marijuanabookbomb.com (book cover)
The United States is torn on whether or not marijuana is harmful or actually could be used for a healing intervention. There are many studies, articles, and doctor’s perspectives on this issue. But, what are the true facts?
According to a new Rasmussen Reports poll, Fifty-one percent (51%) of American adults say alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana, and just 19% think pot is worse. 25% believe both substances are dangerous. Just two percent (2%) say neither is harmful.
An online article on Saferchoice.org, “Marijuana vs Alcohol,” provides readers with evidence that alcohol is potentially more harmful and addictive than marijuana. A few reasons being:
1. “There are hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths each year, yet there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history.”
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, in 2001 there were 331 recorded alcohol overdose related deaths and 0 deaths dealing with marijuana overdose. The CDC also recorded 20,687 alcohol generated deaths in 2003; where as, there were no records of marijuana induced deaths.
2. “Alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs, and using just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect can lead to death. Marijuana is one of – if not the – least toxic drugs, requiring thousands times the dose one would use to get the desired effect to lead to death.”
Dr. Leslie Iverson, Oxford University, found in his book, “The Science of Marijuana” that marijuana is a naturally "safe drug" which cannot lead to infertility, brain damage, cancer, or mental illness. He thinks that the legalization of the drug for medicinal purposes should be contemplated.
3. “Long-term marijuana use is far less harmful than long-term alcohol use.”
Drugpolicy.org notes, “There is no convincing scientific evidence that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness in either teenagers or adults. Some marijuana users experience psychological distress following marijuana ingestion, which may include feelings of panic, anxiety, and paranoia. Such experiences can be frightening, but the effects are temporary. With very large doses, marijuana can cause temporary toxic psychosis. This occurs rarely, and almost always when marijuana is eaten rather than smoked. Marijuana does not cause profound changes in people's behavior.”
However, an article published last year by Reuters, provides evidence from Australian researchers that “Long-term heavy use of marijuana may cause two important brain structures to shrink.” They came to this hypothesis by conducting brain scans on men and women. Those who had smoked marijuana for five or more years showed smaller hippocampuses (portion of the brain that regulates memory) and amygdalas (section of the brain that deals with fear and aggression) than nonusers.
Marijuana has been a hotly debated issue for years and it will continue to be; but, one thing is certain, anything used in excess is called an addiction. We must think of the body as a pure and clean vessel. It is important that one uses wise judgment when putting any foreign substance into the body.
What are your thoughts on Marijuana?
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Comments
Clearly it should be legalized. The evidence is out there for any reasonable person to try and refute, they can't.
Every day we hear about another potential breakthrough regarding cannabis and it's cancer fighting and other preventive properties. It's only coming to light now as it's only been recently that any researchers have been able to legally obtain any for studies that would put an end this insane war on cannabis.
It's time to legalize.
Have you ever woke up with a marijuana hangover? Have you ever known anyone who had to get their stomach pumped becaused they overdosed on marijuana? Have you ever witnessed anyone going through marijuana withdrawals so badly that they have seizures? I'm guessing NO you haven't. These are all things that alcohol can do to you though. So does it makes more sense for our laws to make alcohol legal and harm ourselves in this kind of way rather than make marijuana legal (a drug that is the safest drug that I have ever known). I mean really think about that for a minute. Can't we please make some changes that make sense?
Parents prefer pot? I didn't get that from the survey. I think pot is safer than alcohol when it comes to health risks and the risk of doing something stupid due to intoxication, but I don't know that I prefer it as a parent. Pot is illegal, so the risk of legal harms is greater to my children, and I also worry that if they smoke pot as young teens there is increased risk that they'll mess with other far worse drugs and get themselves into serious trouble. I don't think there is anything magic about pot that makes people want other drugs, but if a young teen smokes pot and hangs around pot smokers, he's going to come across lots of other drug growing up. He'll be part of the illegal drug crowd when it's all fun and games and drug use is on the increase among his peers. I'd prefer my kids not mess with any intoxicants. When they are adults pot may be a little safer. Either should be done in moderation if at all. As teens I hope they don't use any intoxicants.
