The Medical "Benefits" of Smoking Marijuana

[DannyM]

Could someone please tell me if it's true that Obama is set to legalise cannabis over in the States...? I'm hearing all sorts over here and can't access any concrete links. Thanks in anticipation.

Dan

He's simply ordered the Federal governmental law enforcement organs not to work "medical marijuana" cases leaving that to the states. Each state decides how they want to handle it. He's not "about to legalize marijuana".

So non-medical marijuana, smoked marijuana, is still very much ILLEGAL in the States? That's every state without exception?

[ageofknowledge]

Could someone please tell me if it's true that Obama is set to legalise cannabis over in the States...? I'm hearing all sorts over here and can't access any concrete links. Thanks in anticipation.

Dan

He's simply ordered the Federal governmental law enforcement organs not to work "medical marijuana" cases leaving that to the states. Each state decides how they want to handle it. He's not "about to legalize marijuana".

So non-medical marijuana, smoked marijuana, is still very much ILLEGAL in the States? That's every state without exception?

Lol.. no that's not what I said. Put the hookah down and try again.

[DannyM]

Could someone please tell me if it's true that Obama is set to legalise cannabis over in the States...? I'm hearing all sorts over here and can't access any concrete links. Thanks in anticipation.

Dan

He's simply ordered the Federal governmental law enforcement organs not to work "medical marijuana" cases leaving that to the states. Each state decides how they want to handle it. He's not "about to legalize marijuana".

So non-medical marijuana, smoked marijuana, is still very much ILLEGAL in the States? That's every state without exception?

Lol.. no that's not what I said. Put the hookah down and try again.

So what's the deal then? Fire away if you don't mind, Age...give it to me lock stock and barrel

[ageofknowledge]

Could someone please tell me if it's true that Obama is set to legalise cannabis over in the States...? I'm hearing all sorts over here and can't access any concrete links. Thanks in anticipation.

Dan

He's simply ordered the Federal governmental law enforcement organs not to work "medical marijuana" cases leaving that to the states. Each state decides how they want to handle it. He's not "about to legalize marijuana".

So non-medical marijuana, smoked marijuana, is still very much ILLEGAL in the States? That's every state without exception?

Lol.. no that's not what I said. Put the hookah down and try again.

So what's the deal then? Fire away if you don't mind, Age...give it to me lock stock and barrel

As I understand it, The Federal Government is not pursuing medical marijuana cases at this time. They are, of course, going after dealers and trafficers that warrant federal intervention. That's at the federal level.

At the state level, each state is following their own marijuana laws. So if you are a legitimate medical marijuana user, then you have to look at the state law for whatever state you are in to determine what the consequences, if any, are.

I don't know if NORML keeps this up to date but here's a state by state breakdown: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516

[DannyM]

As I understand it, The Federal Government is not pursuing medical marijuana cases at this time. They are, of course, going after dealers and trafficers that warrant federal intervention. That's at the federal level.

At the state level, each state is following their own marijuana laws. So if you are a legitimate medical marijuana user, then you have to look at the state law for whatever state you are in to determine what the consequences, if any, are.

I don't know if NORML keeps this up to date but here's a state by state breakdown: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516

Thanks, Age, that's a big help. I've been involved in a debate with some people for a couple of months who are trying to lobby government for the legalisation of cannabis. They seem to think America is on the verge of an experiment in legalization, in handpicked States by Obama. So I was a little incredulous and thought I'd ask among you guys when I got the chance. Looked at Zoe's link on “Marinol” and saw nothing especially indicated there and tried to google some details but came up short. So thanks, Age.

I'm an ex smoker (ex a lot of things) myself and I look after disadvantaged youths, many of whom have misused and abused marijuana and suffer from mental health disorders, shall we say. Legalising the drug will do nothing to cut usage levels, nothing to cut out some of the potentially lethal chemicals and nothing to stop the ILLEGAL selling of the drug by anyone other than government. And morally I am repulsed at the idea that people wish government to legalise, tender, tax and sponsor this passage to schizophrenia.

Aaaanyhoo, rant over. Peace.

[ageofknowledge]

As I understand it, The Federal Government is not pursuing medical marijuana cases at this time. They are, of course, going after dealers and trafficers that warrant federal intervention. That's at the federal level.

At the state level, each state is following their own marijuana laws. So if you are a legitimate medical marijuana user, then you have to look at the state law for whatever state you are in to determine what the consequences, if any, are.

I don't know if NORML keeps this up to date but here's a state by state breakdown: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516

Thanks, Age, that's a big help. I've been involved in a debate with some people for a couple of months who are trying to lobby government for the legalisation of cannabis. They seem to think America is on the verge of an experiment in legalization, in handpicked States by Obama. So I was a little incredulous and thought I'd ask among you guys when I got the chance. Looked at Zoe's link on “Marinol” and saw nothing especially indicated there and tried to google some details but came up short. So thanks, Age.

