Posted on 08/27/2013 8:15:53 AM PDT by Kaslin
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta admitted earlier this month that he had been wrong in his opposition to medical marijuana during the rollout for his documentary "Weed." Gupta reported on research that demonstrated the proven benefits of marijuana in treating neuropathic pain. Medical marijuana was the only drug that helped a 5-year-old girl with Dravet syndrome live without constant seizures. It calmed the constant hiccuping of a 19-year-old. Israelis use it to treat Parkinson's disease and other ailments.
Gupta took on the federal government's classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which has no accepted medical use but has a high potential for abuse. (Heroin also is a Schedule I drug. Methamphetamine is Schedule II.) Gupta now believes that classification is an outrage.
The doctor didn't say marijuana is all good. He cited research that found that regular use by teens can lead to a permanent decrease in IQ. But Gupta could find no documented case of a death from a marijuana overdose, whereas someone dies every 19 minutes from a prescription-drug overdose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 80,000 Americans die each year from excessive alcohol use.
Last week, Gupta's sentiments were echoed on the right when columnist Charles Krauthammer, a former psychiatrist, told Fox News that alcohol is much more harmful than marijuana. Quoth Krauthammer: "If I were starting a society from scratch and had to choose the intoxicant, I would outlaw alcohol and I'd allow marijuana." (Side note: But seeing as he can't reset the world, Krauthammer said he wouldn't legalize pot.)
Gupta's about-face might well signal a sea change in how this country looks at marijuana. Gupta told CNN's Erin Burnett that he used to look at medical marijuana advocates as "malingerers" who are "just looking to get high." But he came to see that cannabis not only helps severely ill people but also averts the dangerous side effects of more potent pharmaceuticals.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy announced Monday that his committee will hold a hearing Sept. 10 about the correct federal response to state laws legalizing the use of medical marijuana and, in the cases of Washington and Colorado, recreational use of marijuana.
Is President Barack Obama paying attention? Reporter Jessica Yellin asked White House spokesman Josh Earnest last week whether the administration was considering changing marijuana's Schedule I designation. Earnest responded with a long-winded no.
Before the American Bar Association recently, Attorney General Eric Holder delivered a speech that was supposed to signal big changes in the administration's approach to nonviolent drug offenders.
But he didn't mention marijuana enforcement, even though his Department of Justice has waged a ruthless war against medical marijuana dispensaries. Federal prosecutors have not only sent registered California dispensary operators to prison but also gone after their landlords, their bankers and contractors.
Listen to Gupta and Krauthammer and it's fair to surmise that marijuana is the least harmful of all controlled substances. It's less toxic than alcohol, which is legal. It's less lethal than prescription drugs.
So why is Washington still waging a war on weed?
Again, your argument is weak. Boost the economy? Seriously? OK, then forget marijuana and focus your energy on something that will have a MUCH MORE appreciable affect on the economy: domestic energy production!
(And NO, not wind, solar, and that crap unless it can be done in a viable way).
And - I’m sorry - but lack of access to pot to fry your brain is the best you can do on the “erosion of real freedoms” these days?
Seriously? Why even make hay about weed when there is much bigger fish to fry? That’s the problem with the weed lobby: they think smoking their joint will end the country’s problems when, in fact, it just creates more layabouts and degrades the capabilities of people who could contribute even more effectively.
Sigh.
Oh if only you knew even half of what you are talking about.
Would be great if you could do a little research before shooting your mouth off again. See link in post 119 above.
Clueless is no way to go through life, neither is trusting the fed guv to look out for one own self-interests.
You are right though - I should not waste my time debating this issue with ‘ignoramii’, like yourself.
Haha. Please. Next you’ll be posting articles of scientists claiming anthropogenic global warming. I suppose you can find all kinds of crackpot scientists to support whatever theory you want these days.
But, honestly: you make no effort whatsoever to address my “bigger issues” line of reasoning. Instead, you go right back to how great marijuana is. That tells me one thing: you’re addicted to this issue. You could care less how this issue plays into the bigger picture - this is YOUR issue and you are going to stand by it.