This is God's Ruling on Drugs as God told it to me:
God's Ruling on Drugs
Marijuana and pure cocaine are not sins. Anyone who does crack cocaine, heroin or worse drugs is cut off. Anyone who uses needles to get high is cut off.
Now, how much simpler can you get? God does not consider marijuana to be a drug. Where marijuana is legal, there will be a blessed feeling and where it is not legal, there is a feeling of paranoia.
Jesus had myrrh and myrrh in the Holy Bible is marijuana. So God cannot cut people off for using marijuana. The Peruvian Indians chew on coca leaves and that's the source of cocaine. So God can't very well cut off those civilizations for that.
As for the drug cartels, the bottom will drop out of the market once marijuana and pure cocaine are legal for all to enjoy. They would then have to go into commercial production of their product in a legitimate way and pay taxes like everybody else.
Grace, Peace & Love;
Lord Saint Dennis
www.MariUnlimited.com
Cannabis doesn't have the lung cancer of tobacco, nor the puking, hangover, car wrecks, and liver cirrhosis of alcohol. The effect is relaxed and enhanced, not slurred and belligerent.
I would like to see marijuana legalized. Knowing what we know about humane behavior, and making the things we are naturaly drawn to illegal and a crime, is a crime against ourselves. Truth, not lies, needs to be the book of our knowledge, is our only hope. Cannabis will never KILL! Legal Alcohol has and will kill many, in many different ways. A monopoly on relaxation and social substance that is a known killer, is just wrong. Make me drink poison for some fun!
Thanks
We tell our children if they are ever going to go against our rules that we would much rather prefer they did so with marijuana rather than alcohol or hard drugs, if its going to happen (which we were all kids once and know it probably will happen) then at least let it be with a substance that can not kill or harm my child in the way alcohol and other hard drugs can when not taken correctly, or in incorrect amounts. Their is no chance at all for death with marijuana where as there is with most everything else, even caffeine. So yes, when it comes down to it, marijuana is the safest of all the intoxicants, so of course that's what I would rather have my kids try if they were to try something. Wouldn't every parent? I don't think politics is enough to make someone put their own kids in harms way is it?
Marijuana should be legal without question
OK Just 25% to go and its DONE
My mother died of complications stemming from her long battle with alcoholism. If I knew 30 years ago what I do now about cannabis as a healing medicinal, I could have saved her from that dreadful life spent inside a bottle. She was of the Reeefer Madness generation so a direct approach would not have worked. But instead of vodka in her morning OJ, she might have been cool with using a few drops of green dragon herbal tincture. I would urge anyone with an alcoholic close to you to get ahold of some tincture and see if you can substitute harmless buzz in place of a horribly toxic and addictive one.
Legalized Cannabis, END this cruel hoax called Prohibition.
This parent definitely prefers pot! In a decade when my toddlers are teenagers and beginning to experiment, I'd be much relieved to know they were vegging out watching TV and smoking pot versus driving around to parties and drinking alcohol.
while pot may be quite harmless by itself, and very usefull for medicine, It is often overlooked that most pot has other more harmfull drugs mixed in it as well. Pot itself, I agree, should be legalized for medicinal purposes,but I am not ready to fully agree that it should be completely legalized. Anyone who uses pot would soon move on to something stronger, as soon as the effects seem too little. On the other hand though, If pot were to be legalized, I believe a surprising amount of people would stop using it, or use it less, because the thrill of breaking the law is no longer there. I do believe that pot also has an effect on the attitude of others,if nothing else. Prolonged use may cause the same irritableness that alcoholics have- you'll be scowling all the time, rude, vulgar, and violent. NO matter what happens, though, it is important that neither is used in excess.
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