Posted on 12/22/2017 3:20:38 PM PST by nickcarraway
Two terrible milestones have been reached in the opioid epidemic.
First, overdose deaths surpassed breast cancer deaths by more than a thousand lost lives.
Also, for the second year in a row, the life expectancy in the U.S. has gone down.
Before 2016, the life expectancy for Americans hadn't gone down since the Spanish Flu epidemic 100 years ago.
If you are, indeed, building up a semi-permanent dose of cannabinoids whose mechanism of action is to interfere with the proper functioning of brain receptors/signaling pathways, I seriously have to question what are the long-term effects of such interference with brain function. Also, the idea of trying to maintain long-term high levels of a chemical in your body that does not belong there does not sound appealing at all. Considering that my PhD work was in toxicology, the study of a chemical that has absolutely no unnatural effect on the body, is not cytotoxic at all, yet manages to be one of the most toxic chemicals known because the fact that the body cannot remove it means that the signaling pathways it activates are never down-regulated--yeah, talking blithely about building up exogenous chemicals to effect an essential permanent interference with signaling pathways creeps me out, to be honest. I'm extremely leery of putting any exogenous non-nutritive chemical into my body, especially if it is known to have pharmacological effects (meaning that it interferes with signaling or metabolic pathways). Oh, and my PhD work was in the field of molecular toxicology of dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals.
It definitely does sound creepy when you explain it that way. But worse is 5-6 _triptan dosages in a week. They raise blood pressure and have heart side effects. I just couldn’t go on with those steady migraines. Now I’m down to 1-2 triptan pills a MONTH.
I hate taking ANYTHING. I chose the lesser of the evils.
Thanks
Off the top of my head, the big difference would be man made vs god made and one will kill you if you take too much and the other wont unless a bale of it falls on your head... also from what I remember of 8th grade health class, marijuana is not physically addictive at all, where opioids are as is tobacco and alcohol.
I have a good friend of 25+ years now, and when he was in his mid 20’s so anti pot that he broke off long term friendships when he found out somebody smoked pot... in his 40’s went through a bunch of surgery on knees and ankles, not sure extents or causes of it really, just know he is about 6’6 and wears size 16 shoes. Anyway, was on pain management opioids so bad was ready to lose his construction management job he had been doing for 15 years... went to doctor and said we got to do something about this, this crap is killing me, I cant live like this... Arizona was just taking applications for medical and his doctor recommended he give it a try, he was one of the first few hundred cards. For the last 6 years (guestimate without actually looking it up) he comes home from work eats a few cookies after dinner and sleeps like a baby at night... gets up and goes to work the next day, no problem any more. Works for the same company and been promoted to overseeing the 6 crews like he was ready to be fired from running. BTW, after he got started, he made some tincture that he used instead of getting fat of cookies and got his arthritic 87 year old wheelchair bound grand mother out of her chair and back on her feet for the last few years of her life.
Lastly in my experience, CBD oil (50 state legal, over the counter) I use will take a headache away almost instantly and my daughter had a toothache about a month ago, she was trying to get through until dentist opened on Monday, nothing over the counter she took would even touch it... She squirted some CBD oil on her tooth and it went away, She used up my $25 bottle over the next 2 days but had no pain until she went and saw the dentist Monday morning... so please don’t try to tell me a natural plant god put on this earth for us to use wont work on pain.
Genesis 1 says “I have given every green plant for food”
Open your mind and quit believing what your government has told you about Marijuana. They say there is no medicinal use, yet they hold the medicinal patent.
“Receptors” are irrelevant. Humans have “receptors” for many(!) substances that depending on a multitude of factors may be harmful in one person, instance, or situation, and helpful in another.
Based on about 4-1/2 decades of observation, including one instance of observation on myself, about 4-1/2 decades ago, I would only ingest a Cannabinoid in quantity sufficient to have a noticeable effect under strict medical direction (the Dr. says that’s the best choice) and supervision, from a doctor I trusted a great deal. No way would I on my own use it for the traditional use of “getting high”. Good music (on good equipment), intimate moments with my wife, the thrill of hooking a “big ‘un” on fishing tackle that you hope is up to the task, and more, are superior, anyway. They are also best appreciated and recalled with one’s perceptions in tip top shape, not looped off somewhere over in left field.
