthy alliance with law enforcement lobbyists who are constantly pushing for stricter drug laws so they can continue to reap the benefits of incarcerating non-violent drug offenders. Also, you should fix your link to the Cannabis Center, as it is a referral link from their Google advertising and probably costs them about a dollar a click. Simply cut off everything behind the base domain.
I bet if you do a tiny bit more research on one particular point, you will (should) edit it out of your post.
I am refering to: "Also, studies have showed loss of tissue in two areas of the brain, the hippocampus and amygdala which are areas of the brain that are rich in receptors for marijuana and are a vital memory and emotional region of the brain."
Look up the study that those claims are based upon.
Otherwise great article :)
If marijuna becomes legal then think about it. everyone will be smoking it and then because everyone wants too do it the drug addictics will try Something new and powerful to marijuna
Actually marijuana is the cure for cancer, THC(the primary psychoactive drug in marijuana) injected into tumors. There have been a number of studies, but since marijuana is so terrifying and taboo, people don't bother.
To debunk the "THE BAD":
Marijuana is not addictive. If there is such a claim, then the person does not understand what addiction is, luckly, I will teach you now: When someone takes heroin, cocaine, or meth, the dopamine levels rise but when they stop, the dopamine levels go to BELOW NORMAL LEVELS, this does not happen with marijuana, and that's what "addiction" is.
If people are losing sleep or becoming irritable when they stop, then they are going back to their back to their miserable, mundane lives...that's not because they are "addicted".
The old one cig = 2.5 joints is a bogus claim, the "scientists" came up with this number because they figure your inhaling more, it's junk science.
What has God given you that Governments take away? Marijuana.
Marijuana and other safe, natural, organic drugs are catalysts for mankind's evolution, creativity and intelligence, and are the MOST important things on this planet!...I've looked. The reason the world is so miserable and terrible now is because not all of God's gifts are available to us. Governments need you all to be docile and stupid so they can control you and so you never become enlightened and overthrow them. Look what happened in the 1960's!
If all of God's gifts were available to you, we would have heaven on earth. There are people on the earth right who know how to do this.
Governments can not illegalize a plant! If so, they have become God, they have the power of God over your lives!...They have power over existence? Why do you allow someone or a government to say "God made a mistake with this one, we'll just take it out of here."
What do you think governments are so afraid of that they have to deny you a plant?...a part of existence itself?
and kill dieing or altered cells while leaving healthy cells alone, possible cure for cancer
The USA has the highest per capita jail population in the world while only having 25% of the worlds population.
Marijuana has been tried by the last three presidents, Michael Phelps, and thousands of famous people, as well as millions and millions of everyday citizens that have families, work, pay taxes and are as American as apple pie
yet the big Corps like Big Pharma, Alcohol and tobacco industries fund "A Drug Free California" in an attempt to protect their profits by lobbying to keep marijuana illegal. They contribute to our politician’s campaigns in order to be "owed one" and further protect their profits.
Could it be any clearer America?
Time to Legalize Marijuana and give freedom back to the American citizens!
Current cannabis Laws achieve the following:
Loss of BILLIONS to the state in enforcement costs
Loss of respect for law enforcement
Turns tax payers into tax liabilities for the tax payers
Ruin's the chance at a future for kids and young adults
Turns non violent people into real criminals
Enriches criminal organizations beyond belief
Creates profit margins worth killing for
Loss of thousands of lives every year
Creates the need for private/profitable prisons
Ruins families
Invades on the personal rights and freedom of our citizens
When the following has been proven:
Marijuana is easier for kids to get than alcohol
Marijuana has never been attributed to ONE death in the history of planet earth, no one has ever died from its use.
It is impossible to overdose on marijuana
It has been proven safer than alcohol and cigarettes
Latest polls show majority of Americans favor legalization
It has been proven to have many medical benefits
THC has been proven to attack
i like weed
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