I'm an ex smoker (ex a lot of things) myself and I look after disadvantaged youths, many of whom have misused and abused marijuana and suffer from mental health disorders, shall we say. Legalising the drug will do nothing to cut usage levels, nothing to cut out some of the potentially lethal chemicals and nothing to stop the ILLEGAL selling of the drug by anyone other than government. And morally I am repulsed at the idea that people wish government to legalise, tender, tax and sponsor this passage to schizophrenia.

Aaaanyhoo, rant over. Peace.

America is slowly decriminalizing medical marijuana and also small amounts of marijuana for personal use in SOME states but that's as far as it goes. The people you were debating aren't providing you with accurate information. They will be very surprised if they get caught with a couple ounces in the wrong state. In Idaho, you can smoke part of a joint or bowl and not have ANYTHING on you and be walking down the street and get busted. I got caught with 1/4 oz there back in 78, under the even tougher old laws, and thought they were going to put me in prison and throw away the key. The officer took pity on me for some reason, God only knows why, and ground it into the dirt with the heel of his boot and let me go. To a 16 year old looking at doing time over a lousy 1/4 oz he was smoking when he got back to the orphanage after school it was like winning the lottery. I never got caught again and by my early 20's was saved and done forever with it.

And you know what, I TOTALLY agree with EVERYTHING you have to say about it. It was a waste of my life negatively affecting my brain and personality when I used it. Unfortunately, gangs, prison gangs, drug cartels, the mafia and other organized crime groups, and independent criminals are enriching themselves and growing fast with the $35.8 billion a year they get off illicit sales of this drug. http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr2 ... t_2006.pdf

They are growing so rich and powerful they are destabilizing portions of Mexico and Central America. They are committing murders here in the USA with impunity. The new trend is to put domestic latino gangs in the USA on a payment plan and when they need someone hit they dial up the closest gang on retainer and the deed is done. The gang gets a substantial bonus for each hit. But focus on the power aspect. They are beginning to dream even bigger designs.

At some point, we are going to have to deal with this. The next step, imo, to begin taking the power away from these drug dealers would be to treat it like any other perscription drug here in the USA. Have the big drug companies grow it and sell it, with a doctor's RX to adults only, through pharmacies.

[DannyM]

America is slowly decriminalizing medical marijuana and also small amounts of marijuana for personal use in SOME states but that's as far as it goes. The people you were debating aren't providing you with accurate information. They will be very surprised if they get caught with a couple ounces in the wrong state. In Idaho, you can smoke part of a joint or bowl and not have ANYTHING on you and be walking down the street and get busted. I got caught with 1/4 oz there back in 78, under the even tougher old laws, and thought they were going to put me in prison and throw away the key. The officer took pity on me for some reason, God only knows why, and ground it into the dirt with the heel of his boot and let me go. To a 16 year old looking at doing time over a lousy 1/4 oz he was smoking when he got back to the orphanage after school it was like winning the lottery. I never got caught again and by my early 20's was saved and done forever with it. .

I can sympathise with some medical marijuana use on the basis that some chemicals can spread to and alleviate the pain in different cases. Also I don't believe in the jailing on the basis of small-time possession; I believe in ploughing more and more resources into rehabilitation and re-education on the very real potential psychosis-related dangers of marijuana. So having looked at your (superb, by the way) link of State by State rundown I'm very impressed with the way small-possession is dealt with leniently but with no less warning and awareness that it is not legal and you will b e further punished if continuously caught and/or with larger amounts. I don't know about your rehabilitation and re-education programmes, Age, but attitude of most States about the issue seem to me to be pretty consistent.

And you know what, I TOTALLY agree with EVERYTHING you have to say about it. It was a waste of my life negatively affecting my brain and personality when I used it. Unfortunately, gangs, prison gangs, drug cartels, the mafia and other organized crime groups, and independent criminals are enriching themselves and growing fast with the $35.8 billion a year they get off illicit sales of this drug. http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr2 ... t_2006.pdf .

An astonishing link: but I still see no reason to believe in legalising and “controlling” marijuana will do anything to help the efforts of law enforcement in eradicating the drug. There appears to be an 8% success rate in finding outdoor cultivated marijuana plants and only 2% indoor; I fail to see how legalising it will somehow produce a magic wand and the other 92% and 98% respectively will be nailed down. We have the same dilemma over here which hasn't been answered at all, let alone an attempt been made to answer.

They are growing so rich and powerful they are destabilizing portions of Mexico and Central America. They are committing murders here in the USA with impunity. The new trend is to put domestic latino gangs in the USA on a payment plan and when they need someone hit they dial up the closest gang on retainer and the deed is done. The gang gets a substantial bonus for each hit. But focus on the power aspect. They are beginning to dream even bigger designs.

At some point, we are going to have to deal with this. The next step, imo, to begin taking the power away from these drug dealers would be to treat it like any other perscription drug here in the USA. Have the big drug companies grow it and sell it, with a doctor's RX to adults only, through pharmacies.

