Should marijuana be legal?

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As many as one in five Americans lives with chronic pain.[1] Many of these people suffer from neuropathic pain (nerve-related pain) – a condition that is associated with numerous diseases, including diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and HIV. In most cases, the use of standard analgesic medications such as opiates and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) is ineffective at relieving neuropathic pain.

Survey data indicates that the use of cannabis is common in chronic pain populations[2], and several recent clinical trials indicate that inhaled marijuana can significantly alleviate neuropathic pain. A pair of clinical trials recently demonstrated that smoking cannabis reduces neuropathic pain in patients with HIV by more than 30 percent compared to placebo.[3-4] (Additional details on these studies appear in the HIV section of this book.)

In 2008 investigators at the University of California at Davis assessed the efficacy of inhaled cannabis on pain intensity among 38 patients with central or peripheral neuropathic pain in a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. They reported: “[C]annabis reduced pain intensity and unpleasantness equally. Thus, as with opioids, cannabis does not rely on a relaxing or tranquilizing effect, but rather reduces both the core component of nociception (nerve pain) and the emotional aspect of the pain experience to an equal degree."[5]

Preclinical data indicates that cannabinoids, when administered in concert with one another, are more effective at ameliorating neuropathic pain than the use of a single agent. Investigators at the University of Milan reported in 2008 that the administration of single cannabinoids such as THC or CBD produce limited relief compared to the administration of plant extracts containing multiple cannabinoids, terpenes (oils), and flavonoids (pigments).

Researchers concluded: “[T]he use of a standardized extract of Cannabis sativa … evoked a total relief of thermal hyperalgesia, in an experimental model of neuropathic pain, … ameliorating the effect of single cannabinoids,” investigators concluded. … Collectively, these findings strongly support the idea that the combination of cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid compounds, as present in [plant-derived] extracts, provide significant advantages in the relief of neuropathic pain compared with pure cannabinoids alone. … Further studies of cannabis-based medicines in neuropathic pain are now required to demonstrate a clinically relevant improvement in the treatment of this condition."[6]

REFERENCES

[1]New York Times. October 21, 1994. “Study says 1 in 5 Americans suffers from chronic pain.”

[2]Cone et al. 2008. Urine drug testing of chronic pain patients: licit and illicit drug patterns. Journal of Analytical Toxicology 32: 532-543.

[3] Abrams et al. 2007. Cannabis in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Neurology 68: 515-521.

[4] Ellis et al. 2008. Smoked medicinal cannabis for neuropathic pain in HIV: a randomized, crossover clinical trial. Neuropsychopharmacology [E-pub ahead of print].

[5] Wilsey et al. 2008. A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of cannabis cigarettes in neuropathic pain. Journal of Pain 9: 506-521.

[6] Comelli et al. 2008. Antihyperalgesic effect of a Cannabis sativa extract in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Phytotherapy Research 22: 1017-1024.
 
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system that causes inflammation, muscular weakness, and a loss of motor coordination. Over time, MS patients typically become permanently disabled, and in some cases the disease can be fatal. According to the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society, about 200 people are diagnosed every week with the disease — often striking those 20 to 40 years of age.

Clinical and anecdotal reports of cannabinoids’ ability to reduce MS-related symptoms such as pain, spasticity, depression, fatigue, and incontinence are plentiful in the scientific literature[1-12] — leading many MS-associated patient organizations, including the Multiple Sclerosis Societies of Britain and Canada, to take positions in favor of the drug’s prescription use.[13] Patients with multiple sclerosis typically report engaging in cannabis therapy[14], with one survey indicating that nearly one in two MS patients use the drug therapeutically.[15]

Recent clinical and preclinical studies also suggest that cannabinoids may inhibit MS progression. Writing in the July 2003 issue of the journal Brain, investigators at the University College of London’s Institute of Neurology reported that administration of the synthetic cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 provided “significant neuroprotection” in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. “The results of this study are important because they suggest that in addition to symptom management, … cannabis may also slow the neurodegenerative processes that ultimately lead to chronic disability in multiple sclerosis and probably other disease,” researchers concluded.[16]

Investigators at the Netherland’s Vrije University Medical Center, Department of Neurology, also reported for the first time in 2003 that the administration of oral THC can boost immune function in patients with MS. “These results suggest pro-inflammatory disease-modifying potential of cannabinoids [for] MS,” they concluded.[17]

Clinical data reported in 2006 from an extended open-label study of 167 multiple sclerosis patients found that use of whole plant cannabinoid extracts relieved symptoms of pain, spasticity, and bladder incontinence for an extended period of treatment (mean duration of study participants was 434 days) without requiring subjects to increase their dose.[18] Results from a separate two-year open label extension trial in 2007 also reported that the administration of cannabis extracts was associated with long-term reductions in neuropathic pain in select MS patients. On average, patients in the study required fewer daily doses of the drug and reported lower median pain scores the longer they took it. [19] These results would be unlikely in patients suffering from a progressive disease like MS unless the cannabinoid therapy was halting its progression, investigators have suggested.

