Posted on 12/09/2011 6:35:47 AM PST by PJ-Comix
When it comes to the subject of marijuana, Barack Obama appears to talk out of both sides of his mouth. As a candidate, Obama intimated that he would respect state laws regarding medicinal marijuana and would not prosecute medicinal marijuana sales and use in states where it is legal. “It’s not a good use of our resources,” he said at the time. When Obama took office, the Justice Department released a memo that seemed to confirm that position. But in the years since Obama’s inauguration, his administration has shifted course. Now, Attorney General Eric Holder is vigorously prosecuting medicinal marijuana growers and sellers.
That effort appears to be intensifying. On October 7, Obama directed his Justice Department to employ an aggressive array of enforcement actions against California’s medicinal marijuana producers and distributors, as well as the landlords who lease space to operators of marijuana dispensaries. All told, President Obama’s Justice Department has conducted well over 150 federal raids in at least seven states, and U.S. attorneys have threatened local and state officials in 10 states with criminal prosecution for failing to adopt proposed medicinal marijuana laws.
In September, the administration unveiled an online petition system that allows people to start their own petitions and sign other people’s petitions. Petitions that receive more than 5,000 signatures are supposed to get reviewed by White House officials and receive an official response. Petitions expire one month after they are created. Two of the most popular petitions concern marijuana. One of them, which received 17,026 signatures, calls for the administration to stop interfering with state marijuana efforts. The other, which received 74,169 signatures, calls for the administration to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana.
The administration responded to both petitions with the same vague, factually unsupported form letter. The letter states that, “Our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug’s effects,” and that although “we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem,” “the President’s National Drug Control Strategy is balanced and comprehensive, emphasizing prevention and treatment while at the same time supporting innovative law enforcement efforts.”
This is the same tired excuse that the Bush administration offered for its opposition to the legalization of medicinal marijuana.
If the Obama administration recognizes arrests are not going to solve the problem, then why are we spending $14 billion a year on marijuana-related arrests? Why are people being sentenced to life in prison for marijuana-related crimes? And more importantly, why did Obama direct the Justice Department to target dispensaries a week after these petitions received the minimum amount of signatures necessary to receive a response?
The fact is, marijuana is less deleterious to the human body than alcohol. In fact, there are no scientific studies that conclusively prove that marijuana poses real health risks to humans. To the contrary, 16 states have recognized its medical benefits and legalized it for medicinal use. By hiding behind the “science” that doesn’t exist, the Obama administration is trying to brush off the 74,000 Americans who signed the petition to legalize marijuana and the 70% of voters who would like to see medicinal marijuana legalized. This administration’s marijuana stance makes neither scientific nor political sense.
Fortunately for voters, there is a presidential candidate who supports legalizing marijuana: former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. Sadly, Johnson has been systematically excluded from the Republican debates and has not had the opportunity to articulate his bold plans to reform the nation’s drug laws. I hope that Johnson will seek the Libertarian Party nomination next year, since it appears that the Libertarian candidate will be on the general election ballot in all 50 states. Pro-marijuana voters can expect nothing from Barack Obama.
Well, I got to thinking about this and then I remembered that the KEY to this regime is to FOLLOW THE MONEY. And now in light of REVELATIONS of the DEA laundering money for the Mexican drug cartels as well at the ATF supplying the cartels with weapons via Operation Fast & Furious, the answer came to me. I am sure the drug cartels will be supplying huge campaign funds to the Obama re-election campaign. Since the Mexican drug cartels obviously don't like the competition from the legalized marijuana industry, the word has gone out to crack down on that group. No other reason for the current crackdown makes any sense.
And to Steve DeAngelo---Sorry dude but any paltry contributions you might make to the Obama re-election fund can't come close to matching that made by the Mexican drug lords. Therefore expect to see more pressure from the federal government on your business.
Or, perhaps, blowing smoke out of both sides of his mouth?
