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Legalize cannabis? Not so fast, say medics
Bermuda Sun ^ | June 22, 2011 | Raymond Hainey

Posted on 06/22/2011 11:34:42 PM PDT by AustralianConservative

Government Senator Marc Bean recently called for a debate on the merits of decriminalising drugs in the wake of a report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy. A distinguished panel that wrote the report said the war on drugs had failed and recommended partial legalization as a solution to the blight of the illegal drugs trade on communities around the world.

Not so fast, warn medics.

Side effects of marijuana can include a heightened risk of psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, damage to memory and judgement and heart problems. Neurologist Dr Keith Chiappa said: “The use of marijuana, especially in younger age groups, should not be encouraged by any legalisation and should continue to be discouraged by specific programmes.”

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Chantelle Simmons said: “Cannabis use has been shown to be associated with difficulties in thought processes in 15-20 year olds.

“When you have a young adult, whose brain is still developing, there is a five times greater risk of schizophrenia.”

“It particularly adversely affects the developing brain and it’s also closely associated with psychosis.”

The Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute doctor added: “As a clinician, I try to focus on medical implications only, but I would have concerns that decriminalization would send a message that it was okay to encourage marijuana use.”

Dr Simmons added that studies had shown that marijuana use caused higher rates of depressive illness in adult women – four times the rate of depression found in non-users.

Teenage marijuana smokers have also been found to be less likely to complete high school and more likely to make poor career and life choices.

Dr Simmons said: “People say ‘it’s only weed, it’s natural’. It is a natural substance, but it can have significant adverse effects. It can not only cause psychosis, but exacerbate existing phychoses.”

(Excerpt) Read more at bermudasun.bm ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cannabis; marijuana; mentalhealth; pot; schizophrenia
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To: TigersEye
I did not lie.

Your 40 years experience of smoking pot has obviously wrecked whatever power of reasoning you once had - long, long, oh so very long ago.

181 posted on 06/23/2011 2:27:46 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: ansel12

Booze..pot...same thing...

Only your logic is situational.


182 posted on 06/23/2011 2:28:11 AM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '12)
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To: Crim
Why are you going of on a tangent also.

I've no argument about equality under the law.

What does that have to do with my original post?

Stay on subject.

183 posted on 06/23/2011 2:28:11 AM PDT by Puckster
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To: Berlin_Freeper

So...what’s your excuse?


184 posted on 06/23/2011 2:28:50 AM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '12)
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To: alexander_busek

Amusing? NOT! Moron.


185 posted on 06/23/2011 2:33:52 AM PDT by OneLoyalAmerican (In God I trust, all others provide citations.)
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To: OneLoyalAmerican
Amusing? NOT! Moron.

The level of polite discourse here has reached a new high!

Was, perhaps, my sarcasm lost upon you?

Regards,

186 posted on 06/23/2011 2:36:59 AM PDT by alexander_busek
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To: Melas

Greetings Melas:

Anaphylaxis.

Cheers,
OLA


187 posted on 06/23/2011 2:37:38 AM PDT by OneLoyalAmerican (In God I trust, all others provide citations.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Thanks for making my case easier to convey.


188 posted on 06/23/2011 2:39:32 AM PDT by AustralianConservative
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To: Puckster

Well, even though you just committed to your statement.....wow, very naive.
There are many people I’ve known over the years that the only reason they don’t use it is because it’s illegal.

Their family and jobs come first and they wouldn’t jeopardize both by testing positive for a drug test.

I can stand by my original post then.


Why are you going of on a tangent also.
I’ve no argument about equality under the law.

What does that have to do with my original post?

Stay on subject.


You brought up your friends fear of the law as the only reason they dont smoke pot.

Fear of job loss.

I pointed out that your friends are second class citizens based upon what you advocate.

Law makers are exempt from drug testing under the 4th amendment...the 4th applies to them...but not to your friends...

Throwing the word tangent around repeatedly doesnt make it so...

It’s relative to the discussion at hand.

Enforcement requires testing....yet certain classes are exempt from testing as a 4th amendment voilation...

Therefore...enforcement is a joke played upon the lesser animals.

Have you ever read animal farm?


189 posted on 06/23/2011 2:42:57 AM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '12)
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To: Crim
[...] any stupid ass can pee in a cup on command.

Actually, I've never been called upon to "perform" in that manner, but I suspect that I'd suffer an attack of "embarrassed bladder."

Sorry for the tangent! Your contributions to this thread are appreciated!

As I just told my wife, the "Liberalism-is-a-mental-disease" meme occasionally encountered here at Free Republic - and which I think definitly has some merit - should not blind us to the fact that some Conservatives have a seriously skewed faculty for reasoning when it comes to those drugs which the Federal Govt. - in contravention to the Constitution - illegalized in the 20th century.

Regards,

190 posted on 06/23/2011 2:43:37 AM PDT by alexander_busek
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To: Crim
“There are many people I’ve known “

“I pointed out that your friends are second class citizens based upon what you advocate.”

I said people I've known, right?????????

“It’s relative to the discussion at hand.”

Relevant to someones posting on this thread, but not mine.

“Have you ever read animal farm?”

Obviously in your postings.

“Of course alcohol has caused more deaths because it IS legal....and in what world does your imagination swim in thinking that when marijuana is legalized that the statistics won't eventually catch up or surpass?”

My original. And of course marijuana will never be completely legal.....or, do you want minors to use it. Just like alcohol isn't completely legal.

So, can you get off your tangent and get back to my original comment?