Congratulations on being as myopic as the one issue abortion “rights”, homosexual agenda, and I’m-black-and-always-vote-democratic citizens of this country. Pot hasn’t expanded your horizons, it’s shrunk them.
As to the negative affects of pot-smoking, they are well documented and peer-reviewed. Pot may have some beneficial qualities, but in the end, it is a rot on society. (Also, for example, radiation kills cancer cells but no one would argue that chemo is overall beneficial in the long run to a healthy body. Same thing with pot.)
As for being ignorant - whatever. We all have first-hand experience with pot users. I’ve see it used as a gateway drug in a brother-in-law to crack cocaine. I’ve seen the long term mental debilitation of a neighbor from smoking it daily, eventually getting to the point where she could barely hold a conversation. I’ve seen coworkers become lazy, ill-motivated dirtbags once they’ve entered the pot subculture. I’ve had a good friend since high school become obsessed with it (like you!) and throw away a promising career as a writer to the point where he can hardly string two words together.
You’re laughable (at best) if you think this is a good place to argue about the AWESUMZ BENEFITZ of smoking weed. Take that crap to Democratic Underground where you can also rail against the eeeeeevil profits of *BIG PHARMA*!!!!
Your true colors are out.
Well at least I have not fallen for the government funded studies that contradict everything the privately funded research is showing.
BTW it was good enough for several of our founding fathers and over 3000 years of use by civilization before the ATF was directed to go after everything except alcohol, tobacco, and firearms - typical fed agency though.
Here are some other lesser known benefits of this completely harmless drug:
Marijuana can make stronger and lighter concrete products,
10 times more paper / acre than southern yellow pine,
fine textiles and clothing that wears and breathes better than cotton,
as a source of dietary fiber there is no equal for effective results yet no stomach discomfort,
as a drug treatment for anything that ails ya including cancer, alzheimers etc. the list of cures can not be topped by any other drug and there is no way possible to overdose with marijuana,
and marijuana has become the most effective drug for treating seizures.
Regarding the first do no harm I’ll take mj and chiropractors any day to resolve most of the out of control costs for out current healthcare system problems
- if they don’t over prescribe medicine then they want to do all manner of exploratory surgery and over-priced procedures that are not 100% effective and often complicate one’s health problems.
Last I’m happy to re-claim ant and all of my constitutional rights anytime the opportunity arises. I am not some lefty commie pinko democrat but a true conservative, too bad you don’t know more history about subjects you shoot your mouth off over.
Why do so many get very defensive when pot is critiqued ???
I smoked pot on a regular basis for years. I can tell you that there was nothing good that came out of it.
I know people who have smoked pot regularly for years and some that still do. One guy I know recently died in two weeks after diagnosis from lung cancer. He didn't smoke cigarettes, lived a healthy life...except he smoked pot almost every day.
My wife has a cousin in his 50's. Smokes pot on a regular basis. Diabetes, overweight, near death.
Only in the wildest imagination can anyone believe that smoking a plant, any kind of plant, can bring healthful benefits. But that's what the pro-pot people are IMPLYING and SUGGESTING when they talk about legalizing pot. The only benefit of smoking pot is that you get high faster. More bang for your buck. That's why they want pot legalized and that's the only reason.
But the biggest danger of pot isn't physical...it's spiritual. If you want to know why I'll tell you.
See, it’s statements like this that show you are not thinking objectively:
“Here are some other lesser known benefits of this completely harmless drug...”
Completely harmless?
1. You must have never have spoken with a chronic user. Either that, or you are a chronic user yourself and are addled-brained to the point where you can no longer see the plain affect it has on cognitive and recall abilities. Both of these negative side affects are beyond well-documented by countless studies.
2. So, suddenly inhaling smoke is completely harmless? Again - this is so ludicrous and demonstrates your agenda-driven reasoning, instead of clear objective thinking.