Preemptively eliminating the competition? The man's MUST be planning on doing SOMETHING after he leaves office...
Preemptively eliminating the competition? The man MUST be planning on doing SOMETHING after he leaves office...
Preemptively eliminating the competition? The man MUST be planning on doing SOMETHING after he leaves office...
Interesting analysis, PJ. Thanks for the post!
I don't mind that people do buy the weed legally and some really do need it but some of those "ailments" I've seen on the show make me chuckle.
Meanwhile the Obama Regime is cracking down on that business solely because it competes with the Mexican Drug Cartels.
The democrat base doesn't work for a living - otherwise, they'd be taxpayers and vote Republican. So, where does the democrat party get all it's money? It's not coming from their American base. It has to come from somewhere else (like Al Gore, China, and the ice tea episode, for example).
The Oboma administration is bending over backwards for anything and anyone coming out of Mexico. There has to be big money there somewhere. Campaign money and winning elections is always #1. The democrats will do anything it takes to find money somewhere. (Tax dollars are simply used to buy votes and manipulate people later, so they're a close 2nd.)
It’s ironic that the vast majority of the marijuana producers and users in California supported Obama and yet who is pulling the rug from under them? Hey Dopers! Enjoy your moment of legalized weed because the CRACKDOWN has already begun from the Obama Regime because the Mexican drug cartels don’t like competition.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. It is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC for short.
How is Marijuana Abused?
Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint) or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with a mixture of marijuana and tobacco. This mode of delivery combines marijuana’s active ingredients with nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Marijuana can also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form, it is called hashish; and as a sticky black liquid, hash oil.* Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor.
How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?
Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body.
THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.1
Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that, in chronic users, marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.
Research into the effects of long-term cannabis use on the structure of the brain has yielded inconsistent results. It may be that the effects are too subtle for reliable detection by current techniques. A similar challenge arises in studies of the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain function. Brain imaging studies in chronic users tend to show some consistent alterations, but their connection to impaired cognitive functioning is far from clear. This uncertainty may stem from confounding factors such as other drug use, residual drug effects, or withdrawal symptoms in long-term chronic users.
Addictive Potential
Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite the known harmful effects upon functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent) and among daily users (25-50 percent).
Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms including: irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which can make it difficult to remain abstinent. These symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2-3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation.3
Marijuana and Mental Health
A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be an important risk factor, where early use is a marker of increased vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence.
Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses - including addiction - stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. Currently, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.4 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.
What Other Adverse Effect Does Marijuana Have on Health?
Effects on the Heart
Marijuana increases heart rate by 20-100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug.5 This may be due to increased heart rate as well as the effects of marijuana on heart rhythms, causing palpitations and arrhythmias. This risk may be greater in aging populations or in those with cardiac vulnerabilities.
Effects on the Lungs
Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;6 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.7 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.
Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers.8 Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.
Effects on Daily Life
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.9 Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover.
What Treatment Options Exist?
Behavioral interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational incentives (i.e., providing vouchers for goods or services to patients who remain abstinent) have shown efficacy in treating marijuana dependence. Although no medications are currently available, recent discoveries about the workings of the cannabinoid system offer promise for the development of medications to ease withdrawal, block the intoxicating effects of marijuana, and prevent relapse.
The latest treatment data indicate that in 2008 marijuana accounted for 17 percent of admissions (322,000) to treatment facilities in the United States, second only to opiates among illicit substances. Marijuana admissions were primarily male (74 percent), White (49 percent), and young (30 percent were in the 12-17 age range). Those in treatment for primary marijuana abuse had begun use at an early age: 56 percent by age 14.**
Is Marijuana Medicine?
