(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s Not Harmless And You Have Been Lied To.
Jonathan Harris is a 40 year old African-American male who has lung and throat cancer. He also has birth defects because his mother smoked marijuana during her pregnancy. She didn’t believe the reports on the dangers of marijuana. I had the opportunity to interview Jonathan for 2 hours and what he shared with me was heartbreaking. He said he knew his cancer was avoidable. He told me he had always been led to believe that “smoking weed” was harmless and “no big deal”. He said he did not believe the research and that all of his friends smoked. He said he needed the high in order to help him deal with life. Once upon a time Jonathan even believed the effects of marijuana would never happen to him. Now he knows he was wrong but there is no turning back the hands of time – it’s too late.
Today weed/pot smoking is rampant in our community and you probably know someone who does it on a regular basis. Legislators are even trying to get Marijuana legalized for recreational use. Mostly everyone who smokes “weed” is under the impression that the mistaken illusion that it is a harmless, victimless high. BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE and this article will give you the facts to share with others. This article will address the addiction, the deadly chemicals in “street weed”, the short-term and long-term effects to your health, the real reasons so many of our people smoke “weed”, why we should not use it for recreational purposes and what will happen if they legal it all over the country.
Marijuana itself contains THC – a chemical that is addictive. And the “weed” people are buying on the street is not even pure marijuana. Street weed is often mixed with several deadly ingredients like rat poison (arsenic) and formaldehyde (embalming fluid) in order to stretch out the weed. So don’t expect to get a bag of pure weed from your local drug dealer. If you think you will, I want to sell you an island or a statue I own called the statue of liberty.
Even pure marijuana has many negative effects on the human body, especially for long-term users. Marijuana causes or contributes to paranoia, anxiety, throat cancer, increased heart rate, lung cancer, increased blood pressure, decreased sperm count in men, irregular menstrual cycles in women, birth defects, Alzheimer’s, Tourette’s syndrome, hypertension, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis (bone disease), diabetes,bronchitis, depression, and fibromyalgia. Marijuana, when used in large amounts, can cause disorientation, distorted perceptions and hallucinations. Marijuana even affects your driving ability. Second hand marijuana smoke can endanger the lives, health and productivity of those you care about and set a bad example. Marijuana also kills brain cells, impairs memory and interferes with concentration and motivation, effects which are devastating on students in school. All of this and yet some people are foolish enough to smoke marijuana anyway. But after reading this article, getting the information packet and checking the facts, you can never again say you did not know. After reading this article, if you smoke marijuana or fail to inform those you care about, somebody deserves what they get. If marijuana is harmless, why do you suppose employers do not want you under the influence of it? WAKE UP!
Marijuana is a “gateway drug”. This simply means that marijuana usage in many cases leads to usage of other drugs. If you smoke marijuana all the time, your body craves more and more. Then your body craves something stronger to recreate the euphoric high.
Marijuana does cause aggressive behavior. The University of Washington provides an excellent science-based fact sheet on marijuana and aggression including confusion, fear, paranoia and withdrawal symptoms and behavior. Email me at brainstormonline@yahoo.com to request the free information packet with all the research data, evidence and hard medical facts. I will send you a complete fact-based packet including fact sheets you can distribute to others in your community. I want nothing from you in return but for you to share the info, wake up, be successful and live out the greatness of your potential. But marijuana will not help you do that. It will hinder you and cloud your destiny.
Marijuana is a temporary escape from the pressures of life for many people. But when the high is gone, the problems the smoker is seeking to avoid or temporarily forget about are still there. Bills are still there, lack of money is still a problem, the car still needs a new transmission, the cheating spouse is still cheating, the supervisor on your job is still making your life difficult and the loneliness or depression many people feel is still a problem. Marijuana is therefore not the solution and the money you spent on this drug could have helped tackle a problem or two.
Some legislators believe legalizing marijuana will reduce the jail or prison population But it’s really about the government getting it’s cut just like the mob used to do. For many people in government who are pushing the legal use of recreational marijuana, the objective is simply to make money from something if they cannot stop it. This is what happened in Georgia with the adult strip clubs. Counties could not stop the dancers so they began regulating the industry, requiring new and more expensive permits and getting paid. But legislators are wrong about everything except that they will get paid.
If marijuana usage is legalized for recreational use, it will not stop drug dealers. They will simply provide it for a cheaper price than the store but at a lower quality and laced with other chemicals. Drug dealers will simply begin selling marijuana late at night right after the stores stop. Drug dealers will sale it in higher quantity and make it available to those who will not be of legal age to buy it. Drug dealers will offer package deals, free samples and other drug combo packages. The addictive THC in marijuana will create more drug addicts and the need for more treatment centers. It will present more legal problems and lawsuits because how can an employer refuse to hire a marijuana smoker if the drug is legal? How could an employer enforce policies against marijuana use on the job? Marijuana stays in your system longer depending on the person, how much the used and how often they smoked. So what would an on-the-job drug test even look like? Would it even be realistic to try and enforce it?
If recreational usage of marijuana is made legal, new problems will arise, even if you give people of any age as much as they want, whenever they want it, for the price they want to pay. So the government that is stupid enough to legalize marijuana might as well open up chains of 24 hour pot stores. The government will not do that so the sale of marijuana would be left to private legal dealers. But then there would be a whole new industry of “weed inspectors” needed in order to verify the quality of the marijuana sold. Do you really think our government is capable of doing this when we cannot even get our national reading levels up to compete with Japan nor our healthcare up to compete with Cuba? WAKE UP! To make it in the world today, especially in this country, you need your head clear, your wits about you, your mind focused and your senses unimpaired. Don’t get mad at the author or the facts, wise up. WAKE UP! SHARE THIS ARTICLE!!!
Staff Writer; Marque-Anthony
Several commenters, including the writer, are asking – rhetorically — why marijuana has been illegal to begin with, the assumption being that there must be a reason, and that by itself somehow validates the prohibition. A circular fallacy in logic.
It is a ridiculous question of course. It’s like saying, if slavery was wrong, why was it legal in the US. Authorities throughout history have been wrong, and the community on this blog should be the first to really understand this.
Be that as it may, I commented on the origins of MJ prohibition earlier. Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years. It was the active ingredient in about 40% of medicines prior to prohibition. MJ prohibition was spearheaded by a narcotics agent named Harry Aslinger, who was looking for a demon to replace alcohol, so his paycheck would keep coming.
What’s so ironic about this discussion on this blog is that Anslinger used pure racism to scare Americans into making MJ illegal. You see, it wasn’t the threat of lung cancer or brain damage or any of that. It was simply this: smoking “weed” makes black men (and other “non-whites”) forget their place in society and rape white women.
The history since then has been a continual effort to find something – anything – that is harmful about cannabis. In the 50s, Anslinger and others changed their propaganda to say that cannabis would led to communism.
Today, the prohibitionists try to claim it’s about your health. Studies into our endo-cannabinoid system are proving them very wrong here too. MJ is undoubtedly the most medicinal plant on earth.
We no longer burn witches. We no longer enslave black Americans. One day soon, we will no longer believe in Harry Anslinger’s war.
It appears the article’s author finally tried to refute the comments here by doubling – down on the ad hominem and cherry – picking the “research.” Once again, I must mention that the research referenced in his article is the University of Washington, which is funded by the NIDA, which is NOTORIOUS for its bias.
In a comment, the author asks why we think it’s illegal in the first place. The answer of course is not what the author implies. Someone explained the origins of the prohibition very well in a comment. It has NOTHING to do with the relative harm of cannabis.