3. Studies have shown that heart rates increase 20-100% after smoking. This has resulted in a nearly 4.8x increased risk of heart attack.
4. Mental illness rates are higher amongst marijuana smokers. Could be correlation, could be causation. Given the significant impact on cognition, I’d go with causation.
5. Multiple studies have shown a clear drop in IQ with chronic users. Not only is this an extremely negative affect for the user, it affects society as a whole as more people will vote Democrat!
6. Harvard has outlined a clear degradation of the immune system for frequent marijuana smokers.
7. It’s dangerous to developing fetuses.
8. The addictive nature of the drug has been shown to increase anxiety, irritability, and insomnia.
9. General fitness is shown to decrease with users of the drug as it encourages a sedentary lifestyle which causes muscle atrophy.
10. Studies have shown that driving under the influence of marijuana is extremely dangerous - the likelihood on an accident doubles within three hours of smoking a joint.
Seriously? Do I need to go on.
Completely harmless drug my arse. You are trying to justify something, but failing miserably.
I challenge both of you to show me where I advocated smoking pot. The link I provided in post 119 discusses all of the other methods used to apply the drug to what ails you. Typical argument from wannabe conservatives, no research so create a strawman argument to knock down.
We do not need to have laws, however laws are designed to maintain order. The more, we as free people can not be personally responsible for actions and help to maintain order, the more laws will be forced upon us.
The drug problem will never go away as long as we continue to find angles and give excuses for their recreational uses. A kid should not be taught that or she must try everything once. That “once” can be the germ of addiction and despair.
Pain management days before death should be the only exception to acceptance of mind alternating, disease promoting and addictive drugs. Like, I said in my previous posts, using Marijuana as an oil is the true method of administering its healing capabilities. Any other way is an excuse to hide from one’s reality. It is one’s personal choice, however that same person must be responsible for the consequences and not the whole of society.
Pandora’s Box should not be toyed with, in a sense. Nor should we accept that moderation is always good. Mind altering drug use, even with the “initial idea” of only in moderation is toying with Pandora. The consequences of adolescent drug use are obvious and costly to everyone.
You simpleton. More laws equals more ‘criminals’ and more erosion of our constitutional rights. That’s exactly what got us to where we are in the last 100 of so years of progressive thinking.
Thanks be to God for Jesus, who showed us all we really only need to follow 2 laws in order to mimic Him.
You can continue to lick the boots of those authority figures who wish to enslave you - but as for me I’ll continue to learn and apply critical thinking skills on every issue and topic.
I did not say we needed more laws. I said we needed to take more responsibility. One pillar of being a conservative is understanding personal responsibility. There is no need for name calling and I am not a simpleton. I thought that is what only the other side does.
As for following Jesus. A true believer and follower would not need mind alternating drugs to cope with life and his/her existence. Furthermore he/she would always treat their body like a temple and be strong against temptation. This is how I have chosen to live my life and guide my family. If more people begin to reestablish absolutes, based on the entirety of biblical teachings and real life consequences, societies problems would quickly improve. It is not about laws, it is about relinquishing denial and understanding and practicing personal responsibility and volunteer service to others.
Marijuana is poison and when it is inhaled it becomes toxic to our cells and enzyme systems. However, infused as an oil, and administered as such, transform it into a healing remedy.
Below is an abstract discussing its toxic effect.
http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/ajrccm.156.5.9704146
The link below, perfectly, describes my position on marijuana use. There is a quote from Dr. Simpson himself. He, too, believes that burning marijuana is not the best choice of using and it is very toxic when inhaled in that manner.
Good luck to you and all who decide to practice this behavior. To everyone else, please do not be persuaded into believing that smoking a joint is not dangerous and non toxic.
http://m.naturalnews.com/news/034425_marijuana_cannabinoids_medicine.html
Do you want employees who drink alcohol?
Maybe I was being defensive. Misunderstood your post. Sorry.
I suppose I knee-jerk react to people when they post stupid things they know nothing about. Not talking about you, but some in this thread are pretty clueless as are some people in any group on any topic.
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