High anxieties : What the WHO doesn't want you to know about cannabis

New Scientist ^

[WindMinstrel]

Health officials in Geneva have suppressed the publication of a politically sensitive analysis that confirms what ageing hippies have known for decades: cannabis is safer than alcohol or tobacco.

According to a document leaked to New Scientist, the analysis concludes not only that the amount of dope smoked worldwide does less harm to public health than drink and cigarettes, but that the same is likely to hold true even if people consumed dope on the same scale as these legal substances.

The comparison was due to appear in a report on the harmful effects of cannabis published last December by the WHO. But it was ditched at the last minute following a long and intense dispute between WHO officials, the cannabis experts who drafted the report and a group of external advisers.

s As the WHO's first report on cannabis for 15 years, the document had been eagerly awaited by doctors and specialists in drug abuse. The official explanation for excluding the comparison of dope with legal substances is that "the reliability and public health significance of such comparisons are doubtful". However, insiders say the comparison was scientifically sound and that the WHO caved in to political pressure. It is understood that advisers from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse and the UN International Drug Control Programme warned the WHO that it would play into the hands of groups campaigning to legalise marijuana.

One member of the expert panel which drafted the report, says: "In the eyes of some, any such comparison is tantamount to an argument for marijuana legalisation." Another member, Billy Martin of the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, says that some WHO officials "went nuts" when they saw the draft report.

The leaked version of the excluded section states that the reason for making the comparisons was "not to promote one drug over another but rather to minimise the double standards that have operated in appraising the health effects of cannabis". Nevertheless, in most of the comparisons it makes between cannabis and alcohol, the illegal drug comes out better--or at least on a par--with the legal one.

The report concludes, for example, that "in developed societies cannabis appears to play little role in injuries caused by violence, as does alcohol". It also says that while the evidence for fetal alcohol syndrome is "good", the evidence that cannabis can harm fetal development is "far from conclusive".

Cannabis also fared better in five out of seven comparisons of long-term damage to health. For example, the report says that while heavy consumption of either drug can lead to dependence, only alcohol produces a "well defined withdrawal syndrome". And while heavy drinking leads to cirrhosis, severe brain injury and a much increased risk of accidents and suicide, the report concludes that there is only "suggestive evidence that chronic cannabis use may produce subtle defects in cognitive functioning".

Two comparisons were more equivocal. The report says that both heavy drinking and marijuana smoking can produce symptoms of psychosis in susceptible people. And, it says, there is evidence that chronic cannabis smoking "may be a contributory cause of cancers of the aerodigestive tract".

[Phantom Lord]

Alright. Here we go prohibition didn't work. America had to return to alcohol as a legal drug. What was the result? Drug Addiction (Alcoholism), Organized Crime, Assault, Battery, Murder, Rape, Prostitution, Loss Of Productivity, Unemployment, Spouse Abuse, Child Abuse, Broken Homes, Runaway Children, Auto Accidents, Auto Fatalies, Increased Hospital Costs, Increased Taxes.

That's just from having Alcohol as a legal drug. Do you really want to compound these problems by making drugs legal?

None of that happened prior to prohibition then I assume and returning to prohibition would reduce all of those. And muslim countries, where alcohol is prohibited, with death as punishment in some cases have none of those things happening i guess.

And France, where alcohol consumption is far higher than ours and people start drinking far younger than here must have a society so awash in those problems that it is nearly anarchy.

And how did the legalization of alcohol, when prohibition pratically built the Mafia in America cause organized crime to increase?

How is the legalization of alcohol the reason for higher hosptial costs and higher taxes? I think BIG GOVERNMENT is the cause of those.

The highest level of unemployement in American history happened during prohibition. So, to use your twisted logic on this thread, the legalization of alcohol was GOOD for unemployement as it decreased after it was legalized.

Your logic is more flawed and unfounded in reality than Johnny Toke after a night with his four footer.

Just admit it, you are just "opposed" to MJ being legal and you care not one bit as to why you are opposed and need no reasons nor will listen to anything that might upset your world view. You've been spoonfed your entire life that MJ is wrong, bad for you and that only evil people and druggies use it so it has to remain illegal. The movie Reefer Madness is more full of lies than a Clinton campaign speech, yet you seem to have bought it hook line and sinker.

You still have yet to give any reasons that MJ should continue to be illegal, and you havent even attempted to justify your opposition to MJ legalization on a legal or constitutional basis.

How about also listing other things that are currently legal that should be illegal because they might contribute to the items listed above by you or because someone might use them and then drive.

Your "stoned driver" argument died along time ago and you have yet to come up with anything else.

And just why did America "have to" legalize alcohol? And please, be specific and do your darndest to not use anything that could also be used as a reason "America had to legalize pot" because you dont want to continue to defeat yourself.

[William Terrell]

How did you get that out of what I said?

You leaned heavily on the notion that cannabis was psychologically addictive, physically addictive being out of the question. So I asked you why, if a person took care of his family, worked, ect, would you care. You said, "I don't."

Now, if you don't care, why do you not want it to be legal? Habit?

You think that your drug use doesn't have any impact on the world around you, and you're wrong. Drugs finance, or contribute to Terrorism, Organized Crime, Prostitution, Pornography, Murder, Rape, Street Crime just to name a few things.

It doesn't. Why do I say that? Because before all these drugs became illegal there was no terrorism to speak of. Organized crime wasn't organized (it became organized in the way you mean during alcohol prohibition). Pornography wasn't a problem. Murder, rape, street crime were there as always in human civilization but nothing like we have today.