As a result, the British government is now sponsoring a three-year clinical trial to assess the long-term effects of cannabinoids on both MS-associated symptom management as well as disease progression. Health Canada also recently approved the prescription use of cannabis abstracts for the treatment of MS-associated neuropathic pain.[20] Similar approval of cannabis extracts is pending in Britain and Europe.

REFERENCES

[1] Chong et al. 2006. Cannabis use in patients with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis 12: 646-651.

[2] Rog et al. 2005. Randomized, controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in central pain in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 65: 812-819.

[3] Wade et al. 2004. Do cannabis-based medicinal extracts have general or specific effects on symptoms in multiple sclerosis? A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study on 160 patients. Multiple Sclerosis 10: 434-441.

[4] Brady et al. 2004. An open-label pilot study of cannabis-based extracts for bladder dysfunction in advanced multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis 10: 425-433.

[5] Vaney et al. 2004. Efficacy, safety and tolerability of an orally administered cannabis extract in the treatment of spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Multiple Sclerosis 10: 417-424.

[6] Zajicek et al. 2003. Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis: multicentre randomized placebo-controlled trial [PDF]. The Lancet 362: 1517-1526.

[7] Page et al. 2003. Cannabis use as described by people with multiple sclerosis [PDF]. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences 30: 201-205.

[8] Wade et al. 2003. A preliminary controlled study to determine whether whole-plant cannabis extracts can improve intractable neurogenic symptoms. Clinical Rehabilitation 17: 21-29.

[9] Consroe et al. 1997. The perceived effects of smoked cannabis on patients with multiple sclerosis. European Journal of Neurology 38: 44-48.

[10] Meinck et al. 1989. Effects of cannabinoids on spasticity and ataxia in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neurology 236: 120-122.

[11] Ungerleider et al. 1987. Delta-9-THC in the treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. Advances in Alcohol and Substance Abuse 7: 39-50.

[12] Denis Petro. 1980. Marijuana as a therapeutic agent for muscle spasm or spasticity. Psychosomatics 21: 81-85.

[13] See: “Health Organizations’ Endorsements,” available online.

[14] Clark et al. 2004. Patterns of cannabis use among patients with multiple sclerosis. Neurology 62: 2098-2010.

[15] Reuters News Wire. August 19, 2002. “Marijuana helps MS patients alleviate pain, spasms.”

[16] Pryce et al. 2003. Cannabinoids inhibit neurodegeneration in models of Multiple Sclerosis. Brain 126: 2191-2202.

[17] Killestein et al. 2003. Immunomodulatory effects of orally administered cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neuroimmunology 137: 140-143.
 
Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and colitis, afflict more than one in five Americans, particularly women. While some GI disorders may be controlled by diet and pharmaceutical medications, others are poorly moderated by conventional treatments. Symptoms of GI disorders often include cramping, abdominal pain, inflammation of the lining of the large and/or small intestine, chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and weight loss.

Although several anecdotal reports[1-2] and a handful of case reports[3-4] exist in the scientific literature supporting the use of cannabinoids to treat symptoms of GI disorders, virtually no clinical trial work has been performed in this area, aside from a 2007 clinical study assessing the impact of oral THC on colonic motility.[5]

However, numerous preclinical studies demonstrate that activation of the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors exert biological functions on the gastrointestinal tract.[6] Effects of their activation in animals include suppression of gastrointestinal motility,[7] inhibition of intestinal secretion,[8] reduced acid reflux,[9] and protection from inflammation[10], as well as the promotion of epithelial wound healing in human tissue.[11] As a result, many experts now believe that cannabinoids and/or modulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system represents a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of numerous GI disorders — including inflammatory bowel diseases, functional bowel diseases, gastro-oesophagael reflux conditions, secretory diarrhea, gastric ulcers, and colon cancer.[12-13]

REFERENCES

[1] Gahlinger, Paul M. 1984. Gastrointestinal illness and cannabis use in a rural Canadian community. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 16: 263-265.

