Weed And What We Don't Hear About It

UPPERDATED AND BUMPED AGAIN:

I'll bet you even Cheech and Chong couldn't have thought of this.

Possible marijuana link to massive California wildfire

"Investigators probing the massive wildfire in Yosemite National Park are looking into whether an illegal marijuana farm may have triggered the blaze, US media reports said on Saturday."

UPDATED AND BUMPED:

Marijuana more risky for teens than previously thought

"Researchers from the Université de Montréal and New York's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital conducted a review of 120 studies examining cannabis and teenage brain development, and concluded there is strong evidence early cannabis use puts some teens at risk of developing addiction and mental health problems as adults."

Addictions? But, but, but. We all know it's not a gateway to the harder stuff.
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Canadian headlines over the past few days are all about Baby Trudeau and his admission about smoking the stuff. Did he or did he not inhale? Who knows? Who cares?

Anyway, the news sent me searching for info about it. I am opposed to legalizing or even decriminalizing it. If the solution to a problems creates just as many problems as it solves, then why do it. Think twice before you jump.

This is some of the stuff I've found:

Not So Fast

"Legalization advocates — those who propose totally eliminating the prohibition of marijuana — pose some convincing arguments, but they willfully ignore or disguise several established scientific facts. Marijuana may be less harmful than other drugs, but it is far from harmless. The research clearly indicates that marijuana is not only addictive (approximately 1 out of 6 youths who smoke marijuana will develop a dependence) but that the dangers of marijuana are, in fact, far more pronounced in young people than in adults. Marijuana is unquestionably a gateway to other, more dangerous drug use and, unsurprisingly, recent studies show regular users of marijuana may suffer a significant and permanent drop in IQ. The other health risks attached to smoked marijuana (e.g. stroke, cancer, psychosis) are suggested by early research but still unknown."

[---]

"The use of tobacco became socially popular after the Civil War. For a hundred years it was widely used and thought to be harmless. Eventually, as tobacco companies came to know more about the addictive properties of nicotine than the public did, they not only withheld the information, they used it to direct their marketing efforts at young people because the sooner they got us addicted, the longer we’d be a paying customer."

[---]

"For the last 45 years we’ve been trying to curb the use of tobacco, arguably our No. 1 public health threat. Is there a lesson to be learned from this? It would seem so. While it may make sense to intelligently decriminalize the use of marijuana, a legitimate case for full legalization has yet to be made. Introducing another likely “legal” threat to public health — especially the health of our youth — is misguided, premature and ill-advised. The NCADA endorses the SAM (Smart Approach to Marijuana) Project proposed by Patrick Kennedy; read it at learnaboutsam.com. Let’s better understand the evidence of harm, achieve a balanced policy in terms of law enforcement, educate the public and, if possible, develop safe and regulated, FDA-approved medications from the active ingredients of cannabis. Ultimately, let’s have science weigh in on this before we make another mistake that haunts us for the next hundred years."

Keeping the green market black: a pot-smoker’s case against legalizing weed

This one is from a lunatic, pot-smoking lefty, as you can tell by the language he uses. You know, the kind that usually advocates decriminalization:

"Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a Christian, I’m not a Republican, not your boring white dad, and I definitely didn’t believe everything “Reefer Madness” told me about getting high. But if nationwide marijuana legalization were up for vote any time soon, I would have to check the box marked “no.”"

[---]

"There are many issues in this debate routinely overlooked my fellow smokers, which if brought to light might change your opinion about Uncle Sam giving us the big OK-GO. Legalization (of anything, not just marijuana), while packaged as this freeing and wonderful golden egg to be snatched up after beating the boss at the end of level IV, is really a big set of rules designed to direct funds from one account to another in the interest of legislators, politicians, and the corporations that fund them. Big Marijuana, as an extension of Big Tobacco, will absolutely employ the same tactics that is has for years with cigarettes including (but not limited to) the heinous use of addiction-enhancing additives and artificial flavorings, co-opting of smoking culture, manipulation of the legal system and FDA guidelines for further financial gain, and the manipulation of “controlled” lab testing to fight the annoying and inevitable hell that will rain down on them from the Christian Right if this bill ever goes through."

[---]

"There are many issues in this debate routinely overlooked my fellow smokers, which if brought to light might change your opinion about Uncle Sam giving us the big OK-GO. Legalization (of anything, not just marijuana), while packaged as this freeing and wonderful golden egg to be snatched up after beating the boss at the end of level IV, is really a big set of rules designed to direct funds from one account to another in the interest of legislators, politicians, and the corporations that fund them. Big Marijuana, as an extension of Big Tobacco, will absolutely employ the same tactics that is has for years with cigarettes including (but not limited to) the heinous use of addiction-enhancing additives and artificial flavorings, co-opting of smoking culture, manipulation of the legal system and FDA guidelines for further financial gain, and the manipulation of “controlled” lab testing to fight the annoying and inevitable hell that will rain down on them from the Christian Right if this bill ever goes through."