191 posted on 06/23/2011 2:55:51 AM PDT by Puckster
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To: alexander_busek

I’ve never been impressed by situational logic....it’s usually reserved for libtards...

When the topic of pot comes up on FR...”personal responsibilty” flies right out the frickin window for half of the freepers...

Talk about feeling instead of thinking.

We talk about failed federal policies all the time...and why such policies should be ended.

This policy has clearly failed.

It should be ended.

William F Buckley agrees with me....as does Gov Palin.


192 posted on 06/23/2011 2:59:58 AM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '12)
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To: stars & stripes forever

You are wrong.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560900

Assessing the impact of cannabis use on trends in diagnosed schizophrenia in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2005.

Department of Medicines Management, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK. m.frisher@keele.ac.uk

Abstract
A recent systematic review concluded that cannabis use increases risk of psychotic outcomes independently of confounding and transient intoxication effects. Furthermore, a model of the association between cannabis use and schizophrenia indicated that the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia would increase from 1990 onwards.

The model is based on three factors: a) increased relative risk of psychotic outcomes for frequent cannabis users compared to those who have never used cannabis between 1.8 and 3.1, b) a substantial rise in UK cannabis use from the mid-1970s and c) elevated risk of 20 years from first use of cannabis. This paper investigates whether this has occurred in the UK by examining trends in the annual prevalence and incidence of schizophrenia and psychoses, as measured by diagnosed cases from 1996 to 2005.

Retrospective analysis of the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) was conducted for 183 practices in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The study cohort comprised almost 600,000 patients each year, representing approximately 2.3% of the UK population aged 16 to 44. Between 1996 and 2005 the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia and psychoses were either stable or declining.

Explanations other than a genuine stability or decline were considered, but appeared less plausible. In conclusion, this study did not find any evidence of increasing schizophrenia or psychoses in the general population from 1996 to 2005.


193 posted on 06/23/2011 3:06:03 AM PDT by KDD (When the government boot is on your neck, it matters not whether it is the right boot or the left.)
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To: Puckster

I addressed you original comment many posts ago...are you stoned or just stupid?

“Of course alcohol has caused more deaths because it IS legal....and in what world does your imagination swim in thinking that when marijuana is legalized that the statistics won’t eventually catch up or surpass?”

Addressed directly...TWICE.

“My original. And of course marijuana will never be completely legal.....or, do you want minors to use it. Just like alcohol isn’t completely legal.”

Strawman argument...we are of course talking about adult use...I also agree with buckley on this issue...get caught selling drugs to a minor...capital punishment...good enough?...or would you prefer we abuse the corpse as well?

By the same token....do minors use alcohol even though it is illegal to do so?

Yes?...No?


194 posted on 06/23/2011 3:06:44 AM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '12)
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To: KDD

The Brits are already psychotic...that ship has sailed.


195 posted on 06/23/2011 3:09:14 AM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '12)
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To: Crim

“1) “First, use of alcohol decreased significantly during Prohibition.104 This decrease in turn lead to a marked decrease in the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver.105 Finally, the suicide rate also decreased by 50%.107”

That statement is, at best, misleading. In truth, nobody really knows exactly how much alcohol consumption increased or decreased during Prohibition. The reason was simple enough — people like Al Capone didn’t pay taxes on their product and thereby report their production to the government.”

“I also agree with buckley on this issue...get caught selling drugs to a minor...capital punishment...good enough?...or would you prefer we abuse the corpse as well?

By the same token....do minors use alcohol even though it is illegal to do so?

Yes?...No?”

Seems like Buckley pretty much has your mind locked up.

Why the corpse?

So yes/no back to you, is your purpose to say you really do think that it should be legal because they can get and use illegal substances/alcohol? Illegal to them but not to me, if marijuana is legalized.

What is you point by throwing that in with the corpse?


196 posted on 06/23/2011 3:19:52 AM PDT by Puckster
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To: Crim
How many wasted decades do you have?

Best you take a good long look at Tigerseye before its much too late.

197 posted on 06/23/2011 3:22:10 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Crim

LOL, I run in to them everyday here in Kandahar.

The Aussie’s seem to be more level headed though.


198 posted on 06/23/2011 3:22:46 AM PDT by Puckster
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To: Crim
Simple point is that according to the NIH and other research organizations there is no evidence that cannabis causes mental health issues.

The dishonesty surrounding this subject has cost more loss of respect for our institutions then any other. Our police, Courts and our politicos are now looked upon by a large part of America as jackbooted thugs.

The drug war is the biggest factor into changing our justice system to nothing more then a legal system...justice be damned.

199 posted on 06/23/2011 3:28:34 AM PDT by KDD (When the government boot is on your neck, it matters not whether it is the right boot or the left.)
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To: Puckster
The leftist liars have for years, (make that decades) used the premeditated lie that People (including children) are more prone to do things if they are illegal. These are truly evil people who exchange evil for good.

They knew this was a lie and continued their original lie by say, if we could just make it legal, they would lose interest and stop doing it.

What a pack of mangy liars these people are and they knowingly told this lie for decades in order to undermine the moral resolve of traditional Americans in order to achieve their vile political outcomes desired by their anti-American social revolution.

If you are unaware of this liberal tactic employed by all liberal entertainment, talk shows, movies, lawyers, educators, politicians,etc. for decades then you need to stop all arguments until you wise up.

Liberals created the welfare state and the DRUG CULTURE which has groomed generations of people who do not know right from wrong and who would elect an anti-American Marxist liar.

200 posted on 06/23/2011 3:39:45 AM PDT by Old Landmarks (No fear of man, none!)
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