That's the best argument for legalisation I've heard YET! And I'm dealing with scientists over here and psychiatrists… Go figure! Luckily, most of those I deal with are firmly on the side of illegalisation. It's your land, Age, and I respect your call. And marijuana does seem to be at almost pandemic levels over there. I can only speak for over here and, for the reasons I've given, I absolutely oppose legalisation in this country. Thanks again for those great links.

Peace

[ageofknowledge]

You are welcome. Peace.

[Alexthunder]

Smoking has benefits biologically and emotionally. Knowing these can help you replace these benefits through healthier means when you try to quit.
*Smoking Relaxes Your Breathing
*Smoking Relieves Stress
*Outside Smoke Breaks Calm You Down

________________________
Alexthunder
http://stopsmokinghabits.com

[Gman]

Smoking has benefits biologically and emotionally. Knowing these can help you replace these benefits through healthier means when you try to quit.
*Smoking Relaxes Your Breathing
*Smoking Relieves Stress
*Outside Smoke Breaks Calm You Down

________________________
Alexthunder
http://stopsmokinghabits.com

Don't forget..

* Makes you paranoid (is that good?)
* Destroys your lungs. Bronchitis, lung cancer.
* impairs your driving skills.
* Actually shrinks and destroys brain cells.
* Makes you eat a lot.

[Josh]

Smoking has benefits biologically and emotionally. Knowing these can help you replace these benefits through healthier means when you try to quit.
*Smoking Relaxes Your Breathing
*Smoking Relieves Stress
*Outside Smoke Breaks Calm You Down

________________________
Alexthunder
http://stopsmokinghabits.com

Don't forget..

* Makes you paranoid (is that good?)
* Destroys your lungs. Bronchitis, lung cancer.
* impairs your driving skills.
* Actually shrinks and destroys brain cells.
* Makes you eat a lot.

Id like to see the proof bc ive seen much to the contrary.

[Josh]

By comparison, studies on the vaporization of cannabis found that subjects were "only 40% as likely to report respiratory symptoms as users who do not vaporize, even when age, sex, cigarette use, and amount of cannabis consumed are controlled." Another study found vaporizers to be "a safe and effective cannabinoid delivery system."

While a study in New Zealand of 79 lung-cancer patients suggested daily cannabis smokers have a 5.7 times higher risk of lung cancer than non-users, another study of 2252 people in Los Angeles failed to find a correlation between the smoking of cannabis and lung, head or neck cancers.


Some studies have also found that moderate cannabis use may protect against head and neck cancers, as well as lung cancer. Some studies have shown that cannabidiol may also be useful in treating breast cancer. These effects have been attributed to the well documented anti-tumoral properties of cannabinoids, specifically tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol.

Cannabis use has been assessed by several studies to be correlated with the development of anxiety, psychosis, and depression. Indeed, a 2007 meta-analysis estimated that cannabis use is statistically associated, in a dose-dependent manner, to an increased risk in the development of psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia. No causal mechanism has been proven, however, and the meaning of the correlation and its direction is a subject of debate that has not been resolved in the scientific community.

Though cannabis use has at times been associated with stroke, there is no firmly established link, and potential mechanisms are unknown. Similarly, there is no established relationship between cannabis use and heart disease, including exacerbation of cases of existing heart disease. Though some fMRI studies have shown changes in neurological function in long term heavy cannabis users, no long term behavioral effects after abstinence have been linked to these changes.

[Gman]

Id like to see the proof bc ive seen much to the contrary.

Have you ever smoked pot before? It destroyed mine... I got a bad case of bronchitis from it...

Cancer risks

Although smoking marijuana doesn't have the same degree of risk as smoking tobacco (because of the frequency of usage), smoking anything over long periods of time does add to risks of contracting forms of cancer of the respiratory tract. Studies have suggested that smoking marijuana increases the risk of both oral cancers80 and lung cancer.81 This is because marijuana smoke contains carcinogenic materials, including vinyl chlorides, phenols, nitrosamines, reactive oxygen species, and various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including Benzo[a]pyrene, which is present in marijuana tar at a higher concentration than in tobacco tar.82 Ammonia was found in marijuana smoke at levels up to 20-fold greater than that found in tobacco.83 Hydrogen cyanide, NO, NO x , and some aromatic amines were found in marijuana smoke at concentrations 3-5 times those found in tobacco smoke.83 However, absolute correlation of marijuana smoking with cancer risks are complicated by concomitant tobacco smoking and increased alcohol use among marijuana users.82

Source: http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/m ... guMscy5RcE

[Josh]

Its been ages since i have indulged but compared to tobacco or alcohol, i see it as much better for you. Most cases involving links of marijuana users to cancer also involved tobacco. I think its fine to use it but not on a usual addicted basis as with anything.

[Gman]

Its been ages since i have indulged but compared to tobacco or alcohol, i see it as much better for you. Most cases involving links of marijuana users to cancer also involved tobacco. I think its fine to use it but not on a usual addicted basis as with anything.

Yes... Your opinion. Facts say otherwise...