The worst part of this article is that it propagates the drug war rhetoric and reefer madness propaganda that has ruined so many lives, incarcerating our youth, labeling them criminals. As a meme recently asked: “If Barack Obama had been arrested for smoking pot, would he have had a better life?”
The author seems to suffer from a form of Stockholm Syndrome, parroting the rhetoric of the authorities who insist criminalization and punishment is what we deserve.
This really is not the place for scientific debate. I never said cannabis is harm free in all circumstances. It does not need to be harm free to be legal. It is however objectively less harmful than legal alternatives such as alcohol. If were are to have any justice, penalties for selling or possessing cannabis should be no worse than those of alcohol.
Regarding the Harvard/Northwestern study posted below that found abnormalities in “casual” users:
Some media organizations conveniently leave out a few details of the study. For one the ‘abnormalities’ they found in the cannabis users were two areas of the brain with greater size and neural density. This usually is not a bad thing. The authors also never claimed that cannabis caused this, “Because this is a cross-sectional study, causation cannot be determined…”, or that it is ‘damage’. Also, the cannabis group (only 20 subjects) used much more alcohol and used more tobacco than the control group. They were in no way “casual users”, as the authors claimed, using an average of 11 joints per week. No meaningful conclusions either way can be drawn from this poorly conducted study.
If we are going to discuss popular substances which have an adverse effect on the brain, it would make much more sense to talk about alcohol, which has been proven to cause permanent brain damage. Cannabis on the other hand, despite decades of study has not been shown to cause permanent brain damage in adult users. In fact, the U.S. government has a patent on the cannabinoids found in cannabis for protecting the brain:
“This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”
Patent 6630507 – Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. Filing date: Apr 21, 1999.
The Northwester/Harvard study has already been criticized just days after release in the same journal:
http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/16/5529/reply#content-block
After observing how the media misinterpreted the findings, study author Jodi Gilman stated:
“The conclusions were modest in the paper — we never say marijuana causes these changes. The media may have given that impression in headlines, but the study doesn’t show causation.”
“The main point is there are differences in the brains of these two groups. The subtlety is we don’t know if those differences are causal and relate to function or behavior”
“Since this paper has come out, some people think I’m a crazy conservative against legalization,” she says. “I don’t think anyone should go to jail for using marijuana — people can do what they want — I just want them to know what’s happening to the brain.”
[mic . Com /articles/87875/here-s-the-real-story-behind-that-marijuana-changes-your-brain-study]
A followup study discovered that the association with structural changes in the brain was actually due to alcohol use, not cannabis:
“Groups were matched on a critical confounding variable, alcohol use, to a far greater degree than in previously published studies.”
“In sum, the results indicate that, when carefully controlling for alcohol use, gender, age, and other variables, there is no association between marijuana use and standard volumetric or shape measurements of subcortical structures. ”
Weiland et al. Daily Marijuana Use Is Not Associated with Brain Morphometric Measures in Adolescents or Adults. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2015.
Dear Richard,
We are not in denial (or does that statement prove otherwise can I be in denial about being in denial?) we are your neighbours, friends, mothers, fathers, doctors, policemen, firemen, undertakers, psychologists, butchers, bakers and candlestick makers. What we want is sensible policy not generalisations.
Sorry wouldn’t want that changed
Dear Debra
Firstly I would like to say the example I would like to set for kids is one of knowledge, compassion and reason. I refute the point that I am doing what “the neighbourhood is doing” I am a well balanced independent thoughtful adult human being. I agree with you I wouldn’t want my bus driver or surgeon to be stoned, that’s obvious. However there are many great minds who smoke cannabis/took drugs and I would want that changed either. As I stated in response to Marque the fact is there are millions of healthy, well balanced, consenting, non addicted adults out there in the world who feel it insulting that someone can to them what to do regardless of what they know to be true. What we definitely need to do is all work together rather than squabble over who’s study proved what blah blah blah. There is equal merit to looking at both sides of the coin for the mutual benefit of everyone.
The fact is the WAR ON DRUGS is a huge failure & is a war on the people. Marijuana when used responsibly is very beneficial. Especially from a medical aspect. Like all things enjoyable it can be addictive but that would be determined by the persons personal traits. The facts are coming out & its NOT in this fear mongering article. Do some research on the real studies being conducted, especially in Isreal. People are actually curing their cancer with marijuana aka R.S.O. Legalizing would eliminate the amount of imported/low quality & probably laced marijuana. Fact of the matter is how many people have died from use…. ZERO!!!
I love when these type of articles come out. How come they never speak on the insane dangers of tobacco or alcohol? Or how about the negative effects of caffeine & sugar? Oh because they’re legal they’re safe? Get lost!!!
Dear Marque
I respect your passion and due diligence with the manner which you are approaching this topic. I concede that cannabis is not totally harm free, little is in this world. Many things have the potential for abuse and harm, let’s just consider junk foods, legally prescribed drugs and gambling as examples. I totally agree with you on your stance of compassion and love for thy fellow man and in no way advocate harm and distress bring caused to another human bring. What I must point out though is that we do live in a world where consenting adults choose out of their own free will to consume a plant that for the majority of users have no issue in using it. This is a fact and I can’t see that changing. It is certainly true that people have and do suffer from it’s use also. However prohibition has had the effect to marginalise both sets of people and both are worse off because of it. Please look at Portugal as an example of where softer approaches and compassion based drugs policies have had a tremendously positive effect when dealing with the issues surrounding drug addiction. Addiction in all it’s guises is a multi faceted issue which can only be addressed with compassion not criminalisation. Many health issues associated with cannabis it’s also true can be directly linked to criminal entities contaminating the herb. I would conclude their motivations are purely financial. I would also concluded that criminals tend not to apply an age restriction when selling their wares. The answer to both issues is legalisation and regulation. Kids will probably still get hold of it (kids will be kids) but at least it will be safer. I think it is naive for us to believe we live in a cotton wrapped bubble. My emphasis is on safer as I recognise the research towards the effects of cannabis had on the developing brain. Marque I emphasise with you on this point. I think the reason that your article has received such a strong response from those of us that advocate legalisation is because your article came over with a very heavy pro-prohibition stance. The war on drugs has been a complete failure and only still exists because of a crazy self created self perpetuating paradigm. Law enforcement aren’t winning and never have been. A lot of people have gotten very rich off of it though. I’m assuming that you are a member of the black community? Black people have suffered the worse from this draconian system and statistically stand a far greater chance of becoming a casualty to this war when compared to other ethnic groups. The point I’m trying to make is that we are all brothers and sisters and we need to work together more than ever. I value you Marque for you come across as a fair hearted and compassionate human being. I know that I would sooner work with you than against you.
While the potential harms of using cannabis are widely publicized (and often exaggerated), little is mentioned of the harms of its prohibition.
When making cannabis policy decisions, it would be irresponsible to ignore the costs and harms of cannabis prohibition.
For this prohibition to be justified it needs to be established that:
1) Cannabis is particularly harmful (at least more than alcohol)
2) The prohibition will significantly reduce problematic usage
3) The direct and indirect costs of prohibition to an American society are less than any gains from 1 and 2 (don’t underestimate the value we place on freedom and liberty)
None of these 3 requirements have ever been established. After decades of research, the relative safety and medical efficacy of cannabis have been established well enough to conclude that it is significantly less harmful and more useful than alcohol. The vast majority of preventable harms related to cannabis are caused by the very laws that are supposed to “protect us” from it. Some of these harms are:
•Increased deaths of countless people involved on all sides of the “war”, including law enforcement and bystanders
•The spending of 100’s of billions of our dollars seeking out, arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating otherwise law-abiding citizens
•The loss of billions in tax revenue from production, distribution, and sales, which can be used for all substance abuse treatment
•The redirection of valuable police time and resources from solving and preventing true crime
•The filling of our jails with non-violent offenders, exposing them to true criminals and forcing the early release of dangerous criminals
•The empowerment and expansion of underground markets as a very popular substance is placed within them
•Increased crime as dealers and buyers have no legal recourse to resolve disputes
•Increased exposure to hard drugs as many cannabis consumers buy from suppliers who have access to them, even push them
•All sales, over 20 million pounds per year, are unregulated and placed in the hands of criminals who never check ID
•Increased likelihood of contamination with anything from pesticides and molds to other drugs.