Alcohol? Well, I laid off alcohol for any sort of “high” about 4 decades ago. Again, the alternatives I mentioned are better. I will occasionally (once a month?) drink about the equivalent of one beer “socially” if it’s offered, and there are a few wines I like the taste of - again, maybe 1/4 glass once every month or two. But, occasional jokes aside, I don’t need it, it’s a LOUSY way to get high, really, and if booze disappeared off the face of the planet, or my Dr. said “no booze, period”, I like good fruit juice (or in winter, hot chocolate) just as well.
To be clearer, “receptors” are irrelevant to your argument. Just because humans have receptors for something does not mean it is good or bad for us.
Also see post 61 for a more expert & detailed opinion.
Question (I don’t REALLY know, but with your background, you may): I would guess that there are just as many if not more “natural” harmful if not deadly to humans substances than there are ones beneficial to humans. No?
Granted that the definition of “natural”, here, is a bit vague. If one includes inorganic and mixed substances (such as seawater), probably over 95% of the “biosphere” is toxic in at least some circumstances...
>> The Mexican border has brought us criminals and their drugs.
Just part of the industry that perpetuates the beneficiaries of the War on Drugs.
Eh, are you “Adam” from Star Trek TOS? Surely I don’t have to give you a list of green plants that God gave us that will make you very sick or kill you if you ingest them...
I would estimate that most substances, "natural" or not, are noxious to humans.
There is a saying among toxicologists: The dose makes the poison. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the difference between a harmless (or even beneficial) substance and a poison is the quantity you ingest.
As you noted, the word "natural" is very vague. In a sense, there is nothing that is unnatural, because all chemical compounds form through completely natural processes, constrained by the laws of physics.
Probably related...a lot of younger people dying from heroin od’s...
LOL! It can’t be pink or red.
Exactly. Well said.
A last addition to this thread, and then I have to finish wrapping some presents! —
Maybe it was mentioned upthread — I just heard on a local news report that in the US, deaths from opioids DOUBLED last year. That’s a bit scary, especially if opioids are the biggest contributor to deaths (almost 64k) by overdose (last year). Has this been the trend the last few years?
As mentioned previously, my elderly Mom is taking a prescribed opioid for pain relief and it does seem to help a little, and so far she does not seem “doped up” at all. However, I recently HAVE noticed that she worries about certain things (money, my wife and I running late to see her, etc.) less than in the past. It’s almost as if the effect her anti-anxiety med (without which she’s just a “wreck”) has been enhanced. While this reduces “pressure” on me somewhat, I am not sure it is a good thing for her. She actually HAS good reason to worry about some of these things (esp. her and our $$ situation) at least some...
This ties into Yaelle’s post about “taking the edge off”. I disagreed a little with someone above about people needing to be a little more sturdy — beyond a certain point, esp. depending on one’s pain threshold, agony just can’t be “endured”. Even Jesus cried out... And it is true that many humans have historically looked for shortcuts even for “day to day” emotional and other discomforts of life.
But, still. Have people learned so little, and have they no perspective to help? Yeah, I’m in an industry that has collapsed, and have overwhelming “care and assistance” obligations to my (elderly divorced) parents: my wife and I are the only relatives able to help at all, within 1000 miles. It IS tough, and I suspect it is affecting my health. And yet...
200 years ago in this location, I would have still run a significant chance of being porcupined w/ Native American arrows and scalped, when I go out tomorrow. Or get some disease or infection no one really had a clue how to treat. Or...
Today’s life is safer, more comfortable, you name it. Are people turning to pot or pills to face everyday “pressures” or stress because they have lost spirituality?
OMG and we wonder why these threads aren’t taken seriously.
Neither. It’s about propaganda but this time from the newest issue...drug addition.
Neither. It’s about propaganda but this time from the newest issue...drug addiction.
Again, this is one of the reasons why we aren’t taken seriously. Looney toons!
And Bible verses always help. RME
Of course.
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