The potential medicinal properties of marijuana have been the subject of substantive research and heated debate. Scientists have confirmed that the cannabis plant contains active ingredients with therapeutic potential for relieving pain, controlling nausea, stimulating appetite, and decreasing ocular pressure. Cannabinoid-based medications include synthetic compounds, such as dronabinol (Marinol®) and nabilone (Cesamet®), which are FDA approved, and a new, chemically pure mixture of plant-derived THC and cannabidiol called Sativex®, formulated as a mouth spray and approved in Canada and parts of Europe for the relief of cancer-associated pain and spasticity and neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis.
Scientists continue to investigate the medicinal properties of THC and other cannabinoids to better evaluate and harness their ability to help patients suffering from a broad range of conditions, while avoiding the adverse effects of smoked marijuana.
How Widespread is Marijuana Abuse?
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)***
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2009, 16.7 million Americans aged 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, an increase over the rates reported in all years between 2002 and 2008. There was also a significant increase among youth aged 12-17, with current use up from 6.7 percent in 2008 to 7.3 percent in 2009, although this rate is lower than what was reported in 2002 (8.2 percent). Past-month use also increased among those 18-25, from 16.5 percent in 2008 to 18.1 percent in 2009.
Monitoring the Future Survey****
Results from the 2009 Monitoring the Future survey show, as in the past few years, a stall in the decline of marijuana use that began in the late 1990s among our Nation’s youth. In 2009, 11.8 percent of 8th-graders, 26.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 32.8 percent of 12th-graders reported past-year use. In addition, perceived risk of marijuana use declined among 8th- and 10th-graders, and disapproval of marijuana use declined among 10th-graders. This is a concern because changes in attitudes and beliefs often drive changes in drug use.
Recent Trends
Marijuana Use by Students - 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey
8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade
Lifetime 15.7% 32.3% 42.0%
Past Year 11.8 26.7 32.8
Past Month 6.5 15.9 20.6
Daily 1.0 2.8 5.2
Past Trends
Percentage of 8th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana:
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Lifetime 19.9% 23.1% 22.6% 22.2% 22.0% 20.3% 20.4%
Past Year 15.8 18.3 17.7 16.9 16.5 15.6 15.4
Past Month 9.1 11.3 10.2 9.7 9.7 9.1 9.2
Daily 0.8 1.5 1.1 1.1 1.4 1.3 1.3
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Lifetime 19.2% 17.5% 16.3% 16.5% 15.7% 14.2% 14.6%
Past Year 14.6 12.8 11.8 12.2 11.7 10.3 10.9
Past Month 8.3 7.5 6.4 6.6 6.5 5.7 5.8
Daily 1.2 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.9
Percentage of 10th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana:
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Lifetime 34.1% 39.8% 42.3% 39.6% 40.9% 40.3% 40.1%
Past Year 28.7 33.6 34.8 31.1 32.1 32.2 32.7
Past Month 17.2 20.4 20.5 18.7 19.4 19.7 19.8
Daily 2.8 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.8 4.5
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Lifetime 38.7% 36.4% 35.1% 34.1% 31.8% 31.0% 29.9%
Past Year 30.3 28.2 27.5 26.6 25.2 24.6 23.9
Past Month 17.8 17.0 15.9 15.2 14.2 14.2 13.8
Daily 3.9 3.6 3.2 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.7
Percentage of 12th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Lifetime 41.7% 44.9% 49.6% 49.1% 49.7% 48.8% 49.0%
Past Year 34.7 35.8 38.5 37.5 37.8 36.5 37.0
Past Month 21.2 21.9 23.7 22.8 23.1 21.6 22.4
Daily 4.6 4.9 5.8 5.6 6.0 6.0 5.8
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Lifetime 47.8% 46.1% 45.7% 44.8% 42.3% 41.8% 42.6%
Past Year 36.2 34.9 34.3 33.6 31.5 31.7 32.4
Past Month 21.5 21.2 19.9 19.8 18.3 18.8 19.4
Daily 6.0 6.0 5.6 5.0 5.0 5.1 5.4
“Lifetime” refers to use at least once during a respondent’s lifetime. “Past year” refers to use at least once during the year preceding an individual’s response to the survey. “Past month” refers to use at least once during the 30 days preceding an individual’s response to the survey.