•The prevention of some adults from choosing a recreational substance less harmful than alcohol
•The notion that all illegal drugs are particulary dangerous is weakened.
•Increased corruption within the legal system
•The invasion of our civil liberties, which in America we hold in especially high regard
•The prevention of people from receiving effective medicine
•The prevention of people from receiving decent employment, scholarship money, and student aid due to their “criminal” record, which affects not just them but their family as well
•Increased support of tremendous multinational criminal networks
•Increased public mistrust, disrespect, and disdain for our legal system, police, and government, which is devastating to our country
Considering these great costs, it is unreasonable to continue this policy against a substance objectively less harmful than alcohol. Why are we forcing police to deal with something that is, if anything, a minor public health issue? Why are we criminalizing people for something that has been safely enjoyed by millions of Americans for decades, something that a majority of Americans believe should be legalized recreationally?
Cannabis prohibition is a travesty of justice based on irrational fears and paranoia from an archaic era that needs to end now. Cannabis must be legalized and regulated similar to alcohol. Prohibition policies do not work for popular things that are safely enjoyed by many…especially not in a country that values liberty, justice, and freedom.
A vote to end cannabis prohibition is not to condone its use, it is to condemn a costly prohibition that causes more harm than it prevents.
Urge your legislators to implement a cannabis policy similar to that of alcohol. Please consider what the following cannabis legalization organizations have to say. Help end this harmful, unjust, unfounded, un-American prohibition by joining their mailing lists, signing their
MPP – The Marijuana Policy Project – http://www.mpp.org/
DPA – Drug Policy Alliance – http://www.drugpolicy.org/
NORML – National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws – http://norml.org/
LEAP – Law Enforcement Against Prohibition – http://www.leap.cc/
This Is Your Brain on Drugs
By ABIGAIL SULLIVAN MOORE
OCT. 29, 2014
The gray matter of the nucleus accumbens, the walnut-shaped pleasure center of the brain, was glowing like a flame, showing a notable increase in density. “It could mean that there’s some sort of drug learning taking place,” speculated Jodi Gilman, at her computer screen at the Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard Center for Addiction Medicine. Was the brain adapting to marijuana exposure, rewiring the reward system to demand the drug?
Dr. Gilman was reviewing a composite scan of the brains of 20 pot smokers, ages 18 to 25. What she and fellow researchers at Harvard and Northwestern University found within those scans surprised them. Even in the seven participants who smoked only once or twice a week, there was evidence of structural differences in two significant regions of the brain. The more the subjects smoked, the greater the differences.
Moderate marijuana use by healthy adults seems to pose little risk, and there are potential medical benefits, including easing nausea and pain. But it has long been known that, with the brain developing into the mid-20s, young people who smoke early and often are more likely to have learning and mental health problems. Now researchers suggest existing studies are no longer sufficient. Much of what’s known is based on studies conducted years ago with much less powerful pot.
A Harvard-Northwestern study has found differences between the brains of young adult marijuana smokers and those of nonsmokers. In these composite scans, colors represent the differences — in the shape of the amygdala, top, and nucleus accumbens. Yellow indicates areas that are most different, red the least. Credit The Journal of Neuroscience
Marijuana samples seized by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency show the concentration of THC, the drug’s psychoactive compound, rising from a mean of 3.75 percent in 1995 to 13 percent in 2013. Potency seesaws depending on the strain and form. Fresh Baked, which sells recreational marijuana in Boulder, Colo., offers “Green Crack,” with a THC content of about 21 percent, and “Phnom Penh,” with about 8 percent. The level in a concentrate called “Bubble Hash” is about 70 percent; cartridges for vaporizers, much like e-cigarettes, range from 15 to 30 percent THC.
High-THC marijuana is associated with paranoia and psychosis, according to a June article in The New England Journal of Medicine. “We have seen very, very significant increases in emergency room admissions associated with marijuana use that can’t be accounted for solely on basis of changes in prevalence rates,” said Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a co-author of the THC study. “It can only be explained by the fact that current marijuana has higher potency associated with much greater risk for adverse effects.” Emergency room visits related to marijuana have nearly doubled, from 66,000 in 2004 to 129,000 in 2011, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Higher potency may also accelerate addiction. “You don’t have to work so hard to get high,” said Alan J. Budney, a researcher and professor at Dartmouth’s medical school. “As you make it easier to get high, it makes a person more vulnerable to addiction.” Among adults, the rate is one of 11; for teenagers, one of six.
Concerns over increasing potency, and rising usage among the young, is giving new urgency to research.
For the Harvard-Northwestern study, published in the April issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, the team scanned the brains of 40 young adults, most from Boston-area colleges. Half were nonusers; half reported smoking for one to six years and showed no signs of dependence. Besides the seven light smokers, nine used three to five days a week and four used, on average, daily. All smokers showed abnormalities in the shape, density and volume of the nucleus accumbens, which “is at the core of motivation, the core of pleasure and pain, and every decision that you make,” explained Dr. Hans Breiter, a co-author of the study and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern’s medical school.
Similar changes affected the amygdala, which is fundamental in processing emotions, memories and fear responses.
What is already known is that in casual users, THC can disrupt focus, working memory, decision making and motivation for about 24 hours. “The fact that we can see these structural effects in the brain could indicate that the effects of THC are longer lasting than we previously thought,” said Dr. Gilman, an instructor in psychology at Harvard’s medical school.
The study was preliminary and small, and attempts to replicate it are underway. Meanwhile, Dr. Gilman is trying to figure out how the findings relate to brain function and behavior.
One day in September, she was assessing Emma, a student who said her smoking — almost every day — didn’t interfere with school, work or other obligations. For $100 to go toward study-abroad plans, Emma politely plowed through nearly three hours of tests on cognitive functions that are or might be affected by THC, like the ability to delay gratification (would it be better to have $30 tonight or $45 in 15 days?) and motivation (a choice between computer games, the harder one offering a bigger payoff). For memory, Emma listened to lists of words, repeating back those she recalled. Next came risk. Would she bungee jump? Eat high-cholesterol food? (“These kids tend to be risk takers, particularly with their own health and safety,” Dr. Gilman said.)
A final test: Did Emma crave a joint? Her response: somewhat.
Dr. Gilman is concerned about pot’s impact on the college population. “This is when they are making some major life decisions,” she said, “choosing a major, making long-lasting friendships.”
Dr. Volkow noted another problem: Partying on a Saturday night may hinder studying for a test or writing a paper due on Monday. “Maybe you won’t have the motivation to study, because there’s no reward, no incentive,” she said.
Evidence of long-term effects is also building. A study released in 2012 showed that teenagers who were found to be dependent on pot before age 18 and who continued using it into adulthood lost an average of eight I.Q. points by age 38. And last year at Northwestern, Dr. Breiter and colleagues also saw changes in the nucleus accumbens among adults in their early 20s who had smoked daily for three years but had stopped for at least two years.