[2] Swift et al. 2005. Survey of Australians using cannabis for medical purposes. Harm Reduction Journal 4: 2-18.

[3] Baron et al. 1990. Ulcerative colitis and marijuana. Annals of Internal Medicine 112: 471.

[4] Jeff Hergenrather. 2005. Cannabis alleviates symptoms of Crohn’s Disease. O’Shaughnessy’s 2: 3.

[5] Esfandyari et al. 2007. Effects of a cannabinoid receptor agonist on colonic motor and sensory functions in humans: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. American Journal of Physiology, Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 293: 137-145.

[6] Massa and Monory. 2006. Endocannabinoids and the gastrointestinal tract. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation 29 (Suppl): 47-57.

[7] Roger Pertwee. 2001. Cannabinoids and the gastrointestinal tract. Gut 48: 859-867.

[8] DiCarlo and Izzo. 2003. Cannabinoids for gastrointestinal diseases: potential therapeutic applications. Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs 12: 39-49.

[9] Lehmann et al. 2002. Cannabinoid receptor agonism inhibits transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations and reflux in dogs. Gastroenterology 123: 1129-1134.

[10] Massa et al. 2005. The endocannabinoid system in the physiology and pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Journal of Molecular Medicine 12: 944-954.

[11] Wright et al. 2005. Differential expression of cannabinoid receptors in the human colon: cannabinoids promote epithelial wound healing. Gastroenterology 129: 437-453.

[12] Massa and Monory. 2006. op. cit.

[13] Izzo and Coutts. 2005. Cannabinoids and the digestive tract. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology 168: 573-598.
 
Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder of unknown etiology that is characterized by involuntary vocal tics. Severity of this condition varies widely among patients. Though there is no cure for Tourette’s syndrome, the condition often improves with age. Experts estimate that 100,000 Americans are afflicted with TS.

A review of the scientific literature reveals several clinical trials investigating the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of TS. Writing in the March 1999 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, investigators at Germany’s Medical School of Hanover, Department of Clinical Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, reported successful treatment of Tourette’s syndrome with a single dose of 10 mg of delta-9-THC in a 25-year-old male patient in an uncontrolled open clinical trial.[1] Investigators reported that the subject’s total tic severity score fell from 41 to 7 within two hours following cannabinoid therapy, and that improvement was observed for a total of seven hours. “For the first time, patients’ subjective experiences when smoking marijuana were confirmed by using a valid and reliable rating scale,” authors concluded.

Investigators again confirmed these preliminary results in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover single dose trial of THC in 12 adult TS patients. Researchers reported a “significant improvement of tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCB) after treatment with delta-9-THC compared to placebo.”[2] Investigators reported no cognitive impairment in subjects following THC administration[3] and concluded, “THC is effective and safe in treating tics and OCB in TS.”[4]

Investigators confirmed these results in a second randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial involving 24 patients administered daily doses of up to 10 mg of THC over a six-week period. Researchers reported that subjects experienced a significant reduction in tics following long-term cannabinoid treatment,[5] and suffered no detrimental effects on learning, recall or verbal memory.[6] A trend toward significant improvement of verbal memory span during and after therapy was also observed.

Summarizing their findings in the October 2003 issue of the journal Expert Opinions in Pharmacotherapy, investigators concluded that in adult TS patients, “Therapy with delta-9-THC should be tried … if well established drugs either fail to improve tics or cause significant adverse effects.”[7]

REFERENCES

[1] Muller-Vahl et al. 1999. Treatment of Tourette’s syndrome with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. American Journal of Psychiatry 156: 495.

[2] Muller-Vahl et al. 2002. Treatment of Tourette’s syndrome with Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): a randomized crossover trial. Pharmacopsychiatry 35: 57-61.

[3] Muller-Vahl et al. 2001. Influence of treatment of Tourette syndrome with delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC) on neuropsychological performance. Pharmacopsychiatry 34: 19-24.

[4] Muller-Vahl et al. 2002. op. cit.

[5] Muller-Vahl et al. 2003. Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is effective in the treatment of tics in Tourette syndrome: a 6-week randomized trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 64: 459-65.

[6] Muller-Vahl et al. 2003. Treatment of Tourette syndrome with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC): no influence on neuropsychological performance. Neuropsychopharmacology 28: 384-8.

[7] Kirsten Muller-Vahl. 2003. Cannabinoids reduce symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome. Expert Opinions in Pharmacotherapy 4: 1717-25.
 