Other Information Sources
For additional information on marijuana, please visit www.marijuana-info.org.
Data Sources
* For street terms searchable by drug name, street term, cost and quantities, drug trade, and drug use, visit: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/default.asp.
** These data are from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Highlights – 2007: These data are from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Highlights-2007: National Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment Services (Office of Applied Studies, DASIS Series: S-45, DHHS Publication No. SMA 09-4360, Rockville, MD, 2008), funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The latest data are available at 800-729-6686 or on line at www.samhsa.gov.
*** NSDUH (formerly known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) is an annual survey of Americans aged 12 and older conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. This survey is available on line at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh.htm.
**** These data are from the 2009 Monitoring the Future survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, and conducted annually by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. The survey has tracked 12th-graders’ illicit drug use and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th- and 10th-graders were added to the study.
References
1. Herkenham M, Lynn A, Little MD, et al. Cannabinoid receptor localization in the brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 87(5):1932–1936, 1990.
2. Pope HG, Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Huestis MA, Yurgelun-Todd D. Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Arch Gen Psychiatry 58(10):909–915, 2001.
3. Budney AJ, Vandrey RG, Hughes JR, Thostenson JD, Bursac Z. Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: Severity and contribution to relapse. J Subst Abuse Treat, e-publication ahead of print, March 12, 2008.
4. Moore TH, Zammit S, Lingford-Hughes A, et al. Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Lancet 370 (9584):319–328, 2007.
5. Mittleman MA, Lewis RA, Maclure M, Sherwood JB, Muller JE. Triggering myocardial infarction by marijuana. Circulation 103(23):2805–2809, 2001.
6. Tashkin DP. Smoked marijuana as a cause of lung injury. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 63(2):92–100, 2005.
7. Hashibe M, Morgenstern H, Cui Y, et al. Marijuana use and the risk of lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancers: Results of a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15(10):1829–1834, 2006.
18. Polen MR, Sidney S, Tekawa IS, Sadler M, Friedman GD. Health care use by frequent marijuana smokers who do not smoke tobacco. West J Med 158(6):596–601, 1993.
9. Gruber AJ, Pope HG, Hudson JI, Yurgelun-Todd D. Attributes of long-term heavy cannabis users: A case control study. Psychological Med 33(8):1415–1422, 2003.
Yep. When people can grow their own, the cartels have an unsellable product - unless they sell it at such a price it's practically free. It takes them right out of the picture. They'll have to get a real job if they want to pay their rents.
I'll bet most of their business is in California. I'll bet they've taken quite a loss.
Not only do the cartels, no doubt, donate to democrats, but when ever a drug ring is caught and broken up, the government gets to keep the spoils. There's big money there, and the tax payers have no idea where that money goes.
You want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!
Two points —
First, keeping it illegal — and in fact cracking down hard — keeps the price high and that makes the cartels very happy. But the police (at all levels) are equally happy to receive all that grant money for their long-failed War on Drugs, so they want to keep reefer illegal as well.
Second, this is a state issue, not a federal one. Since the Tenth Amendment is all but forgotten, maybe we can take a lesson from Prohibition?
The sad thing is that Republicans are just as deserving of blame as Democrats are concerning this issue. Let the individual states decide!
Two hours later I was in possession of one. My medical excuse: chronic Achilles tendonitis from years of running and playing basketball. I went to a place called Norcal Health Center, a store-front place, where I was interviewed by a doctor and my vital signs checked. I do have some achilles pain and flinched a little when she checked the tendon, but I certainly don't require medication for it.
Total cost: $100 for the exam and prescription. $40 for an optional ID card. It is good for one year.
That's my story.
There are no more potheads, only medical marijuana patients.
Or do you even care about such things?
I was surprised by the number of young people in the waiting area. Many appeared to be in their early 20s.
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