They had impaired working memories as well. “Working memory is key for learning,” Dr. Breiter said. “If I were to design a substance that is bad for college students, it would be marijuana.”
Abigail Sullivan Moore is co-author of “The iConnected Parent: Staying Close to Your Kids in College (and Beyond) While Letting Them Grow Up.”
Education Life is a quarterly section offering news and commentary about higher education. You can reach us by emailing edlife@nytimes.com.
A version of this article appears in print on November 2, 2014, on page ED17 of Education Life with the headline: This Is Your Brain on Drugs. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
MARQUEE MARQUE you go boy.
You right on it and you peeped the potheads game.
They trying to hand you some information that doesn’t even put your points in check. I’m glad you brought that up.
I work at a mental health facility and I know you are right.
Keep rollin and for the people who want to face the truth, thank you.
STEL1776 AND CRONIES
Stel1776 the studies you cited largely tried to make the point that weed smoking was not connected to lung cancer. But I mentioned a dozen other negative results and risks to the health of the smoker. You are your fellow commentators did not strongly address almost any of those and neither did your information refute them. Your excuse was that my claims were unfounded, that you could respond to them but that you would only respond to a few.
That is because many of my claims are common knowledge and clearly proven in the medical and mental healthcare industry. The Consortium cannot shoot down the Justice Department stats which come from every police department in the country and then some. The consortium data cannot shoot down the CDC research and data. The consortium cannot even dispute that THC is addictive.
IT SEEMS THAT YOU AND THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH AN ANGRY SPIRIT are set on ignoring there is a reason marijuana is illegal in most states. There is a reason some states even cancel food stamps if the recipient tests positive for fdrugs, including marijuana. I echo the comment that YOU WOULD NOT WANT YOUR CHILD ON A BUS WITH A BUS DRIVER WHO IS SMOKING WEED OR WHO JUST FINISHED SMOKING WEED.
Even if I conceeded all of your points, which I do not, there would be a mountain of reasons that people should not smoke marijuana. A mountain that you cannot knock down, even with the help of those angry people who tried to help you. Let you and the others tell it, weed has no negative effects, it has no risk to anyone and it is harmless. THAT IS A LIE AND YOU KNOW IT!
Don’t mislead people with a few studies. You donnot know the tolerance level of all the users. You do not know the frequency. There are too many variables that you do not know about too many people so you should not send a blanket message to everybody. Not if you care about these people. I do.
To Stel1776 and your supporters, I am a stats analyst so let’s take a look at your data provided in your comments. I have selected specific and direct quotes or statements to show you how your own information supports Marque’s claims. Check this out. My responses and analysis are in all caps.
This article is full of rampant propaganda,
WRONG, HE WENT BACK AND CITED REPUTABLE SOURCES.
Legalization makes these methods more accessible.
COPS ARE NOT EVEN ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR WEED BROWNIES OR LOLLIPOPS
In 2013 the International Lung Cancer Consortium, an international group of lung cancer researchers, found no significant additional lung cancer risk in tobacco users who also smoked cannabis.
THE CONSORTIUM YOU SPEAK OF IS A PRIVATE GROUP
HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM THEIR OWN DOCUMENT
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with tobacco smoking established as the main risk factor. Cannabis smoke contains similar carcinogens as tobacco smoke including the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons;
ecent large scale studies have shown that serious adverse effects on the lung are unlikely, except possibly in the very heaviest of smokers (data is lacking since so few use these amounts).
NOT TRUE. DATA IS NOT LACKING CHECK WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
“On the other hand, habitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead to significant abnormalities in lung function when assessed either cross-sectionally or longitudinally, except for possible increases in lung volumes and modest increases in airway resistance of unclear clinical significance.”
THIS POINT CONCEEDS INCREASES INLUNG VOLUME AND AIRWAY RESISTANCE
THIS IS YOUR INFO
although evidence is mixed concerning possible carcinogenic risks of heavy, long-term use.”
THIS SHOWS EVIDENCE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN
WHICH MEANS MARQUE’S CLAIMS HOLD TRUE ATLEAST SOME OF THE TIME
A recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association also found little evidence of adverse pulmonary function:
ASK THEM IF WEED SPEEDS UP THE HEART INSTANTLY. IT DOES!
Also, there are many peer-reviewed studies showing that the cannabinoids contained in cannabis, especially THC and CBD, directly fight tumors both by reducing their ability to spread and by shrinking them.
MARQUE NEVER SAID THERE WERE NOT MEDICAL REASONS FOR MARIJUANA
BUT MEDICAL IS NOT RECREATIONAL USE
THEREFORE THIS RESEARCH IS IRRELOVANT
GATEWAY
If prohibition has any effect, it makes cannabis a gateway to other illicit drugs.
The gateway drug theory, that a pharmacological effect of cannabis leads to the use of hard drugs, has been discredited by the many peer reviewed studies which have examined it.[1,2,3,4,5,6,14,15,16,19]
JUST AS MANY STUDIES SAY WEED IS A GATEWAY DRUG
SOURCES:
1999, 2002 ETC.
YET YOU DOPES CRITICIZE MARQUE FOR USING SOURCES FROM SIMILAR YEARS
MY POINT IS THAT I COULD DISSECT YOUR ENTIRE RESPONSE JUST AS I DID ABOVE
YOUR POINTS ARE NOT AS STRONG AS YOU THINK AND YOU HAVE RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON THE CONSORTIUM FINDINGS
All you potheads are tipping yourr hand. Whats funny about you is that you are just fussing. You are not really refuting all the stuff Marque-Anthony provided. You will have to learn the hard way like the guy he spoke about who did not believe the data either.
GOOD JOB MARQUE-ANTHONY
Keep informing us because some of us want to know.
Some of us still have brain cells left.
I am glad someone has the guts to think for themself and not just do what the neighborhood is doing. What about the example you weed heads are setting for the kids? Wow. There is a reason marijuana is illegal in so many states, even TODAY. There is a reason you are drug tested and you can be fired if it is found in your system.
Not one of you who are criticizing this guy would want to be operated on by somebody who just smoked weed. Not one of you would want your children on a school bus where the bus driver just smoked weed a few minutes earlier.
You know weed has side effects but most of you being so nasty to the guy who wrote the article just want to go smoke. Be honest in your heart. Plus this guy did not create the information but you are insulting him like he did.
I have to agree with the author of this article as well. It appears that alot of you are in denial. I work in the mental health field and I recognize denial when I see it. Many of you guys are angry because it’s as if you are set on doing something,you don’t care if it’s harmful or not and you don’t want what he said to be true. But sorry, he is correct.
It amazes me when I see people get angry because they are in denial. They resort to personal attacks and insults. But none of that changes the facts and you guys are really proving his point
I am a biochemist with over 12 years experience. My husband is a physician with twice that many years in his field. The information Marque-Anthony provided and his claims are correct. I looked at the information some of you offered to refute his claims, but you guys offered data that hides the truth. Physicians know that to be true, The only ones who don’t know are those of you who don’t want to accept it.
You people need to wake up. First you criticize because you say my claims are unfounded and that I have nothing to back them up. I respond with alot of information and cited reputable sources. Then you say my information is old and outdated. Yet you assume that I posted all the info I had – wrong. If you were not so set in denial and justifying your depression covering habits of smoking weed, you would simply look at the recent evidence I have and email me for it. YOU ARE IN DENIAL.
Fact, THC in marijuana is addictive
Fact, most street weed is not pure and is laced with other chemicals
Fact, smoking weed has both short and long term negative health effects
And that just scrathes the surface. I wonder how many of you who are spouting off criticizing me are actually weed smokers defending your right to kill your brain cells. You are actually proving my point with your denial and willful ignorance.
IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL FIGHT TO STAY IN THE DARK SLAVE CAVE
I suggest you check with any reputable doctor, the CDC, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the American Medical Association etc.
Here is a pop quiz question. WHY DO YOU THINK WEED IS ILLEGAL IN MOST STATES? Duh! Who seeks to gain from more addictions? The medical industry, the mental healthcare industry and the pharmaceutical industry.
Wake up. You are being pimped, used, manipulated, tricked, deceived. And many of you are so brainwashed that you don’t even see it. I could give you all the data on two planets but you would just create ways to disbelieve it because YOU ARE IN DENIAL.
Finally, I have research as recent as 2014, yes I said 2014.
What a complete load of outdated bollocks. Would you like links for the 1000+ peer reviewed papers on mecicinal uses of cannabis? Gateway drug?!? You living in the sixties or something? Have you seen that great new film about the dangers of cannabis, Reefer Madness? Its a complete load of bollocks as well but you’ll love it…
Sorry for typograhical error, the laptop keys i was using were sticking………… i meant to say that my brother can write a better artical
What kind of pretentious facade are you trying to create with “marque” instead of mark. Nevertheless your artical is unsupported lies and your atempt to shun stel1776 is pityful. My cognitive handicapped brother can a better artical than this(he is 12 😉 ). I f*cking applaud those who publicaly oppose this shamful act of fear mongering, 4 it shows the progression that sociaty has accomplished; goood job! Mark please go F*CK YOURSELF. Il be waiting for your response, i bookmarked this page and saved the url.
Hahahaha, wow! The audacity of the writer. Without a doubt this is the first time the author of a artical actually responds to comments. Very unprofessional.”Stel1776 you really do not want to get into a debate with me on this topic. You will lose. Opps I meant you just lost.” Cmon, thats just rude and only HIGHLIGHTS [pun intended ;)] your level of compentance.
Sorry for the typo my keyboard has some keys that were sticking
Oh and in regards to addiction the author may be interested in the work of Dr. Gabor Maté. A pack of cards can be addictive should we make outlaw them?
Just look at what happened in the Uk with Professor David Nutt former chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), he didn’t give our government the answers they were looking for so they sacked him. What’s really going on here people?
BTW, I just noticed the writer references the University of Washington studies. GIGANTIC red flag. This research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). They are federally mandated to only conduct studies on the harms of drugs — they are specifically prohibited from researching any benefits. It is a huge bias that has resulted in very biased studies.
In fact, the UCLA study I mentioned earlier was originally funded by the NIDA. It was supposed to conclude that marijuana caused lung cancer. When the research discovered the opposite was true — that MJ had beneficial effects in treating the cancer — the study was quietly closed down; its conclusions never acknowledged by the NIDA. The Institute would move on to use other researchers who would fall in line and report what was expected of them, apparently like the University of Washington.
Now we know why the author of this article is so misinformed on this topic. We can only hope this misinformation — really, disinformation — does not spread beyond this page.
Someone just showed me this article. Wow. What a terribly misinformed bit of writing.
The worst part is that poor Mr. Harris is under the impression cannabis it the cause of his cancer and troubles. He probably does not know, as the writer of this article apparently does not, that marijuana in fact exerts an anticancer effect.
In 2005, UCLA Medical School Professor Donald Tashkin found that marijuana does NOT cause lung cancer and in fact has a medicinal affect. Mr Harris should Google Rick Simpson and Run From the Cure.
This article has so much misinformation, it is difficult to know where to begin. No, marijuana does not cause Alzheimer’s. It helps to prevent it. In 2006, the Scripps Institute found that THC is more effective in preventing this disease than any other drug.
It is NOT “gateway drug.” Common sense tells us that. Forty percent of Americans have used cannabis. Only 1.3% have used heroin, for example. If MJ is a gateway drug, it’s doing a horrible job. Milk may have a better conversion rate.
The article’s author has done a horrible job here. Our black communities continue to struggle with real problems. Blaming marijuana is terribly misguided. The author should understand that the prohibition has ruined lives. Criminalizing use is the reason so many young black men have been incarcerated. Their records make it difficult to get job and get student loans. It traps them in a spiral that that is difficult to escape.
I wish the author would have addressed these issues instead of embracing the drug warrior rhetoric that has caused so much destruction in the first place.
Hahahahahaha, this fool MUST be joking. And if he isn’t, damned if that man doesn’t really need to smoke a phat one and chillax ????
This is the biggest load of BullSh*t I’ve ever heard. Don’t quit your day job.
Well tht is so cull of bullshit its not funny, why dont you really twlk to those who do not have addiction problems which causes them to be addicted to anything and everything and some only certian substances. You can attribute pot smoking to gateway drugs and wright all the articles you want making weed the culpret, but you are wrong. Get the real facts from real users tht do not have an addictive personality. And as for the side effects you listed well i know for a fact you are very wrong. And as for the chemical street additives there is your answer to wht is really causing all that stuff to go wrong with people.
Absurd. Irresponsible. Dangerously misleading.
Mark Anthony, Marque-Anthony, ThyBlackman or whatever you choose to call yourself, you should be thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed at having published this.
The most generous I can be is to suggest that perhaps you need professional help? You are delusional.
Firstly I would like to salute all the other people who have commented on the terrible article with dignity and educated responses. I would also like to make another point in regards to why certain special interest groups want to keep cannabis illegal. Make up your own minds and thanks for reading.
Pharmaceutical companies that make billions off painkillers and police unions are two big heavy hitters in the fight against marijuana legalisation. They throw their monetary support behind groups that fight legislation that would legalise pot — even medical marijuana — and lobby Congress.
It’s more than a little odd that [the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America] and the other groups leading the fight against relaxing marijuana laws, including the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids (formerly the Partnership for a Drug-Free America), derive a significant portion of their budget from opioid manufacturers and other pharmaceutical companies. According to critics, this funding has shaped the organisation’s policy goals: CADCA takes a softer approach toward prescription-drug abuse, limiting its advocacy to a call for more educational programs, and has failed to join the efforts to change prescription guidelines in order to curb abuse. In contrast, CADCA and the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids have adopted a hard-line approach to marijuana, opposing even limited legalisation and supporting increased police powers.
It may seem counterintuitive that an anti-drug group would take a soft approach towards prescription drug abuse considering the rising number of people who are abusing painkillers and other pills. Prescription drugs kill more people than heroin and cocaine combined, and painkillers have been linked to a rise in heroin abuse. Marijuana is still used more widely, but it’s not addictive in most people and isn’t linked to deaths.
Legalising marijuana could, however, hurt the bottom line of drug companies that make money off drugs like Oxycontin and Vicodin. Medical marijuana could be a less-addictive alternative to treating lower-level pain that might otherwise be treated with prescription painkillers.
Police unions are also fighting legalisation. As the author of The Nation article pointed out on Republic Report, local police departments have become dependent on federal funding from the war on drugs, which includes marijuana. Police unions have also lobbied for harsher penalties for marijuana-related crimes.