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiology. The disease is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. An estimated 3 to 6 million Americans are afflicted by fibromyalgia, which is often poorly controlled by standard pain medications.

Fibromyalgia patients frequently self-report using cannabis therapeutically to treat symptoms of the disease,[1-2] and physicians – where legal to do so – often recommend the use of cannabis to treat musculoskeletal disorders.[3-4] To date however, only one clinical trial is available in the scientific literature assessing the use of cannabinoids to treat the disease.

Writing in the July 2006 issue of the journal Current Medical Research and Opinion, investigators at Germany’s University of Heidelberg evaluated the analgesic effects of oral THC in nine patients with fibromyalgia over a 3-month period. Subjects in the trial were administered daily doses of 2.5 to 15 mg of THC, but received no other pain medication during the trial. Among those participants who completed the trial, all reported a significant reduction in daily recorded pain and electronically induced pain.[5]

Previous clinical and preclinical trials have shown that both naturally occurring and endogenous cannabinoids hold analgesic qualities,[6-9] particularly in the treatment of cancer pain [10] and neuropathic pain, [11-13] both of which are poorly treated by conventional opioids. As a result, some experts have suggested that cannabinoid agonists would be applicable for the treatment of chronic pain conditions unresponsive to opioid analgesics such as fibromyalgia, and they theorize that the disease may be associated with an underlying clinical deficiency of the endocannabinoid system.[14]

REFERENCES

[1] Swift et al. 2005. Survey of Australians using cannabis for medical purposes. Harm Reduction Journal 4: 2-18.

[2] Ware et al. 2005. The medicinal use of cannabis in the UK: results of a nationwide survey. International Journal of Clinical Practice 59: 291-295.

[3] Dale Gieringer. 2001. Medical use of cannabis: experience in California. In: Grotenhermen and Russo (Eds). Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. New York: Haworth Press: 153-170.

[4] Gorter et al. 2005. Medical use of cannabis in the Netherlands. Neurology 64: 917-919.

[5] Schley et al. 2006. Delta-9-THC based monotherapy in fibromyalgia patients on experimentally induced pain, axon reflex flare, and pain relief. Current Medical Research and Opinion 22: 1269-1276.

[6] Burns and Ineck. 2006. Cannabinoid analgesia as a potential new therapeutic option in the treatment of chronic pain. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 40: 251-260.

[7] David Secko. 2005. Analgesia through endogenous cannabinoids. CMAJ 173:

[8] Wallace et al. 2007. Dose-dependent effects of smoked cannabis on capsaicin-induced pain and hyperalgesia in healthy volunteers. Anesthesiology 107:785-96.

[9] Cox et al. 2007. Synergy between delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and morphine in the arthritic rat. European Journal of Pharmacology 567: 125-130.

[10] Radbruch and Elsner. 2005. Emerging analgesics in cancer pain management. Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs 10: 151-171.

[11] Notcutt et al. 2004. Initial experiences with medicinal extracts of cannabis for chronic pain: Results from 34 ‘N of 1’ studies. Anaesthesia 59: 440.

[12] Abrams et al. 2007. Cannabis in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Neurology: 68: 515-521.

[13] Rog et al. 2007. Oromucosal delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol for neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis: an uncontrolled, open-label, 2-year extension trial. Clinical Therapeutics 29: 2068-2079.

[14] Ethan Russo. 2004. Clinical Endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD): Can this concept explain therapeutic benefits of cannabis in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and other treatment-resistant conditions? Neuroendocrinology Letters 25: 31-39.
 
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease of the joints characterized by pain, stiffness, and swelling, as well as an eventual loss of limb function. Rheumatoid arthritis is estimated to affect about one percent of the population, primarily women.

Use of cannabis to treat symptoms of RA is commonly self-reported by patients with the disease. In a 2005 anonymous questionnaire survey of medicinal cannabis patients in Australia, 25 percent reported using cannabinoids to treat RA.[1] A survey of British medicinal cannabis patients found that more than 20 percent of respondents reported using cannabis for symptoms of arthritis.[2] Nevertheless, few clinical trials investigating the use of cannabis for RA appear in the scientific literature.