"In 1994, a list of 599 additives, created by five major American cigarette companies, was approved by the Department of Health and Human Services for use in mainstream tobacco production. Under the guise of organoleptic use, or to appeal to the senses, these additives range from harmless (acetic acid, almond bitter oil), to downright villainous (skatole, thymol, dimethyl sulfide) and all increase the addictive properties of an already addicting plant. Marijuana, also arguably addictive because of its naturally occurring Tetrahydrocannabinol, does not need any additional dependency causing qualities, in my humble opinion, and as a purist I prefer to obtain the cleanest marijuana possible anyway. While this isn’t always possible on the black market (some growers use toxic pesticides, or have the nerve to lace their product), it is much less of a risk than it would be if Phillip Morris started dipping his filthy hands into the pot."

[---]

"Now, you may be thinking, “So? Who says I have to buy a pack of Marlboro Marleys? Can’t I just keep getting it from the dude who lives on the 2nd floor of my apartment building?” Maybe. After all, the black market will never be completely stamped out. But the truth of the matter is that legalization of marijuana will translate into harsher penalties for independent marijuana growers and distributors because they will be viewed as “taking money out of Big Marijuana’s pocket.” Lobbyists for Big Tobacco will push for stricter legislation to protect their industry and crackdowns on even small-time dealers will ensue. For every grower or dealer that is caught and used as an example by the courts to his colleagues, you can count on 2-5 more quitting the business out of fear. Of course, this isn’t even taking into consideration how many of them will give up because their business will slow too much to be sustainable now that their clientele can buy legally and conveniently by simply walking down to the corner store. Finally, marijuana “culture”—I’ll be the first to say, it fucking sucks. I don’t like tie-dye, I don’t think the 7-pointed leaf makes for a good logo, hemp should only be used to make paper, and please cut your fucking hair. But even still, it’s a culture that has been developing organically for decades. Can you even begin to imagine what will happen to it when the creative directors who used a cartoon camel wearing sunglasses to sell cigarettes to children get their hands on it?"

Former White House Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey Lays Out Case Against Legalizing Marijuana as California Prepares to Vote

• 6.7% of 12- to 17-year-olds and 16.5% of 18- to 25-year-olds reported past month use of marijuana. 42.6% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use.

• According to HHS, the younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more they are likely to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adults.

• Detrimental health effects include respiratory illnesses, problems with learning and memory, increased heart rate, and impaired coordination. Chronic marijuana use is associated with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideas, and schizophrenia.

• Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke, which contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.

• HHS Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) data indicate marijuana is involved in nearly 300,000 Emergency Room visits annually.

• For treatment facility admissions, marijuana was the primary drug of abuse in some 200,000 cases in 1997 but 300,000 ten years later, in 2007.

• Inhaled marijuana smoke is not "medical" but dangerous. Marijuana smoke is a crude THC delivery system that also sends harmful substances into the body.

More points at link. 

But, to continue:

"The Institute of Medicine concluded that "marijuana is not a modern medicine."  Medicines should not be approved by popular vote but must undergo rigorous clinical trials and then be approved by FDA. Medical pot has been a stalking horse for the normalization of marijuana use. Law enforcement agencies routinely report that large-scale drug traffickers hide behind and invoke Proposition 215 even when there is no evidence for a medical claim. Medical marijuana already exists as Marinol, a pharmaceutical product widely available through prescription which has been studied and approved by the medical community and FDA. There are no FDA-approved medications that are smoked."

 Legalizing Marijuana: Why Citizens Should Just Say No

"The scientific literature is clear that marijuana is addictive and that its use significantly impairs bodily and mental functions. Marijuana use is associated with memory loss, cancer, immune system deficiencies, heart disease, and birth defects, among other conditions. Even where decriminalized, marijuana trafficking remains a source of violence, crime, and social disintegration."