While some groups are lobbying to legalise pot, others are lobbying against powerful painkillers coming into the drug market. Their motives may not always be pure, though.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has sought to block the approval of the powerful and controversial new painkiller Zohydro, has a daughter who is the CEO of competing drug company Mylan Inc. The company is also a major campaign contributor.
http://www.businessinsider.com/police-unions-and-pharmaceutical-companies-fund-anti-marijuana-fight-2014-7
The disinformation in this article is astonishing. Many of the comments here have already debunked much of it. So I will focus on this:
Considering the racist history of cannabis prohibition, the author should be especially ashamed of himself. When narcotics agent Harry Anslinger was looking for a demon, to keep his paychecks coming after the fall of alcohol prohibition in the 1930s, he came upon cannabis. Despite the fact that 29 out of 30 scientists he consulted said cannabis was relatively harmless and should NOT be banned, Anslinger went forward with one of the most racist propaganda campaigns in US history. He said marijuana — a slang term that nobody had heard of before then – was a devil weed that caused Black men to go crazy and rape white daughters. In fact, he had a goal to place every Jazz musician in prison. Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday – he wanted them all behind bars.
And right now we have the author of this article giving voice to this nearly forgotten racist and his reefer madness lies that has long since been debunked. No, marijuana does not cause the afflictions claimed in this article. No, it doesn’t cause cancer. In fact, the evidence now is that it TREATS cancer. If you think it’s addictive, start reading up on the work of Dr. Bruce Alexander. Learn about the endo-cannabinoid system.
Stop propagating the myths that have harmed the Black community — and all communities – for so long.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen such unadulterated reefer madness. I think this guy would even embarrass Kevin Sabet.
I almost wonder if this whole article (and follow-up comments) are some sort of parody (ala “The Onion”). I mean, it’s just so over the top bizarre and ridiculous… If it’s not some sort of spoof, then the author takes his marijuana propaganda really, really seriously.
I find it shocking that, in 2015, such ill informed rubbish is still being spouted by idiots that think they have a right to control how others medicate or recreate. These lies were mostly exposed for what they are decades ago.
I can’t believe your statements.First, the entire argument regarding cannabis is based on the false information or propaganda that these “studies” claim. There are numerous articles claiming marijuana as harmful. All of them, every single one, is based on opinion.They conclude in assumptions and or say that they are based on that doctors opinion and expertise. If you dig a little they are also 9 out 10 times a US government sponsored study. You are absolutely shoveling lies. There is not 1 not a single death attributed to marijuana use in the history of the US. Check the CDC , I’m a subscriber to there monthly Stat sheets. Secondly it hasn’t been illegal since 1776. It was prohibited in the 1900s. Why, to make way for a killer, oh that is legaL,Alcohol.which kills 220k Americans annually but why would that be legal? Or tobacco which kills 440k Americans a year. Which also costs us 300 billion on medical fees. I won’t allow the lies that you shovel to go unnoticed. Cannabis has actual real cures for very sick people. The US Congress recently released its study that was the catalyst for “reefer madness” Congress admitted to falsely stating that Marijuana was found to be harmful when in fact the opposite was the result. Gateway drug, is about the most rediculous uneducated term I have ever heard. It has been lumped as that bc of being illegal. Tell me why it’s classified as schedule1 on Dea list. More damaging than heroin, cocaine, xanax, etc. When clearly that is nowhere near factual. One reason, it’s legalization, dents the wallets of pharmaceutical companies , tobacco ,law enforcement , it would provide alternatives that the common man can sustain and grow all these factors take away from corporation sand politicians,lonnyists, etc. Every state that has adopted a reform policy, in its first year, has resulted in no less than a 20% decline in opioid OD fatalities. You sir, are absolutely a sheep.
Stel1776 THANK YOU for posting that information and including your references! That is the type of persuasion methods I prefer. Not this completely unfounded and propagated form of fear mongering. I work in the legalized marijuana industry in Colorado. It is my job to know all things Marijuana and, my dear Mark Anthony, I don’t refute that marijuana can be addicting to some. That being said, the percentage is less than alcohol and cigarettes (not combined). We continue to live in a society which openly accepts the harmful affects of both cigarettes and alcohol, yet throws salt on a substance which numerous studies have shown to be less harmful. Not once have I seen a patient of mine come in with a development of cancer due to marijuana. If you want to make claims to its responsibility for causing cancer, I’d ask that you skip the “info packet” all together and just come out with your references. Marijuana has been studied more than any FDA approved drug on the market … Combined! If it was really as evil, monstrous and horrible as you lay claim for it to be, don’t you think less people would be for it? I pray that one day you will wake up and see how many people’s lives it’s saving instead. Quit trying to fight evolution. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not.
This is horribly misinformed anti-cannabis propaganda.
By the way, for those of you who say Marijuana studies now show it is not a gateway drug, check with the CDC, the FBI UCR Reports and NIBRS Reports. Check with the Justice Department Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Escaping the problem is next to impossible. It’s better to fix the problem at it’s core. And it’s clear that marijuana does NOT do that. It only clouds up things and problems that will still be there when the smoke clears. Jdean did you really suggest what it appears you did? Do you smoke it?
Sociologically, our children need to be taught safe coping mechanisms and problem resolution skills, lessons that will last a lifetime, not just a few minutes.
By the way readers, I apologize for the typographical and usage errors in the article above. The keys on the laptop I was using were sticking.
As has been said in these comments this article is about as far away from being “the truth” about cannabis as you can get, it’s truly appallingly inaccurate on so many levels, frankly it’s just wrong, wrong, wrong.
The point I would make though is nothing on earth is harmless and that includes cannabis. You can even die from drinking too much water – and I don’t mean through drowning. But that said, cannabis is remarkably safe for adults, children under 16 or so shouldn’t get stoned and shouldn’t do a lot of things adults can do either.
But if you want to make cannabis as dangerous as possible, what you do is to make it impossible to know how strong it is or what strain it is (different strains have different rations of active components). You ensure it’s sold by unaccountable people from unknown venues with no restrictions like age limits for purchase. Indeed, the very best way to make cannabis dangerous is to gift it to organized crime, which will add a layer of violence to all the above for free.
Of course, no sensible drugs policy would do a thing like that, would it? Prohibition does, but it’s not a sensible drugs policy.
Oh, and cannabis does not lead on to other drugs either, that’s just a lie. The first drug addicts took was almost certainly tobacco or alcohol rather than cannabis.
Stel1776 you really do not want to get into a debate with me on this topic. You will lose. Opps I meant you just lost. I could actually go back through the evidence and the studies Stel1776 cited and dissect their inaccuracy. Then I could offer 100 more studies and then some. But really I would like to look at motive.
I am interested in helping people, not getting them addicted to a temporary euphoric high that does not resolve anything but how much money is left in your wallet. And by the way, if cigarettes have nicoteine and cause cancer, do you think weed does not? Giove me a break guys.
For those of you who are defending getting high using a drug that is illegal in most states (fact) and addictive because of the THC (fact), what is your motive towards the readers of this information? This goes past statistics and research and to the heart of the matter.
Is your intent to say we can all do what we want to do? We cant. You cannot drive at whatever speed you want to with YOUR car. You can not burn leaves in YOUR yard whenever you like. You cannot walk down the street with no clothes on, even though it’s YOUR body.
Don’t feed destructive habits just for temporary pleasure. And if you don’t think smoking weed kills brain cells, I think you have lost a few already. Oh by the way, for those of you who say you can make weed brownies, weed cookies, weed pops etc., are you addicted or what?
Come on people. Wake up. Why do you think marijuana is illegal in so many states? The lady who submitted all the proof even acknowledges in her article that there are short term effects. But there is a ton of research that says there are long term effects as well and I named many of them. I encourage each of you to go back and do your own research and not just look at research slanted in favor of weed smokers. You need to understand that the medical industry stands to gain a lot from the creation of more addicts, more depression and more treatment. Think people. and since some of you who want to smoke weed in denial, I am going to take the extra time to list a ton of information like some of you tried to do.