In January 2006, investigators at the British Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Disease reported successful treatment of arthritis with cannabinoids in the first-ever controlled trial assessing the efficacy of natural cannabis extracts on RA.[3] Investigators reported that administration of cannabis extracts over a five week period produced statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep, inflammation, and intensity of pain compared to placebo. No serious adverse effects were observed. Similar results had been reported in smaller, Phase II trials investigating the use of orally administered cannabis extracts on symptoms of RA.[4]

Preclinical data also indicates that cannabinoids can moderate the progression of RA. Writing in the August 2000 issue of the Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigators at London’s Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology reported that cannabidiol (CBD) administration suppressed progression of arthritis in vitro and in animals.[5] Administration of CBD after the onset of clinical symptoms protected joints against severe damage and “effectively blocked [the] progression of arthritis,” investigators concluded. Daily administration of the synthetic cannabinoid agonist HU-320 has also been reported to protect joints from damage and to ameliorate arthritis in animals.[6]

Summarizing the available literature in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of Neuroimmunology, researchers at Tokyo’s National Institute for Neuroscience concluded, “Cannabinoid therapy of RA could provide symptomatic relief of joint pain and swelling as well as suppressing joint destruction and disease progression.”[7]

REFERENCES

[1] Swift et al. 2005. Survey of Australians using cannabis for medical purposes. Harm Reduction Journal 4: 2-18.

[2] Ware et al. 2005. The medicinal use of cannabis in the UK: results of a nationwide survey. International Journal of Clinical Practice 59: 291-295.

[3] Blake et al. 2006. Preliminary assessment of the efficacy, tolerability and safety of a cannabis medicine (Sativex) in the treatment of pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology 45: 50-52.

[4] No author. 2003. Cannabis-based medicines. Drugs in Research and Development 4: 306-309.

[5] Malfait et al. 2000. The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituents cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine. Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97: 9561-9566.

[6] Sumariwalla et al. 2004. A novel synthetic, nonpsychoactive cannabinoid acid (HU-320) with anti-inflammatory properties in murine collagen-induced arthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism 50: 985-998.

[7] Croxford and Yamamura. 2005. Cannabinoids and the immune system: Potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Journal of Neuroimmunology 166: 3-18.
 
Sleep apnea is a medical disorder characterized by frequent interruptions in breathing of up to ten seconds or more during sleep. The condition is associated with numerous physiological disorders, including fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack and stroke. Though sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed, it is estimated that approximately four percent of men and two percent of women ages 30 to 60 years old suffer from the disease.

One preclinical study is cited in the scientific literature investigating the role of cannabinoids on sleep-related apnea. Writing in the June 2002 issue of the journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, researchers at the University of Illinois (at Chicago) Department of Medicine reported “potent suppression” of sleep-related apnea in rats administered either exogenous or endogenous cannabinoids.[1] Investigators reported that doses of delta-9-THC and the endocannabinoid oleamide each stabilized respiration during sleep, and blocked serotonin-induced exacerbation of sleep apnea in a statistically significant manner. No follow up investigations have taken place assessing the use of cannabinoids to treat this indication. However, several recent preclinical and clinical trials have reported on the use of THC, natural cannabis extracts, and endocannabinoids to induce sleep[2,3] and/or improve sleep quality.[4]

REFERENCES

[1] Carley et al. 2002. Functional role for cannabinoids in respiratory stability during sleep. Sleep 25: 399-400.

[2] Murillo-Rodriguez et al. 2003. Anandamide enhances extracellular levels of adenosine and induces sleep: an in vivo microdialysis study. Sleep 26: 943-947.

[3] Nicholson et al. 2004. Effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on nocturnal sleep and early-morning behavior in young adults. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 24: 305-313.

[4] Christine Perras. 2005. Sativex for the management of multiple sclerosis symptoms. Issues in Emerging Health Technologies 72: 1-4
 
MARIJUANA ARRESTS for 2008

847,864

Of those charged with marijuana violations, approximately 89 percent, 754,224 Americans were charged with possession only. The remaining 93,640 individuals were charged with “sale/manufacture,” a category that includes all cultivation offenses, even those where the marijuana was being grown for personal or medical use. In past years, roughly 30 percent of those arrested were age 19 or younger.
 