[---]

"The effects of regular marijuana consumption are quite different. For example, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (a division of the National Institutes of Health) has released studies showing that use of marijuana has wide-ranging negative health effects. Long-term marijuana consumption “impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs’ immune system to fight off some infections.” These studies have also found that marijuana consumption impairs short-term memory, making it difficult to learn and retain information or perform complex tasks; slows reaction time and impairs motor coordination; increases heart rate by 20 percent to 100 percent, thus elevating the risk of heart attack; and alters moods, resulting in artificial euphoria, calmness, or (in high doses) anxiety or paranoia. And it gets worse: Marijuana has toxic properties that can result in birth defects, pain, respiratory system damage, brain damage, and stroke. Further, prolonged use of marijuana may cause cognitive degradation and is “associated with lower test scores and lower educational attainment because during periods of intoxication the drug affects the ability to learn and process information, thus influencing attention, concentration, and short-term memory.” Unlike alcohol, marijuana has been shown to have a residual effect on cognitive ability that persists beyond the period of intoxication. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, whereas alcohol is broken down relatively quickly in the human body, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active chemical in marijuana) is stored in organs and fatty tissues, allowing it to remain in a user’s body for days or even weeks after consumption.[16] Research has shown that marijuana consumption may also cause “psychotic symptoms.” Marijuana’s effects on the body are profound. According to the British Lung Foundation, “smoking three or four marijuana joints is as bad for your lungs as smoking twenty tobacco cigarettes.” Researchers in Canada found that marijuana smoke contains significantly higher levels of numerous toxic compounds, like ammonia and hydrogen cyanide, than regular tobacco smoke. In fact, the study determined that ammonia was found in marijuana smoke at levels of up to 20 times the levels found in tobacco. Similarly, hydrogen cyanide was found in marijuana smoke at concentrations three to five times greater than those found in tobacco smoke. Marijuana, like tobacco, is addictive. One study found that more than 30 percent of adults who used marijuana in the course of a year were dependent on the drug. These individuals often show signs of withdrawal and compulsive behavior. Marijuana dependence is also responsible for a large proportion of calls to drug abuse help lines and treatment centers. To equate marijuana use with alcohol consumption is, at best, uninformed and, at worst, actively misleading. Only in the most superficial ways are the two substances alike, and they differ in every way that counts: addictiveness, toxicity, health effects, and risk of intoxication."

There's more in that argument than I've quoted here.

Another one: The Case Against Marajuana: A Pathologist's Perspective

"Users frequently report problems with short-term memory, both while using and between uses. Short-term memory is the most fragile brain function, and this spontaneous observation tells me that something real is happening. The mental aftereffects of a pot high are measurable, and are commensurate with the aftereffects of a drunken debauch (Psychopharmacology 115: 340, 1994). The active component of cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol), when administered for five days or more, is now known to greatly increase the numbers of cannabinoid receptors, and to alter their chemical binding characteristics (Pharm. Bioch. Behav. 51: 731, 1995). We don't know what this means yet, except that it's clear that using cannabis does alter the molecular structure of the brain. Although we don't know what the cannabinoid receptors do for us in health, they must be there for a reason. And smoking cannabis alters them. A marijuana smoker's performance on tests of thinking and coordination is impaired while on the drug (J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 62: 73, 1994; Psych. Res. 51: 115, 1994). Contrary to what you may have heard, it's clear that marijuana smoking does impair a user's ability to drive a car safely (NEJM 332: 892, 1995). The effects of marijuana smoking on the unborn child are unknown. A group of scientists in Madrid has found long-term behavioral damage in rats exposed in the womb to cannabis (Pharm.Bioch. Behav. 47: 47, 1994). This is in keeping with the idea of real damage, albeit milder, in adult users."

And then there's the research about driving while under the influence:  New Study Shows Cannabis Effects On Driving Skills

"Cannabis is second only to alcohol for causing impaired driving and motor vehicle accidents. In 2009, 12.8% of young adults reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs and in the 2007 National Roadside Survey, more drivers tested positive for drugs than for alcohol. These cannabis smokers had a 10-fold increase in car crash injury compared with infrequent or nonusers after adjustment for blood alcohol concentration. In this paper, 30 male chronic daily cannabis smokers resided on a secure research unit for up to 33 days, with daily blood collection. Twenty-seven of 30 participants were THC-positive on admission, with a median (range) concentration of 1.4 µg/L (0.3-6.3). THC decreased gradually with only 1 of 11 participants negative at 26 days; 2 of 5 remained THC-positive (0.3 µg/L) for 30 days. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that cannabinoids can be detected in blood of chronic daily cannabis smokers during a month of sustained abstinence. This is consistent with the time course of persisting neurocognitive impairment reported in recent studies and suggests that establishment of 'per se' THC legislation might achieve a reduction in motor vehicle injuries and deaths. This same type of 'per se' alcohol legislation improved prosecution of drunk drivers and dramatically reduced alcohol-related deaths."

Do you suppose any of that would dissuade Baby Trudeau and his groupies.  Nah. I didn't think so either.