Stel1776 I would bet you money that you are criticizing my article because you smoke weed and you are in denjal. You didnt refute the points in the article, you just criticized it. Furthermore it is, for example, a well established fact that THC is addictive. Read more closely and you will see my article has an email where you can request an info pack. The info pack sites sources, medical studies and hard evidence. Are you operating on all brain cells or just offended at the truth?
This is anything but “The Truth About Weed”. You have not cited one source published in a peer-reviewed medical journal to support your claims. In fact you have not cited any sources at all. This article is full of rampant propaganda, it would take days to refute the nonsense you have spewed. I will touch on a few of them however.
CANCER
Cannabis has been used by millions of Americans for decades. Its possible links to lung cancer and other lung diseases has been examined in thousands of subjects. Researchers are well aware of the lag time between smoking and lung cancer, this has been examined too.
After much study, cannabis smoke does not appear to be a significant cause of lung cancer or serious lung disease. Besides, it does not need to be smoked, it can be cooked into foods or vaporized as well. Legalization makes these methods more accessible.
In 2013 the International Lung Cancer Consortium, an international group of lung cancer researchers, found no significant additional lung cancer risk in tobacco users who also smoked cannabis. Nor did they find an increased risk in cannabis smokers who did not use tobacco. They found that based on over 5,000 cases and controls, “Our pooled results showed no significant association between the intensity, duration, or cumulative consumption of cannabis smoke and the risk of lung cancer overall or in never smokers.”
Zhang et al. Cannabis smoking and lung cancer risk: pooled analysis in the International Lung Cancer Consortium. Cancer Research. 2013.
Recent large scale studies have shown that serious adverse effects on the lung are unlikely, except possibly in the very heaviest of smokers (data is lacking since so few use these amounts). A 2013 review of studies by one of the world’s leading experts on cannabis and its effects on the lung concluded that tobacco is FAR more harmful:
“On the other hand, habitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead to significant abnormalities in lung function when assessed either cross-sectionally or longitudinally, except for possible increases in lung volumes and modest increases in airway resistance of unclear clinical significance.”
“findings from a limited number of well-designed epidemiological studies do not suggest an increased risk for the development of either lung or upper airway cancer from light or moderate use, although evidence is mixed concerning possible carcinogenic risks of heavy, long-term use.”
“In summary, the accumulated weight of evidence implies far lower risks for pulmonary complications of even regular heavy use of marijuana compared with the grave pulmonary consequences of tobacco.”
Tashkin DP. Effects of marijuana smoking on the lung. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2013. Review.
A recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association also found little evidence of adverse pulmonary function:
“With up to 7 joint-years of lifetime exposure (e.g., 1 joint/day for 7 years or 1 joint/week for 49 years), we found no evidence that increasing exposure to marijuana adversely affects pulmonary function”
Pletcher et al. Association between marijuana exposure and pulmonary function over 20 years. JAMA. 2012.
Also, there are many peer-reviewed studies showing that the cannabinoids contained in cannabis, especially THC and CBD, directly fight tumors both by reducing their ability to spread and by shrinking them. Considering this, it is very plausible that increased cannabis use will not lead to significantly increased cancer incidence and may even reduce it. Regardless, even if smoking cannabis did increase the risk of lung cancer or lung disease, this would not be a valid reason to criminalize millions of Americans for using it.
GATEWAY
If prohibition has any effect, it makes cannabis a gateway to other illicit drugs.
The gateway drug theory, that a pharmacological effect of cannabis leads to the use of hard drugs, has been discredited by the many peer reviewed studies which have examined it.[1,2,3,4,5,6,14,15,16,19]
If the gateway theory were to have any merit, then alcohol and tobacco would be the gateway drugs as nearly all have tried these before cannabis.[1,6] There are many factors that determine which illicit substance will be used first, including availability and culture. In Japan, where cannabis use is not popular and largely frowned upon, 83% of illicit drug users did not use illicit cannabis first.[19] In the U.S., since cannabis is by far the most popular and available illegal recreational substance, it is unlikely that you would find many illicit hard drug users who did not encounter and use illicit cannabis first.[1] This does not mean cannabis caused their hard drug use, rather it was their pre-existing interest and willingness to try illegal recreational substances and cannabis was simply, and predictably, the first encountered.[3,14,19] On a related note, studies have shown that cannabinoids can help treat those addicted to hard drugs and alcohol.[4,7,18]
If anything, the prohibition of cannabis makes the hard drug problem worse. Once someone breaks the law to try the very popular and relatively safe drug cannabis, their reluctance to try another illegal substance diminishes. This is both because of their increased doubts of government honesty as to the harmful effects of those substances as well, and their newly reduced respect for the laws against them. Cannabis prohibition also connects cannabis consumers to the hard drug market. Imagine if beer merchants also sold heroin, cocaine and meth. This is the situation that the prohibition of cannabis creates for its consumers. It places a very popular substance into these otherwise unpopular markets, strengthening them and expanding their reach. Also, with no legal recourse to resolve disputes, cannabis prohibition increases the crime associated with these markets. The promotion of the erroneous gateway theory ultimately does the public a disservice, including the hindering of intervention.[19]
Regardless, one of the biggest concerns is that relaxed laws will lead to increased teen usage, but this has not been the case. Legalizing medical cannabis in the U.S. has not increased cannabis usage in teens.[8,9,10,11] Even decriminalization does not result in increased cannabis consumption overall except for a small, temporary increase during the first few years.[12,13] Portugal even saw reduced adolescent cannabis use after decriminalizing all drugs in 2001.[17]
SOURCES:
1. Joy et al. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Institute of Medicine. 1999.
2. Morral et al. Reassessing the marijuana gateway effect. Drug Policy Research Center, RAND. Addiction. 2002.
3. Cleveland HH & Wiebe RP. Understanding the association between adolescent marijuana use and later serious drug use: gateway effect or developmental trajectory? Dev Psychopathol. 2008.
4. O’Connell TJ & Bou-Matar CB. Long term marijuana users seeking medical cannabis in California (2001–2007): demographics, social characteristics, patterns of cannabis and other drug use of 4117 applicants. Harm Reduction Journal. 2007.
5. Wen et al. The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Marijuana, Alcohol, and Hard Drug Use. The National Bureau of Economic Research. 2014.
6. Tristan et al. Alcohol as a Gateway Drug: A Study of US 12th Graders. Journal of School Health. 2012.
7. Oliere et al. Modulation of the Endocannabinoid System: Vulnerability Factor and New Treatment Target for Stimulant Addiction. Front Psychiatry. 2013. Review.
8. Choo et al. The Impact of State Medical Marijuana Legislation on Adolescent Marijuana Use. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2014.
9. Lynne-Landsman et al. Effects of state medical marijuana laws on adolescent marijuana use. Am J Public Health. 2013.
10. Harper et al. Do medical marijuana laws increase marijuana use? Replication study and extension. Ann Epidemiol. 2012.
11. Anderson et al. Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana Use. IZA 2012.
12. Williams J, Bretteville-Jensen AL. Does liberalizing cannabis laws increase cannabis use? J Health Econ. 2014.
13. Single EW. The impact of marijuana decriminalization: an update. J Public Health Policy. 1989.
14. Tarter et al. Predictors of Marijuana Use in Adolescents Before and After Licit Drug Use: Examination of the Gateway Hypothesis. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 2006.
15. Van Gundy K & Rebellon CJ. A Life-course Perspective on the “Gateway Hypothesis”. J Health Soc Behav. 2010.
16. Tarter et al. Predictors ofmarijuana use in adolescents before and after licit drug use: examination of the gateway hypothesis. Am J Psychiatry. 2006.