I do hope that people who are taking marijuana under ''doctors’orders" have it all in writing;So that if negative health problems do occur in the future ,they can sue to help pay for the on going medical treatment

I lol’ed at this, smh… Many anti depressants cause people to gain alot of weight so are u suggesting they should sue thier doctor because under doctors orders they are told to take these pills that make them obese and cause them even more health problems??? Ridiculous
 
The major problem I have with the studies published by harvard and even the DEA, is that is refers to the health effects if one were to smoke several joints a day over the course of many years. Not just the occasional light-up once or twice a year at a party, or whatever. (I am talking about recreational use here). Yes, a lot of the people who smoke weed right now do light up several times a day, but that is because they are so into the drug that they are using it even illegally. Just because a significant number of current users do, does not mean the same will hold true if it were legalized and the general public (you know, people in control enough that they won’t break the law to use it in the first place) would not severely abuse it. Take alcohol for example, were in criminalized tomorrow most – if not all of us, would give it up instantly. We are not hooked, our lives to not center around it. Now, there are people who would break the law to get it, and those people are indeed hooked. It means they are usually constantly under the influence and abuse the drug. Stats would then show that a significant number of people who use alcohol abuse it, so that statistic would then be applied to the general population with the belief that if anyone touches alcohol, it will consume them.

Then we get into their health stats. If you stay constantly high for many years, I have NO doubt that you are going to develop any one of the disorders listed. But as I pointed out in my last paragraph most people would never do this. MOST people are rational people who use any substance in moderation. Alcohol has almost no harm if one occasionally indulges and does so with moderation. Marijuana even less. Now, if we were to compare the health effects of marijuana use talked about in this study with the same amount of alcohol use, people would think that alcohol is a toxin that would kill you as soon as you touch it. Liver failure, death, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, addiction, lessened faculties, the inability to operate machinery, shortened attention span, brain damage…you get the idea, the list goes on!

We have to look at the marijuana issue at both sides. I personally think current laws are doing more harm than good in this case. Most people will not abuse marijuana. Just as most people do not abuse alcohol. My bet is most of the people who abuse marijuana, already are and with legalization we would not see a dramatic increase of “addicts.” Right now I DO see otherwise innocent, productive, and wholesome people getting thrown in jail for posession of a pretty harmless drug. Money is being channelled into drug cartels, rather than the government or treatment programs by people buying it illegally. I see minors having easier access to pot than alcohol because pot is illegal (this is a whole other long argument, and if people want to hear that, I can post it but I won’t right now since I am sure everyone sees the logic in this as it is.), Money from maijuana sales is funding harder crimes including human trafficking, weapons dealing, and harmful drugs. (heroin, cocaine, meth, etc) I see a lot of social good that could come with the decriminalization of marijuana, and maybe even a step forward in the war on real drugs that actually kill people.
 
GIVE THE BONG —THE GONG--------SAY NO TO MARIJUANA !!!
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              For anyone interested in the medical side of this issue, needs only to search the internet--Harmful effects of medicinal marijuana---so I won't go there again on that one!! I did read a lot of the sites that promoted it's use!!! Can anyone tell me in a few words why THC in marijuana cannot be isolated--I am not a scientist or a chemical expert so please keep it simple!I do know marijuana can be refined into hash oil ,thirty times stronger than pot;so I asume the THC is the measuring component in it.
                    The reason I ask this--- is the marijuana lobby really interested in the medicinal use  in a tablet form ,say made from hash oil ( in a controlled laboritory of various strenghts and sold under strict Government control-same as other medicine--IF IT IS SAFE ) or are they just pushing a drug culture where smoking dope and eating cookies  is a way of life!And yes, bringing  in legalization through the back door, in a smoke screen of health benefits.( promoted by left over yuppies and their next spawned generation & their drug culture, so widely influencing  the west  through music,T.V and internet,even in the political arena).
                   If Ganga is so healthy,why are third world peoples that have legal marijuana so sick--attacks the immune system maybe??I personally know of two people who frequented legal hash houses overseas, they came back so sick that it was only through modern medicine that stopped them from dying!(one almost lost his sight-he expressed to me his regret of introducing it to others,the other hepatitis).Could they not have saved their parents plane fares and got cured with smoking pot moderately, as some seem to say??
                    I cannot get my mind around why it is used "recreationally"and promoted as such a great thing.I find I have enought trouble living in reality with a clear mind, without doping my brain!(I choose not to drink any alcohol)Yes, the greatest reality is to know and love the person of Jesus Christ and trying to live this belief and spiritually within the One,Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
                      But I can more than  understand it is so easy to get high on something, to mask the emptiness that we get seeking self;Or worst still-- covering over guilt, hurts,loneliness,suffering ,rejection,abuse ,the effects of abortion etc,.etc,it works in the short term,but it comes to bite us in the backside,such as alcoholism,drug addiction(compulsive).Not everyone has the self control of an angel-- my observation is that a lot in the western world, get blind drunk out of their brain,especially teenagers!!Why give teenagers another stumbling block to get over on trying to legalize marijuana??
                      It seems we are sadly also refering to pre-teenagers 9,10,11,12 year olds who "try"weed and  it is  often obtained by some kid pinching it from his /her adult drug crazed minders and introducing it to her/ his school mates(I used minders rather than parents-no good parent would give their kids the bad example of smoking or growing pot--true Dope Heads)
               Some nice lady complained that she only wants to increase her faith and not defend marijuana(though she did!!)--The thread reads SHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGAL--I can only recommend that she visit other forums  here for her needs- (is she so fragile that she cannot handle other opinions-except her own?)-I am blown away by the fine content and intelligent arguements regarding the Catholic Faith and related moral/ethical topics in other forums and Catholic Answers Generally-loved reading Carl Keatings' book that I bought.I suppose we  are attracted by what interests us,I feel that I can contribute logically on this subject-(and fighting with demons)-others I learn from!
                 St.Maximilian Kolbe,you were injected  with carbolic acid in the death bunker;as you saved the life of another,please pray for all those caught up in the drug culture.Help them to turn to The Immaculate Heart of Mary who always loves her children, especially those sick and in need ,she never turns us away.(Mary is important ;because Jesus is important).Merciful Jesus I trust in You.St.Michael the Archangel defend us from a drug culture.St.Benedict pray for me.
                 GET STRAIGHT ----BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!
 