It appears that all these things you mentioned had their genisis with the scheduling system for substances. That may be correlation, not causation, but nevertheless it's a fact.

You keep bearing down on the aspect of driving while stoned. You have enough knowledge of the central nervous system effects from drugs to know that alcohol is a CNS depressant and cannabis is a CNS stimulant, right?

Evidently you're not aware of the numerous studies that prove conclusively that cannabis actually makes a driver more careful and cautious. Why don't you read up on the topic before you generate fear based on ignorance? Fear based on ignorance led people to burn others at the stake. You don't want to be in that crowd, do you?

Educate yourself before you expound on a subject. Learn how to question your aassumptions and learn how to separate notions put into your head by conditioning using emotional triggers and that which arrived there by study, consideration and rational conclusion based on solid objective evidence.

[headsonpikes]

"...rough and tumble..." ROTFLMAO!!!!

If you think your 'rough and tumble' got to me, we have obviously not met before.

See you at nut-cutting time, Mr. Transformer.

[vin-one]

going on five months without a dip of cope, oops, had a couple with my little brother this weekend, but here it is Wednesday, and still no snuff. I quit with cigars, small cigarellos,(sp) worked for me, Every now and then I have cigar to take the edge off, one every other day or so. That and the topic of this thread makes it much easier. The thing that made me quit was the urge to quit, and the constant nagging my the wife and kids, Good luck and keep an empty bottum lip.....

[vin-one]

notice how Dane, and Dougie from KC have been missing, I think this guy is a combo of both. A Dane/KC clone. Might as well ignore him he is not going to add anything or even look at the research I have provided him early in this thread......

[vin-one]

I was thinking about a reply and ready to post it to your assinine post, but I see several people have already done so, and quite a bit better than I could ever do. thanks wind, Phantom, and HOS (headsOnSpikes)

[WindMinstrel]

You too, man. You know the weirdest thing about quitting? The way the inside of my wasn't wrinkled anymore. Kinda nice!

Of course, I still need to get the gum surgery my dentist is insisting on. He says I need a gum graft -- he wants me to pay money to have some feller cut out part of my soft palette and sew it into my gums! Wish I'd known about that pleasant procedure before I started!

[EBUCK]

I got a wife so I don't worry about that anymore (impressing girls that is) and I chewed when we met so she signod on for it.

I tried that gum as well but I couldn't afford to keep it up. Plus it didn't really work that well for me.

I'm going to have to suck it up and just stop here pretty soon though. My cheeks and gums have just about had it and I don't want to start losing teeth.

EBUCK

[Destructor]

"...rough and tumble..." ROTFLMAO!!!!"

"If you think your 'rough and tumble' got to me, we have obviously not met before."

Apparently it did.

"See you at nut-cutting time, Mr. Transformer."

Maybe that will give you time to actually grow some!

[Hacksaw]

Of course, I still need to get the gum surgery my dentist is insisting on. He says I need a gum graft -- he wants me to pay money to have some feller cut out part of my soft palette and sew it into my gums!

I had to have that done when I got braces. Sorry to say this, but it hurt like hell!

[WindMinstrel]

Sorry to say this, but it hurt like hell!

You're not nearly as sorry to say it as I am to read it, trust me.

[Destructor]

On the contrary. I am very much a part of the debate. I'm the only one with the patients to try offer an opposing point of view!

What it all boils down to is that you dope users don't just want your chosen lifestyle accepted- you want it celebrated! God help us if that ever happens. America will go the way of the Roman Empire!!

[vin-one]

You guys are just reinforcing my desire to stay away from that can. By the way the gum made me sick, regular gum and a cigar everyother day is the way to go. I did it for over 20 years, I quit several times, I am off of it for good, well maybe one dip (not a can) on the beach in two weeks.

[Phantom Lord]

Who here has posted anything that would lead you to believe that pot smoking, and those that smoke pot should be "celebrated"?

[Destructor]

Whoops! patients= patience

[Destructor]

All of the pro-drug druggies.

[vin-one]

What it all boils down to is that you dope users don't just want your chosen lifestyle accepted- you want it celebrated! God help us if that ever happens. America will go the way of the Roman Empire!!

you crack me up, what you fail to understand is the MJ is probably
at it's peak for usage in the U.S. so many americans are currently doing it we
just don't want to get busted for doing it. You shall soon see just how many people
want it legalized. Look at Nevada it will be on the ballot soon.

[chemainus]

In 1982 I had dinner with a VP of the WHO. I have absolutely NO CONFIDENCE in ANYTHING emanating from ANYONE or ANY PUBLICATION connected with WHO. I would rather submit to the "hate Western" tyranny of the U.N. or the kangaroo court tactics of the HAGUE (ague) before I put any credence in any WHO proclamation. It is a socialist World Tyranny organization that is against everything good from the West.

[headsonpikes]

"I'm the only one with the patients to try offer an opposing point of view."

My hand trembles with the joy of the knife.

If you imagine that your puerile regurgitation of the worn-out slogans of drug warriors past is a contribution to the debate then your mind is addled by something more fatal than 'dope'.

The years of social conditioning to which you have been subjected certainly did not go to waste.

You, no doubt, expect to be standing there cheering, waving your little flag, when America's internal enemies are loaded onto the trains.

It is my impression from history that the 'useful idiots' will be boarding the second train; I'm sure they'll save a seat for you.

Regarding the Roman Empire, nah...why waste my time?

[Phantom Lord]

All of the pro-drug druggies.

How about cutting and pasting a post that says pot and pot smokers should be celebrated.