17. Hughes C E and Stevens A. What Can We Learn From The Portuguese Decriminalization of Illicit Drugs?. Brit J Criminol. 2010.
18. Reiman A. Cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs. Harm Reduct J. 2009.
19. Vanyukov et al. Common liability to addiction and “gateway hypothesis”: theoretical, empirical and evolutionary perspective. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012. Review.
BRAIN
There may be short-term effects, but there are no reputable studies proving that cannabis causes permanent brain damage in adults, unlike alcohol.
There are many peer reviewed studies published in respected medical journals that show cannabis does not have permanent adverse effects on the adult brain. [34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,45] Cannabis has been shown to have protective effects on the brain in some cases. For example, adolescent alcohol drinkers who also use cannabis may suffer less brain damage than drinkers who do not use cannabis. [30,31] In a recent study researchers observed teen’s brains over a 1.5 year period. They found that teens who used alcohol during this period had reduced white matter integrity. These changes were not observed in cannabis users. [32] Even the U.S. Government has a patent on the cannabinoids found in cannabis for protecting the brain. Cannabinoids have shown to be neuroprotective against damage from stroke and trauma, and effective in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. [33] Cannabis has been shown to reduce the mortality of those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. [44]
This extensive review of studies which examined the long-term cognitive effects of using cocaine, (meth)amphetamines, ecstasy, opiates, alcohol, and cannabis, sums it up:
“All substances of abuse, except cannabis, were associated with sustained deficits in executive functioning, especially inhibition…”
“There was little evidence for sustained cognitive impairments in adult abstinent cannabis users.”
van Holst RJ and Schilt T. Drug-related decrease in neuropsychological functions of abstinent drug users. Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2011. Review.
SOURCES:
30. Mahmood et al. Learning and memory performances in adolescent users of alcohol and marijuana: interactive effects. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2010.
31. Jacobus et al. White Matter Integrity in Adolescents with Histories of Marijuana Use and Binge Drinking. Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 2009.
32. Bava et al. Longitudinal changes in white matter integrity among adolescent substance users. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013.
33. Patent 6630507 – Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. Filing date: Apr 21, 1999.
34. Schreiner, A. M & Dunn, M. E. Residual effects of cannabis use on neurocognitive performance after prolonged abstinence: A meta-analysis. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2012.
35. Delisi et al. A preliminary DTI study showing no brain structural change associated with adolescent cannabis use. Harm Reduct J. 2006.
36. Block et al. Effects of frequent marijuana use on brain tissue volume and composition. Neuroreport. 2000.
37. Tzilos et al. Lack of hippocampal volume change in long-term heavy cannabis users. Am J Addict. 2005.
38. Pope et al. Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001.
39. Fried et al. Neurocognitive consequences of marijuana–a comparison with pre-drug performance. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2005.
40. Grant et al. Non-acute (residual) neurocognitive effects of cannabis use: a meta-analytic study. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2003.
41. Institute of Medicine. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. The National Academies Press. 1999.
42. Hooper et al. Intellectual, neurocognitive, and academic achievement in abstinent adolescents with cannabis use disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014 .
43. van Holst RJ and Schilt T. Drug-related decrease in neuropsychological functions of abstinent drug users. Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2011. Review.
44. Nguyen et al. Effect of marijuana use on outcomes in traumatic brain injury. Am Surg. 2014.
45. Weiland et al. Daily Marijuana Use Is Not Associated with Brain Morphometric Measures in Adolescents or Adults. Journal of Neuroscience. 2015.
There is absolutely no doubt now that the majority of Americans want to completely legalize marijuana nationwide. Our numbers grow on a daily basis.
The prohibitionist view on marijuana is the viewpoint of a minority of Americans.. It is based upon decades of lies and propaganda.
Each and every tired old lie they have propagated has been thoroughly proven false by both science and society.
Their tired old rhetoric no longer holds any validity. The majority of Americans have seen through the sham of marijuana prohibition in this day and age. The number of prohibitionists left shrinks on a daily basis.
With their credibility shattered, and their not so hidden agendas visible to a much wiser public, what’s left for a marijuana prohibitionist to do?
Maybe, just come to terms with the fact that Marijuana Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think, and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide!…and Support All Marijuana Legalization Efforts!
Fear of Marijuana Legalization Nationwide is unfounded. Not based on any science or fact whatsoever. So please all you prohibitionists, we beg you to give your scare tactics, “Conspiracy Theories” and “Doomsday Scenarios” over the inevitable Legalization of Marijuana a rest. Nobody is buying them anymore these days. Okay?
Furthermore, if all you prohibitionists get when you look into that nice, big and shiny, crystal ball of yours, while wondering about the future of marijuana legalization, is horror, doom, and despair, well then I suggest you return that thing as quickly as possible and reclaim the money you shelled out for it, since it is obviously defective.
The prohibition of marijuana has not decreased the supply nor the demand for marijuana at all. Not one single iota, and it never will. Just a huge and complete waste of our tax dollars to continue criminalizing citizens for choosing a natural, non-toxic, relatively benign plant proven to be much safer than alcohol.
If prohibitionists are going to take it upon themselves to worry about “saving us all” from ourselves, then they need to start with the drug that causes more death and destruction than every other drug in the world COMBINED, which is alcohol!
Why do prohibitionists feel the continued need to vilify and demonize marijuana when they could more wisely focus their efforts on a real, proven killer, alcohol, which again causes more destruction, violence, and death than all other drugs, COMBINED?
Prohibitionists really should get their priorities straight and or practice a little live and let live. They’ll live longer, happier, and healthier, with a lot less stress if they refrain from being bent on trying to control others through Draconian Marijuana Laws.
The “Gateway Myth” has been proven false over and over again. Correlation doesn’t equal causation.
If you really want to protect families from a drug proven to destroy lives and families, then you should be up in arms, protesting the legality of booze. Alcohol is the number one cause for traffic fatalities and domestic violence by a huge landslide.
More so than all other drugs, combined.
Why doesn’t that concern you even more?
“Marijuana Is Gateway Drug” Theory Debunked, Again
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/marijuana-is-gateway-drug-theory-debunked-again
Marijuana a “Gateway” Drug? Scientists Call Theory Half-Baked
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana-a-gateway-drug-scientists-call-theory-half-baked/
Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: The Myth That Will Not Die
http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/29/marijuna-as-a-gateway-drug-the-myth-that-will-not-die/#ixzz2s5nDwiDS
Seven Studies That Debunk the Gateway Myth
http://inorml.com/blog/2012/11/25/seven-studies-that-debunk-the-gateway-myth/
Marijuana really is harmless. It’s the shit people add to it that makes it dangerous. There’s the idiots who add embalming fluid (of all things) that make them go nuts. And there are black adults who sell and smoke it. Some of them allow their sons to sell the shit in their homes. They fill a cigarette or cigar (I think) with weed, then dip it in embalming fluid. No wonder blacks who smoke this shit are so outta control.
Some things are not true in this article and over exaggerated. The gateway drug argument is very overrated. Most people who are weed smokers stick with weed and only weed. Marijuana is a depressant that does not cause aggressive behavior in most. Yes , maybe the neophyte gets paranoid but that wears away with experience. Most street weed is purer than marijuana shops who have budtenders who flavor and coat the weed with harmful materials. Alcoholics and workaholics have problems that will still be there when their high wears off, too. What if people had no way to escape their problems? Jonathan is a rare case and abuse of anything will eventually be a health risk. Most marijuana advocates do not believe in abuse of marijuana or usage for kids. Why don’t anti-marijuana advocates do the statistics on how many people who have died due to marijuana related issues then you have an enlightening article.