So your just going to throw out all the scientiffic data that says it helps many medical conditions? I posted study after study with verifiable links, unlike your links whcih did not work…
 
You said:

“For anyone interested in the medical side of this issue, needs only to search the internet Harmful effects of medicinal marijuana”

Then you said:

I feel that I can contribute logically on this subject.

THAT IS A HUGE CONTRADICTION.

A logical person looks at both sides rationally so clearly you cannot contribute on this subject. I read what you wrote and every single thing you posted states cannabis COULD or Cannabis MAY… I did not read cannabis CAN or DOES cause any serious problem. The problem with your information is that it is biased… As i alredy showed in my previous posts…
 
Cannabis is highly addictive,causes paranoia and mental health conditions including psychosis in many people.It is destructive to a persons character and to their brain cells.It may start as an occasional “puff” but soon becomes more and more and the awful spiral downwards is set.In the UK it is prevalent among a large percentage of teenagers and is behind a lot of the lethargy/outbursts in their behaviour at school.Of course alcohol can also have a very detrimental effect and is also highly consumed among UK teenagers and the cuase for very bad behaviour leading to police custody and court hearings.My sons were all affected by cannabis to varying degrees.My personal experience (via my sons) is that it cuased mental illness to my youngest son,memory loss and paranoia to my eldest and the middle one still thinks its ok recreationally but it makes him lazy and “can’t be bothered attitude”.
 
I’m sorry, but scientific evidence doesn’t support Cannabis being highly addictive in the way the body craves something such as crack, herion, opiates ect… Now if you just like getting high all the time, then you have real problem. You are seriously in desperate need of Christ and accepting His love. The only real difference between cannabis and alcohol in acceptance is cultural. Some cultures accept it others don’t. I have seen there are wise people out this world who can toke in moderation and/or drink in moderation. However, there are people who use alcohol, food, caffeine, tobacco, marijuana, and sadly more dangerous drugs/substances to fill voids in their life. This will never work. I will always continue to say that Christ is the only way to fill voids in our life not substances and sin. I couldn’t agree anymore with Karoleck anymore that people need to turn to Christ when they have problems. Can’t we see the difference between those who use marijuana(a God made plant) for medicine/relaxation responsibly and those who try to use it to fill voids in their life?
 
I couldn’t agree anymore with Karoleck anymore that people need to turn to Christ when they have problems. Can’t we see the difference between those who use marijuana(a God made plant) for medicine/relaxation responsibly and those who try to use it to fill voids in their life?

I agree turning to Christ is always the way… 👍

is
“Can’t we see the difference between those who use marijuana(a God made plant) for medicine/relaxation responsibly and those who try to use it to fill voids in their life?”

I totally agree though the people that choose to use cannabis to fill any void in thier life do not deserve to go to jail as i alredy stated 800,000 plus arrests last year for simple possesion the money spent on these casses could go to a way better cause… Plus when u have a felony on your record you cant rent an apartment get a loan basically do anything… I dont think cannabis users deserve to be treated like criminals… bUT i def agree with you stringbeanduck
 
www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol20N2/Twin.html
The above link takes you to a sad subject-A lot of the debate has been rather in the air; but sin has consequences ,Marijuana,Suicide and Depression is that link-search other sites your selves on that subject,there is good food for thought -including Video testimonies.I am truelly sorry to any reader, for bring painful memories of loved ones lost in this way.Similar to the beautiful mother whose sons were damaged by the use of marijuana in England,thanks for your courage and puting reality into the forum,my prayers are with you and your very dear precious sons.It may help the waivering to conclude that smoking marijana is not as safe as drinking water.
I cannot add anything more to the use of marijuana in the medicine debate,I used" may,maybe or could" because the jury is still out on that one.
Now to the “recreational” use of this drug and should marijuana be legal forum.The most frequently used word to describe the effect of smoking pot is “GETTING HIGH”.The opposite to this is a bummer LOW! “I’am down,I’am down,I’am really down” or another song “I ain’t got nobody that I can depend on”(that song was a lie —because Jesus is always somebody that I can depend on).
There is a correlation between getting High & Low.I point to the THC in marijuana affecting the mood swings of the brain.In teenagers, the hormones are out of control as they are developing,add marijuana to this mix and you have a recipe for disaster-depression and suicide.
I come from a different country than America-you seem to have the best of everything and if you forgive me for saying so-and the worst of everything!!In my country we inherited the Westminster System where Courts & Laws are concerned.You have the Bill of Rights,we seem to have less Bill of Wrongs!
I say this especially in the case of law offenders and law enforcement–I have seen news shots from the USA where police are clubbing innocent men and women protesting peacefully outside abortion clinics!!!.Marijuana is not legal here ,but there is no one rotting in jail for using it!!! I still think the courts are generally too soft here, but I prefer that to your rather harsh ones.I repeat again,I still believe that rehabilitation, as a penality and a life line with no recorded convictions ,except for repeat offenders would be a Christ like approach.Your great country-your show!! God Bless America.
I have a vested interest in what you decide on the marijuana issue: As America is seen as a beacon for my nation----yes, we have adopted the best and unfortunately the worst of everything( and even out do you in Embryonic experiments & IVF, shame on us-- you are welcome to visit our cemetries and read the young ages of " the hope of future" on the tombstones and males win out on that death tally…thank you Woodstock!!
May St.Maximilian Kolbe, pray for all those with drug taking issues and those who love and care for them,please pray for those who have lost loved ones through suicide.May the Souls of all the faithfull departed rest in peace and may God shine His Light upon them.Amen.Mother of Sorrows please pray for us, especially those who need Christs’ Mercy.St.Michael,protect us from all evil and the malice and snares of the devil.Amen.
 
RESPECT FOR HEALTH
As I belong to the Catholic Church may I add what the of The Catechism of the Catholic church says on this matter.
2287 “Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God.We must take reasonable care of them,taking into account the needs of others and the common good”
2291 “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life.Their use,except on strickly therapeutic grounds,is a grave offence.Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices.They constitute direct co-operation in evil,since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.”
What more can I say? Thank you Whiteacre for starting this journey-you put a lot of effort into your imput "-It is not those who cry out Lord,Lord,that will be saved But those who do The Fathers’Will"and "If you love Me(Christ)–keep my Commandments. Love & God Bless
Jesus,Mary I love you ,save souls.St.Joseph,pray for us.
 
You are Lying when saying this:
“because the jury is still out on that one.”

There is soo much information on its medicinal benefits.

“There is scientific evidence that [marijuana] helps with pain relief and nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, for example, in terminal cancer patients,” said John A. Benson, Jr., a principal investigator of the IOM study and a professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In the early 1990s Pertwee’s research group helped to uncover human-produced chemicals similar to THC that stimulate our appetites and help us control pain. “We produce our own cannabis, in effect,” he said. “It often seems to have a protective role.”

youtube.com/watch?v=GJmQ16cGBHU
 
After the War to "end all wars"a great thinker by the name of Shaw reflecting on the aftermath so so much death and destruction said this:
"The wars of tomorrow will be the battle of ideas-----and the victims, will be the minds of our children’!!!
I guess,the marijana ideas battle is one example that Shaw envisaged.
St.Maximilian Kolbe please pray for those who abuse drugs and those who have to live with it’s damage to their health-body and mind.St Michael the Archangel defend us from the father of lies.Mother of God and Mother of Mercy,pray for us.St.Leo the Great,pray for us.
 
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